Thank you to both NetGalley and Hodderscape for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was SOO excited when I got approved for this book. Chloe Gong is an absolute autobuy author for me. I immediately fell in love with her writing style with These Violent Delights and I have loved everything else she has written since, too. This book is not an exception, even if it is a little different than what I had expected!

I am a massive fan of competition books - The Hunger Games was one of my first major loves in the world of YA - so the premise of this book is very up my street anyway. The execution of it only makes it even more so. This one hasn't even released yet and I am desperately awaiting its sequel!

Told from multiple perspectives, this book shows us so many different parts of this world that Gong has created. Though incredibly built, it feels wrong to call it anything but horrific; with a city that can be described as gritty at best, a magic system that allows members of the society to jump from body to body at will and a popular televised game that requires a player be the last one standing through whatever means necessary, this world is masterfully built.

The characters who populate this story are just as well crafted. The main perspectives are that of the crown prince, a parricidal princess and an exiled aristocrat. Considering each of them have seemingly similar backgrounds, their lives and perspectives are so incredibly different and each offers so much to the story. I absolutely loved each of their narrations.

Every now and again, there was a bit of info-dumping going on, but I find that is true of a lot of adult fantasy novels, especially with so much history involved in them. I didn't find it enough of an issue to be even slightly annoyed by this and I very much enjoyed learning all of the small and large details about the world that Gong has crafted.

I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series. It is going to be a new favourite for me for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy.

I was quite excited going into this book, I hadn’t read any of the authors other work but had heard a lot of good things.
I found this book hard to get into and had to push myself to read it so I could review it.

I enjoy fantasy books but found that this one may have needed a book before to set up world building and some understanding of all the mechanics as they aren’t explained well in this book.

I found that the premise was good but there was so kick also happening that didn’t get nearly as much explanation as it should have.
I’m imagining that there some plan for a sequel due to the cliff hanger ending and the unexplained areas in the story.

I expected a lot and it didn’t deliver.

this was truly SO GOOD. i was a little nervous going into it because i wasnt a fan of chloe gong’s debut but my god this blew tvd out of the water and i couldnt be happier about it!!

jumping is such an interesting concept and im excited to see where we go with it in the next two books and especially what happens with the situation towards the end!!!

my only issues are that the ending felt a little rushed and i didnt find the romance completely believable

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him. Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

Calla is a feisty one for sure and I absolutely loved that about her. A whizz with a sword and absolutely lethal, she was very interesting to read about. Being a princess who killed her parents - the king and queen - so is most assuredly an outcast. However, she takes this in her stride and lives life on the edge. I liked reading from Calla’s POV for the majority of the book because her thought processes are rather interesting to me. She’s cold and calculated when she needs to be but there’s this warmth inside her that peeks out now and again that’s incredibly endearing. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where her character goes in the next book!
Anton, like Calla, is absolutely lethal and rather intriguing because of it. He seems to prefer being in a new body every few days at most because it offers variety - and there’s the thrill of stealing someone else’s vessel when they least expect it. I rather liked reading from his POV because it felt different to any other POV I’ve read in the past. Considering how the ending of this book came about, it’s going to be very exciting to read from his perspective in the next book!
August isn’t seen quite as much as the other two but he still makes an impact. He’s desperate to change the world in any way he can and if that means taking a page out of Calla’s book and killing his adoptive father, so be it. He did annoy me a little bit, I must admit. He seems so self-righteous that at times I wanted to knock some sense into him. He seemed to hate getting his hands dirty too but wanting the deadly results he desired. August is a character that doesn’t jump out at me as a favourite, but I did like his POVs. Anton may just come out on top between them two.

Being a massive fan of Gong’s work from the very beginning and getting an advanced copy of her first book, I just knew I needed to jump into her Adult debut! The plot is very good and strong, which is no surprise to me. It was engaging and fast paced, keeping the reader on their toes throughout. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting, all very different and individual from the other. The romance was cute, giving me the perfect essence of enemies to lovers - something I think Gong excels at wholeheartedly! Also, the slight inclusion of spice was perfect in my eyes! I must say that the story is rather wordy and at times, I did find myself struggling to keep up but I didn’t want this to affect my rating. All first books that are fantasy tend to be wordy and a bit overwhelming at times as the reader settles into the new world and established their understanding, and I think this is what was holding me back a bit. The ending however… holy crap I was not expecting that! What brilliance but what a cliffhanger it has left me on! I need the next book immediately!

Overall, Immortal Longings is another stunning story from Chloe Gong that everyone needs to read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HOW DARE YOU END IT LIKE THAT!!!
Chloe better be writing the next book because I need it.

It was a bit of a slow start, but once I got used to the world, I was all in. The stakes, the romance, the drama, the battles, and the politics... I need more. Those twists on twists were also fab. Solid 4-stars on vibes.

I really enjoyed reading this Chloe Gong book, I was intrigued to see how it would play out compared to her other books and was not disappointed. It's fast-paced and so intriguing and there was just something that forced you to keep reading. The characters were well developed and each stood out on their own, the world building and royal politics was something that I really enjoyed unpicking. Even now, I have more questions and intrigue regarding the magic that surrounded the world Gong has built, I was fascinated to follow the characters through their powers and found that the character on Anton in particular was so well written and fully developed in his personality that I forgot that his appearance wasn't always set. Originally, I was worried that this would be too reminicent of THG however I was glad to see that it had so much depth and it's own standing in the fantasy/dystopian world.

Immersive, dark, raw and full of with talent! - ALL the stars!! Also where can I sign up for book 2?!

Chloe Gong never disappoints - I loved all of her twisted retellings of Juliet & Romeo and now, with Immortal Longings I think I have reache a new level of fangirling.

Loved the themes this story included: discussion of trauma, violence, spice, bit of romance.
I have always loved the trials,only one can survive, games with a high stake kind of situation going on and this novel has excelled all my expectations. Loved that it was mature, dark and very smartly explaining the horrors of the game.

If you prefer plot dirven stories over character driven or romantically overpowering ones (I would consider this one a very traumatic slow burn affair), Immortal Longings will be a new favorite adult book for you!

Thank you so much for the Publisher, Netgalley and Chloe Gong for this masterpiece and being able to read it early!

Somehow I need to make all these thoughts and feelings about this book into an actual review, and not just me screaming that, once again, Chloe Gong has tricked me into caring about characters when I’m fully aware of how this play ends.

It’s an absolute masterpiece. The world of San-Er is rich and dense in a way that I can envision so clearly. The whole technological side mixed with a monarchy was just the cherry on top.

The stars of this book are its characters.

Calla’s yearning for change to the corrupt world she lives in is something so personal to me. Her wish to stop children from going hungry, and her willingness to take it all upon herself made me wanna cry. The more I read, the more I understand that she is really just a collection of these fragile hopes, and that there is not much of her that is tangible.

In contrast to this, Anton is aimless. He clings on to the past, and cannot build anything permanent because he doesn’t really understand how. I just wanted to grab him and tell him that that he could make something if he actually committed to a cause or a belief.

Separately, I do feel a great amount of sympathy for August, who does have good intentions, but is still clinging onto the fear that all of this could be taken away after spending so long fighting to be seen.

There’s a whole cast of other characters that I could also add here but I think that would make this more of an essay, than a review.

I’m so overwhelmed by this book but I’m the best way possible. It’s definitely one of best I’ve read, and now I’m scared for the next one.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e-arc. This review given freely and is entirely my own.

2.5/5

This book by Chloe Gong falls short of her best work. It is in desperate need of an editor. The excessive info-dumping throughout the pages becomes tiresome and makes it difficult to grasp the actual plot. The fictional city of San-Er, created by Gong, is inundated with centuries worth of history, overshadowing the story.

Whenever I forced myself to pick up the book, my eyes would immediately glaze over, demotivating me further. Gong's slow exposition style is evident here, but the excessive info-dumping makes it feel more like a history textbook than a fantasy novel. The information is not woven seamlessly into the narrative, but rather delivered clumsily.

It took me weeks to get into the story, not out of genuine interest or enjoyment, but simply because I wanted to be done with it. The plot lacks grip, especially when it closely resembles the Hunger Games but with a monarchical setting instead of a republic. I expected something different, with intriguing commentary or subversion. The complexity that Gong aimed for is lost amidst the multitude of characters and their shallow development. It was exhausting trying to keep up, and everything remained superficial, lacking depth.

Moreover, none of the characters managed to captivate me, making it difficult to find something engaging or compelling. The lack of dialogue for most of them in the beginning quarter of the book prevented me from truly getting to know them. Instead, their inner monologues felt generic and served as more info-dumping. There was a distinct absence of personality, bite, grit, or excitement. They all felt equally boring and lacking in distinct traits.

Gong attempted to make the characters mysterious and edgy by withholding information about them, but this only added to my confusion rather than enticing me. Their motivations for participating in the games and their thirst for vengeance were not clearly established, leaving me disconnected from their journeys.

Overall, the book was severely dull and painfully uninteresting.

Chloe Gong is unbelievably skilled at keeping readers hooked to the page. Even though the pacing dragged slightly in the middle, it was a lightening quick, sizzling action-filled story.

THE ROMANCE (ANTON X CALLA)

1. “Listen,” he says, an edge to his voice now. Though he cannot see her, Calla smiles, finally liking where this is going. There’s a hardness to his tone, a sense of ferocity that has been whetted into a weapon. This is more like someone who would enroll himself in the games. “You’ve seen my kill numbers. My ability to jump. You know that I’m an asset to have on your side. We can work together, then break our alliance at the end. Only at the end.”
2. Calla teeters sideways. He catches her immediately, his shirt staining with red where she presses close. “I’ve got you,” he promises. “I’ve got you, Princess.” And Calla passes out.
3. Anton draws closer. His hand lifts, brushing along her face, fingers burying into her hair. It’s not the same soft gesture as when she was asleep. He is not try-ing to soothe her; he is holding her in place to get a good look like an investor putting his prize up to the light.“You’re a wild, terrifying thing, do you know that?” he asks, a tremor in his voice.
4. In a blink, he’s slammed her up against the wall, pressed against her to keep her still. The plaster trembles. There’s a nail jutting out from it, probably where the picture frame had been hanging, and as Calla’s head spins, she wonders if she hit her head too hard before and that’s why she can’t get a single thought in order.“Calla,” he tries, his breath warm against her neck. “Stop this.
5. Throat exposed, heart facing out. Now he is hers to take. Calla heaves for breath. One of her hands is braced on his chest, the other reacquainting with the blade that has landed on the floor. As soon as she has secured the handle, she raises the dagger high, imagining how its arc will come down. She can feel his heart thudding beneath her touch: fear and something else. “Calla,” Anton says again, desperation creeping into his voice, and Calla wants to tear him apart. Because she has him completely under her mercy, pinned like prey, but all he can do is look up at her like that. “Don’t even try it,” Calla spits.
“What?” Anton asks. His eyes trace along her face. His pupils have blown so large that Calla can’t see the usual purple that rings his black irises. In an effort to keep him down, she presses upon his hips harshly, and then she can feel him, can gauge exactly why his pulse throbs at his throat. “What am I trying?”
6. “Go on,” he says evenly. “Kill me. Fall not a tear. Be the murderous princess they say you are.”
7. Calla can handle pain. She can handle blood. But this—this is somehow all and none of that at once, a wrenching in her very soul. This is tenderness. And she is more afraid of it than anything else in their forsaken kingdom.
8. She could kill him right here if she wanted. The apartment hosts only the two of them. The rest of San-Er sleeps within its own walls. He would have nowhere to jump. But she won’t. She trusts her life in his hands, and for that, she wants to deserve his trust too, offer him safety in her embrace.
9. Suddenly, Anton turns, nudging his shoulder closer toward her. Calla snatches her hand back with a start, but he’s not stirring against her touch. He has not awakened at all: he only adjusts until he is facing her, eyes still closed. Before Calla can react, Anton draws her near, seeking her body amid the sheets. He reaches for her, an arm curling around her waist, solid and steady. Even asleep, he reaches for her
10. “Calla,” she echoes, putting on a tone of reverence. She makes a thoughtful noise. “Would you know me in another body?”
“In any body,” Anton promises, “you would still be the same terrifying princess.
”That draws a laugh from her, and the sound sends an unexplainable thrill shooting along his body. He would give anything to keep her like this next to him, her every gesture of approval like a line of narcotics wired directly into his veins. When she lifts her chin to grin at the look on his face, he can’t help but feel that he is giving away more than he should, yet he can’t stop himself.
11. She lets him, and he knows she catches the exact moment his jaw clenches tight and his voice hardens. “Who cares if you stole her? You deserve this power more than the girl who was born into it. Forget your name and adopt the title instead. Calla. Soon, people will be saying it just as they whisper God.”
12. Calla extricates her arm without niceties, and Anton blinks, taken aback. One of the factories nearby must be rumbling to a start, because there’s smoke rising through the gaps between the buildings, low-hanging clouds misting around them. He blinks again because of the smoke in his eyes, but also at himself, at the dip in his stomach that comes without warning. Seven years without Otta, and he would have thought he had gotten better at this. Would have thought that leaving his youth behind meant outgrowing his need to hold on too tightly to people once he has them. Yet Calla pulling away makes his skin prickle as if he’s been given a slap on the wrist without knowing what he did wrong.
13. Calla removes the cigarette from her lips and, with the puff of smoke still in her lungs, leans forward and kisses him. Despite his words, he lets her release right into him, taking the toxins down his throat. He’ll let her poison him, swallow everything down like this is the sweetest liquor he has ever tasted.
14. Anton isn’t sure if he still loves Otta, but he thinks he loves Calla. He loves her quick temper, and her sharp words, even when they’re directed at him. He loves the rush every time he turns her scowl into a grin, or her grin darkens into a glare. Is that love? It’s not as if he ever really learned what love is supposed to feel like.
15. “Kiss me,” he says. “Kiss me and make every dreadful second here worth it.”Calla only needs to be asked once. She presses her lips to his, and the rest of San-Er drowns out, fades to nothing, shrunken into oblivion by sheer will. All Anton can hope is that this is enough—that this time around, outsmarting the cities with a plan pinned on love will finally succeed.
16. Let it bruise. Let him mark her skin permanently as a memory of what divine agony is. “Calla,” Anton murmurs when their mouths separate for a moment, “I won’t hurt you. I refuse.

THE WORLD/THE CITY

1. In a way, the wall is not protection against the outsiders who flock en-masse into the twin cities, but for these outsiders, to spare them just one second longer from laying eyes on the ruin within. No one wants to move to San-Er. No one prefers to be kept awake at night by persistent clanging and neighbors arguing and brothels screaming, instead of wild, open skies in quiet, rural Talin. But with peace comes quicker starvation; with open ground comes no money. It is either their children’s graves lined up one by one in a row outside the willow trees or a factory job in San-Er, and the choice is easy. Rural civilians make the slow shuffle through the guarded gates of San-Er, clutching their citizenship passes to their chest and blinking in awe at the colossal mess that awaits inside. People starve in San-Er too, but at least they can say they tried.
2. A compact, concentrated world of food hawkers splashed with oil and metalworkers clanging on blades and technicians fixing up unwieldy computers to resell. San-Er spends each moment functioning off the fumes of its last. There is no other way to survive.

CALLA

1. Now, so close to a second chance to strike, she cannot sink into her anger, or she might never emerge. She has spent too long compartmentalizing every terrible impulse and smoothing them down to be palatable. When the time comes to confront the blistering shards that live inside her, it will have to be in one big swallow.
2. Calla has never claimed to be good. She has never wanted to be good. But she seeks it in every corner of the twin cities, a sign that goodness is something Talin is capable of. Every day, she wakes up and she begs for what she has done to mean something, for the kingdom to tell her she is right to believe it could be honorable, that it’s befitting to spill blood until there is nothing left of her, until all the pieces are gone, until she cannot feel this twinge of doubt each time her blade slips in and out. There is peace at the end of this. There must be.
3. Take the cuts. Take the burns. You will heal, and you will be braver. Braver? I want to be stronger. Strength is a conscious effort. First, you will be braver, and then you will be stronger. They trained her for war. And she rose up to wage it on them.
4. Each time she sees him, he wears someone new. His eyes change shape and his nose changes length, his hair alters long and short, and his height moves up and down. Yet no matter the body, his same set of expressions remains, and Calla wants to make a game of collecting them. She has seen smug. She has seen eerily calm, a feigned indifference. They are not enough. Anton Makusa is hiding a lifetime’s worth of deceit under his skin, and she wants to pick him apart, and see what lies beneath. She wants to see his fullest contempt. She wants to see rage.
5. “This is Kasa’s rot,” Calla continues steadily. “And when he’s gone, no child will go hungry again.” Anton examines her. She must know that this is unrealistic. Calla Tuoleimi is too clever to be fooled into such elementary thinking, too sensible to believe that a kingdom could change so wholly by merely swapping one mortal man for another. Though perhaps . . . perhaps she is simply weary enough to be fooled. She looks at the cities with such duty, the weight of the kingdom hefted upon her shoulders by her own appointment. Allowing August’s heroics to swoop in means reprieve from the never-ending, immeasurable task of keeping watch; a savior to replace a tyrant, and justice restored so long as one cruel king bears the burden of his whole lineage’s wrongs.
“Do you want to stop Kasa from letting another child go hungry again?” Anton broaches slowly. “Or do you want to punish him for letting you go hungry?”
A spark of ire flashes in Calla’s eyes. Then, that glint fades just as fast a

ANTON MAKUSA

1. Anton leans his body up against the alley wall. He readies himself. All he knows is this: He’ll always choose the easiest path. Not the most honorable, not the cleanest, not the messiest. If he’s offered an opportunity, he will take it
2. Pampi smiles. Sometimes she feels a thousand years old, like an ancient god who has been sleeping in wait, ready for her moment to come. Her mother called it narcissism, but who’s the one still around?

AUGUST SHINGZHI

1. August takes the ornamental crown off his head with a sigh. Without its weight there, he runs a hand through his hair, tugging at the knots that have formed in the wind, easing the tension in his scalp. He doesn’t protest when he feels Galipei drop a hand onto the base of his neck. He tips his head down, letting Galipei work his fingers instead.
2. Good kingdoms don’t need good soldiers. A good soldier dies on the battlefield and lets the people cry for him. Good kingdoms need loyal soldiers, terrible ones.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this book.

This was different from Chloe Gong's other books, but not in a bad way. And as with many new fantasy worlds, it took some time to get used to. But when i did, I really liked this world and story, and i can't wait to read more.

This book is giving a little hunger games vibes with similar kind of games that go throughout the book. The contestants fight for their life, and there can only be one winner. Only this game is going on in the city of San-Er, with the civians right there. So, how do you know who the other players are?

In this world, your birth body doesn't really mean much as you can jump to a new body. If you are stronger than the other person, you can even take over a body that there is already someone in. I feel like this could be confusing, and you never quite know who anyone really is. The only thing that can identify you are your eyes.

One thing that was different for me this time compared to Chloe Gong's first series was that I don't know anything about Anthony and Cleopatra, which this story is inspired by. So I had no idea what to expect, though I had my suspicions after her other series.

Parts of the ending were expected, but also welcome, I am really excited to see what will happen now. A lot of things are possible for the next book, and I'm here for it.

Though, one thing i need to know now is how Calla's cat is doing. I need answers.

I really struggled to get into this book, I know that fantasy novels have that small air of mystery around them but the somewhat lack of explanation just wasn’t it for me. I felt like I needed to read another book before reading this one, which I don’t enjoy in a book.

Honestly I could not get into this book at all. I really wanted to, as I am a big fan of fantasy fiction, but not only was it not engaging me, I felt confused most of the time, questioning whether I'd skipped pages as nothing seemed to make sense. I decided life is too short to force myself to keep reading, so in light of me not finishing the book it is possible it gets better, but I will never know.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Such a unique book, I loved the plot, and oh my god the characters we're so amazing!! I definitely will be recommending it!!

Chloe Gong take all of my money!

Although Immortal Longings is a fantasy retelling of Antony & Cleopatra, there is also a very dystopian feel to it. Historical fiction and dystopia are not two genres that work together often, but in this fantasy setting that’s exactly what it feels like and I love it.

The dual city of San-Er with its densely packed population and survival of the fittest attitude, kept making me imagine the city setting of Total Recall.

And then of course there’s the games. Eighty eight people fight to the death Hunger Games-style for the chance to win a life changing prize. Oh and they can body jump.

I loved the body jumping aspect, because it begs so many moral and ethical questions - none of which seem to be a problem for the main characters, or in fact anyone in the city.

Ah, our morally grey main characters. We all know our favourite colour is morally grey. It’s hard to know who you’re really rooting for for most of the book because they all have equally dubious motives and a moral compass that hasn’t seen north for a while. So of course I love them.

This one is for fans of :
- The Hunger Games
- Retellings
- Enemies to lovers
- Morally grey characters
- Grumpy and grumpier trope
- Secrets
- Plot twists
- Historical fantasy with a feel of dystopia

A solid 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

"Can't I be curious about how far your love stretches?' "You would have to find new skies and new earth, or else it would never stop stretching."

This Antony and Cleopatra-inspired fantasy is Chloe Gong's first foray into a novel aimed at adults. Every year, the city of San-Er hosts a game, a kind of trial. Eighty-eight players are selected to participate. Kill them all and King Kasa will grant you riches beyond your imagination.

But rogue Princess Calla wants to win for a different reason: she wants to kill the King. She's already murdered her parents and has been in hiding for five years. Now, she wants to make sure the King is replaced by his adopted son, August, who'll hopefully make for a better king, one who'll look after the poor and miserable. Anton Masuka wants to win so he can pay the mounting hospital bills for his childhood love, Otta, who's been in a coma for seven years.

Both Calla and Anton are fierce warriors and soon come up against each other. Evenly-matched, they decide to band together until only the two of them are left. But that means one will eventually have to kill the other. And their growing closeness will make that near-impossible. There can only be one victor though.

I won't lie, I struggled to get into this book. The world-building is complex and long (it's an urban fantasy in which magic and familiar technology blend) and I was about 40% into the ARC before I found myself really getting invested in it. I'm glad I did though. I fell in love with Anton and Calla. I wanted so much for them and the book broke my heart and then wow, what a cliffhanger. I have no idea when the second book in what I believe is a trilogy is coming out but I need it yesterday! Hopefully, I don't forget everything I've read as I usually do. This book sets the scene for what could be something really epic.

Ohhhhhh, so THAT’s why it’s called the Flesh and False Gods trilogy.

Wow. This was fantastic. Miss Chloe Gong does not miss. Her adult fantasy debut was just as flawless as her Secret Shanghai series, only upping the stakes, the tension, and the gore. I flew through Immortal Longings in only two sittings as I couldn’t put it down. As with TVD and FLF, I really love Chloe’s ability to so clearly callback to Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra and the detailed connections between the plot and the names, as well as remaining wholly original and keeping her readers on their toes. The ending has left me reeling.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, NetGalley and Chloe Gong for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley and th epublisher for accepting my request to read and review the ebook for this, and to Harper Collins NZ for sending me an ARC!

I was so so excited when I heard about this book, I ADORED the These Violent Delights books by Chloe Gong so much and knew an adult book by her would be even better.

However, sadly this was such a let down for me personally and I had to DNF it as I ended up dreading picking it up and it felt like reading a text book not a fiction.

I was interested in this idea of a deadly game, but upon readng the book found it too similar to the world and premise of the hunger games. I think to pull this premise off these days a little MORE originality is needed.

But my main reason for DNF'ing the book was the sheer amount of info dumping. I felt like I was studing for a test reading this book, and despite SO MUCH info dumping I felt like I came out of it unerstanding LESS about this city. I couldnt invisage it. I alaso didnt feel intrigued by it at all.

I also felt zero interest in the main characters and knew I was not going to be able to root for them, nor care for what happens.

So sadly this one jsut fell flat for me and instead of forcing myelf over weeks to finish this and rate it low I decided to mark as DNF and not give a star rating on goodreads.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. *

oh my.wow. I am honestly without words. I absolutely loved this and I devoured it. this was my first book from this author and now I understand the hype. It was truly amazing.the plot and the characters .the world building. I cannot wait for the second book.In the meantime I'll read the other work by this author. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Princess,” he calls, and Calla curses him: curses him in the name of every old god, because even looking at him makes her flesh and blood and guts hurt like they are being strewn apart. It doesn’t take a blade to carve open a heart. It only takes a soft glance.

She has done it again! Chloe Gong, the woman that you are.

I said it before, Chloe Gong writes cities that she loves, and you can feel it through the pages. Every description tells you how much she loves San-Er. In the Secret Shanghai series, she takes you back in time to a real place in this world, but with Immortal Longings, she has created a whole new world, and I can only imagine how hard the whole process is. San-Er is the capital twin-cities of Talin, a metropolis that has grown to its land's limit, the great wall that separates itself from the rural part of the kingdom, so now it grows up. Buildings are stacked one over another, they have connections midair, it felt like a mix between Coruscant from Star Wars and the Republic City from The Legend of Korra but more crumpled. I LOVED IT.

So that's the setting and the thing I liked the most. Let's talk characters. Our main characters, Princess Calla Tuoleimi and Anton Makusa, are inspired by Shakespeare's play Antony and Cleopatra, and unlike Romeo and Juliet, which is a pretty well-known story, I know nothing about this, so I can't say much about the retelling aspects of the book, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it and falling in love with Calla and Anton. Their chemistry and banter are spot on, and since in this world people can jump from body to body (yes, they can), Chloe relies more on non-physical descriptions about everyone, and I think it was a good resource to make us connect with the character on a deeper level.

This is Chloe's first adult work, and it has way more violent descriptions and one explicit sex scene, but regarding themes, I find it pretty similar to her young adult works. She has always dealt with these themes. I want to see how she'll tackle Calla's morals and intentions towards the monarchy. This time it felt a little naive to believe replacing one tyrannical king with a prince would solve the kingdom's problems, but we'll have to wait and see because not everything may work out the way she thinks it will.

The story still has a few loose threads, but this is not my first rodeo. I believe everything that's still not tackled will be in the next books, and as with all of Chloe's other works, the ending left me shocked, but this time I HAD predicted it. I was just not sure she would do it.