Chloe Gong never misses. Immortal Longings is an adult fantasy retelling with a touch of mystery, interesting and brand-new world, and amazing banter. But this was extremely different from what I expected. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. A lot. In my opinion, Chloe Gong adds the depth to her characters, makes them unique, complex, and interesting. She just makes you fall in love with them every single time. Just like her characters, her worlds are always so exciting, but also complex. That’s why I was confused at first. But truth to be told, I’m always confused as I dive into the new fantasy world. With this one I didn’t really see where the whole thing was going but then more and more started happening… Well, I was hooked. But I do think that Chloe might lack the attention grabbing at the beginning. Somehow, it’s always hard for me to get into her book (or at least the first one in the series) and understand the world. It was the same with this one. But as the plot resolved and she gave us pieces of the world, I got more involved in the story and couldn’t put the book down.
I have to comment on her writing style, because to me, it is an absolute perfection. As a huge fan of her previous books, I noticed a little change in her style, and I feel like it’s always in sync with the decade the story is taking place in. (Don’t tell the others, but I wish all the books were written with her words.)
So, if you’re a fan of retellings, fantasy, dystopia (Hunger Games or Divergent), badass main characters, witty banter, or all mentioned? Definitely dive into it once it comes out in July.

CHLOE I NEED ANSWERS!!!! she did it AGAIN! uuuuugh i knew there was a reason why she was my favorite author! this book has everything i could ever want: a very unique world building, amazing characters you can’t help but love and the best plots and plot twists seen in this world! i genuinely didn’t see anything coming AT ALL. if i had one criticism to make: there’s a slight incoherence concerning calla’s eyes (you’ll see) and it doesn’t make sense that they are how they are (i’m already saying way too much sorryyyy). but other than that, PER-FEC-TION. the romance only really starts at the 50% mark which leaves little time to actually develop it however, it didn’t particularly bother me. and OMG i almost cried towards the end!! you can’t do that to me, Chloe! i beg you to pick this up when it comes out (July 18🤭), the world of san-er is possibly the most unique thing i’ve ever read and if you love the hunger games you will most certainly love this. 5⭐️ (is is that big of a surprise? no)

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others
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I haven’t read the other books of Chloe Gong because they weren’t my cup of tea. This book however sounded good and because it’s her first adult debut I was curious to read it. However, I didn’t like it. I don’t know if it’s her writing style where she gives a lot of info dump or it’s this book specifically but I couldn’t hold my attention while reading and I didn’t like the characters much. The good thing in this book was the world building, but for me, that was the only good thing..

Just like any other book Chloe Gong has written, Immortal Longings was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and as usual, it did not disappoint.

Reading Chloe's first novel that was not YA or set in the Secret Shanghai universe was not as drastic of a change as I thought it would be. The writing and world building are familiar enough for those readers to know Chloe from her YA books, while bringing us a completely different universe and tone to the story.

San-Er is a dark and complex city that paints the picture of the cruel world these characters live in, the injustices they go through, and what drives them to participate in the games. In a way, it reminded me of Panem in The Hunger Games— due to the similarity of their inspirations— with fantasy elements, which are characteristic of Chloe's writing.

The fantasy aspect in this story is unlike anything I've recently read. In this story some characters have an ability called "jumping" in which they're able to invade another's body with their qi. To be honest I wasn't really sold on this aspect of the story when I first started reading as I felt there were many exceptions and loopholes to the rules, but as the story progressed I realized that this was done intentionally and many of my questions were answered.

As for the characters, Calla and Anton are amazing protagonists, their mysterious backgrounds and tragic love affair combined with August and Galipei's complex dynamic and calculating moves will keep you hooked to the story longing for more.

The ending of the story was what made this book the masterpiece it is. It elevated the story to a new height and I can't wait to read what adventures Miss Chloe will take us on next.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for a Digital Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have no words... this book is amazing. It is a new adult book with some spice but there is still a plot to it. This feels to me like a hunger games kind of vibe but I genuinely love it. The magic system is really interesting. I really enjoyed this. It is completely different to her other books so go into it with a different mind set. This is a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra. Definetely a fast read and would highly recommend this.

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

Usually, this is a book that I would classify as "sounds great, but not for me".
Usually, I am not a fan of urban fantasy(-esque) settings, or dystopian elements or sci-fi elements, or fantasy worlds where technology plays a central role.
But because of how much I love Chloe Gong's work, I did not care about my usual preferences, because if Chloe Gong writes it, I am going to read it, and I am going to love it.

This was SO GOOD.
There is so much going on between the Hunger Games-style competition, the 90s inspired semi-historical, semi-dystopian/sci-fi/futuristic setting, the retelling of Anthony and Cleopatra, the Roman Empire inspired political structure and schemes, and yet it all works together so perfectly.

Everything that I love about the Secret Shanghai series, aka retelling a story in a new and compelling way and combining it with great worldbuilding, romance, writing and plot, was really taken to a new level in Immortal Longings.
It occasionally happens when reading adult debuts that you are able to tell that the author is used to writing in YA stories, but this did not happen here. From the character's maturity to the complexity of the politics and world to the moral ambiguity, everything is perfectly suited for an adult audience.

Trials and games are always a fun trope, and the competition in this book was one of my favorites I have read in quite a long time.
I think in recent years, too many books have been compared to the Hunger Games, especially since only a few if any actually succeeded in matching the brilliance of that series. And while I usually refrain from comparing books to others because I try to view each book as its own work, I do think that Immortal Longings is the perfect book for those of us who have grown up with Hunger Games.
The author perfectly blended the plot surrounding the games with setting up the overarching storyline of rebellion, revolution, political and societal change and shifts in power dynamics. There are themes of social injustice, colonization and upheavals, as well as the everlasting debate of tradition vs. modernity/technology.

I absolutely loved Calla and Anton! Chloe Gong is so good at writing badass female characters, and Calla is the sort of morally gray heroine I can never get enough of. Anton perfectly complements her, and I cannot wait to see how their relationship develops in the next books. I don't know much about Anthony & Cleopatra, so I can't say much about the 'retelling' aspect, but as far as I know there is some obsession and toxicity involved and I think the author succeeded in portraying that, while still making them a couple you want to root for.

The ending left me speechless and desperately longing (pun intended) for the sequel.
This book has definitely cemented Chloe Gong as one of my absolute favorite authors. Any nervousness about me potentially not liking the setting or an all-new series not hitting as hard as Secret Shanghai has been eradicated. Immortal Longings is a masterpiece and a release you shouldn't miss.

OH MY GOD I CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK! this is one of my most anticipated reads of this year and it did NOT disappoint. chloe gong’s writing is so raw and full of talent as she captures you from the starting word all the way through to the last.

this book ripped me apart and i was obsessed with how dark it was - this is so different to her typical YA genre and i truly think that this is my favourite book of hers so far! this book looks at everything: childhood trauma, graphic violence, horror, spice, so this is not suitable for her original audience of the Secret Shanghai novels. i have learned to not get attached to characters whenever i read chloe gong’s books, but…. i ignored my own advice and got attached and now i am ruined.

while this book has romance involved, it is not the main focus of the book. i think this is a fantastic choice as it allows the readers to really dive into the horrors of San-Er and the games. i definitely got hunger games vibes from this book and i am so happy about that because i thrived in the early 2010s dystopian era.

i read this book in around three hours because it was just so fast paced and captivating that i wanted to know more with every page. this is one of the best thing about chloe’s writing, as you can really tell that she has thought about every word in this book. not a word was wasted. gong’s world building is absolutely fantastic, as always, and i find that she eases you into her system rather than chucking everything at you and hoping you understand.

Calla is such a badass and i will defend her actions until the day i die. i LOVED her character so much and i really cannot wait to see what happens with her in the next book. she has the typical shakespearean characteristic of ambition that guides her through the world.

ALSO THAT ENDING OMG??? BOOK TWO IS WHEN????

thank you so much to holder and stoughton, netgalley and chloe gong for allowing me to read this book prior to publication.