Absolutely enjoyed this book! It was a bit weaker than the first one and had maybe a bit too many extra POVs, but the plot was captivating and the relationship between Calla and Antion was deliciously tense.

Chloe Gong, Queen of ending books with plot twists that will have you screaming and pulling out your hair. I should have reread the first book before reading this one cos I kinda forgot what was going on and who some of the characters are but I still enjoyed it so much and honestly what’s the point reminding yourself who’s who when they’re all jumping bodies every five minutes.

Chloe’s craftsmanship of worlds and characters is something I’ve never seen before. I slightly lost track of the plot at times but that’s on me not Chloe’s writing. Also the smut was the most eloquently written I’ve ever read.

My jaw will be on the floor until the next book after that ending, thanks.

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Chloe Gong’s best so far. I loved Immortal Longings so much; the cyberpunk aesthetic, the Shakespeare meets Hunger Games plot, and the insane characters.

Vilest Things turns all of that up to 11. The plot kept me guessing the entire time, and I’m still screaming after that very last scene. The ending of this was very tense, very fast paced, and I need the third book right now, thank you.

I highly recommend picking up this series if you haven’t already, just so you can fall into exasperated love/hate with Calla the way I have.

"That crown was always mine. If there is anyone who knows how to get it back, it is me."

In this second book in the 'Flesh and False Gods' series, Calla has to reckon with her victory and betrayal at the end of book one. With King Kasa out of the way, the time has come for August to rule. Only Calla knows he's no longer himself.

Then, Anton's first love, Otta, miraculously and impossibly awakens after a seven-year coma. It's not long before she causes chaos by revealing a secret that's been hidden and forgotten over decades. Now, there is a tussle for the crown and control of the kingdom. Calla and Anton don't have long to figure out what's really at play.

Unfortunately, it took me a bit of time to get back into this world because I'd forgotten so much of the first book. I wish authors would make available good summaries of previous books – not all of us have time for rereads... Rant over!

That said, once I situated myself I was drawn back into this world. Both Calla and Anton are such stellar and complex characters. Their lovers-to-enemies dynamic works really well and I enjoyed their banter though sometimes their wilful misunderstandings of each other also annoyed me – talk to each other already!

I liked trying to figure out the central mystery and didn't guess the twist until the last few pages. There is enough action and intrigue to keep the reader engaged.

And with that cliffhanger, I have to hope Chloe Gong writes the third book really quickly before I forget everything about this one!

A series I highly recommend.

thank you netgalley and hodderscape for a review copy!

I loved immortal longings and it was my favourite chloe gong book until i read vilest things! I didn’t think this series could get better but it has! The world building is one of my favourite parts of this series and I really enjoyed seeing more of it. The characters are amazing 🤩 and keep driving the plot through the book, there was never a dull moment and it was so hard to put down. The plot has so many twists and elements I would not expect and the ending is fantastic! Overall i loved this book and will not stop talking about it for ages and I am so looking forward to the next book!

If this series doesn't end with Mao Mao taking over the world, I will be very disappointed.

I loved this book. The story, the humor, the magic—everything. Where the first book was a little slow, I felt the pacing of this book was better. I did not see one part of the ending coming, which was fun. I just need more of this.

This picks up shortly after the ending of book one, and takes on new adventures and obstacles, and i loved being on this journey with the characters.

Extremely fascinating to me that Chloe Gong has stated her struggles with writing this book, as I found flowing back into the world she has created very easy. From the jump (lol), there are plot twists, betrayals, added character depth to the established cast as well as introducing new key players, and plenty of political intrigue. I was interested in where the plot of this continuation would lead after the first book so heavily focused on the trials, and really enjoyed where Gong took the story and how it relates back to Anthony and Cleopatra. Love love love the toxic-but-not obsession Calla and Anton have for each other and how their dynamic shone in this one. I’m glad we explored more about how the jumping phenomenon works and the mythos that surrounds it. Whilst the ending wasn’t quite as explosive as book one’s climax, it was definitely still exciting, and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds in the final installment.

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

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Cleopatra is one of my favorite historical characters, and I try to read each retelling or a book inspired by her story. Some do it better than others, and Chloe Gogn does it spectacularly.

The ending to the Immortal Longings left me hungry for more, more Calla, more Calla and Anton’s passion, love, betrayal, and more August plotting. The Vilest Things did not disappoint; I got almost everything I wanted and more. Oh, so many more plot twists, unlimited magic, coups, and history written by the victor.

I’ll start with a couple of things I did not enjoy as much. One of them is the pacing, which is not a surprise considering this is the middle novel in the trilogy. The second book syndrome is real, and many fall victim to it. The 30%-60% was the hardest to get through. Does not mean it was slow or badly written. On the contrary, Chloe Gong is a talented writer, and the story reads smoothly, quickly, easily. However, the plot was not moving forward enough for me, and I had to content with getting more information on the past of Talin, Calla’s ancestor, etc. Once we hit 60%, the action turns fast, with never-ending plot twists, betrayals, and reveals, keeping me glued to the pages.

My other issue was Anton’s handling of Calla’s betrayal in the games. He seems to take it too serenely for someone who was just murdered by a lover and given the infinite power of a monarch. I would expect him to react more, show more anger, hurt, use his power to punish her for killing him, or at least loom over her with the potential of revenge. Instead, it was mentioned only in Calla and Anton’s internal thought processes, but no action was shown on the page, and no action was taken by the king. That left me a tiny bit unsatisfied, especially considering that Cleopatra and Antony is a passionate affair.

Nonetheless, the book was brilliant, and I enjoyed the story thoroughly. The games Calla and Anton play to try and discern each other’s level of trust, the secrets kept hidden and revealed in the least opportune moments, and ending up with the explosive Calla on the throne. The writing is superb and shows the depth and skill of the author to show so many faces of the main characters, their changes, growth, and ultimate path for the fated lovers.

I loved seeing August and Galipei plotting and showing their nastier, truer colors. I wish it was shown a bit more, especially at the beginning, with August fighting harder. But on the same note, the fact that he couldn’t get through even for a moment just made it that more humiliating for him, and his revenge will be sweeter and more cruel.

Calla’s ancestor, with her destiny and desire to right the wrongs done to her, being derailed by a village urchin, suggests the potential for a pure power war happening in the next book.

<spoiler>So happy that Anton’s sister is back. The burden will finally be taken off his shoulders. But her involvement with the Crescent Societies, the original magic, and the power of gods in her, does not predict a happy ending for her.</spoiler>

4.5/5 rounded up

reading vilest things truly feels like "it's so over" and "we're so back" alternating every chapter. i really should've expected this before diving back into this world after finishing my immortal longings reread, my bad. while the plot slowed down considerably because there was no more games to be played, the chaos has been ramped up by ten fold. this book begins right after the coronation happening by the end of immortal longings. the difference is with vilest things, the world is being expanded outside of the wall of San-Er and into the provinces and meet the councilmembers. the magics of jumping and qi manipulation (which is my favorite part because of how much it reminds me of the concept of astral projection from doctor strange) is also being expanded. what we learned from the ending though, changed SO MUCH stuff about what we thought we knew from the first book. i dare to say that this ending feels even more illegal than the ending of Immortal Longings because again, YOU CAN'T END IT LIKE THIS, CHLOE. it is not nice to play with my heart.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I actually liked this better than the first book! I got to know the characters better and liked how qi manipulation was extended.

3.5 stars

Vilest Thing is the second part of Flesh and False Gods.

I had liked the first part a lot, I felt that it had an interesting combination of other stories that I had read and in this second installment it is possible to detach from what I felt was like a... retelling. And it goes the other way. (I'm not talking about the inspiration in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra).

In this second part we can get to know certain characters in more depth, new ones appear and the depth of the story takes very interesting paths. It was fluid to read and the truth is that the vocabulary is super enjoyable. In addition, we have the point of view of several characters, that gives it a lot of dynamism.

Just like what happened to me with Immortal Longings, I felt that the romance was something super forced, that it didn't add up to anything at all and that when it appeared I just wanted it to end. There are times when adding romance adds nothing to the plot, and in this case I feel that is the case.
Also, I felt that the Otta-Calla bond was super basic and that they seemed like just little girls fighting for a man's attention. I think they were about something else, they really needed to be about something else.

The ending is as interesting and spontaneous as the first, but I don't know if I feel as encouraged to read the sequel as when I finished Immortal Longings.

Thank you very much Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC that came through NetGalley.

I found this installment a little harder to be invested in. It takes a long while to get exciting and really give us what we had with the first one. A lot of back and forth, and I almost found myself skimming the pages. But I held on because I really loved the first one, and I was rewarded. Betrayal is everywhere and you wont know who to trust, or get to invested in. Long buried secrets will find a way to come out. Towards the end of the book, it really comes together. The characters crash together in an epic fashion and take us places you never could have imagined! Calle, Anton, August and a host of other characters are going to take you on a ride, push you to love or hate them, and that final chapter will leave you more than ready for more! I am glad I stuck to it and could not be happier with where it all seems to be headed. I find myself really invested in Calla and Anton!

This was deep dark and fantastic, couldn’t be a better second instalment for me. The tension, the betrayal, the politics loved it all.

4,5 stars, rounded up.

No one does it like Chloe Gong.
The Secret Shanghai series is one of my favorite series of all time, and the Flesh & False Gods series is so different, yet it is just as great.
It is such an ambitious feat, with the magic being incredibly unique, the world being complex and so layered, and the characters being based on Shakespeare's work which is evident in many aspects, yet they're so distinct.

One of the reasons I don't always enjoy trials in books because I feel like often, the plot is too focused on the trials, even though you can tell there is something much bigger going on outside the trials. Immortal Longings did a fantastic job at balancing the two, and it made me so excited for where the series could go and I had a feeling it would really take off.
And boy, did it take off. The political intrigue and schemes, revolution, more magic, more epicness, the body jumping being used perfectly to create more tension and suspense – Vilest Things really kept me on the edge of my seat, with the last 40% being absolutely unputdownable.

The only reason this is 4,5 stars is that because of its ambition, it felt a bit complicated at times, and I sometimes felt like I couldn't follow everything that was going on. I didn't re-read Immortal Longings though which might have helped a bit, which is why I'm rounding up to 5 stars.

Truly, this series is unlike anything I've ever read and Chloe Gong is an absolute master at her craft and I cannot wait for the sequel.

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

Calla has succeeded in eradicating King Kasa and now serves as royal advisor to the new king, August. But she knows it's not really him. Anton is furious about her betrayal and does not want to give up his newfound power. But when his first love Otta awakens from her years-long coma and divulges a secret that threatens the monarchy, chaos erupts. All the while an unknown threat is coming their way...

Leaps right into the moment where Anton has jumped into August so we get to see what happened there. Then we go to Calla after the coronation. I adore how she is in everyone's faces, not adopting 'diplomacy' for her new position. With bated breath we anticipate the expected tension between the former partners and to see if they will tear each other apart. Their interactions are definitely a highlight for the reader.

After kind of sputtering in the beginning, the engine starts and the book finds its flow. It is wonderfully paced from then on and feels grounded in reality and is casually immersive. There is an understated power to the storytelling as events and shocking revelations (my jaw hurt from dropping for a few) come to be without loud fanfare but as parts of the characters' journey, making the impact of the oncoming thrill even more dynamic. The narrator is an observer and a philosophical undercurrent is felt. The figurative speech gifts us with unconventional and vivid images. I've always admired Gong's flair for visuality.

There is a lot of info to digest about what is happening in this powder keg of a brutal word, but given in a matter-of-fact, 'friend telling you how it is' tone to make it for the most part pleasantly readable and interesting. It feels like Talin itself is taking part in the story with interjections that set the overall mood and situation.

I really had no idea where this sequel would be going, without the games as its 'main attraction' though the author has built a captivating world and mythology. The characters appear to do things that seem out of character but really aren't and I love it. There is so much to unpack and reveal having to do with truths. About Calla, Anton, Otta and Talin as a whole. But also mysterious deaths that have to do with qi along with some other tidbits promising intrigue, excitement and the Machiavellian, cutthroat streak continues in this installment too.

Breaking the status quo is an important theme here as is social inequality. It deals with the difference between justice and revenge. The book encourages us to stand up for what is right, for what we believe in.

I am so happy when a series gets better with book two and doesn't squander its potential. This sequel sets foundations for epicness and achieves it. The finale of this series is going to be glorious.

i was scared this book was gonna suffer from the book 1 syndrome where it was boring all the way through and only became interesting by the end, and unfortunately, it did suffer from exactly that. i was bored out of my mind for a good chunk of the book, confused out of my mind, and the only reason i kept on going was to get it over with. there was a lot of powering through done here just to finally be done with it and hallelujah i did.

i will also admit that despite the plot being convoluted, the romance wasn't the book's savior, i love the lovers to enemies trope, but i think this could've used more tension, more chemistry, so that the romance at the end would feel earned; it wasn't. anton does say some very pretty words though which were very 🤭 chloe gong does know how to write a man that's so very down bad and i love her for it.

i wasn't planning on going to read the third book once it comes out, but with that ending, i now fear i must. praying and hoping i end up enjoying it more than this one, and that this book just ended up suffering from second book syndrome

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

Vilest Things takes places right after the events of Immortal Longings, sending readers back into the world of San-Eir where our main characters Calla, Anton and August all battle for power. Probably will be an unpopular opinion, but I actually preferred the first book over the sequel, despite rating them both 3.5 stars. In saying this, I am intrigued to see how the third book plays out.

Don't get me wrong, I love the characters which is something that Chloe Gong never fails on. Calla is by far my favourite character in this trilogy but I do wish that the characters had a little more of a character development. Additionally, I loved the tension between Calla and Anton in Immortal Longings but felt none of it in this book, instead feeling a little forced? I'm hoping in the next book they get their spark back.

However, I felt like the story dragged a little, which could be due to the pacing and lack of action. It focuses more on politics which I think didn't help with how slow it made the book feel. There are some new powers involved but I didn't take all of it because it wasn't explained that well. The last 30% saved this book for me, where we finally got some action and the plot actually began to take off.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

First of all I’d like to thank the publisher and netgalley for granting me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

While I really loved Immortal Longings, I unfortunately struggled with Vilest Things until the very end.

While the world building in Immortal Longings was very interesting and extremely captivating to me, it all became very confusing during this sequel and I found myself skimming passages just to get through the chapters a bit more easily.

I just felt like nothing really major happened for like the biggest part of the book? Characters just interacted with each other and went places, but that was it. And everything that I found intriguing about the first novel, just got dumped out I feel.

Almost felt as if the romance (which was one of my favorite things in Immortal Longings) was an afterthought of the author, and was added just for the sake of it. Due to the events of the first book, I understood the romance would play a lesser part in this, but when we did finally get some romance, it just felt bland, and didn’t hit the same as it did in the first installment

I’m absolutely gutted that I didn’t end up loving this, but I might give the third book a try, and hope it makes up for this one

3.5

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

After being a bit disappointed with Immortal Longings, I was pleasantly surprised by the second instalment. I think because the plot was progressing past the games the comparisons with The Hunger Games fell away, and this was able to come into its own a bit more.

When a race for an artefact was introduced I was a bit worried, but there was some interesting politicking going on and I liked Calla as a character more. I liked that she wasn't your typical super smart super tricky strong female protagonist - she can be brash and unsubtle, but can also scheme and claw her way out of a bad situation.

The only thing I wasn't entirely sold on was her relationship with Anton - I didn't really buy some of the more angsty/dramatic moments just because I wasn't really invested enough in their relationship. Some of this could probably be put down to having read book 1 a while ago now, but some of the dramatics just weren't really hitting like I feel they should have.

It reminded me a bit of The Jasmine Throne in terms of the main couple being on kind of opposite sides of a rift, and with the religious cult/sacrifice elements. I'm interested to see how the next book will wrap things up, and I would recommend people try this one even if they didn't love book 1 as I do think this was an improvement.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0 STARS

If you enjoyed Chloe Gong’s previous works, you will definitely love this.

Unlike Immortal Loggings, Vilest Things dives deep into San-Er’s history and complex political environment, and god is it goooood.

I find most fantasy series fall flat when it comes to the sequel. We get given all the action and knowledge in the first book, and there’s almost nothing to keep it going but Vilest Things DELIVERED.

My attention was rapped.