Vilest Things was a fitting sequel to Immortal Longings, sharing the same strengths and weaknesses.

Keeping up with the story and its twists was captivating, and I breezed through the book in just a few days. Calla is a compelling and morally complex character; her choices felt authentic and raw. I appreciated that Chloe Gong didn't shy away from letting her characters make necessary decisions, even if they weren't always likeable.

Unfortunately, I struggled with the same issues as in book one. Some plot holes and inconsistencies in character behaviour pulled me out of the story at points. While Calla was incredible, the rest of the cast sometimes felt like tools to push the plot forward.

Overall, I enjoyed the first two instalments in this series and will definitely read the final book (that ending!), though I am a bit disappointed in the execution of its potential.

In Vilest Things, Chloe Gong continues her retelling of Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra (only better because it has magic and body-switching). After the numerous revelations at the end of Immortal Longings, I was desperate to find out what happened to Calla and Anton in the sequel, and I’m happy to say that this book didn’t disappoint. Moving on from San-Er’s death games, this book focuses more of the politics of the city, the connections and betrayals that tie the main characters together, and hints at the tragedies to come in the third and final book in the series. That’s right! There’s going to be a third book. So don’t expect everything to be resolved in Vilest Things, there’s still much more to the story.

First of all, I loved the continued focus on the magic system and the body-snatching powers of some characters . I feel like this, along with the setting, is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. Whilst some of the rules about body jumping are still quite vague, I liked the new focus on the consequences of jumping. It isn’t simply that you might be lost or that your qi might be suppressed by someone stronger, there is also a wider societal effect. With an imposter on the throne, it begs the question- can a royal family or even a single royal be trusted to lead when they can be overcome anyone with enough power? What good is it having a figurehead when the body means so little to many people in San-Er? This type of usurpation (where the people aren’t even aware that there’s been a change of power) is completely unique and I loved seeing how it played out.

I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the new dynamics between the main characters were explored. Personally, I thought that Calla and Anton grew very close and trusting a bit too quickly. I also love the enemies to lovers dynamic, so it was really interesting to see how Calla’s betrayal made them much more wary around one another. Her actions had huge consequences and I’m thankful that the author didn’t dismiss the betrayal straight away to focus on romance.

I also liked the inclusion of Otta in this novel. She seemed to drive the plot forward and her complicated history with other characters also led to a lot of conflict and development. Calla and Otta threatening each other was also entertaining (it’s always fun to see two powerful female characters finding themselves on opposite sides).

Overall, I think that Chloe Gong wrote an intriguing and political fantasy novel. Whilst some detail still need to be fleshed out (mainly the magic system and some of the world-building) she writes in a way that forces you to keep reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves strong female characters, unique magic systems and tense romantic relationships. I originally picked it up because I loved the body-swapping in the Alchemy of Souls TV show so I’d also read it if you’re a fan of that K-drama!

I did struggle to finish the first book, i had to give it a second chance to see if it was for me or not but i did ended up liking it especially with that cliffhanger i had to get my hands on the second one. I do love the main characters, their complexity, their development, the fact that they are morally grey (morally grey characters = best characters). Vilest Things started slow, although a lot of political stuff were thrown at us, new characters, new places, new things, they were brushed off without letting me grasp them to the point of leaving me confused and uninterested. Half way through the book felt like a lot was happening (because a lot of new info was thrown at us) but nothing was happening at the same time. This is a political based world, but i’d prefer if things were explained a little bit better. The pace was fast towards the end and i started getting more interested again, that cliffhanger got me hooked so i’ll definitely be looking forward to the next book.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. ✨

Rating - 4.75⭐️

I loved this even MORE than the first book!! This was one of my highly anticipated sequels this year AND MISS CHLOE GONG DID NOT DISAPPOINT🙌🏻🙌🏻

THE CHAOS! THE DRAMA!🤌🏻 I especially had a fun time reading the drama unfold between Otta, Calla and Anton.

I LOVED the exploration of the obsessive relationship between Calla & Anton. They’re at each other’s throats one moment with accusations of betrayal and then the next they’re confessing their undying love for each other and the cycle repeats.

Chapter 36 and onwards gave me GOOSEBUMPS‼️ Calla Tuoleimi was such a girlboss in those last few chapters.

Overall I had a really fun time with this book and I’m so excited for the third instalment!!

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the ARC.

Huge fan of Chloe Gong's books! I was super excited when I received the ARC for this title. I loved 'Immortal Longings" and I kind of wished that I had read the first book before I dived into this. The first book was fast-paced with a lot of action but 'Vilest Things' was slow-paced with a big action sequence towards the end of the book. The second book dealt with more worldbuilding and character development. It was very political compared to the game sequences, and I expected there to be a lot more of that. Again, this isn't really a complaint.

There were a lot of aspects that I loved. The romance!!! The tension, the chemistry, my goodness. It was incredible. There were moments of angst and yearning. I love the romance and devotion between Anton and Calla, but there is a bit of darkness between them.

I can't wait to see where this story goes in the third novel of the 'Flesh and False Gods' series.

𝗩𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 • 𝗖𝗵𝗹𝗼𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗻𝗴
★★★.𝟳𝟱

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁
- Fantasy
- Inspired by Antony and Cleopatra
- Political court intrigue
- Unique magic system
- Morally grey characters

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
I absolutely adored book one, Immortal Longings, it was easily one of my top books of 2023. So, why do I feel oddly disappointed with this second installment?

I remain deeply in love with Calla. She’s fierce, smart, quick to anger, slow to love, but when she’s on a characters side you simply know that that character will come out on top. In fact, I enjoyed all the characters except maybe Otta, simply because there’s too much mystery and uncertainty she is shrouded in.

I loved the cutthroat games of the first book. However, I found this installment confusing and overwhelmingly political. There were so many plot points that were brushed over and it’s left me half-satisfied. I’m hoping that the third installment will stamp out any lingering bafflement and this series will soar to a new favourite of mine, as all CG’s books seem wont to do.

What really shines in this book is the writing and the romance; both intense, both seductive, and both entirely enthralling.

𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀

“𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦,” 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴, “𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘵. 𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥.”

“𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.”

“𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥.”

3,75

Before diving into ‘Vilest Things’, I did a reread of ‘Immortal Longings’, which turned out to be a really great idea on my part (well done me!), because I did forget some more or less important info.

‘Vilest Things’ starts off right where ‘Immortal longings’ left off.
I was super curious in what direction the story would go, since the plot of book one was quite clear.

One of the things and plot points I was most excited about was Otta. And let me tell you, while I do wish we would have seen more of her, Otta did not disappoint! Especially the ending. IYKYK.
There were also some new and different povs, which was interesting. For example, I really liked Galipei’s parts and chapters and, again, do wish there were a bit more of them in the book.

While I’m still not 100% convinced of the romance between Calla and Anton, I do think their relationship made more sense in this book. Or let’s say, as much sense as them and their relationship can actually make.

What I also liked was that we got to see more of the provinces around San-Er (the book has a map!!). Aaaaaand more backstory to the history of Talin!

The ending was absolutely cruel! I did had a slight suspicion about one of the plot twists, but not *the other one*.

I do have to say that the book fell a bit flat for me just about after the 50% mark for maybe the next 15%-ish and after that, my brain just kinda was not having it. Not the book’s fault, but purely a me-thing.
Hence why I bumped up the rating to a 3,75 in favour of the book.
I am excited for book three though!

(MaoMao has 100% main character energy and I support it)

3.5 ★

This is a very difficult book to rate, and I think I'll be thinking about my rating for a long time, because there are equally many things I loved and didn't love about this story. The first book received a lot of mixed reviews, but I adored it and was immediately enthralled by the new world that Chloe Gong created. I found it intriguing, the world-building compelling and the characters interesting and complex. My opinion of it remains the same, but the sequel to Immortal Longings didn't give me everything I expected.

All of me is a big question mark because I spent most of this reading confused. I understand the basics of the story, and honestly the ending shouldn't have been as surprising as it was, because it makes sense that it happened the way it did, but I struggled to stay invested in the plot. It's a good plot, it's interesting, and I love politically heavy fantasies, especially when they explore the disparities between rich and poor, the bloodthirsty lust for power and its consequences, and how sometimes, when fighting for the greater good, you can go down morally grey paths and easily lose yourself in them, becoming just as bad, if not worse, than the tyrants you're trying to destroy. But in my opinion, it all happened so fast. And I don't mean that it was a fast-paced book, the beginning was quite slow and it only picked up speed towards the end, but whenever something was revealed or a character learned something, it was quickly brushed over and the next scene came and that was it. Certain plot developments left me so confused that I had no idea what was going on - there are too many characters, too many places, too many different words being thrown around and I couldn't even begin to tell you what it was all about. The qi thing is fascinating, the way these characters can jump into other bodies is so cool, even if it's dangerous and kind of scary, but there's a lot of things about it that I still don't understand. And I don't think it's because I'm stupid, I think it's because it's not well explained.

When it comes to the characters, I'm a little disappointed that there wasn't more focus on their development. I understand that this is a plot-driven series, but the complexities and intricacies of these characters and what motivates them to make the choices they do is something I find captivating, as they are all morally grey, and I wanted to spend more time with them. I get why Chloe added a few different points of view throughout the story, but I only care about Calla, Anton, August and Galipei. We don't see much of the latter two, for reasons I can't say without spoiling the plot, but even though Calla and Anton get a lot of focus, I still feel like there's more to find out about them. Maybe it's just me, but as much as I love a good plot, it's usually the characters that keep me hooked. There's definitely depth to them, but I wish they were even more fleshed out.

As for the romance, I mostly want to scream when I think about it (because I love how angsty it is and I want more). Now, I have to say that this is not a romantasy, the romance is a tiny subplot. Nothing major, so I know I shouldn't expect it to be more than what it is. But Chloe excels at writing star-crossed lovers, she delivers angst, heartbreak and yearning all on the same plate. The love between Anton and Calla borders on devotion, especially for Anton, who sees Calla as a deity to be worshipped. And Calla sees him as her anchor, someone who can pull her back to herself when her hunger for revenge becomes too large. I wrote in my review of Immortal Longings that their romance is "all-consuming and obsessive, to the point where you wonder if it's really love at all", and I still stand by that. What are they seeking? Is it love or is it power? I think it's both, but I'm afraid they'll destroy each other in the process. And part of me LOVES this, absolutely loves it, but another part of me longs for more. I want to feel that when everything is taken away from them, they'll stay together because they love each other and would rather see the world burn down than lose each other again.

I hope this makes sense, I think I'm just word vomiting at this point lol I have complicated feelings about this series. I love it, but this book didn't give me what I wanted. I hope that in the next book the magic system is explained in more detail, that there is more focus on the characters and that the plot isn't so messy and confusing. I love Chloe Gong, she's one of my favourite authors and I think her writing is beautiful, so I'm not giving up hope that the third and final book will be great.

[thank you net galley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc]

First of all I want to thank netgalley for the opportunity to read this as an arc
I'm still not sure on my final rating but it's somewhere along the 3 to 4 star range
I think I liked the first book better because I was so in it but this time I was a bit confused by some aspects of the world and there are so many characters at first I was a bit overwhelmed
The first 40% were a bit slower but as it started to pick up I didn't want to put it down
Overall I really like this series because I love the premise and the ending just like last time went a bit crazy so I can't wait for the next book to come out

Thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for my digital review copy!

4 stars.

I couldn't believe that I got approved for my request to get an arc of this!

This expands so much on the worldbuilding in the first book (which was one of my biggest qualms with the first one was that I wished the whole narrative of jumping was developed more). This book focussed a lot on building up the history of Talin, and I absolutely devoured any shred of information we got on the country.

This was full of political twists and turns and betrayals, with adding even more players to the chess board of palace politics as we venture outside the claustrophobic cities of San-Er and see how things are in the rural villages and towns.

I cannot wait to see how this series ends as Gong's writing has a very cinematic quality to it that I just love being able to read her books.

After the ending of the last book, I was really intrigued to see where this one would go. This was very different than the first book, and unfortunately, it didn't continue a single thing I was interested in during book 1. This one was really heavy on the politics, nothing really happened for the first 80% other than the characters talking and it was really hard to stay invested. I also wasn't a fan of the way the cliffhanger was resolved, it felt really anti-climatic.

The worldbuilding is definitely interesting and I like the magic system, but it all became a bit confusing in this second installment. I also just can't warm up to the characters or the romance, it feels super superficial and the dialogue is so weird sometimes. I also had the same issues with the writing as in book 1. However, again, the cliffhanger at the end makes me want to continue the series.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Hodderscape. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review Vilest Things.]

Rating: 5/5

Going into Vilest Things, I was a little nervous that this series would lose some of its shine. Immortal Longings is one of my all time favourite books and although I was confident the sequel would still be fantastic, I still feared that dreaded middle point slump, or that some time away from this world would simply change my opinion. Of course, I shouldn’t have worried; Chloe Gong has unsurprisingly done it again. Vilest Things is everything I hoped it would be and on top of that, it completely exceeded my expectations. As if that were possible! This is a world that lures you into its dangerous trap and before you know it, you’re frantically turning each page as the plot descends into the best kind of chaos. Strap in, some wild things are about to go down.

In Vilest Things, we leave behind San-Er's bloody games and delve further into the brutal and calculating political side of this cutthroat world. Following King Kasa’s assassination and August Shenzhi’s accession to the throne, Cala Tuoleimi must now act as royal advisor at a time where civil unrest is rising higher and higher. And to make matters worse, it’s not August who controls his body, but instead, Anton Makusa, who narrowly escaped death and is still reeling from Cala’s betrayal in the final round of the games. Following that we have the impossible awakening of his first love, hidden secrets threatening the peace, and a toxic love story that is impossible to look away from.

To put it plainly, I am obsessed. I’m obsessed with San-Er and its crowded buildings. I’m obsessed with the idea of jumping from one body to another. And most importantly, I am absolutely obsessed with Calla and Anton. My obsession probably isn’t as unhealthy as theirs, but it’s hard not to get sucked into their maddening romance that is overflowing with tension and heat. The author expertly pulls every thunderous emotion of theirs to the surface until it feels like you’re right there with them on a tightrope that threatens to snap with each new plot development.

If you thought Talin was a mess in the first book, oh boy, things are about to get even crazier. We get to see more of the world in Vilest Things and it’s not just San-Er that suffers disturbances. I really enjoyed travelling to the various locations in this book and I appreciated the stark differences found amongst them all. This is a series where if you’re not jumping from body to body, you’re now also moving quickly through ever changing landscapes, but at no point did I feel lost or confused.

And then there’s the characters and, more specifically, the character development. Absolutely incredible. We see Calla straddle the fence of duty and self-preservation constantly but there’s never any doubt of who this character is and what she stands for. I truly feel like I know this woman and what she represents, which I think is a fantastic example of how well Chloe Gong has nailed down this cast. Anton also undergoes evident change in this book in such a natural manner that I never question the evolution of, it’s so believable that I find myself standing behind every explosive choice that they make - regardless of if they’re right or wrong.

The stakes are higher, the relationships are dysfunctional, the world is close to going up in flames, and I’m having the best time. I’m simultaneously over the moon and bereft, because yes, this was fantastic, but now I have to wait for the finale? Beware to those who are new to this series, the cliffhangers are as deadly for the characters as they are for the reader, but oh, I promise it’s worth it.

3.5 rounded down to 3 (for goodreads and netgalley).
Overall, I did enjoy this sequel. I like the darkness and messiness of the universe, and its quite unique magic system. The plot is very different from the first book’s plot and is heavy on the politics and strategies, which I liked. Some characters are rather interesting but unfortunately, not the main characters. I do not appreciate Calla and Anton very much. Some parts of Calla’s backstory are interesting enough, though. I don’t even believe that their relationship is a romance, because it is only physical to me — exactly like in the first book. I guess I would call that a sexual situationship. The ending is quite good and promising for the next (and final?) book in the series.

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

This installation in the ‘Flesh and False Gods’ series follows on immediately from the first, Immortal Longings. From the beginning to the end of Vilest Things I was on the edge of my seat, hanging on to every word and I am just so so grateful I got to read this early!

While Immortal Longings primarily focused on the games, Vilest Things delves deep into the politics of San-Er and its history. This was so interesting to read about, and I think Chloe Gong is especially talented in writing about politics.

From the outset it is obvious that the stakes are higher in this novel and it makes the reading experience so much more entrancing. Chloe Gong’s writing is truly so beautiful and addictive, it was genuinely a struggle to put the book down! The claustrophobic setting created in San-Er is consistently entertaining to read about and I enjoyed following characters we didn’t see as much of in Immortal Longings.

Also I just have to praise Chloe Gong’s characterisation! The twisted and conflicting morals in every character makes for such an enjoyable read! In addition, I must say Calla is honestly one of my favourite main characters ever, I appreciate how self-assured she is rather than bending to the will of others and cowering to men’s actions. Also, more Mao Mao! Who can complain about that?

Overall, I am so so grateful to have received a digital arc of this & I’m so grateful to Chloe Gong for writing this! She truly outdoes herself with every release and I’ve never found myself disappointed by reading one of her books. I can’t recommend this series enough!

First things first, I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for access to the ARC!
I've read the first book last year and loved it, so I was very eager to read the sequel.
We get right into the consequences of the ending of the first book and the way the main characters are dealong with it.
In this book, we get to see the provinces that surround the main city and there is a lot more development in terms of world building.
The book also keeps you second guessing about which characters are trust worthy and what are their real motivations and goals.
All in all, it's a good sequel for the first book and I really enjoyed and look forward to the next one.

For some reason I couldn’t really get into it which was sad., because I did love the last book, I do feel this may be a me issue rather than an issue with the book itself, so I have given it a 3 rating to be fair.

Firstly, I want to thank Hodderscape and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Picking up where Immortal Longings left off, we follow Calla Tuoleimi as she serves as the royal adviser to the new king August Shenzhi. Calla is the only one who knows Anton took over August’s body in order to survive her betrayal. However, after Anton’s ex-girlfriend Otta Avia wakens from a coma, the two must set aside their conflicts in order to protect the monarchy.

I fear this instalment might suffer from second book syndrome. Unlike its predecessor, Vilest Things is not very action packed, but focuses more on politics and explaining stuff, which made the book slow to me. However, there’s still some action around the ending. The magic felt a bit more chaotic with new powers that weren’t really explained. I did really like Calla and Anton’s chemistry in this book. The cliffhangers at the end of the story still made me want to see how this will play out.

In short, this book wasn’t what I hoped it would be, but I’m still invested in the story and I can’t wait to see how it will end!

Every push and pull between them exists as a promise of mutual destruction.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been declared the victor of the king's annual games after backstabbing her last competitor, and lover, Anton. She has also been made August’s advisor and is pardoned from any past crimes.
Yet, Anton managed to jump to the new King August with no one but Calla the wiser.

The two hate each other but are forced to work together as new qi experiments lead to mass deaths in the provinces.

I loved the push and pull between the two. They know they are each other’s ruins. They both want to tear down the world. They are bound together by secrets.
Chloe knows how to write star-crossed lovers!

“What's wrong with a little dearest of my heart?"
“Tyrant of my heart is far more fitting."

The magic? gods? genetics? surrounding qi and body jumping felt slightly more chaotic in this instalment with little explanation but appearances of new powers.

Also, something that really drew me out of the story - the writing feels really YA as well as the story and then I was bluntly reminded by a sudden sex scene where the word c*ck was used. I just can’t.

I am kind of let down as I think I was an outlier in loving book one! It was addictive and I loved the idea of the games, body jumping, and the claustrophobic city. However, I think the shorter length of this book hampered the ability to expand and describe in as much detail as I wanted.

I still want to see how this plays out!

Thank you to Hodderscape for providing an arc in exchange for a review!

"you are my anchor in this world."

Let us not be fooled by this quote because Vilest Things is far from sweet, soft love and is exactly what its name is: VILE. Chloe Gong does it again with VT, her impeccable talent of weaving the plot with politics, scheming and merging of multiple storylines in one.

While Immortal Longings focused on the games and Calla-Anton's alliance and their respective goals, in VT we saw more of the complex politics surrounding San-Er and the monarchy. The Crescent Societies goals and propagandas came to light in response to the current happenings in San-Er. Other than the political storyline, the relationships were beautifully developed.

From Anton trying to come to terms with him being in August's Body while trying to seek revenge against August, to Calla's plan to save San-Er from Otta Avia's vile self and having no one in her corner. The betrayal, revenge, action was unmatched. We didn't end up getting a lot of Calla-Anton but what we got SERVED. The relearning of each other's selves and falling in love again gave us some much needed soft calla anton moments in between the deliciously aggravating political tension around. Also, my boy Galipei, doing shit without August and having only eyes for his love ;) The action, The angst, The pain, the romance: EVERYTHING was off the charts. This series has one of my favourite magic systems, in the ability of jumping between bodies and the concept of everybody having their qi and I was so excited to learn in depth about its origins and was intrigued enough to set myself up for Book 3. I'm hyped but scared as well because this series is based on a tragedy and knowing Chloe with OVER (LVC DOESN'T count), I'm right to be scared.

I have been a Chloe Gong stan since These Violent Delights and her writing has only gotten better. The character development of my girl Calla throughout the 2 books: UNMATCHED. A fantastic middle book in every sense.

I can only say one thing: Go in blind in book 2 and you'll come out of it loving every single bit about it.
Chloe gong needs to pay for my therapy, but you won't see me complain about it anytime soon.

Thank you to Netgalley UK and HodderScape for the early copy!

Calla and Anton are great, unfortunately it took so long in this one for them to actually start working together properly. This book was more of a struggle to get through because of all the politics.

There was less action and magic and more explaining and figuring things out which just made it slow.

The twists and turns at the end were intriguing so I will read the next book and I hope that Calla and Anton spend more of the book actually together than in this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.