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The Secret Lives of Immortals
Not yet published
Expected 2 Mar 27An exquisite tale of sorcery and power, and a centuries-spanning love story between a poet from the Imperial Chinese palace and the Roman mercenary who tricks her into eternal life, from a remarkable new voice in fantasy, debut author Ash Huang.
He Ling is many things―storyteller, poet, con woman. She’s also lived for a very long time.
From the courts of Imperial China to the bloody gladiatorial pits of Rome, she's witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations; embarked on great adventures; mourned the fleeting lives of her friends.
Still, she can't help but remember the one who came before all else: Quintus, the Roman mercenary who tricked her into this eternal life in the first place. The only man she's ever loved, and the one who haunts her still.
Now, after centuries apart, Quintus returns just as she has started to carve out a life of her own. As her past and present collide, Ling must answer the question that has chased her for eternity: for immortals like them, is forever a blessing, or a curse?
The Secret Lives of Immortals is a genre-defying work of speculative fiction that will take you on a journey of infinite lifetimes.
He Ling is many things―storyteller, poet, con woman. She’s also lived for a very long time.
From the courts of Imperial China to the bloody gladiatorial pits of Rome, she's witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations; embarked on great adventures; mourned the fleeting lives of her friends.
Still, she can't help but remember the one who came before all else: Quintus, the Roman mercenary who tricked her into this eternal life in the first place. The only man she's ever loved, and the one who haunts her still.
Now, after centuries apart, Quintus returns just as she has started to carve out a life of her own. As her past and present collide, Ling must answer the question that has chased her for eternity: for immortals like them, is forever a blessing, or a curse?
The Secret Lives of Immortals is a genre-defying work of speculative fiction that will take you on a journey of infinite lifetimes.
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 2, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
My blurb for The Secret Lives of Immortals:
""Sharply-written, incisive, and true, THE SECRET LIVES OF IMMORTALS is an ode to modernity by way of tradition, a clear-eyed examination of the forces that shape us across time, culture, and distance. Brilliant."
""Sharply-written, incisive, and true, THE SECRET LIVES OF IMMORTALS is an ode to modernity by way of tradition, a clear-eyed examination of the forces that shape us across time, culture, and distance. Brilliant."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!
I struggled to fully connect with this one, and a few narrative choices made it difficult for me to settle into the story. The best part of the book for me was the first 30% or so. However, the framing device felt a little unusual: a present-day narrator recounting events from years ago, set in ancient China. I found the contrast between the modern narration and the historical setting somewhat distracting and pulled me out of the book.
The plot also felt a bit meandering at times. Ling is wandering around the world while leaving Quintus behind, and I found myself questioning how that all works when ? I had no idea where the plot was going. The narration also occasionally felt repetitive, with a lot of emphasis on recounting events: *I did this. I did this. I did this.* It felt like a series of disconnected anecdotes.
I also struggled with the characters themselves. They felt rather flat, which made it difficult to understand their motivations or become invested in their relationship. I didn't find the romance convincing or believable because I never quite understood what drew them to each other or why they fell in love in the first place. Ling's repeated returns to Quintus were especially difficult for me to understand. Their constant back-and-forth became tiring after a while, and I found myself wishing for more development and a clearer sense of why they kept gravitating toward each other.
At times, the book felt quite heavy-handed in communicating its themes, while simultaneously leaving me unsure of what its central message was meant to be. I could tell there was something important the story wanted to convey, but I didn't always feel that it came across clearly.
Overall, I occasionally found it difficult to separate the story from what felt like the author's own perspective and experiences. It gave me somewhat of a self-insert impression, which made it harder for me to become fully immersed in the characters and their journey. I do think that this book will land with some readers but unfortunately, this was not the right fit for me.
I struggled to fully connect with this one, and a few narrative choices made it difficult for me to settle into the story. The best part of the book for me was the first 30% or so. However, the framing device felt a little unusual: a present-day narrator recounting events from years ago, set in ancient China. I found the contrast between the modern narration and the historical setting somewhat distracting and pulled me out of the book.
The plot also felt a bit meandering at times. Ling is wandering around the world while leaving Quintus behind, and I found myself questioning how that all works when ? I had no idea where the plot was going. The narration also occasionally felt repetitive, with a lot of emphasis on recounting events: *I did this. I did this. I did this.* It felt like a series of disconnected anecdotes.
I also struggled with the characters themselves. They felt rather flat, which made it difficult to understand their motivations or become invested in their relationship. I didn't find the romance convincing or believable because I never quite understood what drew them to each other or why they fell in love in the first place. Ling's repeated returns to Quintus were especially difficult for me to understand. Their constant back-and-forth became tiring after a while, and I found myself wishing for more development and a clearer sense of why they kept gravitating toward each other.
At times, the book felt quite heavy-handed in communicating its themes, while simultaneously leaving me unsure of what its central message was meant to be. I could tell there was something important the story wanted to convey, but I didn't always feel that it came across clearly.
Overall, I occasionally found it difficult to separate the story from what felt like the author's own perspective and experiences. It gave me somewhat of a self-insert impression, which made it harder for me to become fully immersed in the characters and their journey. I do think that this book will land with some readers but unfortunately, this was not the right fit for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a read.
I was with this story. I ate the court drama, scheming, and slow stalking of the male lead as she tried to survive the palace. When she became obsessed with the mana and began using it, I still was with the book. But then when he became involved, and how the story seemed to change in terms of plot / writing / strength, I tried holding on.
I think this was one of those books where my expectations were set too high combined with the author's debut. The male and female characters are interesting, but they're kind of surface level. Sure we learn about the female lead in the future, and she has a life, but it wasn't really anything beyond 'I did this' 'I felt sad about that' , like... girl, you are like Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Don't you want to find others like you? Why aren't you out looking for others like you?
Then when our male 'rose from the dead' again, it was endless chapters of them slowly trying to find a cure while playing this game of 'do I do I not want to fuck you?' I couldn't take it.
Then, their love for one another wasn't really strong enough for me to understand why she kept going back to him or disregarding him using her. I wanted some sort of strength to him using her.
I just feel like it was a good idea, but it was nice when it lasted.
I was with this story. I ate the court drama, scheming, and slow stalking of the male lead as she tried to survive the palace. When she became obsessed with the mana and began using it, I still was with the book. But then when he became involved, and how the story seemed to change in terms of plot / writing / strength, I tried holding on.
I think this was one of those books where my expectations were set too high combined with the author's debut. The male and female characters are interesting, but they're kind of surface level. Sure we learn about the female lead in the future, and she has a life, but it wasn't really anything beyond 'I did this' 'I felt sad about that' , like... girl, you are like Louis in Interview with the Vampire. Don't you want to find others like you? Why aren't you out looking for others like you?
Then when our male 'rose from the dead' again, it was endless chapters of them slowly trying to find a cure while playing this game of 'do I do I not want to fuck you?' I couldn't take it.
Then, their love for one another wasn't really strong enough for me to understand why she kept going back to him or disregarding him using her. I wanted some sort of strength to him using her.
I just feel like it was a good idea, but it was nice when it lasted.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a stunning novel! I requested this because the premise, the centuries-spanning relationship of an Imperial Chinese poet and a Roman mercenary, was so striking and unique. And as someone who always enjoys seeing unique takes on historical timelines, I was hooked.
Writing:
- I love that the writing is lush, descriptive, and immersive, but without being too purple prose-y. The writing is pretty and introspective.
- There's a lot of imagery used (on both narration and dialogue) exploring the dichotomy between past and present, the mundane and the magical, and the beginnings and ends.
Plot:
- The first half of the story was definitely my favorite part, as someone who prefers historical fiction over contemporaries. It was fast-paced, and covered large swaths of times and countries, and the story of how our main characters met. It was so interesting, and I liked seeing all these settings and time periods. I also like watching historical C-dramas, so I was having a great time. I find romances set in a historical period so much more compelling due to the high stakes of the era-specific conflicts.
- While the past shows the external forces that conflict with the romance of our two leads, the present timeline (the 2nd half of the book) allows for a more introspective look into the internal forces that affect their relationship. The second half takes a different approach, and I enjoyed the development we got with our characters, their beliefs and life goals, and the magic system.
Characters:
- Both characters are complex and nuanced, and they're not always the most likable, but they are always compelling.
- He Ling is a jaded, and sympathetic, character who gets an emotionally cathartic character growth that I enjoyed.
- Quintus is a bit of a red flag, but I still love him. He is in fact, the epitome of that "mansplain, manipulate, malewife" meme, and that makes him my favorite character. I thought all his romantic declarations were swoonworthy.
- I loved their relationship and romance.
Overall, this was such a delightful read for me. The messages that He Ling expresses and learns were VERY timely. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!
Writing:
- I love that the writing is lush, descriptive, and immersive, but without being too purple prose-y. The writing is pretty and introspective.
- There's a lot of imagery used (on both narration and dialogue) exploring the dichotomy between past and present, the mundane and the magical, and the beginnings and ends.
Plot:
- The first half of the story was definitely my favorite part, as someone who prefers historical fiction over contemporaries. It was fast-paced, and covered large swaths of times and countries, and the story of how our main characters met. It was so interesting, and I liked seeing all these settings and time periods. I also like watching historical C-dramas, so I was having a great time. I find romances set in a historical period so much more compelling due to the high stakes of the era-specific conflicts.
- While the past shows the external forces that conflict with the romance of our two leads, the present timeline (the 2nd half of the book) allows for a more introspective look into the internal forces that affect their relationship. The second half takes a different approach, and I enjoyed the development we got with our characters, their beliefs and life goals, and the magic system.
Characters:
- Both characters are complex and nuanced, and they're not always the most likable, but they are always compelling.
- He Ling is a jaded, and sympathetic, character who gets an emotionally cathartic character growth that I enjoyed.
- Quintus is a bit of a red flag, but I still love him. He is in fact, the epitome of that "mansplain, manipulate, malewife" meme, and that makes him my favorite character. I thought all his romantic declarations were swoonworthy.
- I loved their relationship and romance.
Overall, this was such a delightful read for me. The messages that He Ling expresses and learns were VERY timely. I enjoyed the plot, the characters, and the romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews