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Flesh and False Gods #2
Vilest Things
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the thrilling sequel to Immortal Longings, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra.
Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er’s bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa’s adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.
Only Calla knows it isn’t really August.
Anton Makusa is still furious about Calla’s betrayal in the final round of the games. In an impossible feat, he took over August’s body to survive, and has no intention of giving up this newfound power. But when his first love, the beautiful, explosive Otta Avia, awakens from a years-long coma and reveals a secret that threatens the monarchy’s authority over Talin, chaos erupts. As tensions come to a boiling point, Calla and Anton must set their conflicts aside and head to the kingdom’s far reaches to prevent anarchy… even if their empire might be better off burning.
Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er’s bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa’s adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.
Only Calla knows it isn’t really August.
Anton Makusa is still furious about Calla’s betrayal in the final round of the games. In an impossible feat, he took over August’s body to survive, and has no intention of giving up this newfound power. But when his first love, the beautiful, explosive Otta Avia, awakens from a years-long coma and reveals a secret that threatens the monarchy’s authority over Talin, chaos erupts. As tensions come to a boiling point, Calla and Anton must set their conflicts aside and head to the kingdom’s far reaches to prevent anarchy… even if their empire might be better off burning.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 10, 2024
423 people are currently reading
31561 people want to read
About the author
Chloe Gong
17 books25.9k followersChloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, PEOPLE, Cosmopolitan, and more. She was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024. Chloe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.
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January 11, 2023i am ready to be hurt
November 22, 2024
“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.”
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐,5
Spice: 🌶️
In all honesty, I…expected better. It’s not that it was a bad read, it’s just not on the same level as all the other books Chloe Gong has written. The book felt pretty slow-paced, and it needed some more subplots to keep the story going. It seemed like Gong was trying to minimize the storylines to focus on the main story and fit it into the less than 400-page book, instead of making it a little longer, which I think would’ve helped a lot. I also found it a little too predictable, aside from a few interesting revelations. However, I loved the exposition and the world-building. I also liked the mystery still surrounding Calla’s powers (how she managed to invade a powerful princess’s body seemingly without any issue) and I can’t wait to read more in the next book.
As for the protagonists, neither had any significant development in this book, other than Calla growing into her stolen birthright and Anton forgiving her for betraying him. They had some tender and lightly spicy moments together, Anton was worried sick for her even though he was furious with her as well, and the tension between them growing stronger even after Calla’s betrayal was delightful to read, but other than that I admit I expected more of them. In any case, given the story Gong based Calla and Anton’s love on, I know there’s a whole lot more to be read yet. On that note, I did not enjoy Gong’s ‘secretly’ evil ex-girlfriend complication, even though I saw it coming. Even though Otta Avia had the most surprising character revelation in this book, I still don’t like her (although, I admit I also see why she did the things that she did).
Moreover, August has no character development whatsoever, which is understandable because Anton took over his body in the previous book. I would love to explore his character more in the next book and learn more about his intentions. As of now, he seems more like a villain or an anti-hero in the story, but I can’t help but like him regardless and I want to know what Chloe Gong has in store for him. Besides, Galipei didn’t have any significant character development either, but I loved him anyway. He seems like the only one who is a genuinely good person in this series (other than Calla's handmaidens, but they didn't make much of an appearance, though their presence was integral to the story), he is literally loyal to a fault, and regardless of his good nature, he is willing to do anything for August, no matter how gruesome or wrong. He is also the only thing August cares about other than his personal agenda and if that isn’t the cutest shit ever, I don’t know what is.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐,5
Spice: 🌶️
In all honesty, I…expected better. It’s not that it was a bad read, it’s just not on the same level as all the other books Chloe Gong has written. The book felt pretty slow-paced, and it needed some more subplots to keep the story going. It seemed like Gong was trying to minimize the storylines to focus on the main story and fit it into the less than 400-page book, instead of making it a little longer, which I think would’ve helped a lot. I also found it a little too predictable, aside from a few interesting revelations. However, I loved the exposition and the world-building. I also liked the mystery still surrounding Calla’s powers (how she managed to invade a powerful princess’s body seemingly without any issue) and I can’t wait to read more in the next book.
As for the protagonists, neither had any significant development in this book, other than Calla growing into her stolen birthright and Anton forgiving her for betraying him. They had some tender and lightly spicy moments together, Anton was worried sick for her even though he was furious with her as well, and the tension between them growing stronger even after Calla’s betrayal was delightful to read, but other than that I admit I expected more of them. In any case, given the story Gong based Calla and Anton’s love on, I know there’s a whole lot more to be read yet. On that note, I did not enjoy Gong’s ‘secretly’ evil ex-girlfriend complication, even though I saw it coming. Even though Otta Avia had the most surprising character revelation in this book, I still don’t like her (although, I admit I also see why she did the things that she did).
Moreover, August has no character development whatsoever, which is understandable because Anton took over his body in the previous book. I would love to explore his character more in the next book and learn more about his intentions. As of now, he seems more like a villain or an anti-hero in the story, but I can’t help but like him regardless and I want to know what Chloe Gong has in store for him. Besides, Galipei didn’t have any significant character development either, but I loved him anyway. He seems like the only one who is a genuinely good person in this series (other than Calla's handmaidens, but they didn't make much of an appearance, though their presence was integral to the story), he is literally loyal to a fault, and regardless of his good nature, he is willing to do anything for August, no matter how gruesome or wrong. He is also the only thing August cares about other than his personal agenda and if that isn’t the cutest shit ever, I don’t know what is.
September 11, 2024
Honestly, I can’t even begin to describe the rollercoaster that Vilest Things took me on. If you thought the cliffhanger from the first book was devastating, just wait until you finish this one. The way this book ended on with that cliffhanger with no release date for the next book in sight, it feels almost criminal!
Let’s talk about what I loved, the plot twists, the shocking reveals, and the betrayals. Also loved learning more about the world, politics and magic system which goes into much detail in this book. And if you’re a fan of the enemies-to-lovers-back-to-enemies-back-to-lovers trope (with some serious slow-burn vibes this time), this book will have you screaming “Ah, shit, here we go again!” in the best way possible.
A huge thank you to SagaPressBooks and TBRBeyondTours for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Let’s talk about what I loved, the plot twists, the shocking reveals, and the betrayals. Also loved learning more about the world, politics and magic system which goes into much detail in this book. And if you’re a fan of the enemies-to-lovers-back-to-enemies-back-to-lovers trope (with some serious slow-burn vibes this time), this book will have you screaming “Ah, shit, here we go again!” in the best way possible.
A huge thank you to SagaPressBooks and TBRBeyondTours for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
September 2, 2024
"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."
⤷ 3.5 stars
[this is a spoiler-free review]
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.
「 Calla Tuoleimi has ruined him, so he'll have to ruin everything in return. 」
All of me is a big question mark because I spent most of this reading confused lol 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 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.
「 It's easier to speak to her like this, when she's turned away from him. She becomes a shadow of a woman, made up of hungry wisps and the smell of smoke, something impossible to grasp and therefore something he was only meant to lose. 」
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 - if you’ve read other Chloe Gong books, you know how it is. 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.
「 Every push and pull between them exists as a promise of mutual destruction. 」
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 all 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 NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-arc]
Want to read
July 29, 2023ILLEGAL. that cliffhanger is illegallll
June 8, 2025
— 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.
If nothing else at all, Vilest Things is ambitious. Filled with plot twists, gorgeous world-building, and betrayals, it continues Anton and Calla's story and takes us right where Immortal Longings left us: hanging precariously off a cliff
— Humanity may be granted blessings, but it should never think it, too, can play god.
The first thing Gong does in this sequel is utterly shatter the physics of magic in the first novel. In these cracks, she plants seeds: forgotten gods, not-so-quiet ghosts, and lost rituals. The world of body jumping completely comes to life. It pairs perfectly with the atmosphere of San-Er, modeled off of Kowloon Walled City. Like the city, this book is downright claustrophobic. I feel like I’ve been stuffed into a wall and forced to become friends with the creepy spider with a party hat. The amount of subplots and changes in loyalty and “wait who’s in his body again?” made my head spin, sometimes not in a good way. The brute force of the plot pushes the characterization and relationships under the rug.
If Anton and Calla’s relationship was a steak, it was still a cow. Brutually underdeveloped. I understand the allure. I get it but overall, I found the romance to be so much duller compared to her other books.
— A fish in poisoned water won’t be thankful to await a feeding every hour. It will want a new tank where it can swim uninhibited to find its own food.
Unlike most complaints about the politics that simmer underneath each page of this book, I actually adore it. There are some present-day parallels that are forced into view and questions that must follow. Who allows one person to play god? Do we sacrifice the person we love for the entire world we hate? Is what the people want actually good for them? Who exists to decide that? To what means can we go through to reach the ends?
— Power has a certain taste to it. A hot, golden tang slinking down the throat and trailing smoke in its wake, like seared meat or aged liquor. Something to settle the body, soothe the heart. It is the answer to every type of hunger, an addictive luxury that requires little else in accompaniment, some salve solely made to take up every bit of space it can find.
Surprisingly, I don't dislike Calla more in the sequel. The biggest shift in Calla in this book is her perspective. Before, she was fixated on killing King Kasa. Before, she shielded herself from the world. Now, her exposure to the normalization of actual suffering when she ventures into Rincun makes her realize what she’s fighting for. Abstract becomes concrete. The replacement of a corrupt king will not fix a country that suffers from the architecture of monarchy. She became less insufferable and more realistic. I now fully support women's wrongs.
November 10, 2022
the book isn’t even out and what ? bots are already angrily stamping their feet on the floor and giving this a one star like wow ? not just one but like a group of them … how interesting
so i decided to do a mini stalking and realised those bots just hated every book of chloe gong and gave one star even to those not out yet … how interesting that people are this free 😀 hmmm what did ms chloe even do to them ?
so i decided to do a mini stalking and realised those bots just hated every book of chloe gong and gave one star even to those not out yet … how interesting that people are this free 😀 hmmm what did ms chloe even do to them ?
September 20, 2024
Vilest Things is an interesting mix of fantasy and dystopia as we delve into a world where body/soul jumping is common - and getting harder to track. The first book, Immortal Longings, had a high stakes competition that kept the pages turning, so I was intrigued to see where this sequel was going to take us after those events.
It’s easy to say Chloe Gong is masterful at political manoeuvrings in her fantasy, a complex game of chess being played throughout. She had a common theme of constantly shifting motivations and morals amongst her characters, and this book is a feast for those who love a push-and-pull dynamic.
Admittedly though it did lose me somewhat. We seemed to keep coming back to the same points repeatedly, going in circles with theories and accusations. It took a little effort to focus, as I couldn’t reconnect with the characters once I was lost.
Nonetheless, it’s a unique vibe and atmosphere that I know many readers will love, and quite the page-turner with all of its Shakespearean dramatics.
*Thank you to the publisher for a NetGalley ARC.
It’s easy to say Chloe Gong is masterful at political manoeuvrings in her fantasy, a complex game of chess being played throughout. She had a common theme of constantly shifting motivations and morals amongst her characters, and this book is a feast for those who love a push-and-pull dynamic.
Admittedly though it did lose me somewhat. We seemed to keep coming back to the same points repeatedly, going in circles with theories and accusations. It took a little effort to focus, as I couldn’t reconnect with the characters once I was lost.
Nonetheless, it’s a unique vibe and atmosphere that I know many readers will love, and quite the page-turner with all of its Shakespearean dramatics.
*Thank you to the publisher for a NetGalley ARC.
April 18, 2024
I suppose that I cannot describe this book better than it’s title. Deep, dark, and delicious, Vilest Things is depraved and cruel like its predecessor, but far worse. With Chloe Gong’s infamous twists and turns, betrayals, and longing romance, I spent all three hours of my reading perched on the very edge of my seat.
While the first novel focused mainly on the games, we dive deeper into San-Er’s history and tension in the sequel. There’s different powers at play, from the now revived Otta Avia to Calla’s foiled plan, August’s mysterious scheming and Anton’s revenge. Everything is more high stakes now than ever, because with Calla having no one on her side, she has to figure out how she’ll save San-Er by herself. She also has to navigate the complicated history Otta has with everyone, leaving her half a step behind. Otta is a catalyst with too much information that she seems impossible for even August to handle.
Chloe truly excels at intertwining plot with politics, as we see in These Violent Delights. She pulls it off again in VT, although it’s different due to the genre change. San-Er is described as a disease, a mold that seems to grow and leech off of its residents, and its court is the same. Alliances shift and change every few chapters, and the atmospheric tones keep the story engaging and flowing along. It’s less action driven than her YA novels, but more nuanced. The climax of the book focuses on both the politics and powers of the three standing players, and a kingdom finally on the brink of war.
The ability to shift between different bodies is such an interesting basis for a fantasy, especially when that power is the basis of the lore. San-Er’s history is woven with the ability for the Tuoleimis and the Shenzhis holding the Mandate of Heaven, and chaos reigns with the realization that perhaps the king on the throne is an imposter, that anyone that can find the true crown, lost somewhere in the provinces that surround the walled city. The book expands on the magic system and the extent of using qi, and how it all circles back to the royals. I think there are still some questions left unanswered when it comes to the exact boundaries of the magic system, although I’m sure that the finale will provide answers.
I really loved the “the girlies are fighting” vibes in VT as well. Whether it’s Calla and Otta threatening each other while Anton just stands there pretending he doesn’t exist, or Anton and August, two best friends at war in one body, the tension is truly delicious. The romance is beautiful as it is painful, but the jealousy and angst? Mmm.
Chloe, please. Galipei.
And of course, Mr. Mao Mao! The amount of Mao Mao content in VT, I am happy to announce, is greater than that of Immortal Longings. I greatly agreed with him when he said, “Meowr,” a statement that can relate to all things. He is truly the most majestic and regal out of the cast of Flesh and False Gods, a royal cat. I think I deserve more Mao Mao photos as therapy after all this.
I started this book fearful that another tragedy, another unavoidable fate, would be brought to our characters. I was delightfully and also terrified, however, that Chloe decided to change things up in her ending. And while it is a tragedy, a destiny brought to fruition, it was certainly not the end I was braced for. It’s interesting to see the way an author will tackle a finale versus a pause between novels in a series, as we’ve never had a middle book by Chloe before. The ending felt like a deep breath before diving into what will be the third and final novel in the trilogy, and I’m excited but scared to learn what that’ll be! I think a (non-finalized) quote to summarize the events of this book is best said by beloved Galipei Weisanna, my favourite: “Oh, heavens.”
Thank you to Saga Press and Chloe for sending me a manuscript of Vilest Things! I loved it, hated it, adored it, cursed it. I will never recover from this cruel, cruel book. My heart will never mend after getting repeatedly stabbed through the back (sorry for the reference). It is as if Chloe yanked out my intestines and took the time to make them into strings, simply so she could play with my mental wellbeing as if it was a fiddle. I will never forgive you, Chloe Gong, for what you’ve done.
Keep your eyes out for Vilest Things, out September 10th! Who will be crowned the king at last, hmm…
While the first novel focused mainly on the games, we dive deeper into San-Er’s history and tension in the sequel. There’s different powers at play, from the now revived Otta Avia to Calla’s foiled plan, August’s mysterious scheming and Anton’s revenge. Everything is more high stakes now than ever, because with Calla having no one on her side, she has to figure out how she’ll save San-Er by herself. She also has to navigate the complicated history Otta has with everyone, leaving her half a step behind. Otta is a catalyst with too much information that she seems impossible for even August to handle.
Chloe truly excels at intertwining plot with politics, as we see in These Violent Delights. She pulls it off again in VT, although it’s different due to the genre change. San-Er is described as a disease, a mold that seems to grow and leech off of its residents, and its court is the same. Alliances shift and change every few chapters, and the atmospheric tones keep the story engaging and flowing along. It’s less action driven than her YA novels, but more nuanced. The climax of the book focuses on both the politics and powers of the three standing players, and a kingdom finally on the brink of war.
The ability to shift between different bodies is such an interesting basis for a fantasy, especially when that power is the basis of the lore. San-Er’s history is woven with the ability for the Tuoleimis and the Shenzhis holding the Mandate of Heaven, and chaos reigns with the realization that perhaps the king on the throne is an imposter, that anyone that can find the true crown, lost somewhere in the provinces that surround the walled city. The book expands on the magic system and the extent of using qi, and how it all circles back to the royals. I think there are still some questions left unanswered when it comes to the exact boundaries of the magic system, although I’m sure that the finale will provide answers.
I really loved the “the girlies are fighting” vibes in VT as well. Whether it’s Calla and Otta threatening each other while Anton just stands there pretending he doesn’t exist, or Anton and August, two best friends at war in one body, the tension is truly delicious. The romance is beautiful as it is painful, but the jealousy and angst? Mmm.
Chloe, please. Galipei.
And of course, Mr. Mao Mao! The amount of Mao Mao content in VT, I am happy to announce, is greater than that of Immortal Longings. I greatly agreed with him when he said, “Meowr,” a statement that can relate to all things. He is truly the most majestic and regal out of the cast of Flesh and False Gods, a royal cat. I think I deserve more Mao Mao photos as therapy after all this.
I started this book fearful that another tragedy, another unavoidable fate, would be brought to our characters. I was delightfully and also terrified, however, that Chloe decided to change things up in her ending. And while it is a tragedy, a destiny brought to fruition, it was certainly not the end I was braced for. It’s interesting to see the way an author will tackle a finale versus a pause between novels in a series, as we’ve never had a middle book by Chloe before. The ending felt like a deep breath before diving into what will be the third and final novel in the trilogy, and I’m excited but scared to learn what that’ll be! I think a (non-finalized) quote to summarize the events of this book is best said by beloved Galipei Weisanna, my favourite: “Oh, heavens.”
Thank you to Saga Press and Chloe for sending me a manuscript of Vilest Things! I loved it, hated it, adored it, cursed it. I will never recover from this cruel, cruel book. My heart will never mend after getting repeatedly stabbed through the back (sorry for the reference). It is as if Chloe yanked out my intestines and took the time to make them into strings, simply so she could play with my mental wellbeing as if it was a fiddle. I will never forgive you, Chloe Gong, for what you’ve done.
Keep your eyes out for Vilest Things, out September 10th! Who will be crowned the king at last, hmm…
May 25, 2025
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 4⭐️
Plot: 3⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 3⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 3.25⭐️
I rated the first book, "Immortal Longings," five stars. While I felt this follow-up was solid, it was missing the simple structure of book one (the deadly trials worked so well in the first book). I still love this world and find the magic system morally compelling. Gong does such an interesting spin on the source material, Antony and Cleopatra. While the plot works and pulls on the political complexity it's based on, I found it clunky to read and follow in the second book. The new characters were also not as well developed as the established characters. The romance is done in Gong's signature style, which I adore, but I am hoping the final book closes with a tighter narrative structure and believable scope. This one was good but I'm hoping book three is great!
Characters: 3⭐️
Setting: 4⭐️
Plot: 3⭐️
Themes: 3⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 3⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 3.25⭐️
I rated the first book, "Immortal Longings," five stars. While I felt this follow-up was solid, it was missing the simple structure of book one (the deadly trials worked so well in the first book). I still love this world and find the magic system morally compelling. Gong does such an interesting spin on the source material, Antony and Cleopatra. While the plot works and pulls on the political complexity it's based on, I found it clunky to read and follow in the second book. The new characters were also not as well developed as the established characters. The romance is done in Gong's signature style, which I adore, but I am hoping the final book closes with a tighter narrative structure and believable scope. This one was good but I'm hoping book three is great!
Want to read
October 27, 2024( dnf )
﹙started﹚ㅤ𓈒ㅤׂ 0 9 / 1 0 / 2 4 ⊹
school has been consuming my every waking thought, and i forgot that this was releasing today. starting a new book might not be the most sensible idea... but here we are. i also remember about 5% of what happened in the first book, but this book will be fun, i feel the vibes already !!
﹙started﹚ㅤ𓈒ㅤׂ 0 9 / 1 0 / 2 4 ⊹
school has been consuming my every waking thought, and i forgot that this was releasing today. starting a new book might not be the most sensible idea... but here we are. i also remember about 5% of what happened in the first book, but this book will be fun, i feel the vibes already !!
February 20, 2025
pre-reading review: AND THIS IS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT IN 2024? ONE SINGLE YEAR AFTER THE FIRST ONE? chloe gong please blink if you need help
---
boo! it was in a boring way! nevertheless i intended to finish it, either because i'm writing about cleopatra reception or because i'm a masochist (you decide!). but i'm really busy and my library hold ran out, and i was going to re-renew the thing, and then i realized that nobody's making me do that, actually. so here we are. maybe i'll come back whenever the third one comes out. for now, dnf at 182/372, but i'm still giving a star rating because i skimmed through the rest of the book to sate my morbid curiosity.
Vilest Things is not good, but being fair: i didn't expect it to be. Immortal Longings was not good either. i chose to put myself through this again. i will be fair once more: Vilest Things is an improvement in at least one area, because it's not doing what its predecessor did and bludgeoning me with the same information every ten pages in case i forgot how the paper-thin worldbuilding works. but it remains the kind of nothingburger the first one was—not so egregiously bad as to be entertaining, just kind of lifeless. i already wrote a more seriously analytical review for the first book. so for this one i just want to share the stuff i decided to overthink to make myself crazy/entertained. i am announcing up front that it is largely nitpicky and the book is Not That Deep, but come on, guys, i'm like shakespeare tumblr's sheldon cooper. i have been annoying about retellings that were much more heartfelt than this and i'll do it again
LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY GIRL
with great self-control, i am resisting repeating the rant i went on in the first review about how calla is a very boring Action Girl cleopatra. it absolutely doesn't get better; i just already said it. but at the risk of redundancy, i do want to shout out two particular moments that encapsulate my issue. the historical cleopatra was a diplomat more famous for her charisma than her beauty. shakespeare's cleopatra's defining trait is the charm she achieves through being dramatically theatrical and mercurially unpredictable. calla has all the subtly and performance skills of a brick. moment 1: when she wants to suss out information about a term she's never heard (junndi), she impersonates someone to sneak into their workplace, and... her plan is to stroll in confidently and yell out loud, to "anyone in the vicinity," quote, "Hey, anyone have new thoughts about the junndi?" sneak 100.
the other moment is right at the start, when the general calla is traveling with (he's part of the government) (she is now also part of the government) (she was trained as a princess for 15 years) (they are coworkers and she specifically knows she has to "make use of him" for her job) annoys her by being classist. upon which:
do you get it, guys? she's a #girlboss.
whinging aside, i will give this book its deserved flowers: the plot twist is actually awesome. awesome as in "compelling concept" and as in "really fucking funny." the foreshadowing groundwork wasn't laid until, like, ten pages beforehand, but even so, it is honestly great that . that's fantastic. there is a killer story there about royalty never accounting for the dirty poors and the pressure of realizing you, the Relevant Dirty Poor, can choose to revise powerful people's plans however you like. i don't think it's the story gong is telling (although i've given up trying to guess her intentions), but still!
the second plot twist, in the very final chapter, also bangs. or, at least, it should bang. unfortunately the logistics of this plot and world have yet to make any kind of sense, because . maybe the mythical foretold third book will explain this, along with why calla's eyes are royal yellow in the first place. maybe. i'm managing my expectations.
WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH OTTA, ACTUALLY
in this book, we meet otta avia, gong's loose version of shakespeare's octavia. midway through, i started to feel like maybe she's the key to the Gongification Of Shakespearean Women—that is, the transformation of whatever their original character was into a scarlett-johansson-as-black-widow ass-kicking Strong Female Character. (calla, obviously, but i've also been told that this happens to juliet in the r+j duology? can't confirm, but the goodreads quotes for the book don't un-persuade me.)
the reason i think otta specifically encapsulates this so well is... well, at least cleopatra and juliet have personalities to start with. but shakespeare's octavia is boring as hell. she's a flat white sheet of paper. she's the ideal roman woman to a fault, so quiet and deferential and pious and virginal that it makes her deathly boring (especially to mark antony, a bisexual frat boy). shakespeare IS doing this on purpose—octavia is a nothing-character because she's a foil to cleopatra, who is everything everywhere all at once all of the time—but i do understand the urge to, like, give this woman literally any traits. it's just that the traits gong gives her are basically the exact same traits calla has: she looks like a pretty face, but she's really a strong girl who STARTS FIGHTS and LAUGHS AT DANGER and is WILD AND UNHINGED and COULD KILL YOU WITHOUT CARING. but unlike with calla, otta doesn't really have a shakespearean base to start from. she's a blank slate. so of course she's a lot like calla with the annoying gratuitous edginess turned up, because that seems to be where gong goes to instinctively make a Cool Woman.
but then i started thinking about it harder. walk with me here. shakespeare's octavia is the ideal roman woman. in our modern world of choice feminism and marvel movies, is the ideal woman (at least to some) not the one who can do it all? the one who looks good even covered in blood? the one who can wield magic without mussing her beautiful hair? the one who always has a snarky comment at the ready and never takes an L? has otta avia actually looped back around, in a way, to shakespeare's octavia?
except calla is also like that, so maybe not? i don’t know if you can tell but my cleopatra thesis is due in six weeks and i fear i’m losing the ability to communicate with other humans as i shrink into a gibbering homunculus.
anyway, otta’s brand of edginess was way more randomXD-annoying than calla’s batman gloom, so i was rooting for calla, so maybe gong knows what she's doing here after all.
THE TRANS STUFF
there is a trans woman in this book! i was excited about this! body-jumping and trans people! lots there to explore! i do want to say, first and foremost, that i don't think venus's portrayal is transphobic (partially because she's a minor character who doesn't do much, so what is there to critique). i think this is an attempt at good and inclusive trans rep, and i respect that! but i do think the way trans people fit into this universe reveals a failure of imagination about what a society where people can body-swap actually means. the gender situation on the page (of this book and the first one) is as such:
- Bodies And Faces Are Always Changing (we get this one a lot)
- anton's narration says he prefers "masculine" bodies, but he'll jump into any body that's hot enough. i can only think of one moment where he actually takes a body that isn't "masculine," though, and it's also unclear if "masculine" refers to presentation or if it just means "men." (jump into a butch, anton, you won't)
- calla is a woman, sort of, in a cis-by-default way: "woman" is the closest descriptor, but doesn't get at the complexity of her self-concept. this literally never comes up again. she always takes the stereotypically feminine role in her dynamic with anton (from automatically deciding to act as the skimpily-dressed courtesan to his brothel customer to, like, being on the bottom when they do their boring P-in-V)
- based on venus, when a rich trans person in this world realizes they're trans, they jump permanently into a body that "matches" their identity. no detail on where they get this body, who might have had to give up their own body for the swap, or what poor trans people are supposed to do
again, i don't think gong is being transphobic. but i do think this text is incapable of imagining a world without binary automatic sex assignments, or a world where people don't default to borrowing bodies that match their birth sex. if everyone can jump, if anyone can be in (almost) any body with any anatomical parts and any particular stylistic expression, why do the concepts of male and female even exist? why does this world have the exact same system as ours, in which penis = XY chromosomes = male and vagina = XX chromosomes = female, where male and female are defined categories that Mean Something? even if we allow that this universe has our gender binary, why does it follow that one can "match" their gender identity to their body by picking a new one? if body and consciousness are entirely separate, why does "has a dick" still automatically go with "is a man"? like, the furthest this book's imagination can stretch is "assigned sex and the binary gender system still exist, but don't worry, trans people, it's just way easier to fit into them!" i'm not saying gong needed to take it upon herself to worldbuild an entire universe where There Is No Gender; that doesn't seem to be where her interests lie, and that's fine! but imo it really exposes the shallowness of the worldbuilding, when almost no thought has gone into how serial body-swapping might actually change the fabric of a society.
THESE ARE JUST SOME LINES I WANTED TO SHARE
For the first time, [Calla]'s starting to wonder if the provinces are better at hiding secrets from the palace than she thought.
this is the girl whose goal is to liberate the whole kingdom. yes, this is the first time this thought has occurred to her. i know this because the sentence says so. granted, last book she was 100% convinced that killing the tyrant king would solve society, so maybe i'm expecting too much.
The moment Calla flinches, Leida seems to realize that Calla's other hand has been working on freeing something behind her: the heavy curtain, and the cord in the middle that keeps the fabric bundled. Leida tugs her arm hard, but it is too late. The curtain bursts loose, its cord secured in Calla's hand. As a last resort, Leida kicks out to take Calla's knee from underneath her, but Calla has already braced low. In this body, Leida is shorter than she's used to, and she doesn't put as much swing behind the attack. Calla pushes the cord around a pipe running up the wall, a thin tube stemming from the anchored radiator. Before Leida can throw herself free, Calla has her left wrist tied with the cord, then her right.
the action being described here is "calla dodges leida's struggling and ties her to the radiator."
Calla’s anger gives way to frustration. There is no reason for them to be at odds. No extenuating circumstances, no rules set upon them. They could simply choose to stop being at each other’s throats.
see, the problem with pointing this out is that they're going to keep being at each other's throats for another 100 pages, even though we're now all aware how dumb that is
Like other parts of the building, the makeshift meeting room is dark, the curtains drawn and the sloped ceiling crowded with shadows rather than light. Most factories in San-Er are built this way, especially the basement levels where produce is stored, and Calla wonders if [the provincial villagers] simply copied San-Er's existing construction plans out of laziness, rather than design a base that didn't need such a low roof.
calla marx, savior of the people. i would forgive this line if there was any indication that 1. she's wrong about the laziness thing or 2. this imitation of the city is a result of the city colonizing and exerting influence on the provinces, but those things would require ever circling back to a detail we're given.
"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."
like actually genuinely what does this mean. am i crazy? does this metaphor make literally any sense at all? is tossing an anchor "adrift" the same as throwing it overboard? because i'm pretty sure that's the point of anchors? what does burial have to do with anything? does this quote even look good on contextless tumblr aesthetic edits?
also, people don't say "god" in this world but "heavens," which is fine, but the side effect is everyone keeps saying "good heavens" instead of fuck, which i think is really funny in a book so otherwise devoted to being #dark and #gory
CALLA AND ANTON STILL HAVEN'T TRADED BODIES DURING SEX TO SPICE THINGS UP
calla and anton still haven't traded bodies during sex to spice things up :(
"have the toxic homoerotic augustus and agrippa characters at least fucked or made explicit in any way the homoeroticism?" why are you asking me this when you already know.
---
0.0% "let's all hope this is godawful in a funny way and not in a boring way"
boo! it was in a boring way! nevertheless i intended to finish it, either because i'm writing about cleopatra reception or because i'm a masochist (you decide!). but i'm really busy and my library hold ran out, and i was going to re-renew the thing, and then i realized that nobody's making me do that, actually. so here we are. maybe i'll come back whenever the third one comes out. for now, dnf at 182/372, but i'm still giving a star rating because i skimmed through the rest of the book to sate my morbid curiosity.
Vilest Things is not good, but being fair: i didn't expect it to be. Immortal Longings was not good either. i chose to put myself through this again. i will be fair once more: Vilest Things is an improvement in at least one area, because it's not doing what its predecessor did and bludgeoning me with the same information every ten pages in case i forgot how the paper-thin worldbuilding works. but it remains the kind of nothingburger the first one was—not so egregiously bad as to be entertaining, just kind of lifeless. i already wrote a more seriously analytical review for the first book. so for this one i just want to share the stuff i decided to overthink to make myself crazy/entertained. i am announcing up front that it is largely nitpicky and the book is Not That Deep, but come on, guys, i'm like shakespeare tumblr's sheldon cooper. i have been annoying about retellings that were much more heartfelt than this and i'll do it again
LOOK WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO MY GIRL
with great self-control, i am resisting repeating the rant i went on in the first review about how calla is a very boring Action Girl cleopatra. it absolutely doesn't get better; i just already said it. but at the risk of redundancy, i do want to shout out two particular moments that encapsulate my issue. the historical cleopatra was a diplomat more famous for her charisma than her beauty. shakespeare's cleopatra's defining trait is the charm she achieves through being dramatically theatrical and mercurially unpredictable. calla has all the subtly and performance skills of a brick. moment 1: when she wants to suss out information about a term she's never heard (junndi), she impersonates someone to sneak into their workplace, and... her plan is to stroll in confidently and yell out loud, to "anyone in the vicinity," quote, "Hey, anyone have new thoughts about the junndi?" sneak 100.
the other moment is right at the start, when the general calla is traveling with (he's part of the government) (she is now also part of the government) (she was trained as a princess for 15 years) (they are coworkers and she specifically knows she has to "make use of him" for her job) annoys her by being classist. upon which:
"Don't speak to me."
The carriage goes quiet. The other two advisors shift uncomfortably.
"I—you—pardon?" General Poinin demands.
She considers backpedaling to conceal her overt disdain. She could say that his suggestion is unnecessary by the palace's own decree. It is illegal for the provinces to speak anything other than Talinese, and so the villagers cannot truly pray when prayers to the old gods were made in their original tongue. Excessive worship in the provinces has already been cut down. The palace has no need to draw more ire from their farmers.
"Don't speak to me," Calla repeats instead. "Your voice is so fucking grating."
do you get it, guys? she's a #girlboss.
whinging aside, i will give this book its deserved flowers: the plot twist is actually awesome. awesome as in "compelling concept" and as in "really fucking funny." the foreshadowing groundwork wasn't laid until, like, ten pages beforehand, but even so, it is honestly great that . that's fantastic. there is a killer story there about royalty never accounting for the dirty poors and the pressure of realizing you, the Relevant Dirty Poor, can choose to revise powerful people's plans however you like. i don't think it's the story gong is telling (although i've given up trying to guess her intentions), but still!
the second plot twist, in the very final chapter, also bangs. or, at least, it should bang. unfortunately the logistics of this plot and world have yet to make any kind of sense, because . maybe the mythical foretold third book will explain this, along with why calla's eyes are royal yellow in the first place. maybe. i'm managing my expectations.
WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH OTTA, ACTUALLY
in this book, we meet otta avia, gong's loose version of shakespeare's octavia. midway through, i started to feel like maybe she's the key to the Gongification Of Shakespearean Women—that is, the transformation of whatever their original character was into a scarlett-johansson-as-black-widow ass-kicking Strong Female Character. (calla, obviously, but i've also been told that this happens to juliet in the r+j duology? can't confirm, but the goodreads quotes for the book don't un-persuade me.)
the reason i think otta specifically encapsulates this so well is... well, at least cleopatra and juliet have personalities to start with. but shakespeare's octavia is boring as hell. she's a flat white sheet of paper. she's the ideal roman woman to a fault, so quiet and deferential and pious and virginal that it makes her deathly boring (especially to mark antony, a bisexual frat boy). shakespeare IS doing this on purpose—octavia is a nothing-character because she's a foil to cleopatra, who is everything everywhere all at once all of the time—but i do understand the urge to, like, give this woman literally any traits. it's just that the traits gong gives her are basically the exact same traits calla has: she looks like a pretty face, but she's really a strong girl who STARTS FIGHTS and LAUGHS AT DANGER and is WILD AND UNHINGED and COULD KILL YOU WITHOUT CARING. but unlike with calla, otta doesn't really have a shakespearean base to start from. she's a blank slate. so of course she's a lot like calla with the annoying gratuitous edginess turned up, because that seems to be where gong goes to instinctively make a Cool Woman.
but then i started thinking about it harder. walk with me here. shakespeare's octavia is the ideal roman woman. in our modern world of choice feminism and marvel movies, is the ideal woman (at least to some) not the one who can do it all? the one who looks good even covered in blood? the one who can wield magic without mussing her beautiful hair? the one who always has a snarky comment at the ready and never takes an L? has otta avia actually looped back around, in a way, to shakespeare's octavia?
except calla is also like that, so maybe not? i don’t know if you can tell but my cleopatra thesis is due in six weeks and i fear i’m losing the ability to communicate with other humans as i shrink into a gibbering homunculus.
anyway, otta’s brand of edginess was way more randomXD-annoying than calla’s batman gloom, so i was rooting for calla, so maybe gong knows what she's doing here after all.
THE TRANS STUFF
there is a trans woman in this book! i was excited about this! body-jumping and trans people! lots there to explore! i do want to say, first and foremost, that i don't think venus's portrayal is transphobic (partially because she's a minor character who doesn't do much, so what is there to critique). i think this is an attempt at good and inclusive trans rep, and i respect that! but i do think the way trans people fit into this universe reveals a failure of imagination about what a society where people can body-swap actually means. the gender situation on the page (of this book and the first one) is as such:
- Bodies And Faces Are Always Changing (we get this one a lot)
- anton's narration says he prefers "masculine" bodies, but he'll jump into any body that's hot enough. i can only think of one moment where he actually takes a body that isn't "masculine," though, and it's also unclear if "masculine" refers to presentation or if it just means "men." (jump into a butch, anton, you won't)
- calla is a woman, sort of, in a cis-by-default way: "woman" is the closest descriptor, but doesn't get at the complexity of her self-concept. this literally never comes up again. she always takes the stereotypically feminine role in her dynamic with anton (from automatically deciding to act as the skimpily-dressed courtesan to his brothel customer to, like, being on the bottom when they do their boring P-in-V)
- based on venus, when a rich trans person in this world realizes they're trans, they jump permanently into a body that "matches" their identity. no detail on where they get this body, who might have had to give up their own body for the swap, or what poor trans people are supposed to do
again, i don't think gong is being transphobic. but i do think this text is incapable of imagining a world without binary automatic sex assignments, or a world where people don't default to borrowing bodies that match their birth sex. if everyone can jump, if anyone can be in (almost) any body with any anatomical parts and any particular stylistic expression, why do the concepts of male and female even exist? why does this world have the exact same system as ours, in which penis = XY chromosomes = male and vagina = XX chromosomes = female, where male and female are defined categories that Mean Something? even if we allow that this universe has our gender binary, why does it follow that one can "match" their gender identity to their body by picking a new one? if body and consciousness are entirely separate, why does "has a dick" still automatically go with "is a man"? like, the furthest this book's imagination can stretch is "assigned sex and the binary gender system still exist, but don't worry, trans people, it's just way easier to fit into them!" i'm not saying gong needed to take it upon herself to worldbuild an entire universe where There Is No Gender; that doesn't seem to be where her interests lie, and that's fine! but imo it really exposes the shallowness of the worldbuilding, when almost no thought has gone into how serial body-swapping might actually change the fabric of a society.
THESE ARE JUST SOME LINES I WANTED TO SHARE
For the first time, [Calla]'s starting to wonder if the provinces are better at hiding secrets from the palace than she thought.
this is the girl whose goal is to liberate the whole kingdom. yes, this is the first time this thought has occurred to her. i know this because the sentence says so. granted, last book she was 100% convinced that killing the tyrant king would solve society, so maybe i'm expecting too much.
The moment Calla flinches, Leida seems to realize that Calla's other hand has been working on freeing something behind her: the heavy curtain, and the cord in the middle that keeps the fabric bundled. Leida tugs her arm hard, but it is too late. The curtain bursts loose, its cord secured in Calla's hand. As a last resort, Leida kicks out to take Calla's knee from underneath her, but Calla has already braced low. In this body, Leida is shorter than she's used to, and she doesn't put as much swing behind the attack. Calla pushes the cord around a pipe running up the wall, a thin tube stemming from the anchored radiator. Before Leida can throw herself free, Calla has her left wrist tied with the cord, then her right.
the action being described here is "calla dodges leida's struggling and ties her to the radiator."
Calla’s anger gives way to frustration. There is no reason for them to be at odds. No extenuating circumstances, no rules set upon them. They could simply choose to stop being at each other’s throats.
see, the problem with pointing this out is that they're going to keep being at each other's throats for another 100 pages, even though we're now all aware how dumb that is
Like other parts of the building, the makeshift meeting room is dark, the curtains drawn and the sloped ceiling crowded with shadows rather than light. Most factories in San-Er are built this way, especially the basement levels where produce is stored, and Calla wonders if [the provincial villagers] simply copied San-Er's existing construction plans out of laziness, rather than design a base that didn't need such a low roof.
calla marx, savior of the people. i would forgive this line if there was any indication that 1. she's wrong about the laziness thing or 2. this imitation of the city is a result of the city colonizing and exerting influence on the provinces, but those things would require ever circling back to a detail we're given.
"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."
like actually genuinely what does this mean. am i crazy? does this metaphor make literally any sense at all? is tossing an anchor "adrift" the same as throwing it overboard? because i'm pretty sure that's the point of anchors? what does burial have to do with anything? does this quote even look good on contextless tumblr aesthetic edits?
also, people don't say "god" in this world but "heavens," which is fine, but the side effect is everyone keeps saying "good heavens" instead of fuck, which i think is really funny in a book so otherwise devoted to being #dark and #gory
CALLA AND ANTON STILL HAVEN'T TRADED BODIES DURING SEX TO SPICE THINGS UP
calla and anton still haven't traded bodies during sex to spice things up :(
"have the toxic homoerotic augustus and agrippa characters at least fucked or made explicit in any way the homoeroticism?" why are you asking me this when you already know.
August 26, 2024
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!
Bookstagram
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!
Bookstagram
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September 21, 2024The next book is going to be CRAZY (in a good way)
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Pre thoughts:
"It was the best of times, the worst of crimes."
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Pre thoughts:
"It was the best of times, the worst of crimes."
August 3, 2025
I love the body swapping idea, but oh my god how boring most of this was, I wanted to be invested, but I couldn't focus and Otto was the most annoying bitch, I wanted to reach into book and slap her
August 22, 2024
Okay. I had to think for awhile about this review because I loved Immortal Longings and didn’t think there was any chance I wouldn’t like this.
I didn’t like this.
Basically take everything that made the first book interesting and throw it out the window. I am in actual shock. This book was so incredibly boring and nothing happened for 70% of the book. Everything that was a bit convoluted in the first book only got more convoluted and unexplained in this one. This book doubled down on the worst parts of book one.
There were a couple of routes this book could have taken after the amazing cliffhanger from book one, and it chose the most uninteresting route possible that also makes the least amount of sense. Honestly my head just hurts after reading this and I’m not entirely sure I could explain anything that happened.
Also the romance? No. It’s like she didn’t know what to do with it in this book and it was an afterthought.
Basically I’m now depressed and I want to go hide in a corner until book 3 comes out. Maybe that one will make up for the mess that this book was.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC.
I didn’t like this.
Basically take everything that made the first book interesting and throw it out the window. I am in actual shock. This book was so incredibly boring and nothing happened for 70% of the book. Everything that was a bit convoluted in the first book only got more convoluted and unexplained in this one. This book doubled down on the worst parts of book one.
There were a couple of routes this book could have taken after the amazing cliffhanger from book one, and it chose the most uninteresting route possible that also makes the least amount of sense. Honestly my head just hurts after reading this and I’m not entirely sure I could explain anything that happened.
Also the romance? No. It’s like she didn’t know what to do with it in this book and it was an afterthought.
Basically I’m now depressed and I want to go hide in a corner until book 3 comes out. Maybe that one will make up for the mess that this book was.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC.
September 25, 2024
jaw drop after jaw drop. my mind is spinning. chloe gong, THE GODDESS THAT YOU ARE! i can’t even put my thoughts into words this was insane in every way possible. how am i supposed to wait another year for the next one??????
CALLA LOML CALLANTON MY PARENTS I WILL GO TO WAR FOR THEM.
i thought the cliffhanger last book was insane but this one had me forgetting how to breathe. chloe gong never fails to amaze me with her writing and story telling. truly believe shakespeare put her on this earth to graze us with the most breathtaking retellings out there. truly just wow!
CALLA LOML CALLANTON MY PARENTS I WILL GO TO WAR FOR THEM.
i thought the cliffhanger last book was insane but this one had me forgetting how to breathe. chloe gong never fails to amaze me with her writing and story telling. truly believe shakespeare put her on this earth to graze us with the most breathtaking retellings out there. truly just wow!
October 4, 2024
"i've followed you across the kingdom because i can't let you go a second time."
🍡 four point two five stars, rounded down.
as far as sequels go, i would say this one is pretty solid. as chloe gong books go, it's not up there as one of her best (i still think it's foul heart huntsman, personally) but still very good.
i don't have any overflowing, outstanding thoughts about this book, actually. if anything, i still feel like there was a lot of infodumping, as does tend to be a problem with chloe books, and the storyline got quite convoluted and a little difficult to follow at times, but i would say i liked this more than the first book.
i'll be sat for the third book for sure, though!
oh, and we should all start throwing rocks at otta and august. i'm going to be running the hate club for them.
🍡 four point two five stars, rounded down.
as far as sequels go, i would say this one is pretty solid. as chloe gong books go, it's not up there as one of her best (i still think it's foul heart huntsman, personally) but still very good.
i don't have any overflowing, outstanding thoughts about this book, actually. if anything, i still feel like there was a lot of infodumping, as does tend to be a problem with chloe books, and the storyline got quite convoluted and a little difficult to follow at times, but i would say i liked this more than the first book.
i'll be sat for the third book for sure, though!
oh, and we should all start throwing rocks at otta and august. i'm going to be running the hate club for them.
July 29, 2025
chloe gong you have one book left to give us that antoncalla death trope spectacular
April 16, 2025
That ending was pretty cool. I think that’s the main take away with the series so far: most of it is just okay, but the ending always has a fun twist.
September 11, 2024
first of all, let it be known that chloe gong's writing has always been one of my favourites, so it makes me incredibly sad to see it deteriorate with packed deadlines. I do believe her writing needs more shine to write an adult fantasy, which i did NOT think is something I'd say after reaching our violent ends, but it's true that her writing only got worse. it's not as crisp anymore. nonetheless, it's still chloe gong and her magic is still there in this series too, albeit shining only when certain characters show up.
I've always enjoyed the way chloe places the hints, and peels it back in the finale to give us that "OHMYGOD" reveal. she's a master of foreshadowing!!!!!
calla's development this book makes me so excited for the next installment. she's now got new foes and old allies by the end, although i suspect it'll get reallll messy next book.
THE REAL HIGHLIGHT DESPITE THE LIMITED SCREEN TIME??? AUGUST AND GALIPEI🤌 as always ofcourse. this series wouldn't be the same without our favourite tyrant and his devoted guard. I was screaming into my pillow everytime they appeared, and their subplot was my most anticipated thing about VT and boy, it delivered.I got all of the augustgalipei moments I wanted, though I suspect there's no happy ending for them 😖
nonetheless, I'm mighty excited to see the newly revealed antagonist and august go head to head in the next installment with their ruthless power hungry games,and how calla deals with both of them along with anton. I'm also excited to see who'll be allies and to what extent.
my biggest problem, with both VT and IL is how long it takes to plant all those clues and explore things to get to the finale. IL, i found more interesting with august being one of the main povs, but with VT, I did find myself a LOT bored now and then due to the lack of his thoughts and pov. I hope his pov makes a comeback as integral pov in next one!!!!
I've always enjoyed the way chloe places the hints, and peels it back in the finale to give us that "OHMYGOD" reveal. she's a master of foreshadowing!!!!!
calla's development this book makes me so excited for the next installment. she's now got new foes and old allies by the end, although i suspect it'll get reallll messy next book.
THE REAL HIGHLIGHT DESPITE THE LIMITED SCREEN TIME??? AUGUST AND GALIPEI🤌 as always ofcourse. this series wouldn't be the same without our favourite tyrant and his devoted guard. I was screaming into my pillow everytime they appeared, and their subplot was my most anticipated thing about VT and boy, it delivered.I got all of the augustgalipei moments I wanted, though I suspect there's no happy ending for them 😖
nonetheless, I'm mighty excited to see the newly revealed antagonist and august go head to head in the next installment with their ruthless power hungry games,and how calla deals with both of them along with anton. I'm also excited to see who'll be allies and to what extent.
my biggest problem, with both VT and IL is how long it takes to plant all those clues and explore things to get to the finale. IL, i found more interesting with august being one of the main povs, but with VT, I did find myself a LOT bored now and then due to the lack of his thoughts and pov. I hope his pov makes a comeback as integral pov in next one!!!!
September 25, 2024
Jesus Christ I loved this. Chloe Gong is my queen.
THE PREMISE: two antiheroes fight each other, ancient gods and powers, and warring political forces each trying to take control of a dystopian city.
TROPES & VIBES
- Mortally grey protagonists with swords
- Power plays and court intrigue
- Books with twists that made me audibly gasp
- Amazing cyberpunk, East Asian fantasy vibes
- When the sequel is better than book 1
- I fucking love Chloe Gong
5⭐️ 1🌶️
THE PREMISE: two antiheroes fight each other, ancient gods and powers, and warring political forces each trying to take control of a dystopian city.
TROPES & VIBES
- Mortally grey protagonists with swords
- Power plays and court intrigue
- Books with twists that made me audibly gasp
- Amazing cyberpunk, East Asian fantasy vibes
- When the sequel is better than book 1
- I fucking love Chloe Gong
5⭐️ 1🌶️
Want to read
January 17, 2024apparently this is coming on the second of feb??!!! have i read the first one?…no. am I still going to buy the next one?…absolutely. i mean it’s chloe gong guys how could i not
December 15, 2025
“She is no revolutionary. She is just the most furious orphan in the world.”
I managed to jump right back into this despite not remembering a whole lot of book one 😂
August is on the throne, expect he isn’t. He is actually Anton who has taken over his body.
Meanwhile Calla is the only person who knows, and she has her own agenda - plus Anton still hates her.
Then Otta wakes up from her coma after years and years to wreak her own form of havoc.
I did get lost at times with all the body jumping, but it is a throughly interesting magic system.
Basically there is chaos and violence everywhere and I am all for it!
I managed to jump right back into this despite not remembering a whole lot of book one 😂
August is on the throne, expect he isn’t. He is actually Anton who has taken over his body.
Meanwhile Calla is the only person who knows, and she has her own agenda - plus Anton still hates her.
Then Otta wakes up from her coma after years and years to wreak her own form of havoc.
I did get lost at times with all the body jumping, but it is a throughly interesting magic system.
Basically there is chaos and violence everywhere and I am all for it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
rarely do i rate a sequel higher than its predecessor but here we are.
vilest things focuses heavily on politics, especially in light of immortal longing’s infamous cliffhanger. i actually prefer this over the focus on the games because as good as chloe gong is at action, she is also good at weaving very complex webs between characters. a political environment showcases that skill of hers and i have always been fond of plotting from multiple characters in stories.
i feel like i also understand the characters more. there is certainly still plenty of battles and action sequences but without the games, the relationships between all of the key players are shown off more. all of them—not just calla and anton—have very complex motivations and personalities which i appreciate. calla and anton are obviously a powder keg of a dynamic but anton and august or calla and otta are just as tense and layered as the core relationship.
it also expands much more on the magic and lore of the world, something i am grateful for. being able to switch bodies at will with qi and many people have the ability is a very cool idea so i’m glad we’re learning more about how it all works and what loopholes exist. there’s one particular jumping sequence towards the end of the book that was very cool and i loved the way that was written.
i enjoyed immortal longings but vilest things has outdone its predecessor for me. thank you simon & schuster for the digital review copy!
vilest things focuses heavily on politics, especially in light of immortal longing’s infamous cliffhanger. i actually prefer this over the focus on the games because as good as chloe gong is at action, she is also good at weaving very complex webs between characters. a political environment showcases that skill of hers and i have always been fond of plotting from multiple characters in stories.
i feel like i also understand the characters more. there is certainly still plenty of battles and action sequences but without the games, the relationships between all of the key players are shown off more. all of them—not just calla and anton—have very complex motivations and personalities which i appreciate. calla and anton are obviously a powder keg of a dynamic but anton and august or calla and otta are just as tense and layered as the core relationship.
it also expands much more on the magic and lore of the world, something i am grateful for. being able to switch bodies at will with qi and many people have the ability is a very cool idea so i’m glad we’re learning more about how it all works and what loopholes exist. there’s one particular jumping sequence towards the end of the book that was very cool and i loved the way that was written.
i enjoyed immortal longings but vilest things has outdone its predecessor for me. thank you simon & schuster for the digital review copy!
September 9, 2024
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
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
October 23, 2024
JUST SHOOK PIKACHU FACE AT THE ENDING
June 14, 2024
Miss Gong, what in the world?????? That was like fifteen explosions in one book and I loved every single second of it!!
January 13, 2025
okay, holy crap that was A-FUCKIN-MAZING!!!
(...)"I will be your first soldier."
"My general."
"Your general," he confirms. "Rise for me, Princess."
This whole scene has got me in a chokehold. Honestly, the whole book did.
Usually I'm hit with the 2nd vol syndrome but in this case?? I feel like it exceeded my every expectation and I am now in dire need of volume 3. N O W.
Okay, maybe let's start with my beloved rivals-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-again *long name, ik, gotta work on that* because it was executed perfectly here. And I mean it.
Calla and Anton are such a powercouple that I don't even know where to begin. I just know I love them both so much, even if they are beyond stupid sometimes (ah yes, miscommunication my beloved).
I am spitting nonsense at this point (idk man, it's hard for me to even tell someone what happened in this book there was just so much going on) but who cares, let's continue on to Otta Avia...
Fucking hate her.
Every time she appeared onscreen the pages I wanted to throw the book away. Don't get me wrong - she's an amazing antagonist (?) and I do understand her motives but that will not stop me from being a hater :)
And the plot twist at the end??? Magnificent. I mean, I had my suspicions but it still hit me like a truck and made me pause for a second. (where's the 3rd vollllllll)
The start of the book was fine, it didn't consume me immediately, but once all the action and ploys started?? I was head over heels.
Also justice for my boy Galipei, he just wants his guy back :(( [bonus points for him being an idiot and taking forever to realize August isn't himself lol, we love a confused king]
As much as I hate August it was good to finally get him back cause imma be honest, Anton was lowkey shit at pretending. Somehow fooled everyone, 10/10 braindead tactic, you go Makusa!
Let's jump to my girl Calla for a sec (jump, haha... cause... y'know- eh, nevermind); she was such a queen this book. Quite literally-
I just absolutely love her character, her sarcasm and stubbornness... and her cat. Mao Mao ftw. (pls tell me i did not just fuck up her cat's name. please.)
Literally every single moment of her interaction with Anton (before they made up) had me clutching the book and screaming. And the scene where she'd have let him kill her???
Bawling my eyes out as we speak.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and there were no buckles so... prepare for a wild ride, you will not be disappointed. I feel like I even enjoyed this one a little more than the 1st, it certainly answered a few questions at the same time adding a hundred more to the already long list. (Like who tf is Calla. Come on. I need to know.)
The Crescent Societies plot was also super interesting cause atp I don't even know who is evil here and who's good (fuck Otta though). Was very nice meeting Bibi though :DD I feel like I'm gonna like her.
CANTON!!! Or Alla??? Someone come up with a good ship name please (or maybe you already did and i'm just an ignorant, well sike).
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM <3333
The tension, the yearning, it was all just unghhhhhhh 😩😩😩😩
And the scene after they got captured??? The worship??? Sir, Ma'am??? I am on my knees respectfully for the both of you.
Just when I think their relationship can't get more wild I get hit with shit like this. Love it here. I swear if anything happens to them I'm gonna riot >:(
Anyway, this review makes zero sense, it's just rambling after getting high on the book, but like, go read it. Really. It's worth it.
(...)"I will be your first soldier."
"My general."
"Your general," he confirms. "Rise for me, Princess."
This whole scene has got me in a chokehold. Honestly, the whole book did.
Usually I'm hit with the 2nd vol syndrome but in this case?? I feel like it exceeded my every expectation and I am now in dire need of volume 3. N O W.
Okay, maybe let's start with my beloved rivals-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers-again *long name, ik, gotta work on that* because it was executed perfectly here. And I mean it.
Calla and Anton are such a powercouple that I don't even know where to begin. I just know I love them both so much, even if they are beyond stupid sometimes (ah yes, miscommunication my beloved).
I am spitting nonsense at this point (idk man, it's hard for me to even tell someone what happened in this book there was just so much going on) but who cares, let's continue on to Otta Avia...
Fucking hate her.
Every time she appeared on
And the plot twist at the end??? Magnificent. I mean, I had my suspicions but it still hit me like a truck and made me pause for a second. (where's the 3rd vollllllll)
The start of the book was fine, it didn't consume me immediately, but once all the action and ploys started?? I was head over heels.
Also justice for my boy Galipei, he just wants his guy back :(( [bonus points for him being an idiot and taking forever to realize August isn't himself lol, we love a confused king]
As much as I hate August it was good to finally get him back cause imma be honest, Anton was lowkey shit at pretending. Somehow fooled everyone, 10/10 braindead tactic, you go Makusa!
Let's jump to my girl Calla for a sec (jump, haha... cause... y'know- eh, nevermind); she was such a queen this book. Quite literally-
I just absolutely love her character, her sarcasm and stubbornness... and her cat. Mao Mao ftw. (pls tell me i did not just fuck up her cat's name. please.)
Literally every single moment of her interaction with Anton (before they made up) had me clutching the book and screaming. And the scene where she'd have let him kill her???
Bawling my eyes out as we speak.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and there were no buckles so... prepare for a wild ride, you will not be disappointed. I feel like I even enjoyed this one a little more than the 1st, it certainly answered a few questions at the same time adding a hundred more to the already long list. (Like who tf is Calla. Come on. I need to know.)
The Crescent Societies plot was also super interesting cause atp I don't even know who is evil here and who's good (fuck Otta though). Was very nice meeting Bibi though :DD I feel like I'm gonna like her.
CANTON!!! Or Alla??? Someone come up with a good ship name please (or maybe you already did and i'm just an ignorant, well sike).
I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM <3333
The tension, the yearning, it was all just unghhhhhhh 😩😩😩😩
And the scene after they got captured??? The worship??? Sir, Ma'am??? I am on my knees respectfully for the both of you.
Just when I think their relationship can't get more wild I get hit with shit like this. Love it here. I swear if anything happens to them I'm gonna riot >:(
Anyway, this review makes zero sense, it's just rambling after getting high on the book, but like, go read it. Really. It's worth it.
June 9, 2025
Okay, this was a really good read. I actually enjoyed it much more than the first installment and it makes me fairly interested in the next one when it’ll come out. Still a little if-y on Gong’s writing style, something about it bugs me but probably just my brain being silly.
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