Chloe Gong's Immortal Longings is the first installment in the authors Flesh and False Gods series. Book is inspired by the 1990's Hong Kong Kowloon Walled City. Also inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. This is a story that revolves around (3) key players. August Shenzhi, the apparent heir to King Kasa of the Kingdom of Talin; Calla, the mysterious young woman who committed regicide on the former royals and is supposed to be dead; and Anton Makusa, the man who can easily swap bodies and become anyone at any time.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies (transferring your consciousness into another body), competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win a prize that will allow them a life free of poverty. This year, 88 players will fight to the death in a Gladiator like game, but things are not as they seem. Not when 3 have plans to bring down the King himself, and set a new course for the combined San-Er which used to be two kingdoms until 5 years ago when the monarchs where murdered.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him. The most interesting part of Calla, is that she has a deep, dark secret which she hides behind by wearing a mask on the lower half of her face. But one person knows that she is alive, and she is about to be one of the 88 forced to fight to the death.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. Anton wants nothing more than to kill the King and take his rightful place as the sovereign after he was exiled. Curiously, he was best friends with August Shenzhi, the current heir of the kindgom of San-Er.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills, but is also dealing with an internal betrayal by a group which would love to she him removed and replaced. The three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom. The author has stated that this story was inspired by the 1990's Hong Kong Kowloon Walled City. This is definitely an enemies to hesitant allies to lovers to we shall see, shalt we?

Chloe Gong did it again! I have been a fan of Chloe's ever since I read her YA fantasy duology "these VIolent Delights" and was really excited to get started on this book.

In this Adult Fantasy debut from Chloe, we are entering the magical yet brutal world of kingdom of Talin. You experience this universe through 3 POV's. I will say, this reminded me a lot of Hunger Games but even darker. As a HG long time fan, I loved that. This is dystopia at its finest, there's betrayals, bloodshed, romance, action. You will not be disappointed by picking up this fantastic book.

I really loved Calla, she is so badass and such a powerful FMC. And I really enjoyed the slowburn between her and Anton.
The ending??? THE ENDING??? where is my second book, i need it right now!

Overall, this is a strong fantasy book which will captivate your attention!

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery Books for the eARC!

I was extremely excited for Chloe Gong’s adult debut but it fell a little flat for me. This was a mixed bag - interesting premise, characters, unexpected twists, but the story was bogged down by long winded descriptions which made it move very slowly. The last 50 pages intrigued me enough that I’ll definitely read the next book. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the arc.

Thank you to Saga Press for the advanced reader's copy of Chloe Gong's masterful adult debut! Think Anthony and Cleopatra's volatile love story mixed with the threat and corruption of Panem's televised HUNGER GAMES.

This fantasy princess really knocked it out of the park with this book. The struggles and failings of the twin cities, San-Er, in the fantasy kingdom, Talon, were extremely well-developed and portrayed on the page. Never once did I doubt why certain characters were fighting so hard to change the regime, to replace the corrupt king and put someone in power who cared about the citizens and his people.

I was August trash from his opening pages and I'll be August trash until the day I die. He had the strongest motivations for wanting the king (his adoptive father, YES) to be removed from the throne and consequently, it felt, the most to lose. If divine right didn't accept him, then all of this would have been for nothing. Calla and Anton were just as compelling, as we learn dangerous secrets about them they have long tried to bury—but their intoxicating chemistry drew these secrets out into the open.

THE ENDING! Chloe Gong is not allowed to sleep, eat, or do anything else but write Book 2 until it is completed and delivered into my hands. Please do yourselves a favor and go out and buy IMMORTAL LONGINGS when it comes out on Tuesday, July 18th! You'll be in for the ride of your life—and you'll get to suffer with me until Book 2 comes out.

Thank you Netgalley and Gallery for an ARC of Immortal Longings in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This is my first Chloe Gong book and I am absolutely blown away. I’ve been meaning to pick up her other books, but after finishing this I will be reading them almost immediately. What the heck. This was so good I am blown away and also slightly upset over the fact that this isn’t even out yet and I have to wait even longer for the next book.

I absolutely loved Calla and Anton and even August. I really found these characters to all be so compelling and so so interesting. Calla is by far my favorite, she is just such a badass and I really just adored any time I read her perspective. Anton is so much fun. I loved reading about his past and his journey. Their relationship made me absolutely giddy. I adore the angst and seeing the lingering feeling of completely trusting this person but then with the environment they are apart of not trusting them at the same time. August is also such a complex character that I really enjoy. I can’t wait to see where his character goes from here.

I loved the plot and the world building. I thought it was written really well and flowed so easily. As someone who usually struggles with intense world building, I really enjoyed the pacing of this.

I had so much fun with this book. I absolutely cannot wait for the next one and I can’t wait until I get to meet chloe on her tour!!

Immortal Longings is a twisty, intense and vicious stab to the heart that I just absolutely happened to adore!!

This is definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

If you like Hunger Games and wished there was more bloodshed, then this is absolutely the book for you!

The concept of qi is fascinating and really opens up a lot of possibilities. And, thankfully, these possibilities lead to some great surprises! You may think you know where some of this is going, then Boom! Plot twist!

There's a little bit of romance in here. (It is, after all, inspired by Antony and Cleopatra.) There's definitely multiple plots for regicide and revolution. There's a cult that runs the underground market, hospitals that toss people out for lack of payment, and so many people that the annual games of culling civilians is seen as entertainment.

The world building is spot on. I felt like I was there in San-Er. It all felt so cinematic to me that I want this to become a movie. Yeah, sure, some of it was definitely like the Hunger Games, but I much prefer how this one is playing out. After all, Hunger Games took part in a special arena and was for the delight of rich people. This one, however, takes place in the midst of San-Er's impoverished and overrun society and is there to serve as a temporary distraction from their suffering.

Would you enter your name into the lottery? Riches and a chance to leave San-Er await the winners. After all, nobody can enter or leave San-Er unless the King wills it. Or would you body snatch another as soon as your own funds are depleted? In a world where bodies are nothing more than carriers of your qi, where you can switch with just the meeting of a glance, would you stay in your own body? If you held the gene for it, that is... What does it mean if you stay?

This book is very intriguing and I was hooked. I read 90% of it in one day. I just had to know more! Now that it's over, I need to know- When will the sequel come out?! Oh the agony!

As somebody who was not a fan of Chloe's YA works, I am so grateful that NetGalley gave me the opportunity to review her adult debut. It is amazing and absolutely worth checking out!

Although I’ve read Chloe Gong’s Secret Shanghai books, I didn’t know what to expect from her adult debut. The beginning took a bit for me to get into (mood? pacing? the usual struggle to wrap one’s brain around a new fantasy world?), but I was all in once the deadly games began. There were so many twists I didn’t see coming!

Out of the three main POVs, Calla immediately became my favorite. I really liked the complexity of her character and how the line between right and wrong were blurred. Also, knowing that she is inspired by Shakespeare’s Cleopatra, I became very interested in the idea of obsession vs. love in regards to her and Anton’s relationship. I’m curious to see how it continues to develop moving forward.

Overall, I really enjoyed Immortal Longings and can’t wait until the next book in the series is out!

Wow! This book blew my mind in the best possible way. There was so much going on and things to keep track of, but it kept my attention the whole time. This is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last! I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Hunger Games style competition. Unique Dystopian Setting. Betrayal. Mysterious Cults. Body Jumping. Will they, won't they? Who's the villain?! Slow burn. Bad Ass Sword Wielding Female MC. Plot Twists. Say less.

Admittedly it took getting about half way through for this story to really grab me, but once the pace picked up, I was hooked! San-Er, the twin cities of Immortal Longings is a unique setting, a strange and at first confusing mix of un-advanced advanced tech. I thought it was really interesting how this felt like a dystopian world, with advanced technology that was limited in ways our technology today is not. A really strong cast of characters led by Calla, who reminds me a lot of Cara Gee's Camina Drummer (The Expanse). I feel like the plot didn't really begin to pick up until over halfway through and the world building during the first half I found to be confusing or dense at times. Once Calla and Anton's relationship developed, I was hard pressed to put this book down. They really carry a lot of this story with their complicated "will they, won't they" energy. This story is filled with a lot of questioning who's who because of the body jumping element in the story, so you're constantly looking for a trick. I do wonder that there were a couple plot holes, things I felt were kind of skimmed over or forgotten, there really is a lot going on with various plot lines, but maybe they'll be resolved in future installments in the series. I really thought I had it figured out at the end, but I wasn't QUITE able to get it right and I gasped upon reading the last page, as there were multiple things I didn't see coming. Can't wait for the inevitably complicated and intriguing plot that will be revealed in book 2.

This was a great retelling/reimagining of the story of Antony and Cleopatra. I’ve really enjoyed this author’s YA fantasies so I was really excited to read her adult debut and it did not disappoint.
Her writing is just so good. She writes the best morally gray characters and her pacing is done so well. It makes the story so easy to get into.
This book will definitely be loved by fans of The Hunger Games. This was totally giving me the vibes of that book series from the competition that Calla and Anton were in to the forbidden romance plot line. Immortal Longings had an extra fantastical twist where people can actually jump between bodies which was so interesting and added a lot to the story. I also loved the world building in this, it had royalty and secret political agendas along with an urban fantasy feel.
The ending was crazy!! I knew there had to be a twist coming but I didn’t expect what happened at all. I can’t wait for the next book!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Simon & Schuster for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Shuster books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK. I love Chloe Gong and her adult debut blew me away. I knew I was going to love this story as soon as she mentioned it was her rendition of a Marc Antony and Cleopatra retelling with body jumping and hunger game elements. Ughhh this book is so perfect. I love Calla and her fierceness and I love the idea of the games.The twists in this book kept coming and that ending oooooo I can’t wait for the next one. Thank you again for allowing me to read this book early and I can’t wait to read the next one.

I’m probably in the minority on this one, but I’m such a sucker for world building y’all 🥹🫶🏼 it helps me get so much more into the universe and connect with all of the characters! so needless to say, I loved this one!!!!

loosely based on antony and cleopatra (mixed with a hong kong / aladdin setting and the hunger games vibe), the story follows calla and anton, two unlikely friends who must team up to stop the king’s lax rule of their cities. between the two of them, and their benefactor prince august, it is a non-stop slow burn chase to the finish 🤯

calla was by far my favorite character, especially the way she took princess to a whole new level 😅 all she wants is to save her people from starvation and unnecessary violence - and while her methods are a bit gory, I have to admit that I love a female MC who will stop at nothing to save the greater good 🥹

anton, on the other hand, doesn’t know who he is on the outside anymore, but he certainly has a plan to exact his vengeance on the palace. the tension between both him and calla and him and prince august was so palpable - I LOVED THE DRAMA OKAY

what I loved most, however, was that chloe wrote from multiple POVs, jumping around even to minor characters so the reader had the full picture the whole time 🫡 it really helped move the story along too!!!!

and can we talk about THAT cliffhanger at the end? after reading THE SERPENT AND THE WINGS OF NIGHT and any dystopia fiction book ever, I pretty much guessed it - but I loved it all the same wow this is definitely a top book this year!!!!

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: ao yun cabernet sauvignon

I was in the minority of people who didn't love These Violent Delights, so I'm happy to say I liked this book more than her debut! I will also say that this book ended on a pretty big cliffhanger that actually upped my rating by a quarter of a star, although I'm still undecided if I'll continue with the series.

I think this is a very standard fantasy novel. It is far less heavy on the romance than the synopsis and marketing would imply, though it's definitely there, but that was honestly fine for me. I really loved the concept of the magic system and using qi as the essence of the magic. There are so many chances for this series to be a hit as it progresses.

With that being said, I think the weakest part of Gong's books is the worldbuilding, consistently. I didn't feel drawn in or captivated by San-Er, despite the fact that it's a really cool setting. The book centers around politics, but we never get a good idea of what's actually going on; the main antagonist is never characterized as more than a generic Big Bad. I was hoping the games in the synopsis would have the same tension and atmosphere as The Hunger Games, but I never felt like there were any real stakes.

Overall a mixed bag, but the potential is really there on this one.

Man I was so excited for this one. But unfortunately the execution of this one just didn't work for me at all. I then sat down and tried her YA books and I think that Chloe Gong is just not for me at all. Although I am sure others will fall for this writing style and story telling. It was not for me.

<i>”Calla Tuoleimi, princess of Er. She could do nothing on a throne, but she can do everything with a sword in her hand.”</i>

<i>”Anton Makusa is hiding a lifetime’s worth of deceit under his skin, and she wants to pick him apart, see what lies beneath.”</I>

Calla, (former) Princess of Er, enters into a city-wide contest to the death. Anton Makusa, an exiled noble, does the same. Only one person can win, however, and they both have their own reasons to win this gruesome, twisted game. Neither of them are willing to lose. Also, all the contestants can switch bodies.

This story is fast-paced. I had a difficult time even putting it down to go to bed. It’s multi-POV, but all them are equally fascinating. Then just when I was getting comfortable, she threw in a twist I did not see coming.

<i>“She stains his mind in vivid color, bright and burning and dangerous.”</i>

We have enemies to lovers, forced proximity/alliance, and court intrigue. These are some of my favorite tropes. Our main characters agree to an alliance, but they also don’t entirely trust one another. There are a lot of side plots and things happening in the background that keep you on edge, waiting to see who is going to betray who.

<i> “Either you’re fooling yourself, or you’re trying to fool everybody else. No king is selfless. No throne is built on bloodless ground. There can be no freedom until the crown is broken.”</i>

Beyond the romance, we also have a struggle for freedom and equity within the broken system of this kingdom that is really an empire. August is the heir to the throne and truly believes he can better the kingdom, but whether his intentions can hold up to reality is questionable. The kingdom is massive and full of inequities. What the cities need and what the outside provinces need are different. It’s not as simple as it seems, even if August wants to think it is.

<i>”a past like that requires vengeance, carves a hole too deep to fill with anything less than rivers of blood.”</i>

This isn’t a happily ever after kind of story, and I am loving it. I can’t wait to see what happens next after THAT ending.

This was my first book by Chloe Gong, and I was not disappointed. I’ll definitely be reading her other books while I wait for the next book in this series.

Thank-you so much to netgalley, Chloe Gong, and Gallery/Saga Press for this free arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this, I really did. But it screamed Hunger Games and was just too similar in plot.
I found the descriptions to be very long-winded and lots of information that felt repetitive.
I found myself doing a lot of skimming.

I was looking forward to this as it seemed to be one of the bigger fantasy releases this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this author’s adult debut fantasy. I had previously read one of her YA books and although I had some issues with it I had hoped there would be improvement with her writing. Unfortunately that was not the case for me.

The book is told from multiple point-of-views. Usually this is something that works for my quite well, especially when it comes to the fantasy genre. I want to be able to get inside their heads. It’s especially important when there is a lot going on. It’s not like the characters were boring in any way. They had a lot going for them with plot twists and the hunger games, but I just never felt a connection to any of them. It’s really hard to get into a story when the connection is lacking.

The romance for me was also a miss. It was very much a slow-burn, something that I do enjoy, but it just took forever to get to it and then when it all started falling into place it move so quickly I felt like I was getting whiplash. The spark between them wasn’t there for me.

I think my favorite part of the book was the plot twists. They were very surprising. It did take awhile to get there though as the beginning of the book is slower paced. A lot of info-dumping happens but I still felt like I was missing details. King Kasa could have been a better villain but there was just nothing to him besides existing.

Overall, this wasn’t for me but that’s how life goes sometimes. If you are a fan of her writing and want to try out this new adult debut then I say go for it! My opinion is just that and I am sure there will be many readers out there who enjoy this one.

Chloe Gong's newest adult fantasy debut, Immortal Longings, was quite the ride!

Each year the kingdom of Talin hosts a set of games where competitors fight to the death for riches, with the skills to jump between bodies. Our main character and fierce competitor is hidden in the games -- Princess Calla Tuoleimi, who plans on using the opportunity of winning to kill the king. Anton Makusa, exiled aristocrat, joins the games as well, and Calla & Anton create an unlikely duo, hoping to win while they both criticize the kingdom and those in power.

Although a bit slow starting, Gong's novel had been fully immersed by the last 100 pages, where I was completely invested in the story and world. The characters, Calla and Anton, very much grow on you and I loved the way their relationship/partnership progressed. I particularly enjoyed the themes of classism, revenge, justice, and power and got more YA Game of Thrones/Hunger Games-ish vibes from this book. I look forward to the next installment!

I consider myself to be a pretty big fan of Chloe Gong’s, having read all of her books except the short stories (which I own and will get to). So, I was really excited when I heard that she would be coming out with an adult fantasy, my genre of choice. Unfortunately, my feelings for Immortal Longings are a little more complicated than a rave review.

This book took me over a month to read, which is HIGHLY unusual, and I probably would have DNF’d it if doing so wouldn’t have tanked my Netgalley response rate. That being said, I’m so glad that I finished it because the last quarter of the book flewwww by.

Backing up a little bit, this book is about a weeks-long fight to the death in a fantastically DENSE city (think NYC x 1 million). There is ton of world-building revolving around this city and it’s immense poverty. You might be reminded of The Hunger Games based off this description, but it’s actually a retelling of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, which is like Romeo and Juliet but for/about grown-ups.

I think the primary reason that I read the first 75% at a snail’s pace is the awkward world-building. There were soooo many explanations of things that we could have garnered ourselves, through even a little amount of critical thinking. Paragraphs of explanations really weighed this book down, and the central relationship between two doomed lovers suffered as a result. Gong didn’t deliver any kind of romance or sexual tension until much too late.

However, her writing is as eloquent as ever. Her YA series shine because the sentences are so beautiful (a rarity in the genre), and this one is no different. There’s a couple of overdone moments, but nothing so large as to bother. And when the romance does hit full force, I was sucked in like a fly in a venus trap! (It was actually kind of annoying - I started reading late at night assuming that I’d go to sleep soon after, and instead I stayed up for hours.)

All in all, I’d recommend if you can handle lots of world-building. My rating is 3.75 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️