Have you ever read a book and then the longer you keep thinking about it the more you love it? That's Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong for me!
This book is like Hunger Games, but even darker and more vicious. It's Gong's adult debut, so there's lots of violence and some spice.
A deadly competition takes over the capital, and our main characters have to fight to survive -- and hopefully to overthrow the evil king. It's a brilliant premise, and it made me expect a lot of action. But actually, I feel like where this book shines is in the morally grey characters. The first 2/3 of the book are slower than I expected, but they build an intricate world and magic system as well as slowly unveiling the motivations and backstory of the main characters. And it's that character-driven aspect that really makes the big plot developments and twists that happen in the last third of the book pay off. The betrayals hit deeper, the choices are more compelling, because we know and understand these characters in deep ways.
And the ending blew me away! This is the start of a series, and so be prepared for a cliffhanger. But I think it's a fabulous opening to a series and I'II definitely be standing in line waiting to read the sequel as soon as I can.

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

Every year in San-Er there is a tournament where 88 citizens are chosen to fight to the death to gain riches (no, it’s not The Hunger Games). Princess Calla hides in the city after she killed her parents 5 years ago. Now she enters the games to get close to the king and finish what she started. Anton is a fallen aristocrat who needs the prize money to pay his debts. Together they form an alliance along with the Kings adopted son to survive the games and change the kingdom. (You know what- just read the actual summary because it feels too complicated when I say it.)

There’s so much to unpack here and I don’t even know where to start. There’s always something going on in this book. It’s very fast paced and with multiple POVs readers always get to experience the next interesting part.

I love the authors way of writing retellings. Keeping the basic structure and fudging some names, but then creating an entire new and rich world that is unlike anything else.

San-Er is a very unique place and the world takes a bit of getting used to because of its uniqueness and detail, but it’s so worth it. The stacked and cramped city structure was well ingrained into the story. Also the steampunkesque vibe?

I feel like there was a good amount of characters and the main ones were fleshed out well. I hope to dig a bit deeper into who they are in future books.

The body jumping ability that some characters possess was really well done and it made for some creative situations.

Sometimes possible plot holes or confusing bits are simply swept away and forgotten about which leaves me wanting more that is hopefully expanded upon in the sequels. (Speaking of which, I need the sequel ASAP)

Content warning: this is an adult fantasy and contains some vulgar language, a tiny bit of spice, and a lot of gore.

Perfect for fans of (fiiiiine) The Hunger Games, Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra (obviously), and of course any of Chloe Gongs other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

5 Stars

Bestselling author Chloe Gong takes on New Adult with a Fantasy novel that’s part Hunger Games and part Gladiator. Inspired by Antony and Cleopatra, this rivals-to-lovers story follows Calla Tuoleimi, a princess on the run and Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat, who form an alliance to win the game. Read Immortal Longings if you like antiheroes willing to kill by any means, kingdoms with rotten hearts and fresh magic systems.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Chloe Gong is a literary GENIUS. This woman can WRITE and her adult debut is as stunningly crafted as her young adult offerings, including the "These Violent Delights" series and the "Foul Lady Fortune" series.

A testament to her writing prowess is that I don't usually like multiple-POVs within a novel, particularly more than two POVs, but I enjoyed it within this novel. Other highlights of the novel, for me, included the complex and unique magic system, the court politics and political intrigue, and the enemies-to-lovers slow burn romance. Exquisite.

If there's one aspect of the novel that I'd change, it's the fact that it was a bit heavy on the info-dump, with entire passages dedicated to telling - instead of showing - the world building. I generally prefer novels that are able to seamlessly weave in the world-building in organic ways and spread over the course of the novel. That said, the novel excels in every single other way (in my opinion) that it still earned a 5 star rating.

I will certainly be looking out for the sequel!

Excuse me ma’am… Im gonna just need everything you write from now on. I was feeling kinda salty on how Our Violent Ends … ended… so I was nervous. However, this book blew me away.. I am a sucker for multiple POV if done right and she just nails it. As some amazingly sexy mmc’s and I am hooked. There were several twists that I did not see coming… the ending just left me in shock and absolutely desperate for book 2.

Run don’t walk to our-order this one!

This is my first Chloe Gong book but I don't think it'll be my last! I will definitely be checking out the rest of this trilogy because this first book got me HOOKED (and I really need to know what happens with my boy August). The world building was a little overwhelming in the beginning though and it did take me a little while to get into the flow of the story but once it picked up, I couldn't put it down!

death tournament, angsty romance, murderous female mc, and a monarchy that needs to be brought down all combine to make immortal longings.

calla is an estranged princess who wants to finish what she started—years ago, she killed her parents, and now, she just needs to kill the last remaining ruler. the best way for her to get close enough to the king is to win the game. anton is also determined to win the game, though, as he’s deep in debt trying to save his childhood love and could really use the money. the two decide to team up so they can achieve their goal quicker.

i hear death tournament and i’m in. though i don’t think anyone will ever reach the levels the hunger games did with this aspect (due to the political commentary in THG that just doesn’t seem to be matched in other books), i still love reading them and can’t get enough. this tournament was unique in that there was magic that allowed people to jump from one body to another. this made for some…interesting plotlines🫣 (can’t say more due to spoilers, sorry!)

the romantic aspect, i’ll admit, is what primarily drew me to this book. though i don’t know a whole lot about antony and cleopatra, i know a bit, including that it is a shakespearean tragedy. so, while i can’t speak on how many similarities anton and calla’s story had to antony and cleopatra’s, i did really like this aspect of the book and i can’t wait to see what goes down in book two.

The capital twin cities San-Er of Talin hosts a set of games involving a fight to the death to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi had been in hiding since the massacre that destroyed the royal family of Er. King Kasa’s forces in San are looking for her, as she plans to destroy the monarchy. Her uncle always greets the victor, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity to kill him. Anton Makusa is an exiled aristocrat trying to keep his childhood love alive while she is in a coma. Entering the games and winning will give him the money to continue helping her. Calla and Anton forge an alliance with each other and King Kasa’s adopted son, August. All three of them have very different goals, and it might not end well.

Immortal Longings is the first book in the Flesh and False Gods Trilogy. In the world is magic mixed with technology and a gene that allows people to shift their consciousness to another body, depending on the strength of the gene and the person's qi level. That's a fascinating concept from the start and showcases our starring characters in early chapters. Jumping is outlawed, though the palace generally turns a blind eye to it because the nobility tends to be the ones with the gene. This means the body someone has at birth isn't necessarily kept, and it carries less meaning to people than keeping a consciousness intact. At the same time, jumping is legal during the games, and the callous disregard for lives is amplified. Calla is determined to put an end to royal rule, as the commoners are used as commodities, with no regard to their wellbeing. The Kingdom is ruled more like an empire, and she wants to put a stop to it. Anton is getting by, jumping from body to body and skimming funds where he can. Above it all is August, hoping to reach the Throne sooner than he should; he feels he'd be a just ruler, and would care for the people more than his adopted father.

The games take place all over the city, which is crisscrossed with this world's version of CCTV. It's dangerous and violent, 88 people were given free rein to murder their way to the top in exchange for money. In addition to Calla and Anton planning to undermine the throne, there is an underground cult that serves as a thieves guild of sorts, and the threat of war returning. Along the way are additional threats to Calla, especially when her relationship with Anton changes. It is an enthralling story, with twists along the way that explains why Calla doesn't jump, why Anton's former girlfriend is so important, and the growing threat that August becomes. It ends in a satisfying cliffhanger; I know most cliffhanger endings are terrible, but this one is a great stopping point for the Trilogy and hints at more dangerous events to come.

4.5 stars.

Dare I say it? I am slowly becoming a fantasy fan...

Inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, this is a fantasy read filled with power hunger, corruption, gore, and (of course) romance. Princess Calla fled the palace after killing her father and family, and most people assume that she is dead. However, she is drawn back by Crown Prince August, who convinces her to participate in the annual games of San-Er and ultimately kill the king. These annual games consist of 88 participants competing to be the sole survivor. Calla agrees, and during the competition, she encounters Anton, who also grew up in the palace. The two make a truce and ultimately fall for each other.

While the first 40% or so focuses on world building (in a slow and very detailed way), it is worth the wait for the "action." As a less experienced fantasy reader, there were certainly fine details that I may not have grasped, but I was able to draw upon similar plot arcs to help. The remainder of the book is action-packed, and the tension between Calla and Anton is perfection. Also... that ending... I will be counting down the days until book 2!

I keep giving Chloe Gong chances because her stories are formed on the basis of such interesting concepts, but unfortunately, I find that the execution of these premises is often lacking and that was also the case with her adult fantasy debut, Immortal Longings.

The concept: Immortal Longings is another foray into Shakespeare adaptation– this time around, Antony and Cleopatra. There is a Hunger Games-style competition at the heart of the story: the outlaw princess, Calla, hopes to win by eliminating the rest of her opponents in order to receive a chance to meet and kill the king, who happens to be her uncle. The mechanism behind this world is the ability to “jump” between bodies, essentially soul-swapping, which adds a new element to the familiar battle royale concept. The twin cities of San-Er seem to be an alternative 90’s-inspired world; it’s claustrophobic, grungy and a bit dystopian, supposedly inspired by the real-life Kowloon Walled City.

The execution: The first half of the book took me a while to get through. It takes some time to establish the world, the characters’ backstories and motivations; when done artfully, this builds suspense and intrigue, but in this book’s case, it dragged due to copious info-dumping. My experience of this was akin to the one I had reading Gong’s debut, These Violent Delights. The main characters spend most of their time separately investigating different threads before they even meet. When the book does eventually pick up and become fast-paced, I found that it shortchanged the romance aspect, which felt sudden and almost unexplainable. We didn’t really get to see the progression in Calla’s relationship with Anton as a lot of their interactions seemed to be wrapped up in a montage. So while the book could have afforded to be swifter in pacing at various points, it glossed over elements that needed more time to develop.

The other difficulty I have with Gong’s books now having read all of her previous books is that she seems drawn to writing the same character types. They’re damaged, vicious, feral, really good with weapons etc. While there is a place for exploring these morally gray antiheros/antiheroines and unpacking their histories and motivations, I didn’t feel that Gong was able to make me truly care about Calla or Anton. I don’t think we have to empathize with them or that this should always be the goal, but given the scope of a story, the absence of wanting to truly understand them or see their stories play out to the end was a red flag in my reading experience.

In the end, this book made me want to re-read The Hunger Games, which tackles a similar plot and similar themes but more effectively.

The cliffhanger twist at the very end of Immortal Longings was great though, I will give her that!

While the beginning of this book was slow due to building the world, once the actual action started, I was hooked. This is my first book by this author, and I so appreciated that the FMC was able to hold her own as much as anyone! Can’t wait for the next book (especially after that ending)!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

I have not read any Chloe Gong books before, but I was intrigued by the Antony and Cleopatra retelling aspect.

I think this could’ve been a lot better. Some of the rating is due to personal preference: I don’t care for urban fantasy, and I didn’t know this was urban until I started it, which shocked me.

Secondly, the info-dumping and extreme descriptions got tedious. This book could've been substantially shorter if some of the extra descriptions (that often went into tangents) and repeated exposition got edited out.

Third, I didn’t get Antony and Cleopatra vibes from this, but this could be that I’m not familiar enough with the history and story.

The ending was very good, and I think it will motivate lots of readers (including me) to finish the series, or at least pick up the next book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Chloe Gong, and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

As with a lot of book 1's of a fantasy series, this was heavy on the world building and on the information dumping.

There is a LOT going on in this book. And while I tried to put it off to being the first book in a new series, it was a LOT.
This urban fantasy takes place in the twin cities of San-Er. The twin cities host an annual event, in which 88 volunteering citizens compete for wealth. In a kingdom where citizens live in extreme poverty, you can see how this would be appealing. Our story follows three main characters: August, the adopted heir to the throne, Calla, an exiled princess who committed patricide and wants to kill the current king, and Anton, another exiled royal, who is in pursuit of the riches to save his childhood love who lays in a coma.

Sounds like a lot right?

But it does move along quickly if you can keep going and the Hunger Games like atmosphere keeps us intrigued. ( well, it kept me reading)

While this was not an automatic favorite, im intrigued enough to continue to the next book.

The only way to win, is to survive.

Every year, thousands flock to San-Er, the dangerously dense capital twin cities of the kingdom of Talin, where the palace hosts a set of deadly games. Those confident in their ability to jump between bodies can enter a fight to the death - for the chance to win unimaginable riches.

I am a big Chloe Gong fan- ever since her first book came out and this one did not disappoint! I found the writing impeccable as always, the characters were engaging (though sometimes infuriating!!), and the story kept me engaged the entire time.

This was a great venture into writing 'adult' fiction and I can't wait for more!

I had higher expectations for this one. While enjoyable (and I will be picking up the next installment), ‘Immortal Longings’ was utterly predictable.

I enjoyed the setting of the story a lot; The twin cities of San-Er was like a futuristic cyberpunk reimagining of Hong Kong that I pictured not unlike Iron City in ‘Battle Angel Alita.’

I also quite enjoyed the magic system in the story; body jumping (and consequently occupation) was the highlight of the story for me. It was intriguing to see how each character would utilize their magical abilities to accomplish their own goals.

The character development and romance arc of this story fell extremely flat to me. This book is marketed as a high stakes Antony-and-Cleopatra romance and I did not believe these characters were attracted to each other, let alone in love. One minute, Calla and Anton were reluctantly partnering and the next they were declaring their love for each other. There was no buildup of feelings and despite it not being an insta-love story… it definitely felt like it was insta-love. I couldn’t root for the relationship because it didn’t feel real.

The premise of the plot is very Hunger Games-esque: fight to death for a large sum of money to escape the rampant poverty that afflicts everyone who is not royal. The world building, despite the amounts of info-dumping and exposition that Gong included in text, felt very surface-level. The political machinations did not appear to be fully thought out. There was an obvious attempt to describe the difference of socioeconomic class and the opulence of the monarchy that has zero regard for its own citizens, but the portrayal was one dimensional and largely ineffective, despite being a major driver of the plot.

Overall, I’m sad I didn’t enjoy it more, but definitely hoping that these criticisms will be addressed in the next book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

I have mixed feelings on this one; rating represents three and a half stars rounded down. As many have noted, it is very heavy-handed on the info dumping and worldbuilding, something that really killed it for me as a supposed epic romance or whatever. I personally don't think so much exposition on the class divides, squalor etc. were necessary for a setting that is basically a parallel Hong Kong, down to the propaganda and authoritarian monarchy. We get it. You have a walled city with an unpopular monarchy, threats from rebellious neighboring provinces and foreign invaders alike. Plus a Hunger Games-style battle royale that takes place every year, not limited to an arena, either - throughout the city, and capable of taking months to finish. And then you have the bodyswapping, the jumping power made possible by a gene only some citizens have. If you've seen the Kdrama Alchemy of Souls, it's a similar concept, though you need eye contact with a target to jump. The latter, however, managed to make it seem a little more tasteful; in this kind of grungy urban fantasy setting, the use of everyday peoples' bodies (often the poor and lower class because the fighting takes place around the city) as props, skinsuits used for most of the battles, hits very different. Icky.

So there is a lot going on. I suppose this could be justified by it being the start of a series, but it is possible to save things for a later book! And also for your editor to do their job! In addition to everything mentioned above, our protagonist is an insurrectionist princess thought executed years before, the main secondary character is plotting for the throne, and the love interest is also intricately tied into palace affairs. Beyond these vague descriptors, the character development was super weak for me, sacrificed in lieu of page time devoted to long exposition about the twin city setting, and also the poverty. Chloe Gong never lets you forget the poverty and filth, and there is something off-putting to me in how she portrayed the lower classes of the city.

Back to the characters, who are largely one-dimensional. Calla's defining traits are...Superior combat and weapons training, her chainsmoking (ew), and her cute cat. August covets the throne and is the typical palace schemer. Anton is...I don't know. Also well-trained in combat. Considering the epic romance there's supposed to be between Calla and Anton, they are very nothingburger as characters, despite the fact there are steamy scenes and love declarations by the end. Calla's dramatic inner monologues near the end are very "sure, Jan".

The book's redemptive qualities were lacking, but there were some. I took a long break around the fifteen percent mark, around the games starting, to give myself fresh eyes on the story; I liked it a lot better after a break, surprisingly. It is fast paced, the stakes are high in the games, and the whole city as an arena was fascinating, making you actually think about the logistics of playing, when to sleep, etc. I found the inclusion of lore linking blood to qi a cool addition, and what happened to bodies that were "vacated" when mortally wounded. The cover art is also gorgeous for the UK edition.

TW for the obvious: blood, violence, suicidal ideation

I sadly DNFed this book around the 36% mark. It had everything I thought I wanted. Hunger Games vibes with technology. A retelling. Bad-A heroine.

This book was info dump on top of info dump and as I learned more about the society they live in, the less I wanted to know about it. There are upwards of 80 contestants in the tournament that are starving or basically destitute that have to pay an entry fee to (likely) be killed off. One participant wins a sizable prize that everyone wants. Things are so dire that random people will throw themselves in the way to be killed so the state will pay out money to their families. It's very dark.

I could have lived with all of this but the character development was just not there for me. I know very little about the main character aside from the cold, aloof, arrogance that I've been shown. I found August to be the most compelling character by far and he has had the least amount of page time out of all of them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

“Immortal Longings” is the first book in a gritty fantasy-romance trilogy loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra.” Set in the twin cities of San-Er, inspired by Hong Kong’s historical Kowloon Walled City, where some people have the ability to “jump” between bodies at will, the novel follows Calla Tuoleimi, a deposed princess who is laser-focused on revenge against the uncle who stole her throne, and Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat who is determined to save the life of his comatose lover. Each driven by their own desires, the two protagonists volunteer to participate in San-Er’s annual games, in which body-jumping competitors fight to the death in the hope of winning unimaginable riches.

This premise may remind readers of “The Hunger Games,” and they wouldn’t be wrong. From the CCTV cameras publicly broadcasting the games to the star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the chaos, the deadly game at the center of “Immortal Longings” draws heavily from Suzanne Collins’s trilogy and similar dystopian media. However, Gong manages to put a new spin on a familiar premise. The addition of body-jumping adds another layer of tension to the games, creating a situation where players’ true identities are always in question. The games are also not restricted to a closed arena, but take place throughout the whole city. This plot choice allows the players to interact with non-competitors in intriguing and sometimes heartbreaking ways.

A major strength of “Immortal Longings” is its relentlessly quick pace. In the somewhat lawless world of San-Er and its games, there’s always a new danger waiting around the corner. The novel moves at a rapid clip through the story’s highs and lows, keeping the reader engaged through an unpredictable plot and unexpected twists. It helps that Gong’s writing is incredibly accessible, possibly due to her background in YA. The prose in “Immortal Longings” is streamlined and efficient, sparse in action-packed scenes and emotive where it needs to be, and compulsively readable overall.

The romance is another highlight of the novel. As the emotional beating heart of the story, the tempestuous relationship between Calla and Anton is magnetic and sexy — the kind of romance tinged with danger that immediately draws the reader in.

However, the worldbuilding of San-Er feels thin and at times confusing, particularly for an adult fantasy novel. The twin cities combine a monarchical, high-fantasy political system with a high-tech city equipped with TV and Internet. This mishmash of anachronistic technologies, as well as fantasy and sci-fi elements, is intriguing but executed somewhat haphazardly. Furthermore, the book would have benefitted from a more in-depth portrayal of the workings of San-Er and its system of royalty. Much of the information conveyed about the city feels too shallow for readers to fully immerse themselves in the world that Gong has built.

Finally, the original Shakespeare play works well as scaffolding for the story, creating a backdrop for Calla and Anton’s passionate romance. However, “Antony and Cleopatra” is a play that engages deeply with themes of empire-building. Shakespeare’s Egypt and Rome are not two households alike in dignity; they are nations whose relationship is caught up in racial and gendered implications. It is somewhat of an expectation for any “Antony and Cleopatra” retelling, however loose, to engage with these themes. “Immortal Longings” largely does not, however, which seems like a lost opportunity to give the story more depth.

Of course, maybe that discussion just isn’t the point of this book. Gong has been open about the looseness of her adaptation, describing “Immortal Longings” as less of a straight retelling of “Antony and Cleopatra” and more of an exploration of the titular characters’ dynamic. The novel is a romance first and foremost, and a high-stakes fantasy adventure second. It takes the reader on a thrilling, fast-paced ride through Calla and Anton’s love story, along with the deadly games and royal politics that threaten it. Perhaps the next two books in the trilogy will go more in-depth into the story’s worldbuilding, characters, and thematic content — but maybe they don’t need to. “Immortal Longings” is an incredibly good time of a novel, and that might be exactly what it needs to be.

I knew there was going to be some shananigans with that ending but now I just desperately need book two!

Chloe Gong’s first adult book is a gritty urban fantasy where a lot is going on. There is scheming, the games, jumping bodies, city dwellers suffering, etc…

I really enjoyed this one but it did admittedly take me until around 40% for me to feel indebted. I had expected the games to play a bigger portion and be more like a Hunger Games type of game but in reality the games are happening amidst everyone in the city and aren’t a separate spectacle… but then they do show security footage to advertise it.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Calla and Anton and honestly I’m in this for them. I need to know what happens for them next. 👀👀

People can “jump” bodies in this book which I found to be an interesting piece of the world building. Bodies are seen as secondary to a person’s “qi” and this truly did become normal as can be by the end of the book.

If you’re looking for a gritty urban fantasy filled with a truly original world, Immortal Longings is for you!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Okay! I actually really enjoyed this. I do have questions about a few things just based on established world-building (is it a plot hole or are we going to get an explanation in future books?), but ignoring those, I had an absolute blast reading this.