Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest, no-nonsense review.

I'm going to say something that is not going to make sense, but here it goes... this book had too many words, just too many words. I am a firm believer that making a book longer does not make it better, and this book suffers from this. Do I love a good thick book? Of course. But it has to be something like Lord of the Rings, where the length is justified by an amazing, fantastical story that keeps me turning the pages. About 100 pages into this ARC I kept thinking, "Yikes, I'm not making any progress!" and that hurt my soul a little bit.

There is a lot of information dumping in this story, and I think there's some confusion on the part of the author/editor on how world creation happens in a novel. Look, I'm not a published author, as I'm too chicken to let people read anything I write. But here is something that I think most of us can agree to: you have to create a world if you're writing an 'epic fantasy' but you must do so in a way that makes the reading enjoyable. That's not this. It becomes huge paragraphs, followed by pages of pages of "this this that then this that that then this" that doesn't add to the reading experience. It just, again, is too much!

Good characters may have been able to save this one for me. A good, strong character would have at least pulled me through. However, again, everyone in this world just seems flat. It seems like something was starting, but it was never fully crafted. Do I like any of the characters? Not really. Do I dislike any of them? Because hey, a good villain or someone I want to fail can work too, but, no I don't even dislike any characters per-se. I just kind of kept reading. The "grab" was never there.

There were also two adaptation claims made about this book that didn't do any favors to the author or the novel. Of course, this has some Hunger Games vibes and I kept seeing people talking about this online before I received my ARC. I don't know that pitching it this way helped/changed/influenced my opinion as reading. However, I will say that the HG comparison doesn't help because (and I cannot believe I'm saying this) the HG has a more successful story. This was not that (for better and for worse).

Then we have the Antony and Cleopatra veil that is meant to allure this plot. Now, I love history and I really love Shakespeare. However... I didn't connect to this as a retelling. And I don't think it was meant to be a direct retelling. It was more of a study of Antony and Cleopatra. I did not find it to be an interesting study though, do not feel it connected enough, and in the end... it wasn't a great love story. Again, and I cannot believe I'm saying this, the HG series had a semi-interesting love triangle going on (no, wait, I may take that back. HG wasn't that great but alas, I'm not the one that keeps mentioning HG all over the place). The love story here is one that should have passion, it should have obsession, it should be something that people are talking about centuries later in different platforms and using different methods but... did these characters actually "love" one another? Was this a deep, enchanting love story. No... no I don't think so.

I think this novel failed because (1) it needed to be heavily edited to be a bit more manageable as a story, (2) the author needed a better focus and plan to build the world in which these characters live, and (3) the love story should have been a focus and more rounded if that was one of the main things the author wanted in the novel. It seems like this was still in workshop phase. And trust me, I hate to say that because I know the author is capable -- there were a few passages throughout where she started to shine. But then, that faded. It was obscured by more blah, blah, blah.

It just didn't work for me. Maybe I'll be an outlier on this one, but I was so disheartened after reading that I just couldn't give it more than 2 stars.

Chloe Gong does it again 🥰 At this point, I know I'm going to love whatever she writes. This was like mashing the Hunger Games with Shakespeare and I LOVED it.

In the beginning, the world building was a bit heavy, but as the plot picked up it didn't seem so complicated.

Highly recommend.

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

With this being my first Chloe Gong book, I have to say that it will not be my last. I wasn’t in love with the book at the beginning, but by the second half of the book I was invested in knowing what was going to happen and who was going to come out the winner of Hunger Games/a little of the purge with only a small selection of people who get to play.

I loved the plot of the book and found myself really into the whole theme of the book, I did find that the first part of the book was a little too much of an info dump and I almost stopped reading it about 30% but I pushed through because I wanted to see the winner of the games. I do think that with that huge info dump that a few things were overlooked, and it might have been me that might have overlooked it, but the magic system I wish that I knew more about it or that we could have had more information on it. I did enjoy the plot twist that Gong delivered in this book, and I was so happy with that plot twist that I can’t be mad at how long it took to figure it out. I thought the multiple POV was a little confusing at the start but then I had it down and I really liked that the readers got to experience the different characters’ thoughts about everything.

The characters were great for the book, but I do wish that I could have seen more development between Calla and Anton throughout the book and not just at the end of the book. With that being said, I really did like Calla and Antons characters in the book. I thought Calla, the MFC, was well written for being a badass, that does not care what she must do to get to her end game. Anton is an outcast of his family, who has one goal to get to the power that he will have if he wins to save his childhood love. Oh, and how can I forget… the character I thought I would come to love, who turned into a really bad guy August. I thought all the characters were well placed and they all had their flaws, yet you can see the power that they might have later in the book. I do have to say that I really did not feel the connection between Calla and Anton at first and I found it to be a little forced in my opinion, but by the end of the book I could understand it and I grew to like it.

I can’t wait to see what book 2 will give us.

I want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to review this book.

I was anticipating this book for so long! Thankful for the advance copy from Netgalley. Unfortunately for me, this was a DNF. I tried so many different times to get into this book. The characters and setting had such potential. I am normally a huge fan of this author’s work. However, this one just did not keep my interest.

This book started off a tad slow for me with a lot of complex world building. I found myself rereading some passages twice in order to keep the magic and the world straight. Once I got about 30% in the action began and made everything move much faster. The concept of body swapping was really unique and interesting to think about. I do wish that the tournament was a bit more developed with more complexity. It honestly seemed to be a secondary plot point.

Calla and Anton were both complex and dynamic main characters. They each had a lot of layers to their personalities and their histories. Their relationship brought out the best and the worst in each other which is unique for a romance story line.

There were definitely some twists, some unanswered questions, and one heck of a cliff hanger. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes!

I really enjoyed Immortal Longings! The beginning was a bit slow setting up the world, the qi, and the jumping rules. But as it went on I was completely engrossed and building my theories. The ending was fantastic! This was a great entry into adult fantasy for Chloe Gong!

It took me a bit to get into the book. Science Fiction is not my Cup of Tea but Chloe Gong is. I would say while I did enjoy it I probably wont read any other books in the series

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Flesh and False Gods series, book 1
Pub date: July 18

I am SO IMPRESSED by this adult debut from this author! I LOVE discovering new worlds with unique characteristics, and this one did not disappoint. This is an urban fantasy with a creative and unique premise + a touch of love. It definitely read like the first book of a new fantasy series - extensive world building that can feel long, but kept me interested.

The competition plot gave me serious Serpent and the Wings of Night + Hunger Games vibes! This romance is a TRUE enemies to lovers and fans of the trope will be 🫠🫠🫠. It also gives a bit of Fourth Wing, but less romance and no dragons.

I listened to this one on audio and enjoyed the performance. The narrator did a good job and I have no complaints other than it was a little tricky to follow the complex and detailed fantasy story line. This may be a good read with the physical copy!

Perfect for you if you like:
Multiple POV + 3rd person
Enemies to lovers
Surprises 😱

🛑 one and a half open door scenes + explicit language
⚠️ violence + some descriptive injury narration

Thank you @simon.audio and @libro.fm for the advanced listening copy and @simonandschuster and @bookclubfavorites for the physical finished copy! It is a beauty.

I started reading this book only knowing Chloe Gong and Shakespeare's Anthony & Cleopatra (which I've never read) and that was enough for me.
I could try to summarize this but I don't know where to start and I'm lazy.
I've had this arc for month and only read it on release day cause I'm stupid but also, I listened to it in the end.

The audio really pulled me in from the start and I could not stop reading. I actually finished this in a day. I was captivated, I liked the world, the characters and the drama of it all. My favorite character was Calla of course and I loved getting to know her throughout the book. All of the twists took me completely by surprise. I saw none of them coming. I was pretty much screaming by the end and I cannot wait for the next book. Truly another hit by Miss Gong in my opinion.

4.5 stars. Chloe Gong always delivers.

After devouring all four of Chloe Gong’s previous releases, I was so excited to dive into her adult debut set in the fictional cities of San-Er, starring the disgraced Princess Calla Tuoleimi and fugitive Anton Makusa as they try to win a Hunger Games-esque competition. I had many many thoughts while reading, so this review will be a pro/con list.

Pros:
- The plot
Chloe Gong is a master of engaging plots. All of her books so far surround some sort of mystery that unravels over the course of the book, and Gong weaves clues and foreshadowing expertly throughout. There are a few plot twists that made my jaw actually drop and a few others that I could see from afar, but all were set up sufficiently through the story.

- The characters
Similarly to her plots, Gong is amazing at creating interesting characters. The character dynamics are extremely interesting, with Calla and August knowing each other from the palace, Anton and August likewise, Calla and Anton meeting through the games, and Galipei and August being the classic bodyguard x prince. (Sidenote: Galipei has my whole heart and I will riot depending on what happens to him in the next book).

- The setting
The city of San-Er drew me in along with the characters. Gong’s phsyical descriptions are always on the right side of flowery, generating the perfect amount of imagery for the reader. San-Er is so clear in my mind as this place of debauchery and technology, and I am so excited to return to it.

- Jumping
This book introduces the concept of “jumping”, where one person can “jump” to another person’s body, carrying over only their mind and their eye color. There’s so many interesting mechanics to it that are subverted throughout the book, and overall I think it’s a fantastic conept for a fantasy series.

Cons:
- "The Hunger Games”
I’ll be honest, I really dislike when books/movies compare themselves to The Hunger Games: in my mind, nothing can come close to the social commentary and poise that THG had, and comparisons just set me up for disappointment. Immortal Longings was no different on that front, but I think that’s a fault of the marketing rather than the book itself.

- The romance
I hate to say it… but Calla and Anton do not have chemistry 😭 I wish the book leaned more into the “looming death makes people bond way too strong” aspect of their romance instead of treating it like a legitimate love, because that would’ve explained the lack of buildup in their romance. There were a few scenes that did have my toes curling (this is an adult book after all) but I didn’t feel like they fit in the context of the story. I am very very excited to see how that final plot twist will affect them though 👀

- The names
This feels like such a small thing to bring up but the names in this book really irked me 😭. I haven’t read Antony and Cleopatra so I don’t know who’s names are based off of what, but I think sci-fi names are always a slippery slope. Unfortunately, other than Galipei and Anton, the rest of the names are just so silly to me. None of them seem to share any linguistic similarities with the others and it threw me off every time, plus some of them were just funny to say out loud. Not the biggest critique in the grand scheme of things, but I noticed it enough times that I felt I should include it here.

Overall this book was an amazing experience. The world and characters drew me in, and I CANNOT wait for book two. Thank you to Simon&Schuster and NetGalley for an eARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I tried and tried to get through it but I just couldn't find myself interested about the story. At the beginning I was excited because it sounded like a very promising plot but at some point it got too confusing and it wasn’t explaining the reasons of the main problem at all and the more characters it introduces the more tangled I felt, I couldn´t decipher who was who and I just lost all interest.

I think the game began and I didn’t notice, and I was so confused, the fight sequences were not very well explained and I really couldn´t picture in my mind anything that was happening. All I could imagine was the city setting because that’s what’s more explained in detail, but the fights or other places I couldn’t see them. I was really excited for this one but I can’t force myself to finish it if I’m not interested anymore. Maybe it wasn’t the time or maybe this just isn’t for me. But I’ll definitely read more from this author because I love These Violent Delights and I want to read more of her.

Thnk you Netgalley and Gallery Books for an Arc in exchange of an honest review.

I was so excited to get an ARC for this one that I also chose it as my Book Of The Month choice for July.

Touted as a modern retelling of Antony and Cleopatra- I have to admit that this was not what drew me to this book. It was the fact that this is the author’s first adult fantasy. Usually she writes YA fiction- and while I have copies of a few- I tend to steer away from YA. Absolutely nothing wrong with it- just not my fave. This read has been a little slower paced than I was expecting.

Reminiscent of Hunger Games- where the contest can only end up with one winner who takes the prize- in this case lots of money from King Kasa- which also buys freedom from the suffocating capital city of San-Er. But in this yearly contest, participation is voluntary. You win or you are dead. I think that says a lot about the quality of life in San-Er- that this would be a choice that so many are willing to make.

The other part of the story deals with the royalty of the city and the quest/fight to rule. A very interesting aspect of this story is body- jumping. Being able to inhabit other “host” bodies and having a strong enough “qi” to fend off the inhabitation of your own body.

And finally, there is an element of love- but it doesn’t feel as important in this book. We don’t feel it u til the last half. The action and tension really built up in the final third of the book. The ending is what saved the book for me. It was the perfect twist to make me anxious for book two! Do I recommend? Definitely.

Immortal Longings is a very loose retelling of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Look, I know there are people
who want to rip into this for the Hunger Games type feel. Bur let’s get real, HG was a ripoff of Battle Royale. So full stop.

Calla is the Princess who massacred her parents and everyone in the palace. She was proclaimed dead and a traitor. But she’s been hiding in the shadows of San-Er. Anton has been exiled while his original body remains captive. He’s in deep debt from hospital bills trying to keep his childhood love alive as she lays in a coma.

Both Calla and Anton are able yto jump bodies. Both are best at what they do. Both are joining the annual games. One to win money to alleviate his debt. The other to reach her uncle and finish the job.

This was a solid read for me. It has a (as mentioned) Hunger Games (the games)/Battle Royale meets Altered Carbon (the body jumping) feel. People who don’t tend to read fantasy may get overwhelmed with a lot of the early world building. A lot of information is given to the reader. We see and understand how people with the gene to jump do it and certain boundaries and consequences to it. We get to understand the socioeconomic imbalance within San-Er. And we get insight on the politics of this world. Personally, it was easy to follow and kept me engaged. The body jumping is an interesting concept. It feels a bit uncomfortable. However, somewhere in the middle the world building becomes a bit convoluted.

Calla and Anton’s relationship is a slow burn. So slow. And there wasn’t much interaction between them for the first third of the book. But I enjoyed their interactions as the story progressed. August, Calla’s adopted cousin and crown prince is probably the most interesting character.

Lastly, the ending left me wanting to read the next book. So there’s that. How long again? lol

First, I'd like to give a special thank you to Gallery Books for an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this one was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I was not disappointed. I am usually a fan of Chloe Gong's premises more so than her execution. This book is far from perfect, but the mood is phenomenal. The inspiration drawn from Hong Kong's Kowloon Walled City will not leave my brain. I really only wish that this first book had been longer, but I want to buy a physical or audiobook copy of the book to reread it.

I know Chloe Gong can write well, with a solid plot and compelling characters, but she didn't show that here. This book felt like such a chore to read, and none of it was compelling or had any kind of emotional depth. I just felt like the characters, the world building or the plot weren't fleshed out at all, and it was just a lot of words to actually say very little. I've loved Chloe's previous books, and I'm excited for Foul Heart Huntsman, but I will not be continuing this series.

I struggled a bit with how to rate this one. The first half was solidly three stars: interesting enough and decently written, but tending towards verbose and repetitive. The second half definitely was four stars for me—it felt like Gong hit her stride and began to finally deliver on the promise of the premise: Hunger Games meets Cleopatra and Antony.

I want to note here that I think this novel suffered from the same issue as Lightlark, where it was pitched as being like major phenomenons for specific concept aspects, without actually “feeling” or reading like them. Overall this just sets readers up for disappointment and I think marketers need to work harder to be accurate rather than sensationalize.

However, the ending was absolutely stunning, even though I half expected it, I loved it. Felt incredible well set up, which I love. Because of that, I’m going with four stars since we ended in a note that makes me want to read the sequel.

I have read Gong’s debut novel and didn’t enjoy it like the rest of the world but let me tell you that this book changed my perspective of her writing. I have to say that I don’t recommend checking out the summary because it’s not exactly what it promises you it will bring so going in blind would be a great bet. Gong did a great job with writing the storyline was this book and I was into it by the end of the book. I do have to say that the pacing was slow in the beginning but it does start to get better. The world-building was done but it’s not properly scattered throughout the book and instead all in the beginning of the Crescent City. The multiple perspectives were fun and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and seeing how each and every one of them will play out in the series.

Calla is the FMC who plays in the games and wants to end the monarchy. She is fierce and badass which I absolutely loved about her. I loved seeing her grow in this book but I know that more development is coming on her end. Then we have the side characters and there is quite a bit and many of them are very involved with the story. I enjoyed Anton who I wasn’t liking at first but been to fall in love with. The romance is enemies to lovers and a slow burn. I didn’t really feel much chemistry between the characters and there’s not much spice for an adult book.

The ending was amazing and I need the next book now to find out what happens next. There were many plot twists in this book that kept me very hooked on the story and I have to say that Gong did such an amazing job with the book. I really enjoyed it and I’m excited to see what the next book brings to us. This book is perfect for fans of Crescent City.

I wanted to love this book but I just could not get into it. I had to DNF about halfway through. I could not get into the world building and could not connect with the characters. While this one wasn’t for me I will still read Chloe’s future books!

5⭐️
All of the Chloe Gong book I’ve read so far have always been 5 star reads and Immortal Longings,her adult fantasy debut was no exception.

I dont usually read adult fantasy books but when I found out that Chloe Gong was publishing an adult fantasy I knew i would read it. I was super grateful to have received an E-ARC of it vis NetGalley

This story, like others of Chloe Gong books is a Shakespearean re-telling of “Anthony and Cleopatra” and it follows Anton Makusa and Calla Tuoleimi who form an alliance while participating in a series of games held by the palce of San-Er

The world-building was phenomenal and super easy to follow. Calla and Antons dynamic and releatiomship was everything and I absoultely love them. Their first interaction was everything OMG

If you love the song “Getway Car” by Taylor Swift you NEED to read this book. like rn. ‼️

To say this book was a disappointment is an understatement, and no one is more sad than me. I've struggled with getting through Chloe Gong's previous books in the past, but they at least had plotlines and characters that intrigued enough to make up for it. This did not. Instead, Immortal Longings was pages and pages of info dumps, long verbose passages, insta-love, and a really boring plot. I almost DNF'd this so many times that I had to push myself to read on.