I never DNF e-galleys and I never rate them if I don't finish them. But I just can't anymore, I'm stopping at 31%.

The world building in this book is just so badly done. We have a first chapter that is just an info dump while the main character walks around her city. It's pretty clear how the romance is gonna go, and I'm just not interested in it (yeah, even if I think the main love interest for this book in not endgame, I still don't care about the romance that I think is going to be the main one in future books). Being in the main character's head is extremely taxing; she keeps saying how powerful she is and how deadly her magic is. But she never does anything with it.

The next part of this review can be seen as a spoiler so I'm warning now. But I don't think it is - they talk about it openly a lot of times but from what I saw in other reviews it's seen as a plot twist. So, spoiler warning.

And it's just s obvious what the plot twist is going to be. It's not even a plot twist - they already mentioned a dozen times: people disappearing, people being taken to labs. Obviously they are being experimented upon. But even so it comes a surprise to the main character to understand the evil.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this one. I thought the concept between two worlds was interesting. It felt contemporary but it also felt fantasy. I thought the magic system was well developed. I didn't connect much with the romance but I also felt like the romance wasn't the focus of the plot as much as the politics were.

That last line was so so good! I can't wait to read book two to see where all this betrayal will lead.

I could go ahead and tell you how excited I was, when I saw this book for an ARC and how happy I got when I was approved. To make it even more dramatic, I could tell you that after 30% I disagree with most of the grievances the Internet seemed to have with the "colonizer romance" and the author for promoting it as enemies to lovers. I haven't got opinion, but one thing I knew for sure (and mind you, I'm still at 30%): how many times do you need to tell me someone is your childhood this and that? How many times one can repeat themselves, telling me simple as a pencil story? I grew frustrated. I liked the language, but soon I understood that the book lacks essence and a concept. For that reason there was just word count and maximum amount of metaphors that either told me something already written 10 times, or just had no sense whatsoever. Because it is in a bad taste to quote ARCs, I would keep receipts for myself.
Now, to the main character we go. She is the most inconsistent main character in a history. Once she thinks one thing to contradict herself on the next page. Her justification for serving the colonizer make no sense and doing it "just for family" when her family is almost non-existent in narration, or like her sister simply cruel and mean, lack justification. So there is only one. The colonizer is hot. Great, but he is also evil and manipulative, and she seems to see through that just to convince herself that it is not true. She even goes ahead and preaches in his defense tho she did not believe it herself couple pages before.

I couldn't save myself even if I tried, there was nothing good about this. And saying that the story is inspired by true events of experiments on Manchurian people just to use it as a trope and tool is just a slap in a face. This is beyond expectations, this is beyond criticism. This book should have someone who would read it before publication and tell the author: hey, you have a great idea, but you can do better. So much better.

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would based off other reviews. It’s been called a colonizer romance, which I totally agree with. BUT I think it gives Red Queen vibes? We know he’s bad, that he’s not honest, that OBVIOUSLY she will change her mind at the end. She was a little whiny/in her own head, but not more so than any other FMC in the genre. I didn’t follow the backlash deep enough to let the review bombing change my views. There were some grammatical errors that needed to be fixed, but overall, it was a good enough read that kept me engaged. I think fans of red queen/cruel prince would like this. I do look forward to reading book 2.

Thank you NetGalley, Molly X. Chang, and Random House for the e-arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for this ARC Copy!

I will start of by saying that I heard a lot of discourse of this book and a lot was going on prior to publishing, but I committed to reading and reviewing based on the book and not what I have heard online.

This world is brutal, violent, dangerous, and though it has been a reality for so many, no one knows how they would react to those situation unless you actually have lived it. This is not a romance, this is the story of a girl living through a horrific and brutal time and the hard choices that she must make for survival. Did she make the right choices every time? Absolutely not, but did she do what she felt like she had to do to survive and care for her family, I think so. I would hope I would make different choices in that scenario, but if there is one thing that I learned about working in EMS and dealing with literal trauma every day for years, is that people do not know how they are going to react until something happens to them.

The story took some dark and unpopular directions, but regardless of how that makes us feel as an individual, it does not mean that it is glorifying anything. It is literally just a window into a situation that seems just as likely to happen as the correct decisions that are expected from the character.

As a single POV under an unreliable narrator I think this book does a really good job in making us uncomfortable, and that is the point. If that is upsetting to you then this is not the book for you, but unless you read something completely different than I did, there was no glorifying the colonizers, there was no easy choices given to the protagonist, there was no glorifying of colonizer romance.

Molly X. Chang’s debut novel To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a genre-blending tale that compels readers to take a look at the true costs of war and greed. Ruying is a girl blessed with the powers of Death, trying to keep her head down and avoid notice from the Romans that invaded her home. However, one choice forces to reveal her magic (in the presence of the enemy prince), which alters her trajectory more than she could have ever imagined.

The worldbuilding was definitely what sold me on this book. First of all, the author does a great job portraying what it’s like to live under a colonizer’s rule. Given the inspiration that’s mentioned in the author’s note, this part comes across as almost historical fiction. It also is reminiscent of how our own greed has damaged our planet (the Roman world has been besieged by natural disasters and other issues due to overtaxing their resources, which were instrumental factors in their choice to invade other territories). Secondly, the magic system is super cool. The people of Er-Lang have traditionally had very powerful magic, but it doesn’t come without its costs (which is why they were unable to use it when they were invaded). For some, its pain. For others like Ruying, it can be as bad as taking years off her own life for every life she ends with her death magic. And as a third point, there are elements of sci-fi in the book too. I didn’t initially realize it, but when they say the Romans came from a different world, it is literally a different world (by way of a portal in the sky). Super cool, and very well done to blend so many genres together. Admittedly, there are a couple of moments where elements of worldbuilding don’t make sense, but it didn’t retract from my reading too much and I think there’s room to fix it in future novels.

There’s been a lot of conflict and critiques about the romance in the book, and I think that comes from a place of misunderstanding. First of all, I would not classify this book as a ‘romantasy’. For that to happen, the romance would need to be the main storyline and it’s more of a subplot. I also wouldn’t classify Ruying and Antony’s relationship as a romance (though Baihu and Ruying are another matter entirely). From the very first moment they interact, Antony is manipulating her. In a world so oppressive, Ruying is desperate to cling to the chance that someone actually cares about what her people are going through. Some see it as love and attraction, but in my opinion it came across more as clinging to a sense of safety. The author makes it clear that Antony is not some redeemable prince, and is actually a corrupt gaslighting villainous figure so do with that information what you will.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods had a strong storyline and world to have me reading to the end. Ruying’s journey was compelling, and I will definitely be picking up any future sequels (especially To Kill a Wicked Prince), as I’m curious to see how the rest of it plays out. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed reads like Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow or Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Death of a Parent, Addiction, Colonization, Drug Use, Torture

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me a copy of this book.

This was a stunning mix of Xianxia fantasy and science fiction. The characters were interesting, the world building amazing, and the story entertaining. The strange dichotomy between magic and science clashes on the pages of this book.

It reminded me of the anime Gate. Magic wielding people invades modern day Japan. And Japan’s military invades the game some of the descriptions in the book remind me of the scenes in the anime. The war characters talk about that happens before the main story reminds me of worst things that happen in the anime. Modern day war machines, beat magic wielding armies.

Ruling only wants to survive in a world where death is certain. And she would know, she has the power of death. And then one fateful moment, she becomes pawn in the games played by the Romans over her world.

I felt for her. Trying to do right in the world that’s wrong. Trying to survive in such a harsh reality. I could see how she did what she did for her long as she did but I knew it was going to break.

I’m still trying to guess about what’s going to happen since it this book did end on a cliffhanger. But that’s OK. I didn’t even realize it was going to be a cliffhanger until I tried to flip the page and I was like no! I can’t wait for the second book to find out what happens.

Thank you again, and Random House Publishing Group remind me this e-book.

I had to DNF this book. I found it confusing and did not honor what I believed to be its inspiration. It is likely a qualm on me and I hope to revisit with a fresh mind and eyes. Stopped around 40%.

Inspired by the horrifying true stories of Manchuria under Russian and Japanese occupation, Molly X Chang has written in the hopes her grandfather would be proud the seeds of his stories bloomed into this book. The author chose to infuse the story with hope rather than the demons that haunted her grandfather’s stories

Ruying caries the power of death. She has never feared for her life, always able to defend herself against anyone. Her magic, though, is no match for the science of the Roman invaders. Caught up in poverty with a sister battling addiction, Ruying snatches the coin purse of a Roman man in hopes of turning her luck just a little. A guard gives chase, and she harnesses her magic to defend herself. She drains him of all but the last of his life energy, barely sparing his life. The man she stole from looks not afraid, but enraptured by her ability. She flees, hoping to never see him again.

Because of this, Ruying is thrown into the middle of the political conflict between her people and Rome. She is caught between those who want to rebel against their invaders and those promising a time of peace if they can just set all the pieces on the board right. She would do anything for her family, and this love is exploited to make her use her death magic for the Romans.

She wrestles with her choices, which were really not choices at all. She wants to survive, she wants her family to survive. Is she a traitor of her people because of that? Heroes die, cowards live. Ruying is determined to live.

This story was a heartbreaking examination of colonization and exploitation. I believe it is an important story, but expect all the content warning for all the brutality that comes with colonization and the dehumanization of Ruying’s people. It ends on a fiery note, and I hope Ruying gets every ounce of revenge that she deserves.

"To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" left me grappling with a narrative that failed to live up to its potential. While acknowledging the problematic themes raised by other reviewers, my disappointment with the book extended beyond the colonizer romance elements to encompass its lackluster plot, weak characterizations, and disjointed world-building.

The premise of the story, supposedly set across two separate planets inspired by ancient Manchuria and Rome but with modern technologies, failed to translate effectively on the page. The lack of distinction between the two settings left me confused and disoriented, undermining my ability to fully immerse myself in what seemed like a very sparsely populated the world.

Moreover, the characterization of the main protagonist fell short of expectations, with her internal monologue proving frustratingly repetitive and her motivations appearing wishy-washy at best. The romance between her and Antony, something that became a central focus of the narrative, felt forced and nonsensical, lacking the depth and development to give it any substance if you're even able to move beyond the colonizer/oppressed/Stockholm syndrome aspect.

In addition, the overall plot suffered from a disjointed structure, with key plot points introduced but never fully explored or resolved. The conflict between science and magic, repeatedly mentioned throughout the story, remained underdeveloped and lacking in understanding, serving as little more than a superficial backdrop for the events unfolding. And there were more than a few instances where plot points were easily solved by off-page conveniences that further diluted the overall strength of the story.

Furthermore, the explanations for Ruying's motivations and Antony's actions left gaping holes in the narrative, rendering certain plot points incomprehensible and unresolved by the book's conclusion.

While it's important to acknowledge the problematic themes present in the narrative, my disappointment stemmed primarily from its weak plot, shallow characterizations, and disjointed world-building. For readers seeking a coherent and immersive story, this book may prove to be a frustrating and unsatisfying read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I didn't hate it, but it wasn't amazing - I think this one will stick with me for the wrong reasons. Character development was lacking, and I didn't like any of them - nothing connected. The premise and the execution just weren't it for me.

Title: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods
Author: Molly X. Chang
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5

She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?

Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.

When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.

Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?

Leaving aside the whole colonizer/slave romance questions—which I see a lot of talk about in reviews—I thought the storytelling itself was a bit superficial. I mean, I felt like a lot of things were skimmed over and only touched on on a superficial level. Ruying was supposed to be an assassin, but none of that was shown at all, and it was barely even mentioned. There was the immediate connection between Ruyang and the prince—which wasn’t the slightest bit believable to me, considering the circumstances and who they were—but how their feelings grew weren’t shown, leaving me feeling like I’d missed on a whole lot of development.

Molly X. Chang is from China and now lives in London. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Random House/Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

It's fantastic to see an uptick in non-European-inspired SFF worldbuilding. TO GAZE UPON WICKED GODS is a fascinating blend of wuxia fantasy and dystopian sci-fi, weaving together in ways that don't become fully clear until late in the novel. However, the breadcrumbs left along the way as the reader progresses make for a slowly blossoming worldview that will likely be even more rewarding in later volumes.

Magic and science butt heads in this historically-inspired piece. Ruying's world—one of Gods and qi and myths—suffers under the invasion of the Romans. A review elsewhere lamented this choice of name for future Earth invaders, but it's a keenly apropos one. Romans were some of the first Western colonizers, and unafraid of labeling themselves as descendants of gods into the bargain. It seems like exactly the name that a dispatch of conquerors from a dying Earth would reclaim.

Overall, Chang's prose is strong, weaving in and out between languages, moving from poetic description to impassioned dialogue. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Ruying and the Roman prince Antony may rub some readers the wrong way (and in fact already has, judging by some reviews), but the turbulent relationship between the two is part of Ruying's growth. It's worth pushing through those uncomfortable sections to get to the upshot. Ruying is imperfect, flawed, and hypocritical. But that's why she's compelling, and it's how she grows.

While the sci-fi/fantasy mash-up is intriguing, the late-book reveal of what the Romans want from the Xianlings feels a bit weird. It seems to have gone the midichlorian route; and while later books may make something off that, it felt a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of the book's intrigue. Overall, though, it's worth a read, and seeing the characters grow and change in this book alone opens the door to compelling stories to come.

One thing about Del Rey, they’ll always publish books that stand for something. They’re my fave imprint for a reason. I really appreciate what Chang has done in this story by highlighting the Century of Humiliation, a period in history we often overlook. The long-term implications of imperialism on oppressed populations are written very well in this story and I think Chang does a fantastic job at juxtaposing the dichotomous nature of what is considered “right.”

I absolutely LOVED this book! If life hadn’t been so busy I could have easily devoured this in a day but I’m sort of happy that I couldn’t because it gave me a chance to really savor everything. I was absolutely stunned that this was a debut novel. The writing was absolutely beautiful and the story was so well rounded. We are introduced to a world where some of the people have magic. Ruying’s magic is death itself- she has the ability to steal the life from others. Her world is being invaded by Romans who have come to destroy her world and take it for themselves. Her gift gives her a sense of safety but also puts her in a position where if anyone discovered what she can do it could end in her being used by either her Emperor or the Romans themselves as a weapon of war. One wrong move leaves Ruying captured and at the mercy of the Roman princes. One of these princes makes her an offer she can’t refuse- because the only thing that has ever mattered to Ruying is that her sister and grandmother are safe. The book explores this world from a perspective that will often make you forget it’s fantasy which is so unique to the genre. It touches on grief, addiction, and morality in ways that will absolutely shatter you. It really shows you that things are not black and white- there is so much grey area when it comes to things such as morals when your family is at stake. What would you be willing to do to protect your family? Lie? Kill? Betray your entire empire? For Ruying, there is no price to high to ensure her family’s safety.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion! I have been focusing on reading more adult literature this year as I've felt like YA has been a bit formulaic over the past couple of years. I'm so glad that I picked this book up in spite of that, it was an interesting read with a fleshed out storyline and characters. I didn't realize this was the first in an upcoming series, I'm really interested to see where the author takes this! If you're trying to get back into YA and want something fun to read, definitely pick up this book!

I didn't enjoy this book like I wanted to and I think it was mainly due to all the controversies surrounding it that were aired out on twitter. This wasn't a bad book by any means, I think the writing style just wasn't for me and it distracted away from the overall plot of the book and made it more of a slog to get through then I'd hoped. I will be checking out anything written by this author in the future however and I am excited to see what she will put out.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
The cover was gorgeous, and the plot was interesting enough to keep me engaged throughout the whole book. However, the characters just didn’t work for me. On the one hand, I get that the unlikeable characters were an intentional choice—however, I just found it really difficult to enjoy a story where I couldn’t root for any of the characters. I do think that this story will work really well for the right reader, it just wasn't for me.

The colonialism critique was interesting, but falls a bit flat when one of the love interests is a colonizer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

The premise for this story is really intriguing and it takes you on a journey, and I think ultimately it delivers.

This is one of those books that you need to stick with till the end to really understand where it’s going.
Some of the things being done to Ruying’s people by the Roman’s are hard to stomach, but I think it’s all part of setting up the state of the world and where her character is at the start of this series.

I really enjoyed the world building and magic system. That juxtaposition of magic vs science was also very interesting. It also makes some important social commentary about the historical use of opiates to control oppressed people.

If I could compare this book theme wise to another popular book, it would be Raven Kennedy’s Gild. It feels like that first book in the series where it seems like you’re getting one story, when really the purpose is to give the character room to grow and break out of their cage. I’m excited to see where the next book in this series goes because I think Ruying is poised to shake things up now. A great start to a series!

Rating: 3.5 stars

You know the whole “every villain is the hero of his own story” thing?

That’s pretty much what Molly X. Chang explores in her debut novel. At first glance, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods seems like your typical YA fantasy, but it’s a messy little book set in a brutal world filled with harsh choices, monstrous princes, and unfair odds. Despite the elements found in your usual YA SFF–a handsome enemy prince, a rebel group with a mysterious leader, and a girl willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family (I volunteer for tribute)–this is less of an enemies-to-lovers, Chosen One-joins-the-rebellion story and more of a “cool motive, still murder,” make my your villain kind of a story.

Yang Ruying is the girl blessed by Death whose only goal in life is carve out a semblance of normalcy for her aging grandma and her estranged, opium-dependent twin sister. Unfortunately, she’s an orphan clinging to the dregs of her once-great family legacy just trying to survive in conquered nation decimated by poverty and addiction, and while her powers may be great, they’re costly, taking pieces of her soul and shaving hours from her life with each kill she makes. But sometimes, when you live a in harsh world, all your choices are bad ones, so when Ruying finds herself at the hands of her enemies, she agrees to work for one of the conquering princes in exchange for her family’s security. But achieving his vision for peace for both their worlds is complicated, and Ruying finds herself walking the knife’s edge between protecting her family and betraying her nation.

At its heart, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a story about how far one would go to protect her (or his) people. Chang creates a world in which the only options are tough ones and throws in a protagonist who wants simple desires in a world that’s anything but. The result is a complicated cast of characters with messy motives, delusions of goodness, and questionable morals.

As a reader, you’re not really sure who to root for because everyone’s kind of messed up in their own way–including our illustrious “heroine”–and while it may be hard to like many (or any) or the characters, I think Chang does a good job of making them, at the very least, understandable. They’re, as the saying goes, heroes of their own stories and are so convinced they’re doing the right thing at the end that they’re willing to do things that are very, very wrong. The age-old question rings throughout the story like a refrain–does the end justify the means? (Personally, I’m thinking no.)

I’m the kind of reader who doesn’t love villain origin stories (or villain romances), but despite a few dicey moments, I don’t think To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods fits into either category. It’s a messy book full of characters who, whether real or imagined, find themselves with their backs against the wall, stuck between a rock and a hard place. I feel like I spent a good portion of the book watching them run around, thinking, well, that’s a choice.

At face value, the romance can seem problematic. I know it caused a bunch of controversy, but I wanted to read it for myself and tried to avoid the drama so I could look at it objectively. I couldn’t block out all the noise, but I’m not really convinced To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is an actual love story. I’d call this a light romance at best, but even then, my gut instincts tell me that the real romance hasn’t quite started yet and that the actual love story–if there ends up being one–will go in a direction most readers might not expect. (Fingers crossed!)

Really, the main focus of the book is the constant tension between struggling for survival (no matter what the cost) and doing what’s right. The central question seems to be, is it better to turn a blind eye and cling to the pretense of peace or to fight a losing battle in pursuit of it? Antony, who’s constantly spouting his questionable maxims like some kind of macabre fortune cookie, is really just another means (albeit one with pretty jade eyes) to highlight Ruying’s internal conflict.

The pacing in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a little weird. It’s a pretty slow, meandering story for most of the book. I personally didn’t mind the pacing as much, but this does very much feel like an introductory book leading up to the actual story that I’m hoping will be told in subsequent books. Ruying’s character arc, for example, barely starts by the time we reach the end of the book. It’s not necessarily how I’d want to kick off a trilogy–an argument for a tighter story and stronger plot can definitely be made–but it’s a pretty prose, easy-to-read kind of a book, and my brain has been quite tired lately, so it wasn’t a huge deal for me.

That being said, I do think the story could’ve been developed a lot more. The world building is a huge disappointment for me. I was really excited for another Asian-inspired fantasy world, but it’s not particularly detailed or fleshed out. If anything, the bits of information we get are kind of confusing. I can’t tell you how long it took for me to realize Ruying and Antony’s nations weren’t just on separate continents but from completely different worlds (slash dimensions?? I’m still kind of confused.) It definitely doesn’t help that “Rome” isn’t the Roman Empire that’s on everyone’s minds, but the way the worlds are introduced are clunky and hard to piece together.

In terms of the characters, it’d be nice to see more growth and development over the course of the story. I get that we still have two more books, but part of what makes series fun is the emotional attachment you get for fictional characters. As I mentioned early Ruying’s nascent arc is just starting to kick off towards the end of the book. When the pacing starts to pick up, it feels a little rushed and some characters (Antony) start to do things that seem a little out of character. The side characters are really interesting, and I wish we’d gotten to see them more. I would love to learn more about Ruying’s military-minded Grandmother or her treasonous traitor of a childhood friend, for example, but they only make brief appearances throughout the book. (Am I hoping they play a larger role in the next two books? Absolutely.)

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods really feels more like the buildup to a larger story than a smaller contained to the first of three books. I am really interested in seeing where Chang goes from here (and if my predictions are right,) so I’m definitely keeping my eyes on release info for book 2 and hoping we get some stronger world building the next time around.