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.

I was unsure of this book at first. It took some time to get started, with other obligations. I found myself thinking of Cruel Prince by Holly Black as it went along. Though the main characters have different motivations, I see in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods a story of a young woman seeking power and going down a dark path as a result. Her reasons for joining with the enemy, the ends justifying the means. Still, a colonizer prince with a huge amount of power over Ruying ending up in a romance with her was hard to swallow. I'll continue the series, but book 2 will have to be amazing to continue anything beyond that.

The world that Molly X. Chang built was so intriguing to me, but I wanted more. I know that YA fantasy is not super heavy in world-building, but I think in this story it would have added more dimension to the story and given the character arcs more of an impact. In my opinion, the writing was too heavy on the dialogue and could have used a bit more editing. Especially as you navigate the tricky world of morally-grey characters.

I also very much struggle identifying with characters who make bad choice, after bad choice after bad choice. I know this adds to the tension and conflict in the story, but it also disconnected me as a reader from Ruying.

the thing about the colonizer and colonized dynamic is that one will always be viewed as less than human, their identity equivalent to dirt in the eyes of the other, and this would have been okay (in the most absolute marginal sense) if the male romantic lead wasn’t the leader of the colonizers (committing the most atrocious of crimes) but perhaps a mere civilian questioning the morality of his nations actions.

no amount of fluffy hair or marble jawlines or jade green eyes is going to make this dynamic become even remotely humane or morally digestible.

all the potential this book had was overshadowed by the colonizer romance. it was disgusting, weird as fuck, and tone deaf. in this day and age, i think we are all old enough to practice a bit of self awareness and understand that colonialism is not a thing of the past but a very prevalent and inhumane reality for many of our fellow humans.

there is no sympathy or compassion for the colonizer. it's pretty sickening to think that romanticizing colonial violence could be seen as a 'morally gray' concept, and even worse to consider writing a story where a victim of colonial violence is forced to rationalize the atrocities her people have suffered to paint the male lead in a better light. it's beyond messed up :-(

I'd like to add that i have seen the title for the next book and it does give me hope. although i felt a lot of what was in this book was unnecessary and really ruined it for me. molly is a great writer. she has a lot of potential and i will look forward to reading and supporting her other works.
thank you for the arc.

I enjoyed this debut even though it could have been tightened up a bit more. Chang did a good job with the worldbuilding but I wanted more since the details were somewhat convoluted with the Romans vs the magic system. The setting was fascinating to read about. The romance didn’t quite hit for me, although I’m wondering if it’s supposed to be the actual romantic ship as well. Overall I would read the sequel.

I'll be honest though, I think the marketing really failed on this one. I dont think the romance is supposed to be liked (unless we have a different problem to addresss) but it was marketed heavily toward the romance aspect. That difference in marketing vs reality really shocked me into a whiplash.

I had high expectations for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. I loved the premise when the author advertised on social media. The cover is stunning. However, I am uncomfortable with the colonizer romance.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC.

This one sounded so interesting with the world that it promised but I found it didn’t deliver on a few levels. First, the reader is thrown into this world without a lot of context. Like even a prologue that tells the history of this a little to situate us in this world would’ve been so helpful. It kind of does this but it is very narrative instead of straightforward.
Next, this is much more romantasy than advertised. I think if I had known that going in I could have been more prepared. It just is weird in a lot of places and the romance felt uncomfortable even for enemies to lovers. Like can it truly be enemies to lovers if the main male character is an evil ruler????