In the fight of magic vs science, who has the upper hand and who prevails. TGUWG interweaves ancient oriental culture with the science and technologies of the new world in the battle of differences and supremacy. Chang utilizes very face level depictions to show the reader how these two sides vary but used the continuation of the story to take a deeper dive into the real reasons behind the divide and wants of the Roman's vs the Er-Lang people.

The complexities of the FMC Ruying of having the power of death, something many people would consider strong, sees herself as a coward and weak, just trying to survive and protect her family. When forced to ally herself with an enemy, I found a relationship building that I could almost imagine paralleling Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen series. Would the new Roman prince be the silent savior of both of their countries, or does Baihu really have more answers than he is letting on.

I found this story, while can read slow at times, to keep a good continued pace between action and relationship/character building, often at the expense of FMC. There is a small amount of time that an alternate POV was used which I think can enhance the series in future books. Chang has captivated a strong start to this series in which I am curious as to which true strength will prevail.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for an opportunity to read an ARC for this book! The premise is so interesting and the author did a great job of weaving elements of fantasy into the very real setting of the colonization/invasion of China. I think that this book does a really great job of challenging viewpoints related to colonization and substance use by making it such an important focus and conflict within the book. There could potentially be some more world building that could be done, but overall a great read. I’m excited for the next book!

ooohhh I really liked this one! 4-4.5 stars for me. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read rate and review this story. This tale contains death, magic, loyalty, lies, bravery, thievery, really a whole lot of not happy things but oddly so satisfying for a dark read. While these quotes may not be exact when the book is published these were two of my favorites. "Are you a hero, or a monster?" This is what you are asking yourself the entire time you reading. "The first life I took was also the first boy I'd ever kissed."

i went into this book not knowing what to expect, i did however fall in love with one character from day one. baihu.

and that love paid off.

the main thing i’ve seen in negative reviews is the dislike of a coloniser romance. which, i am a white person, i understand my role in this book is the coloniser. but to those who hesitate to read it, i beg you to finish it. the last 15% sets it up for the next book, so you understand ruyings decisions and where she’s going next.

the story is interesting because it combines the concepts of magic and science, something akin to mutants in xmen. it has the vibes of like, red queen / hunger games? by no means exact in the retelling it does have the vibes.

ruying falls for her captor, her overlord. please keep in mind when reading, that you are meant to be uncomfortable from this dynamic. there is a power imbalance that means ruying could never consent to a relationship. it’s stockholm syndrome. it’s the deceptive peace of people who accept colonisation and praise the people who colonised them.

i’d definitely recommend this book and i LOvED it. i took my time reading it due to personal events. but it’s such a good book and i can’t wait until the next installment!

I made the mistake of reading some reviews before starting this book, but I can happily and respectfully say - I disagree.

This book is powerful. It explores themes of colonialism, addiction, and the dangers/horrors of scientific advancement, while emphasizing the desperation of a people who have lost everything.

I loved being in Ruying’s mind! She has spent her entire life living under a colonizing force, was abused by her father, and even the grandma who loves her keeps her small and contained. She is only just figuring out who she is, how her magic works, and where she fits into her world. Getting to see her inner struggles firsthand was a brilliant stroke of genius by the author.

As for Antony, he is the first person find beauty in Ruying’s magic instead of fear and disgust. Of course she’s going to develop feelings for him - he’s forcing her to explore a side of herself she was already forced to keep locked away. I’m not entirely sure this would be different even if the Romans never invaded Er-Lang, as Ruying’s magic is shunned equally by her own people. Do I support this romance? No! Do I think Antony provided the push Ruying needed to discover her own power and strength? Yes! There’s plenty of signs towards the end of the story that point to Ruying taking what she needs from Antony and casting him off when he no longer serves her purposes.

I can see some readers being frustrated by Ruying’s passive, almost observer-like role in the story. But, with this only being the first book in the trilogy, and given the ending, I have hope that we will see her play a more active role in the next book now that her eyes are open. Overall, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was a quick, easy read that laid the foundation for what could be a truly epic fantasy series.

If you loved Red Queen, Shadow and Bone, or just love morally-grey characters, then this story is for you! Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey Books, and Random House for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had difficulty with deciding how I feel about this book after reading it. At times I was bored as it felt slightly dragged out, and then as it started getting good it ended. The world the author created was extremely interesting, and I enjoyed the fact that Romans with their science was the villain, basically coming from our world of technology and somehow winning over magic.

Will I be reading the next book? Absolutely. I need to find out what happens between the main characters because I feel like there will be more twists. Is it possible that book will get DNF’d? Absolutely. If you’re specifically looking for a fantasy romance, this isn't for you. To me this felt like more of a high fantasy with a sprinkle of romantic possibilities. I typically ONLY enjoy fantasy romance, but overall I still enjoyed this book.

I couldn't force myself to finish this. Maybe I'll give it another go somewhere down the line, but I got (roughly) to the halfway mark and couldn't push through anymore. The writing wasn't too bad, honestly, but I couldn't get behind the romance the story was trying to tote (or that Antony was supposedly the 731 dude? for the ROMANCE?? no.). Or the fact that the main character, Ruying, didn't actually seem to be doing the job she was set out to do in order to keep her family safe. Maybe I'll give the audiobook a go once it's out, but, for now, it's just not for me.

At first, I was not enjoying this book for its writing style; it’s very info-dumpy, doesn’t have great flow, and I can’t say I really liked our main characters. However, as the story went on I did get gripped wanting to know what would happen. I think the structure gets better further and further in, and while I never really loved any character specifically, I was having a good time reading and found it easy to keep going.
This book does have a lot of haters in the early reviews, but I really think comes down to next to no media literacy going on. Like, you guys do know Anthony is the bad guy right? And that him and Ruying aren’t couple goals?
I personally don' t think I will be continuing the series, but I do think the ending leaves a lot of room for the story to be improved upon and become something great in future installments.

I got an arc through NetGalley.
Solid first entry into YA Fantasy-Scifi novel trilogy. There is romance/ feelings between the enemy prince & Ruying, but by the end Ruying has been betrayed enjoy that she now wants to destroy him.
We will see if their love will last through this but if it doesn't, it does seem like another love interest is in the wings.
I am excited to read the next book.

I wanted to enjoy this, I really did. But it took me over a month to get like 20% through the book. Maybe that wasn’t enough of a chance I don’t know. Ruying is out here trying her best to keep drug addicted sister from dying like their father. She’s got death powers but doesn’t want to use them. Gets essentially forced to by the people colonizing her home and falls for her captor. This was not my cup of tea. That said the writing was decent and I would have been more engaged had the story been …something other than what it was.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is an absolute gem, and I had the privilege of reading an ARC that left me utterly obsessed. The anticipation for the sequel is already making me anxious, and I can't believe others have to wait to experience this masterpiece!

For those who enjoyed Shatter Me but felt it lacked in execution, this book is a game-changer. It takes everything from Shatter Me and elevates it to perfection. The love interest is brilliantly coded with Aaron Warner vibes, leaving me screaming and doing victory laps around my room.

The main characters are beautifully morally grey, individually and together. The chemistry between them had me on the edge of my seat—pure magic!

The lore, the magic system, the world-building, and the writing—it's all spectacular! I'm utterly obsessed and cannot recommend it enough.

As for the possibility of a love triangle in the next book, I'm mentally preparing myself to jump off a cliff. Let's hope not!

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! 📚✨

---

Intense and exceptional! This YA fantasy, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, promises to be a 2024 masterpiece. Kudos to Ms. Chang for a splendid debut novel!

The story follows Ruying, marked by tragedy from birth, navigating a world invaded by demons and shaped by magical abilities inherited from the Gods. Ruying's rare power makes her both feared and desired, and her choices lead her on a path that challenges everything.

The blend of historical events, especially World War II, with the fantasy world is expertly done. The narrative is emotionally heavy, making readers clench their teeth or tear up, but it's a testament to the author's skill.

The morally ambiguous characters add depth, making it challenging to harbor hate, and by the end, you may find yourself deeply in love with them. I can't wait for the sequel in 2025!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 📖🌟

This book is an interesting twist on Chinese history--of which is very close to the author's heart, as per the note in the beginning. I received an advance reader copy of this book, so I am sure that there will be many differences between the version of the book that I got and what will hit store shelves. I'm not sure how to best describe the plot, but it's a fantasy world in which Romans invade Pangu, get a lot of the population addicted to an opium-like substance, and colonize the citizens of Pangu with a violent fist. There are a lot of things about this book that I find very interesting (that I won't go into to avoid spoiler territory) such as the magic system of the world. At the same time (and I have a feeling this will be ironed out by the publication date) I had a lot of issues with pacing and stilted dialogue. My biggest issue was how jarring it was to read about the "Romans" invading this fantasy world, and how it felt paradoxical to the fantasy setting. I think the analogy of Romans vs. Pangu to England vs. China would have gone down much better had the author chosen to not call the colonizers Romans, but that is my own personal opinion.

Overall, I have high hopes for this book when it is published, and I will be purchasing it once it comes out. If fantasy worlds with death magic, and you don't mind discussions about how awful colonization is for those colonized, and like narratives that force characters to make choices that betray their sense of self at all interests you, then this book is absolutely for you.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the arc in order to review with my honest opinion.

i loved this book. i truly could feel ruyings emotions and conflictions with the things going on through the story. i also knew something was up with antony and didn’t trust his character, and only started to trust him when ruying started to. i loved the glimpse into the culture of the world that molly created for this story and i cannot wait for the next book (if there is one) to come out!

Had to DNF at 40% due to current life circumstances, and I'm so upset. I really can't wait until I'm back in a situation where I can finish this book.

That being said, I'm torn on how to rate this.

In this day and age, it's hard not to be uncomfortable with most aspects of a romance between the colonizer and the colonized. Having not finished, I don't actually know if this is the endgame romance for the story, but reaching the point where it potentially could be felt like slamming into a brick wall. I really thought this would become a childhood friends-to-almost-enemies-to-lovers sort of story, but as soon as I read the way Ruying described the prince I had a sinking feeling it was going in another direction.

The worldbuilding is good, with an original twist on the familiar theme of colonization without losing any of the severity and sincerity the subject requires, which makes the potential romance between Ruying and Antony all the more jarring. Chang's descriptions paint a full, solid picture without bogging the story down with unnecessary detail, and bits and pieces are delivered at a comfortable pace as necessary instead of info-dumped in one sitting. Everything is explained as its needed, which is skillfully done since the world has quite a bit going on.

The characters all have a good bit of nuance; they're neither two-dimensional props nor overly-detailed beyond necessity. Ruying, the protagonist, is well-written and refreshingly "normal" in a sea of books where the heroines somehow powerful and independent but also weak and dainty. The novel itself is compelling, and I became invested in Ruying's story pretty quickly in comparison to many other books I've read lately. My main complaint is that she isn't really as morally gray as marketing seems to describe. This world feels like Ruying should have a bit more bite to her than she does.

Finally, the writing is fairly good. The sentence rhythm and the story flow is done well, with longer prose and dialogue well-mixed. It's easy to get into, and to stay immersed in without feeling like some parts are dragging or jumping ahead. The use of multiple short statements/sentences in succession is a little overdone here, but nothing difficult to gloss over.

Final decision: I don't like where the romance seems headed, at all. But quite frankly, the internet loves to fawn over white women writing really deranged relationships and calling it "dark romance," and I am not going to flay a POC for appearing to make a similar narrative decision. Appropriateness of the potential pairing aside, the book is good. The concept is compelling, the world is intriguing, and the writing is enjoyable. I would certainly read another book by Molly X. Chang.

I feel like so many books that had such killer concepts have been so disappointing lately. To Gave Upon Wicked Gods is definitely another one. The pacing was off, most of the story very much felt the need to tell us everything instead of showing us half of it. I didn’t care for most of the characters. And I just overall and disappointed with this story.

I just wanted to say thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang opens with a letter from the author about the inspiration for the book. She speaks about her grandfather's experiences in China when Manchuria was invaded and they had to flee to save their family. And how she only realized the scope of the events that occurred during these invasions later in life when she started to research the history of her family.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is set in a world where some people are born with powers and some are not. The culture is based on traditional Chinese history, complete with language and myths. The main character Ruying was born with the ability to take people's life force from them.

In her grandfather's lifetime a giant portal was created in the sky and people from a different world started to invade their country. These people did not have magic, but their technology was a lot further advanced, making any fight a massacre. Now, decades later, the Romans are oppressing Ruying's people and taking them for experiments. She also gets captured and in a deal to save her family she has to do the killing for one of the invading princes.

I was apprehensive about starting the book since it deals with the same topics that Poppy War dealt with, but while they were mentioned, they were glossed over. The characters in the book also did not get to grow a lot, and some were mentioned and then never seen again - characters that were apparently a very important part of the main character's life. We also did not get to see much worldbuilding except for some slices of description of wherever the main character was sent next.

Another thing that made the text feel unnatural was the amount of Chinese proverbs added into the text. It really was not necessary to add them in in every conversation.

Overall the book wasn't my favourite, but I can see what the author was aiming for. It was an easy read, but there are a lot of aspects that need more attention in the next installments. I do think that I will continue with the series, since I'm hoping that the series will grow with the author.

This was my most anticipated read of the year, I was so excited to read this debut novel. The cover is beautiful and I was drawn to the Asian-influence as an Asian-American. Unfortunately, after reading the novel, the execution fell flat for me.

The ideas were there, but everything seemed to be given in a "tell-don't-show" manner that was extremely frustrating. A lot of the inner monologue in the book seemed to be very repetitive and I found myself constantly thinking "didn't she just say something similar to this already." I was also left very confused on the setting. I originally thought this took place in an older time, especially with the use of the Romans, but then helicopters were mentioned? Additionally, it is thrown in at the end that the Romans came through a portal from their own world to Pengu. It left me confused and wondering if it was a mistake in the early-on world-building or if it was intentional to leave the reader in the dark until the end. The whole separate universe was not clear.

Finally, my biggest gripe with the novel is the romance between Ruying and Antony. I am unsure what the author's intent was to include this as she condemns Ruying's oppression by the Romans, but has her fall in love with the Roman Prince. I cannot stand romance plots with clear power imbalances at play. Antony tries to entice Ruying with the idea that they can be equals, but Ruying does eventually realize they never will be. I'm unsure if the author included this romance line as a critique (even this seems generous), but it was not enjoyable to read about nonetheless.

The Author's Note provided context to the inspiration for the author, but I am still left wondering why she chose to tell the story in the way she did. Ruying's character development was behind closed doors (mainly with her powers) while the romance was put front and center. Many of the side characters also felt one-dimensional. The whole book felt very underdeveloped to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing group Ballantine for an early ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC!

I am going to begin with what I liked in this book as there were things I genuinely enjoyed!

- The aspects and discussions we got on opium drew me in. I am an absolute sucker for these types of stories (ex. when Meiya’s addiction was, albeit briefly?, explored and it shows the many faces of how addiction affects both the person and those around them.)

- I also found intriguing (when Ruyuing wasn’t commenting on Antony’s jade green eyes) the parts we got about the absolute hell Er-Lang is in. In these instances, although it’s from a 1st person perspective, it’s clear we’re telling a story of brutal colonization, death, and destruction.

- The last thing that sticks out is Baihu’s character, as I found his to be the most interesting and do wish he had more opportunities on the page. While there are a plethora of gripes I have with this book, his character is not one of them. (Baihu save me… save me… save me Baihu)

MOVING ONTO MY GRIPES!!!
(and my, there are plenty to go around. I definitely won’t be able to touch upon them all, but I’ll do my best.)
- First and foremost, this is straight up a colonizer romance and a VERY abusive one at that (naturally, those type of relations are going to be but 1.) this is my first, hopefully last, colonizer romance and 2.) I have no idea the usual threshold for… those types of behaviors in these books.)
- I do not think the marketing was appropriate at all. Calling this a (not verbatim) “true enemies to lovers'” and a “star crossed lovers” was… definitely a choice. I did, however, think the ending, where Baihu shows Ruying all the plentiful awful things Antony has done to her, her family/friends, and her people, was a good way to show this so desperately needed wake up call for her.

- Besides that, the world building was lacking. Maybe this’ll be something expanded on in the future books in this series, because it really did not make sense at a first glance.
Fictional Medieval (?) China named Er-Lang with minimal defensive forces (weapons, etc) and Rome (like the real life Rome) that colonizes Er-Lang from a sky portal and has very advanced artillery and military.
- Maybe I got that wrong? Let me know because I genuinely don’t know how to explain this world in a way that makes sense. The amount of times a car just showed up and I had to pause a moment cause I was still in Er-Lang in my head… too many.

- Back to Ruying and Antony for just a moment, apologies for my scatterbrain-like review. I was not expecting the egregious amounts of green eye mention, (shout out to all my jade-green eyed people i guess lmao) and it seemed to come out of nowhere, like we get it, the white dude has green eyes… can we get back to the darker themes now??

Anyways, overall this book left me feeling really disappointed as it was one of my more highly anticipated books of 2024 This had a lot of potential if the romance simply did not. Exist. I can only hope the rest of the series will pivot completely and stay true to what the ending of this book showed. I swear one day I will win in picking ARCs to read. Until then I’ll just stew in my mild disappointment. 2/5

I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

While this story started a bit slow for me, it was fascinating in moments. I am captivated by the discourse on general morality, as well as hints at global warming and greed. It asks the question, what would you be willing to do for those you love, and would they appreciate it or loathe you for it. Would it be a simple choice, or one you battled daily. Ruying could be seen as the villain by some, or someone simply desperate for some stability and protection. Overall we get a good look at inside her mind, but I wish we saw more of Antony’s thoughts. Ruying is said to be blessed by Death, and I’m curious to see if more deity discussion comes later in the story. Is it magic? Is it science? Is it both? The duality of existence, beliefs, and character are so strongly represented and push the reader to reevaluate judgments, perceptions, and the like of characters. .

I’m excited to see where she takes the story in a sequel, to hopefully see more of the interaction between magic and science, and to re-read the story in the final published edition!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for the ARC.

I got this ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m going preface this with a few things:

First, I am well aware of the situation involving the racist review bombing in which one extremely insecure person targeted POC debut authors, this book being one of the targets. I heard of this book before I heard of the situation. I don’t remember if I added this book on Goodreads before I heard about this, but I did request the book on NetGalley after I heard about the situation. Not only do these targeted attacks harm the author, but the actions of this person really puts me as a reviewer in a tough spot.

Second, I am weird when it comes to fantasy. I have found that I typically am not really into a fantasy upon initial reading, but I like it better upon the second reading, if I didn’t initially hate it. I’ve had several fantasy books I was “meh” about, but then read a second time and was obsessed. And this one falls into that category where it was “meh,” but I am willing to give it a second chance when the finished book is released.

I really do like Molly X Chang’s writing style. It has a nice flow and voice and she incorporates beautiful (and story-relevant) Chinese proverbs into her story. I do think she has great potential in her writing.

The structuring of this story was a bit off. It felt long-winded at times and the plot doesn’t really show up until the end of the book. The first three or so chapters kind of drag because they are so long-winded and not a lot happens. It gets interesting for a few chapters, but then there’s a huge time jump. It felt like this was supposed to be a stand alone rather than a series and it was needlessly drawn out. Some of the world building was all over the place and it was hard to figure out what exactly was going on.

The romance I can see people having a huge problem with. I really didn’t feel anything for Ruying-Antony. Antony is a colonizer and does quite a few despicable things, but when he tries to woo Ruying, it comes across as manipulative and he really doesn’t do a lot, in my opinion, to win Ruying’s affection. Maybe he does a few good things, but with that time jump, there really isn’t that time to get to find a reason to really like Antony, and maybe that’s the point, you’re not supposed to like him,m. And Ruying is very hesitant the entire book and would rather see him as a friend. I could see this as a cautionary tale of the dangers of ignoring horrible actions of a person just because they were nice to you and gave you affection. The final revelation could’ve been heartbreaking for the reader if the reader was also charmed by Antony and felt something for that romance. I’m kind of curious what this world and this relationship is going to have going forward because I think that Ruying is going to double-cross Antony based on her saying she “lied” about trusting him in the end, because Antony deserves it.

In the end, I am willing to give this another chance. This author does have potential. I may or may not reread this once book two comes out, but I will purchase a finished copy prior to reading book 2 so I can have the finished product rather than an ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy and thank you to the author for your talents. I am excited to see where your career takes you.