Thanks to netgalley and Molly X Chang for the advanced copy for my honest review.

I would give this a 3.5/5, but I'm going to round up to 4.

I liked some pieces of her writing style. However, the format was weird. The pacing was kind of all over the place, and the main character is complicated but dumb. I thought the romance was going to be good when I thought the romantic interest was someone else. The colonizer romance didn't really sit right with me, plus we even got 1 random chapter with his point of view.

Overall, it was an easy read, and I don't regret reading it. I will probably give the sequel a chance when it comes out to see if it gets better. I did love the concept and am intrigued to see where they go from here..

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the book was exquisite. The attention to detail, the world-building, the pace. Molly knocks it out of the park each and every time but once you hit a certain point, it's all just a swing and a miss.

As others have said a supposed love interest out of a colonizer and oppressor is a weird place to take this, when by her own admission, the historic context for this is deeply personal to the author. I don't know what the plans are for this obvious start to a series, but I shouldn't have to have access to the bigger picture to make the first book palatable.

The stakes are high, to be clear, but the fact that the main character is able to justify horror to herself for any length of time just makes her seem weaker than the rest of the cast. She was faced with a hard choice to be fair but the concessions she had to make in the meantime are odd. Go ahead and lump an Emperor into that too. There's being silent in the face of something bigger than you, and then there's whatever this is. The end is a big ole bummer that relies too heavily on you going into the next book to redeem anyone. And I don't know how many of us can realistically do that.

I think the message got confused in what could have otherwise been a home run.

I found "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" to be an interesting story and enjoyable read; however, I can understand why not all readers feel the same. Some readers commend its intricate world-building, exploring themes of war, addiction, and a nuanced magic system. However, others find the initial pacing slow and repetitive, struggling to connect with the morally ambiguous protagonist, Ruying. The narrative gains momentum with intense action sequences and moral dilemmas but falters with rushed plot transitions and a lack of character depth. Despite mixed reviews, the novel's compelling concept, captivating setting, and engaging magic system keep readers guessing, making it a worthwhile (even if imperfect) read.

What an interesting book! It felt very fresh for me and I seem to have fallen into an Asian myth/history inspired rabbit hole. The author is a stunning writer and I will absolutely be checking out what she does next. I really appreciate that she has taken something from her family’s history and has inspired her work. As someone who also comes from an immigrant family background, this really resonated with me, even though our families are not from similar cultures. Will be recommending a lot and this will make perfect gifts for upcoming friends’ birthdays!

This was an absolute delight to read! The feminine rage and desperation woven in with evil fake gods that dominate a culture that isn’t theirs is just fabulous. I absolutely loved this and can’t wait for more from this author!

What would you be willing to sacrifice for your family? Ruying must decide to use her destructive magic to save her family from poverty and ruin. But what does that decision do to her?

Thanks to #NetGalley for a review copy of #ToGazeUponWickedGods.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods gives us a true morally gray character in Ruying. She's an assassin, but she's doing it for the right reasons. Right? Or is she serving the ultimate evil? Seeing her struggle with this question and trying to figure out who she should really trust makes this book really interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from this first book. I really love Ruying's character and her power is almost sentient, which gives the story greater depth. My only issue with this book was that it seemed to move too slowly and I went through times when I caught my skimming the page just to get to the next thing. A big part of that is my own reading preferences. I don't do well with lyrical or flowery language, which this book actually does really well.

If you enjoy YA fantasy with a twist on political intrigue, social hierarchies, and wartime betrayal - and a dash of romance - this book is probably one you'll want on your TBR.

If I can impart any single piece of information with this review, it’s this: do not read the author’s note until you’ve finished the book.

Usually, I wouldn't mention this since the author’s notes are at the end of the book but for some reason, this one is placed at the very beginning (at least in the ARC I read). (If I can speculate, I think the author’s note was placed at the start of the book to preemptively assuage concerns from the reader about the villain/protagonist romance.)

The author’s note mentions one specific historical event that will basically spoil the plot twist and ending of the book. It certainly did for me.

Now on to reviewing the actual book.

The worldbuilding in this book is pretty rough. There are huge info-dumps in the first few chapters and a lot of clunky expository dialogue where characters bring up things (eg: past history, in-universe historical events, etc) that they both already know and are aware that the other person knows too.

I found myself becoming increasingly irritated and annoyed by the main character, Ruying, as the book went on. Her thoughts are extremely repetitive and take up so much of the book. We almost never learn anything new about Ruying, about the world, about any of the characters from these internal monologues. That would already be bad enough but her actions also frequently and inexplicably go against her repetitive internal monologue that immediately preceded it. We will literally have pages of her thoughts (rehashing the same thing as the last chapter and every chapter before that) followed by her acting the complete opposite of how she was just thinking. This makes it feel as if her thoughts are completely irrelevant to the story and only there to fill space. For example, <spoiler> Ruying is given a “test” by Antony before becoming his assassin where she is required to kill someone without her powers. She has already agreed to be his private assassin in the previous chapter and we’ve spent pages upon pages being walked through her thought process in coming to this decision. We’re told again and again that she is willing to do ANYTHING to protect her sister and grandmother. And then when she is given the gun to kill this person, she just… refuses. The author knows that Antony is going to give her one more chance to prove herself to him because she’s writing the damn thing but Ruying has no reason to believe that. She believes that Antony is going to kill her on the spot for her refusal (and then kill her sister and grandmother) because that is what he has basically promised to do. So why does she refuse? WHO KNOWS because it goes against everything she has been thinking up to this moment. </spoiler> Ruying’s repetitive internal thoughts are only aggravated by the prose which frequently uses choppy sentences to emphasize things. Like this. And again. And again.

This book also has a pacing problem. Approximately 30% of the book occurs between when Antony first asks her to become his private assassin and her actually agreeing to it. It’s just pages and pages of her having the same circular arguments with herself, her self-hating internal monologue, and Antony repeating the same “just trust me, it’s for the greater good” line. And after all of this, once she actually becomes Antony’s private assassin, <spoiler> we don’t even get to see her first assassination and the aftermath of it. We don’t get to see the first 48 assassinations because they’re all glossed over in a single chapter. </spoiler>

Ruying is not a morally gray protagonist. She’s just a somewhat naive, vaguely stupid, and extremely self-loathing one. I was so disappointed by how the narrative bends itself backward to ensure that Ruying is never actually given a real choice and thus never makes the morally gray (or even outright horrific) choice. For example, we’re told early on that Ruying is scared of using her Gift because of a traumatic event from her childhood. <spoiler> Did she kill another child with her Gift because she was angry/upset and 7-year-olds don’t have impulse control and can’t comprehend the concept of death? No, that would be actually morally gray. Instead, let’s have another child literally try to murder her with their Gift and have Ruying act only in self-defense. But we’ll just make her hate herself for it and call it morally gray. </spoiler> Ruying’s Gift is literally the ability to kill anyone and she <spoiler> NEVER kills a single person before she is forced to. Before Ruying becomes Antony’s assassin and notwithstanding the childhood incident, she NEVER kills someone with or without her powers. She just temporarily incapacitates them. She never even wants to kill someone or thinks about killing someone. </spoiler>

Ruying is doing what I can only describe as a stupid version of Pascale’s wager. In this world, many people believe that magical powers (referred to as a Gift) are blessings from the gods and that emperors are descendants of the gods. Ruying basically alternates between not believing in these myths and following superstition “just in case.” It becomes clear that customs/superstitions are important to Ruying only when the plot needs her to not take the obvious course of action and are basically ignored when not needed as a plot device. It makes the world feel very fake and hollow.

The main tension in the story is this: Ruying agrees to assassinate members of the anti-colonial resistance to prevent a doomed revolution rather than have herself and her family killed. Has she made the correct decision?

The arguments made against Ruying’s decision (made by Ruying herself, her sister, Baihu, etc) are convoluted, contradictory, and laughably weak. Billions of people in the real world have lived under colonialism and imperialism at some point in time. There have been serious ethical and moral arguments made against collaborating with the colonial occupying power. The author chooses to have her side characters make none of them. Instead, they are portrayed as overly emotional, hysterical, borderline suicidal, and idealistic. In particular, the arguments between Ruying and her sister are ridiculous. I got the feeling that everything the characters say during an argument is written to lead to a pre-determined ending instead of attempting to portray real human interaction. I simply can’t believe that this wasn’t intentional on the part of the author to allow Ruying to wallow in self-pity while leading the reader to the conclusion that Ruying has no other choice. Ruying constantly berates herself for being a coward and a traitor but never ever tries to think of a way out of her situation. The plan that Ruying comes to at the very end of the book (after the plot twist) should have been one of the first things she (and anyone else for that matter) thought of. But the author goes to great lengths to avoid having any character bring up this option before that final scene.

I’m also not sure why this book was written as YA because I frequently felt that the genre was constraining the content/tone of the story. This is supposed to be an extremely violent and grim colonial/imperialist regime but so much if it is described vaguely or occurs off-page. Ruying is 19 years old, Antony is 20 years old, and Baihu is 20 years old. There is no reason why it couldn’t be an adult fantasy book.

I enjoyed the book, and I'd recommend it. It's not my favorite, but I think it's interesting and tells a good story.

The first 20% was mostly world-building about the war and occupation, the terrible effects of opian addiction, and a bit about the magic system. While the author’s note set my expectations for historical influence, I still felt like the beginning was a little slow, depressing, and repetitive.

When Ruying and the prince struck their bargain, the pace shifted between short intense action sequences, slow repetitive discussions about war and morality, and Ruying’s internal turmoil.

I struggled to get into a rhythm with this book. It was bleak, without hope. The morally gray MC was hard to root for because while I sympathize that she was trapped by an impossible situation, she didn’t try to discover the truth of the prince’s character or to learn more about the political manipulations at play. She was constantly ashamed yet arguing with others about her righteous actions. She eventually learned the truth only when others forced her to.

I also couldn’t get on board with the romantic tension between her and the prince, even after the abrupt POV shift to him for one chapter at the 85% mark.

Overall, the concept was interesting but I couldn’t connect enough with the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

So I did enjoy parts of this story though it did drag a bit.

I’m thinking this may not be my cup of tea but maybe others will like it.

I liked Ruying in the beginning but then my dislike of her began to take precedence and it made it hard to reconnect to the story. I do understand her actions.. sort of. Maybe. Some of them.

Was not a fan of any of the potential love interests. After the ending, it may not be the love triangle that I thought.

I actually liked Ruying’s sister more than her 🙈

I wish we had more information about the gods and I’m hoping that’ll be touched on more in book 2 since this is showing it’s a series.

Good news: there really isn’t a cliff hanger.

Also, the POVs: it was mainly Ruying but there were randomly 2 others and the one I could sort of understand.. the other POV I felt was unnecessary bc it only happened once. If we would’ve had a couple more POVs in this person’s dialogue.. it would’ve made more sense.. but I digress.

Will I read the sequel? Hm, I’m not sure. It really just depends.
Do I recommend this? Maybe. I think others will def like this but personally, it’s not my cup of tea.

I really enjoyed this book, I did feel like it was too fast in some spots like when it jumped 6 months seemingly out of the blue. I’m definitely buying this when it comes out and have already recommended his book to others. I loved the setting and the magic system! It definitely kept me reading through the whole book and kept me guessing.

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley.

Unfortunately, I have decided to leave this book unfinished at 56%. I have read through the end of chapter 26, but have found that I am struggling to have interest in the rest of the story. It is a story with lots of potential, but there is little action and too much telling and explaining. The main character has spent the majority of the book discussing her decisions, and continues to waver and doubt herself over and over again. It is uninspiring to me and I find it hard to connect with her. As a result, I am not interested in finding out what will be happening next.

I really wanted to like this book. It reads much like a historical fiction, and the magic system is unique. I can see some types of readers really enjoying the story and the world rich in culture and conflict. But that person isn't me.

Thank your for the opportunity to read this book, and I look forward to more opportunities to review new books.

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.