Thank you Random House and NetGalley for supplying the ARC.

First off I have to say that the cover art is beautiful and would make a lovely book to have on display. The concept of a character having powers relating to death is pretty cool and looking forward to how it would be handled.

Unfortunately this book was so difficult to get through. I’ve sat here reflecting on the book, trying to think of what I was going to write in this review but I don’t really have anything to say. From the start I knew I would struggle with the writing because there was so much telling, so much information dumped onto the reader that in order to absorb anything, I had to reread a few times. And then the main character would repeat things over and over. Girl, we know your dad is dead and your sister is dying. We. Get. It. The writing didn’t leave room for the reader to infer or speculate on anything. It also was filled with endless platitudes and cliches that I rolled my eyes so many times I thought they’d get stuck! I wanted to DNF the book within the first few chapters but I pushed through and at no point did it captivate me.
I’m not interested in reading the sequel and learning more about these characters. The plot left much to be desired and the world was lackluster. I wish I had more positive things to say. The author’s note was sweet and hopeful… and the ending was promising but not enough to make me want to continue on with the story.

Also why did a chapter end with “but…”? Why did we get a random pov from another character near the end of the book AND it was in a different pov tense? This book feels like a draft that needs to go through a few more revisions because reading through this narrative voice was like chewing on leather.

First, I’d like to thank NetGalley for approving this book for me. I really enjoyed it! The author has a loving writing style, her words dance on the page. I found it a little repetitive at times, but it didn’t take away from the story. A few grammatical errors which I’m sure will be caught in the final stages before released to the public. Look forward to checking this author out in the future.

This book had me gripped from the first sentence, Ruying is auch a good fmc and I loved the sibling bond and friendship bond . The aspects of the royals having Godly blood was interesting twist that I enojed . I am also ping there is a sequal as the cliffhanger has me wanting more of Ruying and Baihu

Overall really enjoyed this one. Though it took a beat to settle into this world, and there were some moments where the pacing lagged for me, I enjoyed it and this really unique setting and story! A wonderful debut

I thought this book was very well written. I love the plot of Ruying controlling death. I found her powers to be interesting. I love the Chinese mythology inspiration used through the book. I like how Molly really captured the internal and external conflict war brings. While I found Antony’s character revelation to be slightly predictable I still enjoyed it.

I would definitely recommend this book and will be picking up the second.

Whew do I have feelings about this book! I was hooked from almost the very first page, drawn in by Ruying's struggle for survival under the yoke of Rome. I liked that while Chang's use of Rome as the colonizing power provided some potential familiarity for the reader, this was still something new and different from the world we know, just with enough similarities for us to recognize certain elements. Also the magic system was so interesting, especially Ruying's magic. I can't wait to see what comes next in the rest of this series.
Ruying was such a tough, damaged heroine just clinging to the barest chance of survival for herself and her family. The dynamic between Ruying and her grandmother (though sparing in the course of the novel) is so beautiful and sweet and sad all at the same time, and the dynamic between Ruying and Meiya was heartbreakingly full of misunderstandings and an unwillingness to listen to each other (I mostly landed on Ruying's side in their arguments but that's likely because I spent all my time in Ruying's head rather than Meiya's).
Now onto the meat and potatoes of the book: Ruying and Antony. I will admit that the blurb for the book is a little misleading and gives the impression that this relationship will be a romance. But it became very clear to me early on that what was between them never could be a romance because of the vast power imbalance between them and the ways in which Antony manipulates Ruying throughout the book. <spoiler> There were certainly times when these scenes threw me for a loop, when Ruying's desire to believe Antony was telling the truth and actually was as good as he purported to be. It wasn't until almost the end of the book that it hit me why that affected me so; those scenes and Ruying's desire to believe him were giving me flashbacks to my own childhood and my desire to believe my dad despite suspecting he was lying to me. I had wanted to believe in my father's goodness just as much as Ruying wanted to believe in Antony's and sadly with similar end results (well, not as drastic obviously, but it still hurt). Throughout most of the book, part of me was hoping Antony would turn out to actually be a good guy while in the back of my mind I suspected that he was just as evil as everyone else kept telling Ruying. And the blow when she found out how right they all were, oof that hurt and brought up a lot of childhood feelings all over again. So thanks, Molly X. Chang, for taping into the deep well of my childhood trauma with your anti-colonialism story about a girl with the power of Death. Also I do think Antony has convinced himself that he does love Ruying, but he doesn't actually love her, because people like him can't really love anyone. They can't let themselves be the kind of vulnerable that love requires to exist. I think he believes he loves her, and I'm scared to see what he might do due to that belief in the next book, but it certainly adds a juicy twist imo. </spoiler>
This is definitely a book that will stick with me for a while and will also leave me wanting more, which sucks because it'll probably be a while before the second book comes out. But either way, if you want to try a new and inventive fantasy brimming with magic, betrayal, manipulation, anti-colonialism sentiment, and a prickly heroine who can suck the life out of people, give this book a try.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed it.

In a war between science and magic, who would win? It turns out the answer is probably science. Ruying spends the first half of the book raging about the tragedies brought upon her people. They have been colonized and opressed under a fictional Rome. What originally brought me to this book was the promise of a grand, starcrossed lovers romance, but what it actually was was a romance riddled with a gross unbalanced power dynamic between the prince of Rome, and Ruying, who he is obviously manipulating. The topics presented in this book should not have been handled without any mention of this romance. There were also several time skips that seemed to be in the wrong place, and added more questions about what was going on. The book is on the surface, very shallow, as these time skips skip pivotal information and events during them. A few redeeming qualities are the beautiful cover and the remergance of an angry, driven main character near the end. Thank you to publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest reveiw.

I went into this book thinking this was supposed to be a fantasy with romance. It's not. It's certainly not a romantasy. What Ruying feels--even romantic feelings--are all a product of the situation in which she is placed. They are a part of the choices she has to make and the new beliefs and feelings she has about her world and its oppressors, caught on the brink of war. I think some reading this book misunderstand the romantic elements in this book to be part of a love story, but to me they feel more like part of Ruying's personal journey toward the decisions she makes at the end.

Prior to reading To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, I saw reviews that called out the book as problematic because of a romance between an oppressor and the oppressed. Now that I've read the book, it's not the book that is problematic, it is the romance. The romance is meant to be problematic. Ruying knows it is problematic. That is made clear from the start. We hear her thoughts about her feelings throughout. These are feelings she does not want to have; feelings she believes she should not have. It would follow that the reader should be feeling that too. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods does not romanticize colonization or colonizers. What it does do is give us a window into the mind of a young woman who often feels outcast and unworthy and who is undergoing severe trauma and trying not to lose her humanity in the process.

Given all that, there are some things I believe could have been done better. The worldbuilding doesn't feel complete. Why is "Rome" a power? Is the realm Rome exists in like our own, some future time period, or entirely different? I would have liked to have a more thorough description of the magical realm. We know it has multiple empires, has gods, myths and religions of its own. but I couldn't get a true feel of its scope or politics.

Additionally, most of the action was off page, especially once Ruying is taken into custody by Rome. We hear Ruying's thoughts about things that she did, but we don't actually see her do them. Even her feelings towards Antony often seemed to grow and change off page rather than through interactions that we actually get to see. As such, the book felt insular and slow-paced at times. The pace didn't speed up until the last quarter of the book, when most of the important action occurred.

Overall, I admire the complexities To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods sets upon the reader. The horrors of war; the inhumanity of occupation, the degrading allure of power, are all woven into a story that has magic, but feels all too real given the world we live in today. 3.5 stars.

Molly X. Chang's gripping story "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" takes place in a universe where magic and technology clash and revolves around power struggles, sacrifice, and moral quandaries. Ruying, the main character, is a fascinating figure whose internal conflict between morality and duty propels the story along. Chang creates a vividly detailed world that feels both familiar and foreign in her colorful and engrossing prose. Thought-provoking topics like loyalty, treachery, and the nature of power are explored in the novel, and the moral ambiguity of the characters gives the plot more nuance. Particularly fascinating is the relationship between Ruying and the Antony, which blurs the boundaries between betrayal and trust and friend and foe, enemies to lovers! All things considered, "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" is an engrossing book, if you enjoy fantasy and political intrigue this book is for you. This book stands out in the genre thanks to Chang's deft narrative and nuanced characters, and I'm excited to read more from this gifted author.

ok so this was really good.
but also I really disliked the romance?

Kind of a toss up really. If you're uncomfortable with the romance, you might still love it.
I did not like how romanticized the MMC and their love story were but the FMC and world building somewhat made it up for it.

But the cover is gorgeous!

I was seriously blown away by this book. Like I’m still thinking about it a week later 😳

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X Chang is a powerful story about Ruying, a young woman with the magical power over death. In a world where her land is colonized by the Roman Empire, she learns what freedom really means and what she is willing to do to protect those she loves.

I’m EXTREMELY picky about YA books (I blame my slow descent into becoming a crone). If you are like me and feel like you are slowly aging out of YA fantasy, you need to read this. The themes, the worldbuilding, the characters are all so profoundly created that it delivers the high stakes of an adult fantasy. The story is heartbreaking but in such an amazing way - you see how Ruying grows and how, despite her many flaws, she does her best despite the circumstances. You can’t help but feel for her as she reconciles her feelings and existence with the greater picture of calamity around her.

This story has many themes about colonization, racism, class, and gender. These topics were expertly woven into the fabric of the story and were all the more poignant because of their delivery in the plot. I think this is one of my favorite anti-colonialism books of all time: Ruying really has a deep moment of reflection at the end of the story which will hit home for anyone who has had to realize the dire nature of their circumstances and the need to rebel as a matter of survival.

My only critique is that the pacing was slightly off, and that the romance wasn’t as strong as it could’ve been (although I’m sure we’ll see more in the next book that may develop it further).

All in all, this is a must read for every YA fantasy lover - run, dont walk, to preorder this!

3.5 stars

This is a book that made me so uncomfortable and I was so tempted to DNF. But I’m actually really glad I stuck with it because the very end was worth it and I think the next book should be really powerful.
These characters are not easy to like. I’m not entirely sure we’re supposed to. Ruying is in an incredibly tough position, choosing/being forced to work with the enemy doing bad things to protect those she loves. And we dance on the edge of a knife the entire book with the potential for a romance with Antony, who is essentially her captor. And let me tell you I did NOT want a romance to develop. I was tense the entire book over it.
This book really explores the devastation of colonialism and what the colonized peoples do: do they rebel, do they submit, do they collaborate? And when their lives and the lives of those they love are at stake, can we truly blame them for whichever path they choose? I mean yes, obviously we do blame them, but aren’t the invaders ultimately who we need to blame. And is peace at the cost of freedom really peace?
So, super complex feelings to sort through. But like I said, the end opens it up for what I think will be a book I really want to read. So I will absolutely continue the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

There are two worlds: Pangu, a world of magic based on the mythology and beliefs of China, and Rome, a world of science, dying of its own waste products - until a scientist finds a way to create portals from Rome to Pangu.

Yang Ruying is a native of Pangu, a Xianling, possessed of magic - in her case, a magic that allows her to drain the qi of those around her, killing them in the process. Antony is a prince of Rome, devoted to his mission, which is to find a way to use the resources of Pangu to save Rome. The two meet by chance, and Antony learns is Ruying’s power - and conceives a plan to use her to help him, willingly or not. As their two worlds collide, each works with the other to their own ends. Recommended for teens and adults.

I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the world building and magical elements in this book but I did not enjoy the oppressed and oppressor dynamic. The male characters, mainly Antony, treated Ruying like a prize or object to be won and controlled. There was very little romance and it was hard to even picture Ruying ever falling for Antony after the way he treats her. Also, the plot twist with Antony was predictable but also very disturbing. Overall, I think this type of fantasy is just not for me.

Overall, 2.75 stars

Molly X. Chang crafts a phenomenal Asian fantasy story full of action, romance and intrigue with To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods which I feel is a standout in the fantasy genre.

3.5 rounded up to 4⭐️

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is an enthralling YA fantasy/sci-fi debut steeped in Chinese culture and mythology. Molly Chang’s prose is absolutely brilliant and I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Chinese proverbs throughout her characters’ dialogues. I think this is a very promising beginning to a riveting series.

Things I liked:
— Morally grey FMC
• For the safety of her remaining family, Ruying accepts a deal with the prince of the colonizing forces of Rome to work as his personal secret assassin. Her magical prowess gives her a lethal edge that operates as a double edged sword giving her a taste of power she could easily access…but at what cost? Ruying battles personal convictions of her morals and loyalties and is faced with decisions that could alter the course of her country’s future.

— Cultural imagery
• Molly did an excellent job of infusing cultural values within her story. Familial loyalty, honor, and respect all displayed so beautifully in her storytelling!

— World building
• At times, I felt the method of world building veered more towards info-dumping but I see this as something that can be easily improved upon for the next installment(s)! I found this world to be so interesting with a clear depiction of a very unique magic system. Each scene played in my head like a movie and I still find myself replaying certain parts - the arena, the water ship, the hostel in the woods. Really loved how so much of this world is inspired by Chinese history.

Things I’m thinking about:
— Stronger pacing
• Some chapters could definitely be interpreted as repetitive and I felt this made it difficult to fully engage with the story.

— Consistent POV
• I saw one other review that mentions a sudden switch in pov for one chapter and honestly…I kind of liked it! But definitely think if a different pov is going to be included, it should remain equal if not somewhat consistent with the main pov to help with pacing.

— Colonizer love interest?
• I understand why the author chose to go this route for a love interest because the story is loosely based on the colonization of Manchuria. And as a woman of color, it is well within Molly’s rights to create a storyline within this realm as this was most certainly a reality that captives experienced with their captors. While it was definitely conflicting, I wasn’t completely turned off by this, as the nature of Antony’s character felt similarly to the early days of Tahereh Mafi’s Aaron Warner (the book girlies love him 🫶🏻) but I still feel very conflicted with his character as the writing seems to encourage the reader to root for him and Ruying as a unit while there are some major red flags that make it difficult to know how we as readers are meant to feel towards him. If this lack of clarity is intentional, I hope the next book solidifies where exactly our loyalties should lie.

This book is marketed as a “romantasy” but the romance takes up maybe 15% of the story, with one very chaste kiss and the rest is mainly ideation (also very chaste). I don’t mind this because I thought the plot was strong enough to keep me drawn in, but if you’re reading this for the sake of “romantasy,” this might not be the best book for you. Think more historical fiction fantasy with some romance elements and you’ll more likely enjoy this a lot more!

Will very excitedly look forward to future installments!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine, Del Rey for this advanced copy!

Chang takes readers on an exciting journey that explores a world filled with magic that has been colonized by the Romans and their use of science. This pairing of magic versus science is one that I don't see often, which I appreciated and enjoyed reading about. The FMC, Ruying, has the ability to take a person's life by draining their qi and the MMC, Antony, is one of the princes of Rome. Antony forces Ruying to become his personal assassin through threats towards those that Ruying loves.

What I think Chang does really well is helping readers understand why Ruying makes the choices that she does. We get a great sense of family and the need to protect them at all costs. We also see Ruying's internal struggles being forced to kill but justifying it to keep her loved ones safe. Ruying loves her people and her land and wants to believe those who present an option for peace. It is this love though that keeps her entrapped in a loop of bad decisions and is the main driver for this book. I personally think this was so well done. One of my biggest gripes in books is when I can't understand why a character makes the choices that they do, which I'm very happy to say was not the case here.

My biggest complaint is the romance. I wish readers had more chances to see them interact on page instead of being told of the time our leads were spending together off page. This would have made the "romance" more believable to me. Instead we hear about how hot Antony is even though he's forcing her to kill for him and she knows its wrong. It's a never ending circle of he threatens her, she kills for him, he promises her peace and to be a hero, and then repeat. Ruying is aware that he's not a good guy but it is okay because he's attractive. I've seen reviews that complain about the romance between oppressor and the person being oppressed. I will say yes, that is the case. I would not classify this as a romantasy, but maybe more dark romance? I'm not exactly sure. I think the Stockholm Syndrome would have been more believable if we saw them interact more on page? This is where I'm ultimately struggling. I didn't feel like Chang was championing us to fall for Antony either. She makes it pretty clear that he's not a good person and manipulates Ruying the entire book. I never sympathized with his character and I believe Ruyling was more in love with his ideals and the world he promised and that was coupled with feeling like she owed him something for saving her life.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am intrigued about the direction it is going, especially after the last 10% of the book.

Thank you to Ballantine, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the ARC!

I don't know how to explain this but I'd say a 3 star rating in the sense that I was irritated with Ruying and the overall colonizer romance, but I have faith that the second book will make everything worth it... so maybe a hopeful 3 stars.

I liked it! A quick note, this isn't YA, but I do think it is meant to be a crossover. The MC is 19 and the LI is 20. I see lots of people calling it YA.

This hit all my favorite boxes. It's a true enemies-to-lovers setup, though since it is the first in a series so I can only guess as to what the ending for the ship here will be. These guys are definitely enemies. There's a clear oppressed/opressor setup, which isn't for everyone. It's a dark romance in that sense. The power dynamics are tilted in one direction. But, I was totally here for it. I see people comparing it to Warner/Juliet in Shatter Me, which I would hesitate to do until I see the ending, but I can definitely see where they're getting that idea. If you don't like the power dynamic issues in your ships or are upset by true enemies-to-lovers arcs, this story might not be for you.

I'm always a fan of war plots. I love seeing how they're setup, I love seeing the internal politics of each side, and I love seeing the chess game play out. We see very little of Rome, only getting that they are dying from natural disasters (implied climate crisis?) and are desperate to save themselves and found some kind of portal to a new multiverse that has magic, but not science and there is major conflict of how they want to go about saving themselves. And then on Pangu's side they have been invaded and there are five prominent countries that are trying to fend off the invasion. These five countries have different ideas on how to do that. The emperors and the heirs of these countries have different ideas of how to do that. Basically, it's realistic. There are many ideas on how to handle everything and who will win out is where the biggest intrigue comes for me.

At the center of our point of view is Ruying, whose magic is in weilding death and manipulating qi. She takes it from people and they die because of it. (I have some spoilerish thoughts about how her power might solve some larger scale issues later) and she struggles to find her place in the conflict. She is torn on how to put her power to use. How can she make a difference?

Idk the story really worked for me. Who hasn't found themselves trying to navigate politics and figure out where they stand and how to 'be the change'? Ruying is pulled in lots of different directions and has lots of internal conflict trying to pick the right choice out of a handful of bad choices. It would be great if the world had black and white choices, but things are never that simple.

It's also the first book of a trilogy, so there's so much room for her to grow and learn and decide. I actually can't wait to see how it will all play out.

Would recommend if you like dark fantasy, enemies to lovers, and political intrigue.

Thank you to Ballantine, Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the arc!

thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc read in exchange for an honest review! this review has been posted to goodreads as of 2/12/2024

i was really anticipating this read, the cover is lovely, the description is captivating and unfortunately it falls off from there. the first chapter alone took me an agonizing amount of time to read. the writing structure felt very choppy and disengaging. the premise of a girl with death powers living in a colonized country under Rome felt like the perfect set up for the most vivid and unique world building. and i was disappointed that instead, the world building was a lot of repetitive info dumping that wasn’t actually saying much of anything.

i absolutely see the appeal in this book, which is why i am so bummed that i felt as though, overall, the writing was very one dimensional.