I'm usually a sucker for this kind of story, but it failed to captivate me. I didn't really get the point of the romance. Why couldn't they just be captor and prisoner?

Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book before its release. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is set in a lush, well-built world based on Chinese mythology.

It is a much-needed departure from Western-centric fantasy. The FMC is likable and complex and is torn between using her 'gift' to save her family and what that choice may do to her as a person (both how she sees herself and her literal life).

I look forward to seeing what Molly X. Chang writes next!

Yang Ruying is cursed with death's magic. She lives in a great Empire fallen to Roman's command and when her gift is discovered by the Roman prince, she must decide who she is loyal to.

Inspired by Chinese mythology and trauma of Manchuria occupation, this is a story about fighting oppression. Chang draws a parallel between real world and fantasy- Manchuria colonized by foreign invaders and Pangu dominated by Rome. Pangu is a medieval-type world, which Er-Lang Dynasty is populated by Xianlings, bearer of magic. Rome is a world that relies on science and it suffers from the consequences of its own sins. Despite the info-dumping in the beginning that comes from a straightforward plot, I found the worldbuilding compelling. The contrast between magic x science is emphasized and several unclear parts will be further explored in the next books.

Ruying is not a conventional, idealized heroine - with ferocious nature, she's willing to do what it takes to survive and protect those she loves. When drowned by guilt, she often plays the pity game, which can be annoying at times. On the other hand, she can be ruthless at doing bad things for the greater good. Born in a cruel world, Chang crafts a morally gray character which messiness might not please every reader. The side characters are equally interesting and I was particular sad about the outcome of one character. (spoiler ahead) The colonizer romance, especially, can raise a red flag for some, even though the direction it takes was satisfying for me. (end of spoiler)

Woven demon and history, the story's strength is the examination of colonialism, addiction, power and sacrifices. With dramatic writing, Chang offers different sides of the war - a state not fully defined by 'black or white'. Between honor and survival, is freedom worth fighting for?

For those looking for THE POPPY WAR (R.F. Kuang) vibes, this debut fantasy is less complex and feels more like a romantasy. I am curious to see the overall development in the next installments.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A fast paced YA fantasy that makes some bold choices, showing the violence of war and colonialism and discussing the benefits of revolution versus surrender, while getting bogged down in a repetitive first person narration.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was a quick and easy read, but it's a short book that takes half its length to get to the premise mentioned in the blurb. It lives up to that premise though - Ruying does actually assassinate people (though we don't see that much of it on page) and I really loved that the book doesn't shy away from making Antony (the love interest) do some genuinely bad stuff. The story goes further than a lot of YA fantasy books with a similar premise would.

The reason I gave such a comparatively low rating is the writing itself. It really needed a few more rounds of editing - I have never read so many errors (missing words, tenses changing mid sentence, incorrect word choices like "hollowed oaths") in a traditionally published book. The errors might be fixed in the final version, but as it was in my copy it was very distracting to read.

But even aside from technical errors, the writing just wasn't very good. There were many awkward metaphors: "...in the blink of an eye, six months perished between taut fingers", "statues of marble and jade that cast fair shadows". There was so much repetition in Ruying's narration, she practically restates her doubts and the stakes of her situation at least once per chapter (and there are a lot of chapters). I think this is meant to emphasise her uncertainty and how much she is questioning her choices, but it needed to be dialled back.

Despite these issues I enjoyed the story and the ending left me intrigued for the sequel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

DNFing this at 52%, but I still want to review to give a little feedback. I read this as an arc, so of course I will give the many grammatical errors a pass. This to me is a whole lot of infodumping, and not a lot of plot moving- I felt like I was fighting myself to keep going with it. A lot of the conversations going on, especially within the first 1/4, feel very forced and unnatural. It had a feeling while reading that certain conversations were only happening for the purpose of world building for the reader. In my opinion, this takes a lot away from the immersion, which is the best part of reading a fantasy book. It felt like chapters upon chapters of telling but not showing, and in addition to that, it was not a lot of new information. I was reading multiple long internal monologues about how devastating the impact of Rome has been, but was not shown that impact in real time. One small thing that really bugged me throughout as well, was how often our characters "whispered", even at times that felt awkward and unnecessary. I do think that she has great bones here, and while I can't give a complete review due to not finishing, I still think it's important feedback, because you want readers to finish your book! In my opinion, almost 200 pages into the book, I want to be fully engaged and excited to keep reading.

This review will post on Fanbase Press closer to the publication date.

Yang Ruying resents the Roman invaders for destroying her beloved Er-Lang through opian, harsh laws, and disregard for local customs. Even though she possesses the rare Xianling ability to harness Death, her lack of training and fear for her grandmother’s and younger twin sister’s safety prevent her from drawing attention from the ruling classes. When you’re blessed by Death, it’s hard to fly below the radar, and one fateful encounter presents Ruying with a monumental decision. Will she use her ability for the benefit of a Roman prince, or will she hold onto her morals and lose everything?
Molly X Chang’s debut novel, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, presents a reality where magic and science exist in parallel spaces that only cross when the veil is forcibly ripped open. Many years before the start of the story Rome used their scientific prowess to do exactly that and wrenched a hole between their world and Pangu (Er-Lang is one of the nations that make up Pangu). Like typical colonizers they fail to see the local people as equals or even human, and several unequal treaties have given the Romans exorbitant power. Ruying blames the Romans for the death of her father and her family’s decline, but as a girl, she feels her only hope is allowing her grandmother to find her a husband outside of the capital. She despises her countrymen that work with the Romans but soon discovers that working with the second prince, Antony Augustus, could be the only way to protect those she loves.
I had to read To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods twice before trying to put my thoughts onto paper because the plot, foreshadowing, and world are so layered. First, Ruying is an incredibly complex protagonist given she fears her own abilities and considers herself a coward. This isn’t exactly someone I expected to find compelling, but as the book progressed I realized that Ruying is a realistically flawed human being. Without Er-Langian expectations that daughters are meek, mild, and modest, she wouldn’t have been so susceptible to Antony’s open admiration for her deadly magic. Ruying needs to be broken exactly as she is to be the right tool for her prince’s plans. By the final pages I stanned Ruying hard, even when I desperately wanted to shake her to help clear her head.
My feelings about Antony Augustus, the second prince of Rome and Ruying’s master, feel less clear. Even with the revelations in the last quarter of the book I can’t pinhole him neatly into the “villain” category, but his hat is definitely a very dark grey. I think that Antony believes his actions are justified, but he also willfully blinds himself to the harm he causes. The lies and half-truths he tells Ruying show that he knows she’ll feel anger and betrayal with his actions. However, part of me senses that while Antony is manipulative, he is also a hurting little boy who wants someone to accept him; he just no longer knows how to interact honestly with anyone. It doesn’t excuse his actions, but to me, it helps explain why he tries to hide the truth from Ruying for so long.
The elevator pitch for To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods might easily be girl with magical power over death becomes assassin for colonizing rulers, but it’s so much more complicated than that. Molly Chang blends fantastical scenarios with critique on colonization/appropriation while presenting a scenario where the strongest way to foment rebellion is to learn the ways of the oppressors from the inside. I’m still processing everything I read, but I know that I want to see the continuation of Ruying’s story. She deserves to grow into her strength and power to protect everything she holds dear.
5 Cases of the Yin and Yang of Life and Death out of 5

YA/New Adult Fantasy has been meh for me lately, which is a bummer because that’s my favorite genre. However, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was a pleasant surprise!

I liked the imagery of the writing, but I did not like the info dumping. I love world-building, but I want it organically and there was chunks in this book that just felt stuck there.

I also loved the Asian mythology in the story! I think this book would go over really well with the teen patrons of my library, so I’m excited to recommend it to them.

Overall, it gets a 3.5/5 (rounded to 4) from me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is hard for me to review. I *wanted* to love it so much more than I did. There *was* plenty to appreciate about it - the writing style, the enemies-to-lovers trope (my favorite), and the fact that the author did not pull punches when it came to some of the darker themes and aspects explored here. Not Disney-fied, which I appreciate. That said, I found myself reading small chunks of the book at a time, and never quite became fully immersed or invested in either the story or characters.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars. I look forward to seeing more from this author, who I believe has talent and promise.

OOHH this one was FUN!
We follow a young girl blessed by death who has to find a way to survive and protect her family in a world that does not want her or will not protect her. Magic in a world invaded by those who use advanced sciences.
We follow our heroine as she decides what role she will play; will she be docile, will she risk everything, or will she play it safe?
Personally, I loved it. The story was really compelling and the writing was really easy to follow. At the beginning, the world building was kind of clunky, and there was some information I feel could have been communicated more naturally, but it wasn’t horrible to get through. I loved the characters. I loved how Ruying made the perfect unpredictable narrator, she was naive and just trying her best. She was forced into a horrible situation and was forced to make ugly calls because of it. She has all the naivety that comes with being young, I need her to succeed.

That’s all I can say without spoilers. I loved this book!
4 ⭐️


Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for a copy of an eARC!

To start off, that cover and title are absolutely stunning. I am not ashamed it is the initial reason I clicked to request the ARC. The cover drew me in, but the premise hooked me.
I enjoyed the Rome invading Er-Lang aspect and I'm very curious to know exactly what timeline the Rome plot is taking place. Maybe I missed that. Maybe its not a big deal, I'm just curious. Is it current Rome had it not fallen? It can't be historical Rome with all the guns and ships. Yah, I'm a bit hung up on that.

Ruying. I like her. I like that she's morally grey but only because her family is her whole world and she's do anything to protect them, even serve her beloved world up on a platter. She's indecisive and an overthinker. The only thing I didn't like was the repetitive inner monologs.

Antony. You want to believe what he outs out, but there's just something missing. Too good to be true. And then when you find out....yikes. Oh Antony, not that I was rooting for you, because you're still an oppressor from Rome, but I thought you'd be better.

I'd like to see more of Ruyings sister and the Phantom in the next book. Maybe some POV from her would be a delightful mix to the story line. I didn't hate the one Antony POV chapter we got and maybe a few more sprinkled in instead of the same internal battles Ruying went through would add more to the storyline for me.
I'm excited to continue on with what looks to be a trilogy.

The premise had a lot of potential, but the execution unfortunately fell flat for me. The heroine wasn't morally grey enough for my taste, and I found her to be very inconsistent and indecisive. The love interest and their dynamic did not interest me either. The bloated writing style slowed down the pacing even more. However, I can see the real historical events that inspired this world, and there are certain other characters I'd like to see more of. Overall I think this book could've gone through another round of edits, but the potential is there, and I wouldn't be opposed to picking up the second book if the aforementioned elements are improved.

Thank you @netgalley for sending me an ARC of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods!
Ruying is a young woman from Er Lang , a conquered world dominated by Romans. She has the power of Death and when her power is discovered by Anthony, a Roman prince, she must become his private assassin to keep her family safe.
This is a very interesting and complex novel! You never fully know wh you can trust and several characters make good and bad points.
Ruying is a little frustrating at points. I understand why she had to become Anthony's assassin, but at the same time, I don't understand why she eve trusted her colonizer! Like, it's obvious that , even though he wants peace, he wants her world to submit to Rome. If he was secretly in the rebellion that would be a different story, but he's not. In fact, he lied to her several times. Joining the rebellion is the only way to free herself and her family from their opressors. After all, Anthony has threatened her and she still manages to fall in love with him.
I'm very interesting on the Xianling's powers and how their qi-cells work. I hope the next book dives further into this plot.
The ending made me hopeful that Ruying will join the rebellion and avenge her country. I hope she stops believing all of Anthony's lies and breaks free from him.

Tw:war, torture, mentions of prostitution, drug use, murder.

did not finish. the intro was very slow, and when i finally got to the main point, i didn't like the trope the romance dynamic was going to end up as (oppressor x oppressed). he is the son of the emperor that stole their land and kills the citizens with powers (the fmc).

Woo ok so I have some thoughts...first off, the cover design is gorgeous. I know plenty of people have mentioned it in their reviews, but this is seriously beautiful.

As for the content of the book, I enjoyed reading Ruying's struggle to come to terms with her feelings about what she is being forced to do and how her mind was always pulled in two different directions. It was a good look into her headspace as she was being manipulated by her captor.

I enjoyed how devoted Ruying was to her family and how her justifications for her actions became murkier as the book went on.

I especially liked the note this book ended on and it made me upset to know I'd need to wait to read the sequel.

As for any criticisms, I have a couple. For one, I felt this book had a bit of a problem with repeating itself at times. There were several points in the book where I would read one thing and then it would be repeated within several pages in either similar or the same wording as before. Some monologues from Ru dragged on a bit longer than necessary with repeated information especially in the first half of the book, whereas I would have liked to have seen that extra wordcount go towards extending a few of the scenes in the last third of the book as they felt a bit short to me.

Overall, I am excited to see where the story goes and will likely be picking up the sequel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing/Del Ray for the ARC of this book.

I really wanted to like To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, but I struggled so hard. I ended up giving up around 48% just because I didn’t connect with the characters at all, and while I thought it was a cool concept the pacing also didn’t work for me

DNF - Between the typos and the inability to connect to characters, I gave up at 50% (especially empowered after reading similar complaints on earlier reviews)

Plot: 4 -- had potential, I was ready to be hooked
Characters: 2
Writing Style: 3
Cover: 5
Enjoyment: 2

⇉ 4 parts, first person POV, historical fantasy
⇉ Main character is Ruying who is either 19 or 20, we're told both. Learn on the first page she wields Death magic; she's a twin and orphan.
⇉ Typos in the form of tense changes were frequent and made reading a little jarring
⇉ Inner dialogue was just far too repetitive

I really wanted to like this book. The world is beautiful and the premise is interesting, I wanted to fall in love with the heroine and feel the struggle as she walks a dangerous and morally complex path. Instead, I got a wishy-washy girl who couldn't seem to make up her mind about anything. She constantly would seem confidant about a position, but then turn around and feel the exact opposite. There was a lot - I mean A LOT - of repetition. Certain words and phrases were used constantly by all the characters, and while they sounded cool and compelling the first time, after a while they lost their punch. Additionally, time was handled in a weird way. Our heroine is imprisoned for a time, and it's written in such a way that it feels like she's been there for months. SHE talks about it like she's been there longer than she can comprehend, and while time does get strange when you're not able to track it appropriately, it still ought to have been much longer than the 6 days it ended up being. Then *spoiler* after she agrees to become an assassin for her captor, it immediately skips ahead 6 months. We don't get to see or experience her fears, struggles, frustration, and sorrow in the role she's filling, she just tells us about it in hindsight. I'd heard others express concerns about the "colonizer romance," but it was something we were told not shown. Despite the warm looks and genuine smiles, I never felt real chemistry between the two main characters, and she is genuinely given nothing to make her believe he cares for or respects her. We do get a chapter towards the end from his point of view, so we as the audience know he DOES actually love her, but they have had no interactions that justify or build that love organically between either character. Additionally, he maintains an explicit power dynamic over her that sullies any affection he may feel. All of the characters had the potential to be interesting, dynamic, and compelling. The story itself doesn't really need to be changed at all, the plot is decent. I just want our heroine to own the agency she does have, even in this corrupt system, to act instead of being acted upon. She loves her family and her people and that's supposedly her motivation to do what she does, but it's only in the last chapter that I start to feel any true conviction from her to drive her actions. When our heroine finally is explicitly told what we've deduced for half the book, her appropriate fury drives her to make the first interesting choice she's made the whole book, only to have it be the end. I'm certain they're setting up for a sequel, which I might try to read, but I was so frustrated by so much of this book we'll see how it goes.

What will you sacrifice to protect the ones you love? Whom will you trust when one misstep means death?

Ruying's world teeters on the brink of an apocalyptic war, invaded by beings who descended from a portal in the heavens two decades ago. They defeated the magic of her people, using technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Born with the powers to pull life from anyone, she should be a force to be reckoned with. Yet, to protect her family, she keeps her head down. However, when an enemy prince uncovers her gift, he proposes a deal: her family's safety in exchange for serving as his personal assassin, claiming it's for the greater good of both their worlds.

Wow. Just wow. Molly X Chang pulls us into a beautifully woven world, lush with lore, magic, deception, and science. She crafts a haunting story of oppression, family, trust, and the discovery of one's true strength.

I could not put this book down, and it still leaves me reeling after finishing it. Ruying wants nothing more than for her family to be safe and is willing to sacrifice herself, to become a traitor to her people, hated by her sister, just so she knows that her family will be safe.

“We are all wicked. We all do what we must to survive.”

Ruying is being pulled in different directions, with everyone trying to manipulate her for her powers and only being given half-truths. She has to decide whom to trust in a dangerous game of power.

I really enjoyed following Ruying and how she struggles with the decisions she is making. Decisions that she hopes her family will understand one day but might just damn her to hell anyway. Her internal struggle is well-crafted. Her pain is palpable. Ruying makes a compelling character because she is not a clean-cut hero setting out on a quest to save her family. She is a young woman, gifted with powers she never asked for, trying to make the best of her situation to ensure the survival of her family.

The pacing of the book was great. I never felt like it was too hurried or too slow.

I have never seen a world just like the one Chang constructed. While there are books centered around ancient China or contemporary fantasies set in the Roman Empire, “To Gaze upon Wicked Gods” stands out by seamlessly blending sci-fi and fantasy. The Romans, equipped with advanced science, tear through the fabric between worlds, introducing guns and fighter jets to a realm untouched by the pollution of our modern era, yet enriched with magic and steeped in lore.

The first half of the book is information-dense, but not in a way that makes one feel like you’re studying or wanting to skip parts. Every detail serves a purpose and is seamlessly woven into the narrative as the story unfolds.

A significant theme in the book revolves around the colonization of Ruying's world, drawing parallels to the British occupation of China. The narrative even mirrors historical events, with the colonizers introducing a drug to maintain dependency on Rome in a way reminiscent of past colonial tactics.

Molly X Chang's books evoked a range of emotions as I read, and my admiration for Ruying as our heroine grew even stronger after completing the book. Reflecting on the exploration of colonization within the fantasy setting, I find that it is an essential topic that needs continuous discussion and examination; those who don’t know their history are bound to repeat it. Fantasy settings provide a unique and imaginative way to explore complex issues like colonialism. This allows readers to emotionally connect with characters, understand historical injustices, and encourages critical thinking. Such exploration sparks meaningful reflection and discussion compared to traditional history books.

First things first, I requested Molly X. Chang's "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" after hearing about it from the review bombing scandal. I generally don't read YA and probably wouldn't have paid attention to the book otherwise. That said, I'm glad I read this book and I'll eagerly await the next in the series.

Chang built a fascinating world divided between magic and technology; a fictional magical Manchuria suffering under colonization and Roman colonizers fleeing a world they polluted to death. As a xianling, someone capable of using magic, Ruying possess a terrifying power. She's able to pull another's qi from their body and release their souls; at the cost of harming her on qi.

Likable and despicable at turns, Ruying makes morally grey choices in a morally grey world. Ruying is both victim and villain, hero and coward. Willing to kill or do whatever it takes to protect her family, but afraid to face the problem of colonization head on. She desperately wants to live out a dream of peace, falling for Anthony, one of the two Roman princes despite herself.

I don't always care for romance, especially not spicy tiktok books, but this "enemies-to-???" was well blended in and didn't become an annoyance. The paranoia and distrust I felt for Anthony was quite fun, trying figure out his deal. And what a "deal" it was.

As someone learning Chinese, I enjoyed the bilingual bonus. The inclusion of Chinese hanzi (characters) and chengyu (idioms) delighted me, especially puzzling them out before the provided English translation.

There were a couple spots where some editing could be done, but I read an ARC copy. This book is very much a set up for the rest of the series, a ton of world building and the main character overcoming the "refusal of the call to adventure." That's not to say it's boring, the story kept me engaged and interested. I want the next part of the story and absolutely look forward to reading it.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ruying is a 19 year old xianling whose magic taps into Death and can pull the qi out of others. She has avoided her magic ever since an accident led to its discovery. Her world, which is rich in magic but not technology, has been overrun and colonized by the technologically advanced Romans who came through a rip in the sky with their fighter jets, their guns, and decimated their resistance in a traumatic one-day war. While her sister struggles with her opian addiction, Ruying is desperate to find a way to survive. In a desperate and angry move, she impulsively steals a pouch of gold from a Roman - who it turns out is one of the princes. She asks herself the most important question of all, not who will she live for? No. Who will she kill for?

In some ways, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods reads like a prequel/backstory. There's a lot of set up to establish the setting and stakes. I do feel like the pacing of the first part of the book is a little too slow and the middle feels too short, but I tend to prefer books with quite a bit of momentum, which the end delivered on very nicely. Sometimes the mention of Roman technology - so like our own - threw me out of the setting, because I don't think I've read anything that's fantasy and climate fiction melded together quite like this (not a bad thing! I appreciate that it's a new take on it & I always love that when reading)

This was enjoyable and the momentum at the end means that I'm going to pick up book 2 and I'm curious to see how the story evolves as well as how Chang evolves as a writer!

TWs: death (including child & parent death), assassination, drowning/attempted drowning, drug addiction, allusion to rape (in the past, not to a known character, mentioned as a risk of being a woman without a man during war time), indentured servitude (not sure if that's the best way to label Ruying's situation), kidnapping/abductions, <spoiler>secret experiments on humans, exsanguination, romantic & sexual relationship/feelings with a power imbalance</spoiler>