Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited when I saw this book because the cover is just beautiful and I love Asian epic fantasy stories. It essentially follows Ruying who is a girl who can pull life from mortals and kill them. She lives in Pangu (China) which has been invaded by Rome, and gets an offer from the Prince. He tells her that he will help protect her people if she becomes his assassin. But using her power comes at a cost, so is it worth it?

I thought that this book had a really interesting concept, and although I've read similar books it was still unique. That being said, some things could have been clearer. The magic system wasn't explained very well. Throughout the book, multiple references suggest that Pangu used to have more magical people and magic was more prevalent but didn't explain much further. I was also confused by the whole portal situation. Could the Romans just portal into Pangu from Rome? Also on the topic of Romans, does this book take place in a world where Rome never fell? Multiple modern-day references like cameras, melting polar caps, etc. make this explanation plausible, but it wasn't very well established. Also, Pangu seemed very non-advanced which makes me think that maybe I'm wrong. I thought this could be such a great book, I just felt confused by a few major details.

I wouldn't classify this in the Romance category, as it's described on Goodreads. There was very little romance at all. In fact, the "romantic interest" basically abducted and neglected Ruying then forced her into agreeing to work for him.

Overall, I didn't love a whole lot about this book but it was interesting enough for me to read to completion.

This is a brilliant novel with both fantasy and sci-fi themes. We are invited into a world of magic and family. A land of that is beautifully detailed in it's culture and magic. Yet they are being invaded, abused and tortured by another realm full of science to counter their own magic. It is brilliant and heartbreaking in the trials of the main character as she struggles between loyalty to her family, to her world and people as well as to her control of an incredible power her enemy seeks to abuse. Ruying's gift of death could save her world or destroy it. This book is immersed in culture similar to that of the author's people in Manchuria. She chronicles this book as if creating a myth around the history of her people. The world's Roman occupiers is no less detailed in it's horrifying "science" and it's plans. I was expecting a good read but I had not expected such a gut wrenching ride. I loved it.

Wow, I really liked this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but then really picked up steam, The story is set in a world that was once filled with magic but it is now waning. Our main character , Ruying, lives with her twin sister, Meiya, and their grandmother. Their country was invaded and taken over by people from another world who continue to take from them.
Ruying has a magical gift but has been told by her grandmother not to use it. As things get worse , Ruying wonders if she should use it. She doesn’t know what to do. What lengths will she go to to protect her family? At what cost? Who can she trust?
The book is filled with adventure and intrigue. I was sorry to see it end but happy to know that this will be a series. I look forward to reading book two and finding out what happens to Ruying. Happy reading!

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for inviting me to read and review To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"I am the girl blessed by Death. If I intend to live, nothing can stop me."

I wanted to love this book more, I really did.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a sci-fi fantasy blend of science, advanced technology, and dying magic. Rome has invaded from the sky and is colonizing on the world of Er-Lang. Ruying is a death magic user, she can kill a person with a touch of her hand, and she can feel their qi leave their bodies. When she is caught stealing from a royal enemy, it causes a chain reaction of terrible events. When Ruying is captured for her coveted Gift, she is given a chance to save herself and her family and a bargain is struck: stay by the royal enemy's side and assassinate whomever he orders to be killed for the good of Rome and Er-Lang.

There might be spoilers ahead!

"Death only blesses a mortal when the world is at the verge of chaos, and his protégé will either save the world, or destroy it."

The Author's Note is eye-opening and gut-wrenching. Molly X. Chang's words made me look forward to reading their story even more but after I finished the book I realized I was disappointed with the execution. While the pacing is very good, I was kept on the edge of my seat wanting to find out more about Ruying, her family, and the impending war between Er-Lang and Rome, but the repetitive narration and the relationship between Ruying and Antony hindered the experience for me.

We are constantly reminded of the trouble Er-Lang is in and the differences between Rome and Er-Lang's customs. Rome is representative of science and Er-Lang of magic but the 'science' part doesn't actually come in until closer to the end of the book. What is shown is the advanced technology of gun power, flying mechanics, political structures, and modernized weapons of Earth. If the author had put in 'technology vs magic' instead of using the word 'science' all the time, I think it would have made more sense but I'm also still confused of the timelines being used in this sci-fi fantasy world. Maybe I need to re-read it, or maybe I missed something, but I couldn't pinpoint what timeframe of Rome the author was using. It was like Rome of years past but with weapons that weren't made yet. Honestly, if they had used any made-up name in place for 'Rome', I don't think I would be having this issue. When Antony is explaining to Ruying of how Rome came to Er-Lang, it would have made for an interesting plot twist if the author wrote Rome as made-up place but made us as readers realize where they were actually from.

"No matter how much I wanted to give air to this thing that bloomed between us, I couldn't. For I knew this fire would burn us to ashes if we weren't careful."

I'm disappointed with the romance. I wish it was either non-existent or executed better. Maybe I would have felt differently if it wasn't a main focus, and if Antony didn't get a one-off chapter.

Ruying is the main point of view but there is a random Antony chapter that gives you an idea of what he is thinking and feeling towards Ruying. I would have preferred to not have read it at all. It didn't flow with the story. It ruined my picture of this mysterious manipulator where you have no idea if what he says is true or if he is just trying to control Ruying by playing with her emotions. Sometimes it's better to not know and have the reader guess until things come to light later.

Alright, I know I said a few negative points BUT I was able to get through this book. That is a good thing for me because I was in a bad slump for a long period of time and I'm now getting back into the swing of things.

The pacing is great, the action and fights are intense, and I'm very interested in learning more about Er-Lang and its magic. I'm also interested in the whole portal system and if it will be brought back in the sequel. I hope we will be able to explore more places and see Ruying's family again. Meiya, Ruying's sister, left an impression on me and I was disappointed that she disappeared from the story after getting into a disagreement with Ruying. I really liked reading about their grandmother as well and what she had gone through.

Overall, I fell in love with Chang's prose and descriptions. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a promising debut with a lot of potential to be a great series. I do look forward to the sequel and what will become of Er-Lang and the impending war.

A solid 3 stars.

An absolutely gorgeous book. The metaphors and imagery used were phenomenal and the plot itself was refreshing.

I absolutely couldn’t put this book down. It was refreshing to see different cultures represented in a fantasy novel, and it was nice to learn more about them — even if it was just a little.

Seeing the Chinese characters in tandem with their translations was also beautiful in and of itself. I adore language as a whole and I find it beautiful how we communicate as humans in so many different ways.

The worlds of science and magic collide, which is something I feel like I haven’t really seen in fantasy. I loved this book and I’m excited to read the next story in the series.

I loved this book! I thought the author's note, in the beginning, brought a more serious note to the book that made me aware there was more of a personal connection to the story being written. This was more than just a book/story, but a message on the importance of taking care of one’s environment and the devastation of colonialism through the world of science and magic. It's definitely a must-read for 2024!

“To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods” is an enticing fantasy with a moral dilemma in a time of political unrest. I typically love stories with political intrigue and magical heroines, yet I did not connect with this one. I’ll admit that I may not be the best audience for this book. I prefer the more whimsical type of fantasies, rather than the fighting and killing. All things considered - while this one did not stand out to me, it could be amazing for you!

For those who enjoy:
🐯 Political Intrigue
🐯 Morally Gray
🐯 Death Magic
🐯 Sister Bond
🐯 Light Romance
🐯 Historic Themes
🐯 Surprise Twists

Many thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was an interesting first book in a series that draws from Chinese history and has morally gray characters you still root for.

Ruying lives in a world that has been invaded by people from another realm who have far advanced science. While Ruying's world lacks technology, they do have people blessed with magic. Ruying herself has been blessed by death with the power to kill by pulling qi from others. She's lived most of her life in fear of using her powers, but in order to save her family is forced into a deal with an enemy prince.

I thought this was a solid first book in a series. While this did feel like a lot of set-up--of the characters, the world and the power dynamics at play, I have high hopes for the next book and am excited to see where the author takes this series.

The author's note is so beautiful to read as a daughter of a Chinese immigrant that I did not expect the strength at which disappointment hit.

I was expecting misery, pain, and suffering. Instead, all I got was fade to black. This entire book is fade to black. The world-building, the character development, the romance, the politics.

Everything.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods takes place in a magic-rich Chinese-inspired country invaded by white people with weapons of science. We follow our cautious and level-headed main character, Ruying, as she struggles to take care of her family. A mistake leads to her being found out by a colonizer prince, Antony, who sees an opportunity to use her. A spiral ensues.

However, we never really get to watch her character grow. Everything we learn about Ruying, we are told. Everything of value that could be developed in her character, Antony's character, their relationship, her friendships, her training, the magic system. Everything is told to us has happened after a time skip. It is all very underdeveloped. I did not understand where the plot was trying to lead me. Everything amounts to the big reveal of something we already knew.

Now, the discussion of colonization is very clearly done throughout the novel, and the only thing I thought was done fairly well. But the world was just a mess. It was similar enough to our world for me to make assumptions, however not similar enough for me to properly connect anything. It was frustrating. Why name the invaders Rome? Why do the Romans have guns? Are the Romans from our world? At what point in time did Romans have guns? Why call the invader Roman, but not just call the drugs opium? It felt like a thinly veiled retelling of several stories chaotically shoved together.

I really don't know what this is tagged romance. Whatever the hell the interactions are between Antony and Ruying felt gross, like she was being groomed. Antony felt greasy to read, randomly compassionate then suddenly raging. He gaslights the hell out of her and then we get passages and passages of Ruying blushing about it. I would like to add "dubious science" and "Romans with guns", so everyone can be prepared.

Now. Let's talk about Antony. Why the are we using jade to describe his eyes? Let us have one thing. Why the does he speak their language perfectly? While I was happy to see actual characters embedded into the writing, this white man has a Chinese idiom for every situation, which annoyed me. Also, why did the author's note speak about Unit 731, make clear allusions to it, and then paint Antony in such a sympathetic light? I can only hope that the second book deals with this more seriously because it made me feel like Antony's character was some weird romanticization of a tragic topic.

Also. He gets one RANDOM pov chapter, which I hate. The same thing happened in the Jasad Heir. The entire book is in Ruying's pov and then suddenly, we get a random tender moment in Antony's. Why? This was the final nail in the coffin for me. If the author is incapable of making the reader understand a character outside of their pov, they need to work on developing that character. Clearly, Chang felt that something was missing that could only be fulfilled by Antony's personal thoughts. We should not need that in single-pov. We have brains, we can make assumptions and form opinions about characters without reading their point of view. Don't insult us.

All in all, I think this needed to be at least 300 pages longer. Thematically, I'm not exactly sure what I was supposed to absorb from this, but I think it is safe it say: it was not achieved.

The idea of this story sounded very interesting. A country struggling against its oppressors, where many of the citizens have magical powers. A female who makes a deal with the devil to use her powers in order to save her country and family. I was intrigued. The female main character, Ruying, is strong but torn. What she agrees to do to save her family and her country tears her apart, but she hates her actions, and sometimes herself, every step of the way. With that being said, the synopsis makes it sound like Ruying is a total badass assassin, but that wasn't the case at all. She wasn't a morally gray character. To me, she felt weak, malleable, naive, and contradicting. Her words really didn't match her actions, specifically the way she spoke and what she said to the main male character, Antony, about.

Additionally, Ruying had a lot of inner monologue that felt excessive and out of place. Getting to know a character this way at the beginning of the book is great, but it lasted through almost the book's entirety. I kept waiting for her to stop ruminating or reminiscing and actually do something. There was too much dialogue and inner monologue, and not enough... well, anything else. The prose was excellent but the story, not so much. I truly wasn't interested in the story until chapter 37, nearly 80% through the book.

Ruying was the only character I really got to know. We learned about Antony a bit, but most of what we knew was barely below his surface. I felt like I got to know Ruying's childhood friend Baihu much better than Antony. Everyone else was built just on the surface, even side characters who meant something to Ruying. The character building was better than the world building, though.

The novel kept referencing that the Romans had science, but really it was technology they flourished in, like guns and helicopters. That confused me. Granted, science came in at the very end of the book, but a better way to explain what their strengths were is needed. Also - why call them Romans and not make up a name as Pangu and Er-Lang were? That added additional confusion. Like others, I had no idea the Romans literally came from another world until the end of the book. That could've been much clearer. It definitely needs some work before publishing.

Personally, this book was tough for me to read. Normally with fantasy novels, I can't put them down. This one I couldn't pick up. I'm sad to say that I didn't enjoy this and won't be reading the next additions to the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange a review. All thoughts are my own.

I was super excited to get an ARC copy of this book. I’m giving this a solid 4 ⭐️. The concept and the world is very interesting. I feel that after a few rounds with editing will help. I do feel there is opportunity for more development with the FMC (she did seem to mope around a lot). I do feel this is more towards the YA romance side of things than an epic fantasy. Regardless, im a sucker for these types of stories!! I look forward to seeing the finished version!!

3.5 ⭐️

✨ Magic vs Science
✨ World at War
✨ Morally Gray MMC
✨ Cultural Influence
✨ Gods

This book was beautifully written and I especially love how personal it was for the author. The way the author was able to intertwine elements of current day, fantasy and also history was beautiful.

The way she wrote about a world on the brink of chaos due to it’s peoples over indulgences to live a life of excess and luxury is very relatable to how we live today. The world based in Chinese culture was also beautiful and vibrant. I’m some aspects the way the enemy invaders treat the people of this world reminds me a lot of WW2.

However, this book fell alittle flat for me in a few areas. The pacing was too slow for my liking and nothing overly crazy happens. There is also a lot of phrase repetition and retelling of the same scenarios/situations multiple times throughout the book which makes it feel stagnant.

In this magical epic fantasy, a young woman cursed with the power of death must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country—the first installation of a gripping new series.

Well-written with great characters and lovely world-building.

This book was excellent. The writing kept me guessing and the characters were very well written. I felt the emotions of the characters so distinctly despite the book being less than 400 pages.

This story blends fantasy and history seamlessly.

2 / 5 ⭐️

This book has the right idea, a story about morals and that grey area that is much more realistic than the traditional black and white. However, the execution was not what I expected.

The main character, Ruying, is blessed by Death, using her ability only when necessary and prioritizing the well-being of her family above all else, regardless of the dark path that takes her down.

What really bothered me about the story was the lack of compassion Ruying's family seemed to have for her. The only time the reader sees them being kind to her is in flashbacks from her childhood while, in reality, her sister views her as a coward despite all the sacrifices she has made for her and her grandmother views her as something to be suppressed.

The relationship between Antony and Ruying was very repetitive, with Ruying going through the same thought process repeatedly, never able to decide on her feelings and her perception of Antony (until, supposedly, the end). In general, her relationship with the other potential love interest, Baihu, was similar.

One of the biggest flaws of this book happened to be its repetitiveness. Phrases, thoughts, and even dialogue were repeated within the span of a few pages, making it feel as though the plot and characters were barely progressing. The only saving grace of this book was the last 80 or so pages, where the story picks up and Ruying finally makes up her mind about things.

Overall, I am intrigued by the world and would pick up the sequel, but the book was very underwhelming for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

First and foremost I absolute adore the cover of the book. Probably one of my favorite book cover of the year. The artist did an amazing job with this cover.
From the first couple chapters of this book you can tell it’s an inspired by real Chinese history(which the author alerts us).
A dark and not so pretty part of history and it breaks my heart.
The main character Ruying is for sure one of those characters that does whatever she can for the people she loves. She is backed into a corner in a world on the brink of war and she’s willing to do what she has to, no matter how morally questionable, survive for her,and her family.
This story of generational trauma, magic Vs science , drug addiction and a war between two opposing people creates such a maelstrom of plot points that you can’t help but be sucked into this story. I found my fingers flying to see what was coming next.
This book was a rollercoaster! I found myself angry, sympathetic awed and heartbroken.
You could tell that this book was a personal topic for the author I’m every word you read. Interweaving real world history into this book made it all more riveting.
Ruying is probably one of my favorite characters. She’s a loyal, protective, strong and a flawed character. The good and the bad are what make her a character you want to hug and smack her on the back of the head at the same time.
This breathtaking journey will leave you heart hurting and your hands aching for the next book in this series
Overall this book was a journey that made me feel deeply at the injustice and battle wounded world that echoes are own in so many ways.
Would for sure recommend!

Thank you to the folks at NetGalley for the opportunity of reading a ARC of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

This brought me out of a month-long reading slump and now I’m most likely going to be stuck in another reading slump because it was so good!!! It far exceeded my expectations going in and that says a lot considering my attention span is the size of a walnut these days.

There’s science and magic and gods and magic-to-science and humans playing God and enemies-to-lovers and—just READ THIS BOOK when it releases next spring!! I absolutely devoured this even though I took it slow most of the week. I wanted to savor it and boy am I glad that I waited till this weekend to binge the last half.

The ending felt a tad bit rushed but for a debut novel this was one of the best I’ve read in a really long time. I can’t wait for the sequel!!

3.2/5

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*Received an eARC from Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you!

Okay I let my thoughts marinate a bit.

It's odd because this book does hit the themes and general atmosphere that the author advertised, but it also was not what I expected and was, at times, a bit messy. Execution wise, this book was underbaked and overbaked at the same time, so I guess a three stars (somewhere in between) is a suitable rating. Am I going to read the sequels? Yes, because the author gave me enough to want to know the rest of the story. Was it still lacking? Also yes.

Debut novels go, this was, overall, a good book and I think what captured me the most was the premise and moral dilemma. It does need some sprucing up and editing though. The prose itself was more poetic and engrossing in the first few chapters, but it unfortunately lost its charm as the drama unfolded. There were parts that got repetitive..not so much the sentence or choice of words, though the writing style got more and more simple, but the main character, Ruying, mulls over her tragic life, her immoral decisions, her sacrifices, her world....a lot. The delivery of the worldbuilding lacks finesse and style, since we're given whole info dumps at a time, yet other aspects are lacking so much detail that it gets confusing. I would have much preferred these info dumps to be done through character dialogues because at least it would have been more organic and logical. On this note, the character dialogue was plain and I wish it had more to give.

As far as the characters go, I do enjoy how morally grey they are. Anatony, the prince of Rome and Ruying's enemy and love interest, is the embodiment of "a lesser of two evils" who is willing to do anything to preserve his people at the sacrifice of some of her people. And Ruying is caught in the middle of this conflict of deciding on whether this "lesser of two evils" is worth their current suffering, or heading into a war that may result in the extinction of her people. She makes immoral decisions, she makes mistakes, faces the consequences of her mistakes, and progressively takes her own stance, albeit it does take a long time...

Romance....I might get axed for this opinion but opinions are just that..opinions. I honestly wasn't mad at the "falling in love with your colonizer", trope. At least this gave me some semblance of enemies-to-lovers, which a lot of romantasy books advertise but fail to deliver. Plus, (spoiler alert) if you reach the end, they certainly backtrack to enemies. Ruying finally seems to understand the consequences of her budding romance with this man. Like, who would have guessed he was a giant walking red flag? Not Ruying...until witnessing the death of her friend by his hands. The way I see this, Ruying is still too young and naive to understand proper, healthy romantic feelings, and Antony, while he may have feelings for her, will always prioritize his world over her. I believe the author does make that point clear throughout the book. Their relationship is so tumultuous since both their moral compasses are broken and their priorities conflict with one another's. I'm fully expecting, and slightly hoping for this to end tragically for them. If I do have a major criticism though, I think the author should have toned down the "romance" and developed more of the fantasy and world.

Overall, it's a decent first installment and I do look forward to seeing how the plot unfolds. I think the author has a lot of potential to improve in the next books.

Very early DNF. Though I was looking forward to this one, I lost all interest after finding out this is a colonizer romance where he is frequently described as having "jade green eyes."

I was really excited to read a book about a main girl with cool death powers, and the contrast of the magical world and the technological one. But unfortunately, although this book was really good, it just wasn’t for me. The character of Ruying is in that morally gray space where she’s not evil enough to root for because of how interesting she is, but not good enough to root for because you want her to win. In all honesty, most of my internal dialogue throughout the book consi
sted of “this prince guy is lying to you and you should probably know that by now”, or “Meiya is right about everything, you’re just a bit of a coward”.
I do think this book definitely has a target audience that I am no longer a part of, and I think most of what I disliked is more personal.