I read this book at the beginning of September in anticipation of its release, but back to school took all of my attention and I completely forgot to make this post- the tree in the picture literally isn’t here anymore cause it was majorly trimmed, that’s how neglected this review was 😅

To be honest, this book was hard for me to get into, which is shocking because 1. it’s a sequel and I’m usually more into sequels and 2. I loved the first book. But alas! I think the political focus of this one lost my interest.

The first book was more like sci-fi Hunger Games and this sequel was more of a look into royal corruption and politics. It definitely felt a lot slower to get into.

I love the concept of soul jumping and body snatching, plus the magic system is super cool. I also generally love stories with kingdoms and royalty, so that is what kept me reading.

The new characters were really cool, and the old ones got even more complicated.

I also loved seeing the castles more and learning more of the lore of the different places.

Overall, I think that I just wasn’t in the mental place to truly dive in and enjoy this one. I’ve been in a huge reading slump for months and being teacher tired has really killed my ability to just sit and read. I read my students a picture book every day, but for my own reading… lots of crickets over here lol. All of that to say, I do recommend this series if you’re into sci-fi fantasy and political intrigue.

I really enjoy Chloe Gong’s writing usually but this one just didn’t quite hit for me. The concept of this world is interesting but I feel like there’s almost too much going on. I did like a lot of the elements within this, and was happy that things continued well from book one. Overall I think I just wanted a little more from this unfortunately.

I need more! I hate cliffhangers but oh my does Chloe Gong have a way with words. I didn't even mind it. I was on the edge of my seat gripping the book the whole time. I love the worldbuilding and the romance aspects. Gong just has a way with words that leaves me speechless. Her characters are so intriguing and the plot has me wanting to sell my first born for the next book.

Please do yourself a favour and read this!

I absolutely LOVE Chloe Gong and this was such a great sequel to Immortal Longings!

The exciting vibes were there and kept me so immersed and intrigued. Vilest dealt expanded on the story that was started in Immortal so well and I really enjoyed revisiting the characters and continuing their story. It picks up right where we left off in Immortals and doesn't miss a beat! Fast paced and so exciting I absolutely ate it all up!

Thank you NetGalley & Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review Vilest Things by Chloe Gong!

Chloe doesn’t missss!! I really enjoyed this more than the first book as there was more plot and not so much world building. I loooove Calla and loved the development of this story and I can’t wait for the finale

Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er’s bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa’s adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.

Only Calla knows it isn’t really August.

We are BACK in the city of twin city San-Er and this second book starts right where book 1 left off and I could not be happier.

Vilest Things follows Calla after winning the games and becoming an advisor to the new King August, but the palace holds secrets and Calla will not settle until she figures out why strange things are happening and why she's hearing voices from the past.

We leave the city and adventure into the provinces to discover more about the world of Talin and find out that not everything is actually what the people have thought for generations.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC ebook of Vilest Things in exchange for my honest review. It will be available at your local bookseller or public library on September 10 2024.

This sequel was AMAZING! We pick up right where we left off at the end of the tournament from book 1 and things are in complete chaos but on the surface everything seems fine. We get more insight into Calla's backstory and what happened between the King and Anthony's family in the past. The excitement and twists around every corner did not change in this one. If anything, I'd say it was even more chaotic and I loved that.

Chloe kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book making it engaging and left you wanting more after each chapter finished. I was a curious going into this one because I only rated Immortal Longings 4 stars but I enjoyed the story and atmosphere in it and was hopeful for this sequel. And I am happy to say I was not let down with this one. I had been in a bit of slump this past months and did not have a single 5 star read all year until I got this ARC and finally felt the urge to keep reaching for it instead of doing something else.

In true Chloe Gong fashion, the ending of this book ends on a cliffhanger and what. a. TWIST. I probably read from 70% straight to the end in like one sitting. I was so hyped up wanting to know what was going to happen to our main characters and I am extremely excited to see how this trilogy ends or possibly a four book series, who knows. And especially with Chloe, you never know what is going to come next.

If you have enjoyed her other books or was interested in the Shakespeare retelling style of her other books but wanted a more mature read, I'd definitely recommend checking out this series

Enjoyed this one significantly more than the first.
Things are really ramping up in this one! I spent the majority of the time reading this on the edge of my seat and my anxiety while reading this one was at an all-time high. There are so many twists and turns, betrayals and the tension is crazy. The stakes feel so much higher in this sequel, and I love it. I also love how fast-paced everything feels.
I love that we get more political intrigue, and the plotting going on by every character is so fun to read.
I’m very excited to see how Chloe Gong finishes this trilogy.
Highly recommend this sequel.

3.5.
I’m impressed how with each book that chloe gong’s writes, is better then the last on a technical level. I think this is a good sequel and I did enjoy this. I liked how dark this is and the politics though. Didn’t love the cliff hanger lol. But I can’t get over the ethics of the body jumping.
I’m definitely excited to read more by Chloe gong.

I was very excited for this sequel as I loved the first book. But this book took awhile to get back to what makes it unique and interesting. It felt like there was zero direction and I had a hard time trying to figure out what the characters were meant to be doing. There was a lot going on but it felt like it wasn’t presented properly.