Chloe Gong sure knows how to shatter my soul into a million pieces and I would let her do it a million times over and thank her every time if it means we get book as phenomenal as the ones she has consistently been putting out with not one bad track yet.. She is also the queen of the betrayal trope which is one of my favorites. This book had me hooked from the beginning and was very much giving adult hunger games vibes but then that ending took me out. I was losing my absolute mind throughout the entire book only for her to tear my heart out at the end and then leave me on a cliff hanger to end all cliffhangers. This will without a doubt end up on my favorite reads of the year and I truly cannot praise Chloe enough for this and all the other books she has written.

Immortal Longings is an absolute ambitious story to write, but sadly, CG failed to
deliver it. Disclaimer, l enjoyed her Secret Shanghai Series--not my fav series ever but enough to make anticipate her upcoming works. I really tried to enjoy IL but it’s just not appealing whatsoever.

This is CG’s adult debut about Antony & Cleopatra retelling in a setting inspired by Kowloon Walled City. It also mainly involving a deadly game inspired by The Hunger Games. Up to this point, it sounds amazing, right? But the thing is, the execution was terrible and made zero sense.

Let's talk about one thing at a time. Calla, the female main character, is the more feral & violent version of Juliette Cai. Anton, on the other hand, doesn't even have a solid personality. It’s giving “Barbie is everything, he’s just Ken”🙃 There's a LOT of side characters that instead of adding more layers to the story, they simply just make it more confusing. Also their names were so unmemorable, which is annoying for a complicated fantasy like this.

The concept of the magic system was actually cool but has a lot of flaws. There’s a “jumping” gene that allows the owner to invade and possess other person's body. The abandoned body would become "empty vessel" until someone inhabitate it again. And the possessed person would have no recollections of when their body was possessed. AND THE PALACE HAS NO STRICT RULE ABOUT THIS. I MEAN, ITS CLEARLY DANGEROUS. IMAGINE IF BAD GUYS HAS THIS GENE AND EXPLOIT IT???

Next, the "deadly game". It's straight The Hunger Games ripoff in a badly organized way. There's no rule, without specific arena (the arena is the whole city), the participants could still interact with non-participants, allowed to go anywhere, doing whatever they want. They could take a break from the game or quit if they don’t want to continue anymore. The only thing that important is that there will be only 1 victor who will instantly showered with wealth and that’s it. The whole concept is SO flimsy and messy😭

The info & descriptions were overwhelming, the plot was all over the place. The romance was bland and lacking in chemistry. On top of that, the ending wasn’t satisfying. You probably know that CG loves to write cliffhangers. But instead of giving me suspense and anticipation, it just annoyed me. A lot of things remain unclear. I guess thats for the next book’s problem to solve but at this point IDC about this series anymore😭

I wish I could give this more stars but I just didn’t find even a single thing that felt enjoyable. I practically dragged myself throughout the book bc of my stubbornness that prevented me to DNF. If you like complex and mysterious story like in the The Atlas Six but make it dystopian and bloody, you’d probably like this book!

Chloe Gong does it again! Every scene is beautifully crafted and her way of words doesn't fail to tug at your emotions. Well, if her previous works tugged at your emotions then this crushes them and doesn't let you rest. Calla is a whirlwind of a protagonist and endlessly fascinating to follow around San-Er. The end leaves you wanting more of these characters and learning about the larger world of Talin.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with this ARC.

I do not know where to start with this book so let me start with the cover. I ADORE this cover, the minimal line drawing and the gold on black is the perfection. Also, I have not read the early works of Ms. Gong, and let me say after this book I'm going to read them all!

The story is a retelling of Anthony and Cleopatra's story with a hint of inspiration from Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong which was torn down in the 1990s. while I do not want to give away anything, I very much enjoyed the elements of fantasy in this book. I found it very refreshing to see such use of fantasy and world-building to retell such a classic story.

While I started this book a bit slowly, after the halfway point I was invested to the point that I was looking for any opportunity to read the next chapter and after 2/3 I was not able to put it down until it was done.

And now, even though I'm beyond grateful that I got to read this book in advance I have no idea how I'm going to wait for the next installment?

I enjoyed this. I love Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights books so I thought I would give this a try. I liked her world building but I thought some of the romantic plot points felt rush and left me a little off balance at the end (and not in a good way). I will continue on with the rest of the series because I like the writing.

Chloe Gong can do no wrong.
The vibes of this book were chefs kiss.
Worldbuilding - relationships - all of it had me hooked.
I"ll definitely be purchasing this once it releases.
Thank you, NetGalley!

There’s only one word to describe this book: perfection!!

I am so happy I was able to read this book ahead of time because I loved it so much! I can’t wait for my copy to arrive so I can reread and annotate it :)

This book is a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Despite never reading that, I was easily able to follow along with the plot. It reminded me a little bit of the hunger games because there is a competition held where players in the capital try to eliminate each other. But instead of an arena, players can go throughout the entire city and get notified whenever close to another person.

I loved all the characters so much! There are a ton of side characters, but the three main ones are Calla, Anton, and August. Calla is the ex-princess of Er (the other capital city within San-Er), as she killed her parents and other leaders there a few years ago. Anton is an exiled aristocrat from San. Both of them participate in the games under different identities, but what happens when they meet? August is the adopted prince of San, and he has plans for Calla…

This plot is so complex, but it isn’t too hard to understand. It is very different from These Violent Delights, except for the fact that there are some murders with an unknown killer happening throughout the city. I won’t spoil anything here, you can read the synopsis to find out what it’s about. There were a few plot twists at the end that I didn’t expect but they really made sense for the character arc. And of course the ending... she had to leave us with a REALLY BIG cliffhanger !

IF YOU LIKE…
- multiple povs
- enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers…
- the idea that reputation is one of taylor swift’s best love albums
- the bridge of getaway car
- unreliable narrators
READ IMMORTAL LONGINGS!!!
(and even if you don’t like them, still read the book)

3.5 Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but I did have some issues with it. I found the beginning to be quite confusing and while the magic system is very unique I personally didn’t love it. My favorite parts were the setting and politics of the city - it had me intrigued and wanting to know more. This book was pitched as a new adult spicy fantasy romance, but the romance was definitely more of a side plot and I didn’t find myself that invested in it. (There was also only one spicy scene, which is totally fine but I went into it expecting there to be more) I think if my expectations going into the book were different I might have enjoyed it more. However, the writing was good, I really liked Calla’s character, and I think the next book the series has a lot of potential to be better for me.

What I love about Chloe’s writing is how well she creates these magical worlds while still incorporating so much rich culture. It truly makes a great setting and I always feel so immersed in the world of the story.

Another book by this author that I enjoyed. Right off the bat, the story grabbed my attention, and I always like a multi-pov book so that also helped to keep the pages turning.

I think this was a very solid start to a new series and I look forward to reading what happens next.

Thank you very much to Gallery Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Chloe Gong has a gorgeously lush writing style that is instantly recognizable. It's easy to see that her stylistic choices made her previous duologies popular, and will continue to do so for Immortal Longings, an Anthony and Cleopatra variation in a television death battle.

Unfortunately, after the evocative set-up, the book lost me. Calla felt like an exact Juliette replica, Anton a copy-and-paste Roma. It was clear throughout the book that the two were supposed to have a grand relationship and it seemed to. . . just fall flat. He was intrigued because Pretty Girl With Sword (extremely relatable) and he didn't kill her right away, so that was interesting to her? This cumulates into a flip into sex scene while hiding out (maybe I'm too ace, but the appeal of that's always confused me) that felt as if it was main reason Immortal Longings was sold as an adult book.

Which generally, is fine! The twist was foreshadowed a little, and while it could have been a coincidence, I am interested into hearing of how it's not? Could be, but it seems a little too conveniently perfect to be so. I also assumed it would have had something to do with the murders, but so far that hasn't been revealed.
I also felt as if. . . .I'm not sure. Calla is Cleopatra and Anton is Mark Anthony, but there's no Julius Ceasar for a past love (which also means, understandably, no Ceasarion, as that's not relevant to the story Gong wanted to tell). This was something also similar to TVD, where Rosaline's past with Romeo had been changed to make it clear The Protagonists Are The Only Two For Each Other Ever.

Anton was allowed a former love interest here, but she'd been in a coma for years. The Hunger Games-esque situation they were in in which cameras (but not necessary microphones) are all over the city, tracking and using footage on them. There's no sponsors other than Calla's cousin helping her out, which I think is a pretty good decision to make as it raises the stakes even more-- only one winner, and anything that helps you is anything you've taken and have managed to keep from getting stolen.

Overall, this is absolutely a more morally grey series than the previous two, with discussions about consent, how much consent is willing, ownership of self, child murder (by protagonists), and more. While this is aroud a 3.5 stars for me, I am looking forward to reading the second book!

If I could describe this book with one word, I would choose "conflict". I mean, yes, we have the games where a lot of people are trying to win by killing each other (very heavy Hunger Games vibes), but we also have the pack of emotions the main characters carry with them, which make them fight with themselves in order to be able to express these feelings. Calla, for example, carries so many things within herself, and when she starts feeling an ounce of happiness, she doesn't know how to handle it because she doesn't really thinks she deserves it. And that same internal conflict happens with the other main characters we get to meet during the story. I really liked how, between the political setting and the first sparks of a revolution happening, the author gets to introduce us with these people who feel and suffer and loves in the midst of the chaos.

The games are really interesting too. As I said, I was feeling very heave HG vibes, but it's been a while since I read some type of competition happening in a book so I was hooked from beginning to end. The games are also a great representation of how the royalty sees the population: just as pawns, simple numbers, unless they get to win, in which case they finally realize these people have a face and a name too. The social critique is very heavy, and that's an element I'll always enjoy in Chloe's books.

That being said, for me, there were some things missing in this book. The first one is the chemistry between the two main characters. I tried, I really tried, but while I enjoyed it, I cannot stop thinking it felt a little rushed. It was suppose to feel like there was an obsessive relationship between them, but I didn't feel it, except in some moments when it felt too out of place. Since the romance is a big part of this story, I think this lack of emotions made me enjoy the story a little less.
The other thing is that there were so many good elements regarding the revolution that are presented as very powerful and very strong, but they get eliminated very easily? I really wish they would have been used for a longer time or had a better purpose.

In general, this is a great start of a new series that I'm really excited to continue reading. Chloe manages to introduce such great plot twists that, for me, were very unexpected! And I cannot wait to know what's going to happen next!

Chloe Gong can do no wrong. I’m obsessed with her Romeo and Juliet retelling and wasn’t sure anything could top that. Immortal Longings has done it. Everything I want in a fantasy. She does Antony and Cleopatra justice!

This. Book. Is. Incredible. I COULD NOT put this book down, and I loved preparing myself to read this by digging into the story of Antony and Cleopatra, and Gong's originality in the retelling was so well done. I am so excited to recommend this spellbinding book to my friends and students, who LOVE all of Chloe Gong's previous works. This book would be great for seniors in lit circles. The book is so fast paced, and the characters are seriously incredible. Cannot wait for Book 2 alreadyyyy!

I was hoping for more out of Chloe's adult fantasy-esque novel. Unfortunately, I found myself not being able to attach myself to the story. This may have been because it reminded me of a version of the Hunger Games.

I really struggled with "Immortal Longings" despite my best attempts. Take with a grain of salt as I'm not an avid sci-fi/fantasy reader so much of this is likely due to reader preference; however, I was intrigued by this novel given the author and the summary seemed intriguing.

Gong has crafted a unique world where the twin cities San-Er in the kingdom of Talin is the center for the games - a challenge that few are able to participate in and come with both immeasurable rewards and risk. The story focuses on three main characters - Princess Calla, Anton Makusa, and August - all of whom are linked to the others and are trying to achieve different goals. The recurrence of the games gives all three a chance to try and accomplish what they desire, but the costs are great. There is so much additional detail layered into the structure of the city and civilians, the complexity behind the "body jumping", and the backstory behind each of these characters... but arguably. there might be too much.

I found the pacing of the novel rushed and there are so many little rules and processes that keep on getting introduced well into the storyline that it's difficult to keep track. The characters as well aren't terribly well fleshed out, with their primary focus being destructive or power-hungry. The additional element of romance didn't seem necessary or contributory to the story as a whole either. While this novel was well written and the world-building is commendable, I just don't think this is the series for me.

I adored every aspect of this book, which was inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and followed two individuals who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals - even if it means entering a deadly competition.

The story is in San-Er, a fantasy city based on Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. Gong expertly blends the dystopian sense of impending doom with the freshness of a society on the brink of a technological revolution. The result is a captivating setting that juxtaposes individuals fighting for their lives with pagers and broadcast news.

The magic system in this universe is one of the most unique I've ever read. Characters with magic have the ability to jump into other bodies at will, which adds an element of unpredictability and mystery to every interaction.

Calla and Anton, the main characters, are both ruthless in the pursuit of their goals, no matter who or what they need to betray. The supporting characters are just as intriguing, making for an exciting and unpredictable read.

The enemies-to-allies-to-lovers romance is done exceptionally well, and each interaction between Calla and Anton left me feeling giddy.

The writing style, pacing, and overall plot of Immortal Longings are all immersive and entrancing. I couldn't put the book down and was fully absorbed in its pages.

In her adult debut, Chloe Gong gives readers a sprawling dystopian fantasy that is part body jumping, part spilled blood, and part doomed romance that's set up - like a chessboard - inside a murderous game. It's The Hunger Games meets Ready Player One. It's Mistborn meets Shakespeare, with Antony and Cleopatra's passion-betrayal-passion vibe being the wheel the whole story turns around, giving everything and everyone in it, a Machiavellian edge that's difficult to parse let alone look away from. As a result of that, the plot is fast-moving and full of high stakes moments.

As a reader, I thought the setting was rich and immersive. The author made the twin cities of San-Er feel real, with its denizens doing what they could to survive, with the streets being flooded by competitors who are trying to win the cash prize to lift themselves out of poverty and the like, possibly slaying innocents in the crosshairs. Calla and Anton both had their own convoluted reasons for wanting to win the games, which was fun. Especially with their enemies to reluctant allies to lovers dynamic. I liked the urbanity of the atmosphere, too. It added a certain claustrophobic grit to the game. Made it feel more savage and desperate somehow.

Where I think the story lost me a little was in the POV. There was too much narrative input from tertiary characters who weren't all that important to the plot, and I would've preferred it had the story been told exclusively from Calla, Anton, and August's POV since they were main trio. And since things revolved around their conflicts and decisions.

Besides that, I thought the twist at the end was superb! So good! I will carry a hoard of questions around with me until I have book two in my hands.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my review!

Excellent story and the concept behind the city is fascinating. The story and world-building are well done. There are so many twists and turns but none as big as the ending. I will be eagerly anticipating book two.

Chloe Gong has absolutely created an amazing novel that is sure to fly off of the shelves. Everything from the romance, to the plot and overall story was absolutely incredible. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong is book 1 in the Flesh and False Gods series.

I’m convinced that Chloe can’t write a bad book!
Everything she creates is pure magic.
And she has written a stunning adult debut retelling of Antony and Cleopatra.
I was sucked in from the very beginning. And lost a full day being nose deep in my Kindle.
This is a fast-paced read that’s full of action and angsty, it’s absolutely gorgeous and totally unputdownable.
Chloe Gong hooks you with her vivid descriptions and fast paced plot.
I was spellbound with her cast of unforgettable characters and her mind-blowing world-building which was creatively bought to life.
The writing was beautiful, the story was absolutely intriguing and I basically had to fight myself to put it down.

I’m excited to see where the second book is going to go.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Gallery/Saga Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!