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!

I’m not sure if this author just isn’t for me or what, because I didn’t like her previous series and I didn’t like this either. I was interested in seeing what her adult debut would be like and I did expect that it would be much better, but for me this just didn’t work.

At first I was into the interesting dystopian world but that was about the only thing I liked. The magic system was super basic, the characters were blandly surface-level, the romance lacked conviction, the plot was just Hunger Games all over again (geez, enough already, this is so overdone at this point), and the tone feels very young adult. I just don’t think this book achieved what it was trying to. I needed more from every aspect of it.

All of the narrative elements of this story felt like they had the potential to really shine but just fell short. Maybe it was trying to do too many things and ended up being only a little of everything, instead of fully developed in any one area enough to be remarkable.

I wasn’t convinced to care about anyone or anything that was happening. I didn’t feel any sense of urgency or the high-stakes. There was no complexity or intensity to anything. I wasn’t immersed into the story like I wanted to be. It just wasn’t enough to hold my interest.

I know I’m in the minority here, but I just really don’t see what other people see. I’ll probably be ostracized by all the Gong fans out there but this was subjectively my experience with this book and possibly my last try for this author. I think that people who liked Gong’s other books will probably like this one too. But I don’t think that avid adult fantasy readers will - it won’t have the depth that they are looking for.

⭐️⭐️⭐️📱 Thank you NetGalley and Saga Press for the e-ARC!

The magical system in this book was very unique to anything I’ve ever read or seen before. I think the author did an amazing job creating the various elements of this system and the ins and outs were explained very well.

I enjoyed being thrown into the plot fairly quickly with this book, but I really struggled staying interested throughout. I think this might have been an issue with the pacing and lack of character background to make me feel invested in these characters.

The Hunger Games-esque game being played in the middle of a populated city with residents continuing on with life as usual made for a more thrilling experience, given the potential of civilians getting caught in the crosshairs of the game.

I feel the various POVs throughout made following the story a little confusing especially since some were of some side characters that needed more introduction or development in my opinion. I wish we had spent a little more time on the past/backstory of all 3 main characters to help increase the connection to them throughout the story.

The romance fell a little flat for me because it seemed to develop randomly without much tension or build up.

That ending though! 🤯 I was on the fence about continuing on with the series, but after that ending I think I’m going to need to read book 2 for an explanation and to see what happens next!

“Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong is a retelling of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" that takes place in a fantasy world filled with political intrigue, action-packed scenes, and a unique romance story. The book tells the story of Princess Calla Tuoleimi seeking revenge against the King of Talin while Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat, fights to save his dying childhood lover. The two characters meet and fight in a survival game set by the Palace, where the winner takes all.
The writing in "Immortal Longings" is enjoyable and serves as a unity between the different aspects of the story. However, the world-building can be hectic and challenging to grasp, with many things happening throughout the book, including the jump system, magic, game rules, violence, and an ever-changing point of view.
In my opinion, Prince August stands out as the most consistent character, with a well-proportioned balance between his good and bad sides.
Overall, "Immortal Longings" is a creative romantasy story that offers an interesting retelling of Shakespeare's classic play.

3.5 stars. While this series is advertised as adult I am finding it hard to categorize as an adult book. Think more upper YA possibly NA if we’re being honest. The makings of a great adult fantasy story are there but it felt too structured and too flat to fully make it in the adult category, for me at least. The gore isn’t very gory, the one sex scene in the entire book was very bland and felt forced among the characters, the language was tame.

I felt a big disconnect with the characters and the story which made this less enjoyable for me as a character driven reader. It was honestly a struggle to get through the first 50% of this book. Whenever you start a fantasy series info dumping is always going to make up a lot of the first part of the first book but sometimes the info dumping is too much and not spaced out enough. Between the multiple povs and third person perspective, the info dumping seemed never ending. It took a good while to find a rhythm and immerse myself into the story which I could never fully get in sync with.

The plot is amazing tho. Jumping from body to body is a very interesting plot point based magic system. I was intrigued watching how the games played out with the aspect of jumping and how the players used that to their advantage. The standard intrigue, betrayal, and fight scenes added to the entirety of the plot which made this the thing I enjoyed most which is rare as a character driven reader. The romance in the plot was lacking for me and I’m really hoping that disconnect will lessen with the next book.

The characters were fine. We have the bad ass female lead who can hold her own and doesn’t need anyone to come save her. A favorite of mine for sure. We have an exiled aristocrat who will do anything to win and a prince who will stop at nothing to get the crown that should be his. All in all a great if not cookie cut set of leading characters to follow along with.

I will definitely be continuing this series just to see how Gong progresses with her writing and jumping age categories. I have high hopes for the next book.

This book took me a little bit to get into but it got really action-packed sometime after the 20% mark!

The action scenes in this book were truly written so well. There were a few times where I wondered if some movements would truly be physically possible but otherwise they were very intense and bloody. I really loved how dark and gritty this world felt almost from the start. It set the whole tone for the book.

Our MC is very cold and gruff and I LOVED her character so much. She is so so fleshed out and I loved being in her POV a lot more than the others. However, Anton and August were interesting. It is very easy to see that Chloe took the time to fully flesh out all of her characters, the world, and the plot.

The whole idea of mind-jumping being something that happened so often and ruined so many lives was very intriguing to me and I think it was handled very well. It leaves you as the reader constantly wondering if someone is only a host for another.

My issue with this book began around the 50% mark. I was hoping for some really tense slow burn between Calla and Anton. However, it really quickly turned into them getting hot and heavy with each other. To me their 'romance' felt forced. As if it was only thrown into the story so that there could be spice which is truly disappointing because as someone who exclusively reads books with romance, I actually preferred this book not to have any.

Because of this, I was really sucked out of the story and couldn't seem to pick it back up so, unfortunately, I had to DNF. I am hoping to return to it in the future to see if this issue resolves itself.

Thank you so much for my ARC!

I can NOT stop thinking about this book. I love Chloe Gong's YA Secret Shanghai Universe books and her adult debut did not disappoint. Gong's seamless world-building and character development are absolutely impeccable and set up the next two books perfectly. This book follows Calla, Anton, and August through their kingdom's deadly annual competition. They have different, constantly changing roles and motivations when it comes to the games. This book is FULL of violence, blood, and gore so if that is not for you then this book probably isn't either. It also includes complex relationships and romance. One thing I love about Gong's writing has a way of highlighting the small moments in such high-stakes worlds. It makes the characters and the world in the book seem within reach like you can see their struggles and motivations even if can't relate to their decisions or actions.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC even though it just means I am forced to live with that cliffhanger ending just even longer.

You mean the queen Chloe Gong wrote an ADULT retelling of Antony and Cleopatra? Oh my goodness. I thought I was ready for this ride, but Mrs. Gong had something else on her mind that clearly just captured all of me and wouldn't let me put. it. down.

One of my most anticipated read for this year. The plot and writing had me grabbing for the next page! I can't wait to read the sequel.

It’s simple. Whatever Chloe Gong writes, I read. And always, consistently, irrevocably deeply adore. “Immortal Longings” is no exception.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

📚 𝕴𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘
✍️ Chloe Gong
💬 English

I was sent a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

𝕴𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 was my first ride with Chloe Gong's books. Since These Violent Delights were a phenomenon, I really anticipated this NA debut book.

𝕴𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 was a retelling of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. It is said that the story was a tragedy and went gloomy all the way. I prepared for the worst from the very first words (I have enough books to make me feel helpless and vulnerable)

The book was set in a fictional city called San-Er, a capital twin city of Talin. There was this princess, Calla Tuoleimi who seek for revenge against the King of Talin. On other hand, we had Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat who willing to did everything to save his dying childhood-lover. They met and fight in a survival game set by the Palace. Winner takes all.
I had to say it was a creative romantasy story. The writing was enjoyable and serves many things as a unity. We had this political intrigue, action-packed, and romance story collided in a beautiful strings of words.

The world building was hectic. I didn't grasped until the end (I personally blame my brain), so many things happen: the jump, the magic, the game rules, the violence, the never ending POV, and bunch of things I can't remember. Gong was patiently explained what happen in her books everytime she switched POV, but still, it was like a gray blurry picture for me.

I had so much complain with the Jump system. Like, what happen with the people whose Qi was rotten by the Jumper? What happen with those innocent people whose bodies got taken, and died at the end?

And what happen with all the intimacy scenes between our supposed-to-be hero and heroine? Anton was a jumper, the best one. He never stayed commit to a body. Everytime Anton and Calla were making out, I frowned. Calla was so calm despite Anton's different appearance. There was no complaint, no question, like girl? What if his body was a body of some criminal you yearned to kill? Will you let him inside you?

I don't have favorable characters, but Prince August might be the best out of three. He was the most consistent character. The vicious mastermind as well as a helper. His good and bad side were proportionally given. It was hard to hate him, as well as love him.

𝕴𝖒𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖙𝖆𝖑 𝕷𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘 is expected to be on shelves on July 25, 2023. Make sure you mark your calendar.

Thank you NetGalley, Chloe Gong and the publisher for the book.

Wow, I’m speechless…Chloe Gong does not disappoint in her adult novel debut. This book definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, and was utter perfection. The characters, the world building, the twists and turns absolutely delivered!

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a chance to read and review an advanced copy of this book!

Chloe Gong is such a phenomenal writer. Her books are so intricate while being super readable. Her characters and world she builds are immersive and I absolutely loved this one. I didn't know that I needed a Cleopatra and Antony retelling in my life until I read this book. Amazing can't wait to see where she goes from here.

A retelling of Antony and Cleopatra!
Yes please!
This version was set in a fantasy/dystopian setting, and was so unique!

I'll be honest, I didn't think I would like, and was so glad to proven wrong!
The pacing of this book was so well done, and the world building wasn't overwhelming.
It has almost sci-fi vibes, but not quite. (Yeah I know that makes no sense)

It had romance
It had political intrigue
It had magic
It had my attention!

Everything, and I mean everything, that Chloe Gong writes is gold. With each book that she writes, her storytelling gets even better. I fell in love with this story and characters. The thought of having to wait to see what happens next is killing me!

Anton is probably my favorite "villain" ever written. From the first time he appeared on the page until the very end he had me captivated. That ending...chef's kiss! I CANNOT WAIT to see what he is going to do next. I didn't connect with Calla as much as I did Anton, but I think it is because her feelings don't appear as strong as Anton's. She also has a huge guilt complex that she never ever listens to.

The world building was a catch 22. The first few chapters were a lot of info dump, and I personally felt like there were too many "players" in the beginning. The overall world though-outstanding. I just wish I had a better time understanding from the get go. This is a wonderful world that fantasy lovers will enjoy, but it isn't going to hook someone that doesn't already love fantasy. I, however, will read anything Queen Chloe wants to write in this world (ok, any world).

Chloe's writing is always beautiful. One time I listened to her on a panel and she was telling us how she had this long description of Shanghai archetecture/a building that she had originally included in another book, but took out because she knew her editors would tell her it was too much fluff. But I would seriously read anything she writes. Anything. Her writing is one of the few that jumps off the page and sucks me in to the surroundings inside the book.

I can't wait for this book to come out so I can buy whatever fancy copy one of those book boxes are going to sell. It is going to look perfect on my trophy case...I mean book shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

Let’s start with the good! The plot was fantastic. I really loved the hunger game and a little bit of TOG in my opinion vibes. I liked the characters, well some of them. I liked most of the writing. It was very descriptive and I felt like I could really imagine what was going on. The plot twists…I really didn’t see those coming.

Now for the “okay” stuff. I want to start with the romance plot with Anton and Calla. Somewhere I got lost in the middle I guess. One moment they were enemies and the next lovers. While I love that trope; I love seeing it being built up. There was honestly just nothing written that made them fall in love so quickly. I’m not sure if it was just stolen moments in between their scenes together that wasn’t written but it was just weird that all of a sudden Calla is telling Anton she loves him. It was just out of nowhere since their relationship really wasn’t build up. I’m very curious about Otto. I know she’s in a coma like state but a lot of the book mentioned her but we hardly know much about her. I think maybe more should’ve been explained about her. I know this is going to be a series, so hopefully we get more back story on her as well.

Last but not least, the stuff I wasn’t a big fan of. It got a tad confusing keeping up when it kept swapping between all these different characters. I like multiple POV’s but only when it’s a few and I can easily keep up. Too much was going on as well. It was very action packed and it felt like so much was going on that it was hard to digest what’s actually happening, if that makes sense. I just felt like it needed to slow down at time or maybe just better explanations.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. I’m super excited for the next one because the way this one ended….man. Just man. I honestly didn’t see it coming and I’m so eager to know what’s going to happen next. I think this is going to be a fantastic series.

4 stars!

I really enjoyed this book! I have always liked Gong's style, but it's her characters that always draw me in. I love that they are flawed and imperfect, making them human and so much more relatable and likable. While the story has echos of the Hunger Games, it brings the even darker side of a country ruled by an oppressive monarch. The twists are also entertaining and keep you turning the pages. I brought my work laptop home just to finish reading it (I had only been reading it during my lunches!) I cannot wait for the sequel already.

ARC provided to me by NetGalley!!

Quick Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

Chloe Gong has done it again! I’ve been following her journey as an author since I read These Violent Delights back in March of 2021. So far, I’ve adored every novel she’s put out. Her upcoming adult debut is no different. A rich and in depth world that feels so real while reading. Incredible main characters and a romance that tiptoes the border between love and obsession. A unique power of body jumping, which I’ve never seen before. A desperate and failing kingdom. A government thoroughly corrupt. A life or death game, arranged by said government. Love interest, destined to kill each other or be killed. The authors own cat written into the story. Plot twist the leave you flabbergasted, mouth on the floor with your head spinning. This book is IT.

My overall thoughts:

I adore this book. I highly recommend preordering it, especially if you’ve enjoyed Chloe Gongs books in the past. This book reminded me a lot of the Hunger Games, but not it a copying type of way. The use of body jumping as a power was brilliant and unexpected. I will say, however, this book did take me a little bit to get into. This isn’t the fault of the writing or anything, I just took some time to adjust to reading in present tense. Despite this, this is still one of my favorite books I’ve read so far in 2023

Characters:

This book follows a main cast of 3 characters. Calla, Anton, ans August.

Calla: “She could do nothing on a throne, but she could do everything with a sword in her hand.” I absolutely love Calla. If you want a book with a strong, morally grey fmc, this is for you. Calla might not be the most ethical person, but she sure is iconic.

Anton: “He wants the palace to tremble.” This man. THIS MAN. He’s the sunshine to Calla’s grumpy. He brings the sarcasm and the laughs. He had me absolutely in love with him, and I think he’ll have that effect on a lot of people. “In the face of danger, we might as well have fun.”

August: “I /am/ the monarchy.” August is willing to do anything to seize power. He believes he’ll be a better king than current monarch, King Kasa. He will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

The Romance:

This book has a romance that walks the thin like of love and obsession. Enemies to reluctant allies to totally engulfed in each other like the flip of a light switch. I loved reading about Anton and Calla’s relationship. The codependency they have was written so well. I’ll leave you will a few quotes I think encompass their relationship.

“This is tenderness. And she is more afraid of it than anything else in their forsaken kingdom”

“Forget your name and adopt the title instead. Calla. Soon, people will be saying it just as they whisper God.”


~ This adult Antony and Cleopatra retelling hits shelfs on July 25th, 2023. I cannot recommend you preorder it enough. This is a novel you wont want to miss out on!

Despite the fact that it is only March, I feel confident that Immortal Longings is easily going to be in my top five books at the end of the year, I loved absolutely everything about this book. Inspired by Shakespeare's Antony + Cleopatra, Immortal Longings tells the story of two individuals who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals - including entering a deadly competition.

The Setting
Immortal Longings transports the reader into San-Er,, a fantasy city inspired by Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. A dystopian setting based on the 1990's, Gong expertly interweaves the overarching sense of doom that accompanies dystopian societies with the freshness of a society on the cusp of a technological revolution. The juxtaposition of individuals literally fighting for their lives while simultaneously embracing pagers and broadcast news is fascinating and uniquely captivating.

The Magic System
This universe has some of the most unique magic I have ever read - individuals with magic have the ability to jump bodies at will. As a result, you can never truly know who you are speaking to - as it could be another's consciousness within the body of your brother/aunt/best friend/wife. This was so different from anything else I've ever read, and I was utterly entranced the entire time.

The Characters
Calla and Anton deserve the WORLD. I love them both so, so much. They are both absolutely ruthless in pursuit of their goals, regardless of who or what they may need to betray in order to accomplish said goals. The supporting characters are just as intriguing and unpredictable, which kept me on the edge of my toes from start to finish.

The Romance
This is enemies to begrudging allies to lovers done RIGHT. I got giddy each and every time these two interacted. While I love Roma+Juliette, Calla+Anton may take the cake as my favorite CG power couple.

The Writing
IL is immersive and atmospheric and absolutely entrancing. Between the writing style, the pacing, and the overall plot, this was a book I was unable to put down after wholly losing myself within the pages.

If Immortal Longing's isn't already on your TBR, you need to add it now. You won't regret it.

-----5/5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong is a thrilling and romantic epic fantasy inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Set in the kingdom of Talin, the story follows Princess Calla Tuoleimi who is in hiding after killing her parents and emptying the palace of Er five years ago. She plans to finish the job by winning the games held at the palace of San-Er every year and killing her reclusive uncle who always greets the victor.

To win the games, Calla needs the help of Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat who is deep in debt trying to keep his childhood love alive. Anton is one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, which means he can jump between bodies at will. Calla and Anton form an unexpected alliance, and with the help of King Kasa's adopted son, August, they embark on a dangerous journey to win the games and achieve their goals.

The story is full of power plays, spilled blood, and romance, which makes for a thrilling read. Gong has created a fascinating world with a unique magic system, and her writing is both vivid and engaging. The characters are well-developed, and their relationships are complex and compelling.

One of the highlights of the book is the romance between Calla and Anton. Their partnership spirals into something all-consuming, but their different goals and motives create tension and conflict. The love triangle between Calla, Anton, and August adds another layer of complexity to the story.

Overall, Immortal Longings is an excellent debut novel from Chloe Gong that is sure to please fans of epic fantasy and Shakespeare. The book is fast-paced, full of action, and has a satisfying ending that leaves room for a sequel. Highly recommended for fans of the genre.