Immortal Longings is a very loose retelling of Marc Antony and Cleopatra. Look, I know there are people
who want to rip into this for the Hunger Games type feel. Bur let’s get real, HG was a ripoff of Battle Royale. So full stop.

Calla is the Princess who massacred her parents and everyone in the palace. She was proclaimed dead and a traitor. But she’s been hiding in the shadows of San-Er. Anton has been exiled while his original body remains captive. He’s in deep debt from hospital bills trying to keep his childhood love alive as she lays in a coma.

Both Calla and Anton are able yto jump bodies. Both are best at what they do. Both are joining the annual games. One to win money to alleviate his debt. The other to reach her uncle and finish the job.

This was a solid read for me. It has a (as mentioned) Hunger Games (the games)/Battle Royale meets Altered Carbon (the body jumping) feel. People who don’t tend to read fantasy may get overwhelmed with a lot of the early world building. A lot of information is given to the reader. We see and understand how people with the gene to jump do it and certain boundaries and consequences to it. We get to understand the socioeconomic imbalance within San-Er. And we get insight on the politics of this world. Personally, it was easy to follow and kept me engaged. The body jumping is an interesting concept. It feels a bit uncomfortable. However, somewhere in the middle the world building becomes a bit convoluted.

Calla and Anton’s relationship is a slow burn. So slow. And there wasn’t much interaction between them for the first third of the book. But I enjoyed their interactions as the story progressed. August, Calla’s adopted cousin and crown prince is probably the most interesting character.

Lastly, the ending left me wanting to read the next book. So there’s that. How long again? lol

First, I'd like to give a special thank you to Gallery Books for an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this one was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and I was not disappointed. I am usually a fan of Chloe Gong's premises more so than her execution. This book is far from perfect, but the mood is phenomenal. The inspiration drawn from Hong Kong's Kowloon Walled City will not leave my brain. I really only wish that this first book had been longer, but I want to buy a physical or audiobook copy of the book to reread it.

I know Chloe Gong can write well, with a solid plot and compelling characters, but she didn't show that here. This book felt like such a chore to read, and none of it was compelling or had any kind of emotional depth. I just felt like the characters, the world building or the plot weren't fleshed out at all, and it was just a lot of words to actually say very little. I've loved Chloe's previous books, and I'm excited for Foul Heart Huntsman, but I will not be continuing this series.

I struggled a bit with how to rate this one. The first half was solidly three stars: interesting enough and decently written, but tending towards verbose and repetitive. The second half definitely was four stars for me—it felt like Gong hit her stride and began to finally deliver on the promise of the premise: Hunger Games meets Cleopatra and Antony.

I want to note here that I think this novel suffered from the same issue as Lightlark, where it was pitched as being like major phenomenons for specific concept aspects, without actually “feeling” or reading like them. Overall this just sets readers up for disappointment and I think marketers need to work harder to be accurate rather than sensationalize.

However, the ending was absolutely stunning, even though I half expected it, I loved it. Felt incredible well set up, which I love. Because of that, I’m going with four stars since we ended in a note that makes me want to read the sequel.

I have read Gong’s debut novel and didn’t enjoy it like the rest of the world but let me tell you that this book changed my perspective of her writing. I have to say that I don’t recommend checking out the summary because it’s not exactly what it promises you it will bring so going in blind would be a great bet. Gong did a great job with writing the storyline was this book and I was into it by the end of the book. I do have to say that the pacing was slow in the beginning but it does start to get better. The world-building was done but it’s not properly scattered throughout the book and instead all in the beginning of the Crescent City. The multiple perspectives were fun and I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and seeing how each and every one of them will play out in the series.

Calla is the FMC who plays in the games and wants to end the monarchy. She is fierce and badass which I absolutely loved about her. I loved seeing her grow in this book but I know that more development is coming on her end. Then we have the side characters and there is quite a bit and many of them are very involved with the story. I enjoyed Anton who I wasn’t liking at first but been to fall in love with. The romance is enemies to lovers and a slow burn. I didn’t really feel much chemistry between the characters and there’s not much spice for an adult book.

The ending was amazing and I need the next book now to find out what happens next. There were many plot twists in this book that kept me very hooked on the story and I have to say that Gong did such an amazing job with the book. I really enjoyed it and I’m excited to see what the next book brings to us. This book is perfect for fans of Crescent City.

I wanted to love this book but I just could not get into it. I had to DNF about halfway through. I could not get into the world building and could not connect with the characters. While this one wasn’t for me I will still read Chloe’s future books!

5⭐️
All of the Chloe Gong book I’ve read so far have always been 5 star reads and Immortal Longings,her adult fantasy debut was no exception.

I dont usually read adult fantasy books but when I found out that Chloe Gong was publishing an adult fantasy I knew i would read it. I was super grateful to have received an E-ARC of it vis NetGalley

This story, like others of Chloe Gong books is a Shakespearean re-telling of “Anthony and Cleopatra” and it follows Anton Makusa and Calla Tuoleimi who form an alliance while participating in a series of games held by the palce of San-Er

The world-building was phenomenal and super easy to follow. Calla and Antons dynamic and releatiomship was everything and I absoultely love them. Their first interaction was everything OMG

If you love the song “Getway Car” by Taylor Swift you NEED to read this book. like rn. ‼️

To say this book was a disappointment is an understatement, and no one is more sad than me. I've struggled with getting through Chloe Gong's previous books in the past, but they at least had plotlines and characters that intrigued enough to make up for it. This did not. Instead, Immortal Longings was pages and pages of info dumps, long verbose passages, insta-love, and a really boring plot. I almost DNF'd this so many times that I had to push myself to read on.

This is like a mashup of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra's story with some resemblance to The Hunger Games. It's got power plays, deadly games, and some romance thrown in! The story follows Princess Calla, who's out for revenge after her parent's massacre. She's determined to bring down the monarchy and gets tangled up with Anton, an exiled aristocrat. Then there's August, the adoptive son of the king, who's a bit of a mystery. Calla and Anton's relationship is quite a ride from rivals to lovers. Chloe Gong's writing is fantastic, with an incredible world and twisty plot. However, some parts could use some editing to tighten things up. Overall, it's an exciting read! I can't wait for the next one!

My rating: 4.5/5

Chloe Gong does it again. Is anyone surprised? I have been Chloe’s number one fan since I read an ARC of These Violent Delights way back when (review for that here). I was so extremely lucky to snag an eARC of this one (thank you thank you thank you Simon & Schuster). And here it comes. The most important sentence in this entire review. Prepare yourself. Those of you who follow me on other platforms know how much this means. Here it is: This is my favorite Chloe Gong book since These Violent Delights. If you are not a Chloe fan, for context she has two other full length novels and one novella collection excluding the two previously mentioned.

This one is definitely an adult book. It is spicyyyy. I loved it but if that is not your thing (or if you are a youngling) maybe skip this one.

Speaking of spicy, the romance! The tension! The banter! The forced proximity! The passion! I could go on forever. Chloe has described this one as being enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers… And it is already living up to that in the first installment. Is it the healthiest relationship? No, probably not. Is is extremely hot and compelling to read? Yes, yes it is.

Chloe yet again slays with her cast of characters. Calla Tuoleimi joins my list of Chloe Gong characters I want to marry (along with Juliette and Celia, if you are wondering). She is single-mindedly set on her revenge and I, as a supporter of women’s wrongs, was so here for it. She is the actual definition of a warrior and that makes her and Anton a battle couple!! Fave trope, and I feel like it’s rare (??) Just me? I feel like it’s always one character who knows how to fight (and why is it always the guy?), but Calla and Anton are both incredible fighters.

I was neutral on Anton at first but he really grew on me. This is definitely an example of this one fell first but this one fell harder and I will leave it to you to read and find out who is who. Anton does not have access to his birth body, so he spends all of his time in other people’s bodies. Calla, on the other hand, avoids jumping. The contrast just adds yet another layer to their relationship.

Our final pov character is August. I liked him for most of the book and then I very quickly did not and now I love to hate him. All of these characters are beautifully complicated, but, while he is my least favorite, I do think August is the most compelling to me. I can’t say why without too many spoilers, unfortunately. (but dm me if you’ve read it and want to talk (about anything but especially August)).

Speaking of, definitely stay away from this if you are squeamish with blood. This one does involve a game where 88 people kill each other until there is only one standing so… yeah, there’s a lot of murder.

Let’s talk about the magic system. Personally, I have never read anything like it. The basic idea is that people can ‘jump’ into another body. As in their consciousness or soul, referred to as qi, can invade someone else’s body. Certain people have stronger jumping abilities than others. And some very rare people cannot be invaded but are able to invade others. The only indication of who is in a body is the color of their eyes. It was so interesting to think about a world where you might not recognize the faces of your friends or family on a certain day. How much of your identity is attached to your body and how would that be different in a world like this? What if your body was the one invaded? What would happen if someone else decided to permanently live in your body and there was nothing you can do? (New irrational fear unlocked). It is endlessly fascinating to me and there are so many possibilities for where Chloe could take this for the rest of the series, I can’t wait to see how it evolves and what it will mean for our characters.

Now, why the half star deduction you ask? The singular complaint I have about Immortal Longings is that the first 60%-70% of it is a bit slow. At first, it needs to be slow to allow you to get a firmer grasp on the world before being thrown into the plot, but there’s a bit of a gap where I felt that I knew the world enough but there was a bit of a lag before the plot really picked up. There was still plenty of action (and as I’ve previously said, I would pay to read Chloe’s grocery lists) so I wasn’t bored per se, but it was a tad slow.

I think this is the longest review I have ever written. I want to give you a trophy for reading to the end. Unless you just skipped down here (don’t blame you I do that all the time). Anyway, I loved Immortal Longings. I laughed, I screamed, I teared up. The only thing I want to read now is the sequel. Alas it does not exist.

3.5 stars

If it weren't for the fact that I absolutely adored These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends, I might have rated this book higher. But maybe not?

There was a lot I liked about this from a descriptive standpoint. I loved the idea of a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra as it is one of the more unusual choices, but it turned out to be more of a story inspired by the characters of Antony and Cleopatra, rather than a story inspired by their world and their story. I also thought the body-jumping idea was very unique, although that opens a can of worms when it comes to consent. But if it is the normal culture of a nation--well, maybe? For something that was illegal, there really weren't many consequences from doing it, unless you count getting killed because someone else did it to you. But the biggest consequences of doing it during the games seemed to be that the affected victims (or their families) were supposedly compensated by the crown. I did like that the author did address this through some conversations, but it wasn't very clear. It was interesting that Calla never jumped, and although her reasons eventually make sense, it still makes you wonder if a person's birth body truly belongs to them in a world like this. From the author's note at the end (which I found very interesting and helpful), the body jumping will be further addressed in books 2 and 3, so I'm looking forward to that.

The plot of the games reminded me a lot of The Hunger Games, which I both enjoyed and hated. Enjoyed because it was intense and I HAD to find out what would happen but hated it because it was so badly edited. This wasn't as bad from an editing standpoint, but I think it could still have used another pass from a good editor. The pacing was uneven, with slow moments of info dumping mixed in with breakneck action. What THG had going for it was that I almost immediately connected with Catniss and I wanted her to survive and succeed. I had a hard time connecting with Anton and Calla, and I think I was meant to not connect with August. But with the ending (which I was both expecting and not expecting) I'm still left wondering. But I would say it took a good 60% before I started caring about Anton and Calla. Anton's past with Otta and August was never compelling enough for me to say, "Okay, I get it." However, once I started understanding Calla's reasons, I started caring about her success. But I was often left with the question, "Okay, so if you can kill the king, then what?" Honestly, the one who thought it through most was someone who seemed like a minor character; whether that will change in the second book is something I will have to wait and see.

Books like this normally take me a day or two to finish, but I ended up taking 11 days, partly because I kept getting enticed away by other books. I'm hoping that Gong will take her time with the next book and get back to what I know she can do--write a compelling story.

One other comment--this book was marketed as her first adult novel, but other than the huge body count and questionable consent issue, it really felt like YA to me. I'm not that tied to genres, so it's not that big a deal, but just something to consider if you don't like YA.

So would I recommend this? Yes, with reservations. I think it's a solid start and I liked it enough that I really want to know what's going to happen next. While the ending was both a surprise and one of those "totally makes sense in the context of the world" it does leave me wanting more. I'm looking forward to the next book, but I hope she takes the time to write and edit the way I know she is capable of doing!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted to love this book but I just couldn't. Chloe Gong created a fictional city called San-Er where the royal family hosts games where competitors fight to the death. Obviously this sounds a lot like the hunger games and I would not have a problem with a similar synapsis, but unfortunately this one fell flat. I felt almost bored during the "violent" games. I wanted tension, intrigue, and brutal fighting that showcased the problems in the society but really did not get that. Another issue I had with this book was the info dumping. It felt like page after page all we got was long paragraphs explaining the plot instead of actually showing it. I love the idea of the plot and really wanted to love this, but I just couldn't.

Everyone has likely heard of Chloe Gong at some point. Whether it's by TikTok, or stores spamming customers with her books everywhere or the internet or goodreads, her name is a known one. While some might take the whole "New York Bestselling Author" with a grain of salt (like I sometimes do) I was a bit hesitant at first to pick up one of her books. I check them out, read a page or two and never seem to get into it. I thought it would be the same with her adult debut.

I was wrong and frankly, I am grateful for the advanced copy for sucking me right into the plot. If you've seen Jumper or Squid Game, this book has these vibes. Others claim it has Hunger Games vibes (eh) but anyway, here we go.


Short summary: a killer princess, a power-drunk prince and a body snatching exiled aristocrat team up to topple a king while fighting for their hearts and their lives in a deadly tournament.


Long Summary: Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.



Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy.


Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.



Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.


I LOVED this book and am placing my bets on a few things, but frankly, the ending makes you wonder if you read right, if you missed something but most importantly, it creates the beginning of the Immortal Waiting for book 2. Needless to say, Chloe Gong has my respect and if she stays in the adult genre, I will forever be grateful for it.


Overall: 5/5 stars

This was such a twisty, dramatic, intense reimagining, and I loved the detailed, fully-fleshed out world Gong built. A great adult debut!

I was kindly approved for a digital ARC via Netgalley and was also sent a finished copy though all thoughts are my own.

I found myself drawn into this world with the different view points of August, Calla and Anton who are all connected mostly by chance and somewhat by choice but are also complicated.

When Calla is convinced to join a dangerous game held by August every year after he learns that she has been in hiding for the last several years and gives her an offer she can’t refuse, both of their lives are about to change in ways they didn’t see coming especially when Anton also shows up as a player of the games.

Anton has his own reasons for joining this dangerous game in which there can only be one victor and when his main reason is revealed, it broke my heart a bit and also endeared him to me.

When Anton and Calla meet, the tension is high to say the least and it takes quite a bit of convincing from Anton for Calla to team up with him. Then things really start to get interesting and soon the stakes will be even higher with the potential of one or both of them dying in this dangerous game.

Soon both Anton and Calla will have to make a decision on how to move forward, what to do about their growing attractions to each other and that sometimes the most difficult thing you can do is to trust another person.

Full of danger, twists, a liberal dose of tyranny, and complicated love, it kept me on the edge of my seat especially the last one hundred pages of the book. I did not see that ending coming and I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Trigger warnings: death, violence, murder, poverty, corrupt rulers, massacre

Thank you so much to the folks at Gallery/Saga for sending me an eARC and a gorgeous finished copy of Immortal Longings! I first heard about this book in 2021 (I think) at a panel at Yallfest where Chloe Gong was talking about what she was working on now and from the beginning, I was so hooked/excited to read this one.

Immortal Longings 5/5 Stars

Summary from Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut.

Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra , Immortal Longings is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

I really enjoyed this book! The games, August’s scheming, the underground society, the jumping from body to body, Calla and her secrets, and Anton and his secrets really made me keep wanting to read (even when I probably really should not have been reading). Not giving spoilers, but so many things that ended up happening at the end of the book made me so angry that the book was over, because I wouldn’t be able to know what was about to happen next! As a character, I feel like we didn’t really get to know King Kasa and his “tyrannical ways” didn’t really feel like enough to really understand why the heir to his throne was looking to have him killed- like, yes, he wasn’t helping any of the poor people in San-Er, but when do monarchs actually help the poor people? I could understand why Calla wanted to kill him and I understood Anton’s dislike of him/the monarchy in general as well, but not August’s. In terms of August, Calla, and Anton as characters though, I really liked them and everything they did to move the story along. Watching Anton and Calla together and their banter and everything about them was so fun to read. The game itself didn’t seem super orchestrated/thought out, but at the same time, I feel like that kind of worked? Overall, I really loved Immortal Longings and I cannot wait to read the next book when it comes out! Make sure you grab yourself a copy today!

Read if you like:
🎭 Shakespeare Retellings
📚 Antony and Cleopatras Story
🔭 Sci-Fi
❤️ Romance
⚔️ War

This book absolutely sucked me in and was so action packed!!!!

This one has a double plot that bouncing between absolutely made it so hard to want to put down because of wanting to get back to each pov simultaneously you are wanting to stay where you were and get all the answers!

I feel like the world building was also so well done to the point that it wasn’t overwhelming or boring but gave enough in detail that I felt like I could picture everything as I read .

The Enemies to lovers romance plot was also so well done and as my favorite trope this one definitely knocked it out of the park how it was written!

I truly can’t wait for the next book and hope everyone that reads this review goes and grabs a copy and enjoys it as much as I do!

Thanks so much to Gallery for my ARC of this one! Also, this one is a botm pick so there are so many ways to snag your copy today!

Chloe Gong's Immortal Longings is her adult debut and takes readers into a high-stakes competition where players must kill each other until a sole winner remains. Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding ever since she murdered her parents in an attempt to start a revolution five years ago. Entering King Kasa's games is her only way to get close enough to the reclusive monarch in order to finish what she started and bring about the change the kingdom of Talin.

Set in a 90's inspired world, the capital city of San-Er used to be ruled by two families before Calla Tuoleimi committed parricide. Now ruled by King Kasa, the city is becoming overly crowded with poverty and crime running rampant in the streets while the nobility live their lives of luxury on the sky-rise floors. The yearly games invite the citizens of San-Er to enter into weeks of ruthless killing until one remains standing and this year, Calla finds herself as one of the chosen players. While the games start off in her favor, things become complicated when she learns of another outcasted noble, Anton Makusa, who is also playing to win.

Chloe Gong is incredibly talented in creating worlds that include complex politics and unlikely allies that strike up a tension-filled temporary truce. Calla enters the game with the plan to win on her own skills but finds herself aided by King Kasa's adopted son, Prince August, providing her with inside intel while she and Anton try not to kill each other. The stakes of the game are raised with the inclusion of jumping, a skill that allows an individual to "jump" into another person's body temporarily as a host. Anton is one of the best jumpers and utilizes this to his advantage as do many of the other players.

Throughout the novel, the recurring theme of revolution and what it means to overthrow a tyrant on the throne is explored as the characters grapple with their own moral compasses. Calla and Anton soon find companionship in each other that expands beyond their initial alliance agreements. As the number of players dwindles, they have to come to terms with where exactly their relationship with each stands in the grand scheme of their original goals. I loved seeing their relationship develop especially with how resistant they are to each other initially. The slow build and tension created a captivating dynamic that kept me hooked, I honestly could not stop reading.

Chlog Gong's first adult novel is immersive in its world-building and storytelling with characters that challenge and question what it means to bring about lasting change for the good of the people. With a cutthroat competition and stakes that seem to climb higher with each chapter, Immortal Longings is a fantastic start to a trilogy that I have no doubt will absolutely crush my heart in the best way possible!

I gave this book a solid try. The world building and character development ultimately fell flat for me. The plot felt very similar to hunger games. I usually like multi POVs but I found the jumping around to be confusing. Not spicy and the romance was not very believable. Not sure why this was classified as an adult book.

This one just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read of Chole Gong and I went into it thinking it was fantasy and then realizing it was a dystopian. I don’t hate it but I do wish that books that were dystopian would be advertised as dystopians instead of fantasy’s. Since I went in thinking it was fantasy I was confused at first when reading it and they were talking about all the technology that they had and slowly I realized that this book is a dystopian. Besides that I have enjoyed what I read so far and am excited to see where it goes. I am a little worried to be honest to see how much I enjoy this story but I’m really hoping that the more I get into it the more I enjoy it. Also the magic in this is kinda confusing and while I like it I don’t feel like it was flushed out enough but again that might change when I read more.