Talking heads

Two scenes of action

The relationship was weird and I didn’t like it. It reminded me of the weird relationship in Faebound

Temu The Poppy War without the war school and falling for an “good” heir.

I understand why she had to do what she did but I wish she was a double agent

The main characters powers are cool. But the entire time I was reading this I was like I get it you’re doing this all for your family but stop saying that out loud. We know you’re doing this for your family.

Narrators saved it tbh.

Morally grey done wrong 🤮 🤢

O delicious tragedy.

Faced with an unwelcome bargain to meet her family's needs, Ruying steals from the rich oppressors, gets caught, and ends up making an even worse deal to protect her loved ones at the expense of her deadly magic. All the while, rebels are afoot...There's lots of being in Ru’s head, which wasn't the most interesting to me as a way to establish the story, but later on I love the philosophizing that's at the heart of this conflict between worlds. Are the benefits of scientific advancements diminished when they clash with culture and tradition? Is it wrong to value family and friends over society?

The strengths of this book are in the discussions between Ru and Antony, captive and oppressor, enemy and enemy, confidant and support. From the spiteful arguments to quiet night musings, their conversations cut to the heart of their own justifications, and how both sides of a conflict can be bad. Their moments are breathless and real, in contrast to the action-based scenes which seemed more cookie cutter.

I'm not entirely sure how to feel about the side characters. Some of those established early on disappear for large sections, or fade into nothing. But on the other hand, certain new characters arrive later, fully formed and jumping off the page (iconic duo, you know who you are).

Other thoughts, in no particular order:
- The use of "dreamt" aka the superior conjugation. This pleases me.
- Mutual self-destruction :)
- Iron Widow-esque setting. The world feels like fantasy at a glimpse, but is actually a pseudo-futuristic alternate history sci-fi situation with magic vs science and sky portals.
- Relationships are COMPLICATED.

Chinese characters are used throughout the text, usually alongside a translation. I enjoy this, except, I don't know how to pronounce them (unless it’s one of the handful that I happen know). As a reader, I found it really distracting to have this sort of blank pause in my head when it came to those sections of dialogue. It might be clunky to insert the romanizations, but I want to know what it sounds like? Also because we're in Ru's POV and she certainly knows? I’m curious to see further discussion on this topic.

Honestly, this was an unexpected favorite. Maybe the ACE playlist had something to do with it? Maybe it's the sugary scones and cabin fever? Anyway, sign me up for the sequel. Break my heart. Not like I needed it or anything.

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

This was a book that got a lot of hype (both good and bad), but based on the blurb I was excited to read it! After finishing it, I’d say it was okay…
The magic system that Chang created was my favorite part of the book. It was super interesting and I wish there had been more about it with more history and insight about the magic of their world and why it’s disappearing (aside from a generic less people have magic and we have no idea why - I guess no one thought to try to figure it out 🤷🏼‍♀️).
The main character Ruying was very frustrating for me to read. Her blatant acceptance of the magic of her world being inferior to the science of Rome so there’s no hope/what’s even the point of trying made me want to throw my kindle across the room. She also insisted at the beginning of the book to judge those she sees as “traitors” and “Roman collaborators” extra harshly to then turnaround and become one herself and not understand how others might judge her harshly in return makes no sense.
This book was also heavily marketed as an enemies to lovers book with lots of angst and tension. I don’t think it succeeded. There was a short period of time during which Ruying is coerced into her role as secret assassin where we get to see the enemies part shine, but then there is a skip in time of six months and something happened during that time (probs forced proximity) and now she’s enamored with her Roman prince. We missed out on the best part of the relationship development during that skipped time! The result ended up feeling like the affection was forced and not realistic and I was definitely not rooting for them as a couple.

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

I was so excited about this book and it was very mediocre to me. It follows Ruying trying to make sure her twin sister and grandmother are both safe and living while the rest of her nation continues to crumble under the rule of the invading Romans. They had been surviving unbothered until one day, the Roman soldiers are sent out to capture the magical among her people known as Xianlings. These rare, magical people have gone into hiding or have suppressed their abilities, until they are dragged to the rulers. It then follows Ruying in her journey to survive and make sure no harm falls on her remaining family, even if it means working with their invaders.

I personally wasn't very invested in this book. The world building and magics in it were so so fun and interesting to me, but I genuinely did not care if any characters lived or died. The supposed "romance" in this book fell so flat, and I hope that was the intention. Out of nowhere, the man of the family that literally conquered her nation was all of a sudden the apple of her eye? He whispered everything she wanted to hear, and then we get the random chapter of his POV about his affections too? It was very sudden and out of nowhere, while we get more and more about Ruying's conscious and how she hates the Romans. It felt all over the place to me, but I still enjoyed the storyline. There wasn't really anything keeping me interested in the book besides the big twist at the end that I knew was coming, and may be the only reason I read book two.


Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

2.5

"Death might be my patron, but he owed me nothing. To him, my life was just like any other: a fruit waiting to be harvested. Whether I'd live long enough to swell with the sweet juice of life or be tragically picked sour and early like to many Xianlings before me was a questions only he could answer"

I flew through the first half of this book. The author's writing style is lyrical, and there were beautiful quotes throughout. I did have an issue with the repetitiveness of the story. The author mentions how terrible the Romans are so many times in the story and the main character Ruying keeps going back n forth on whether or not she should be helping the Roman prince. One minute she knows what she is doing is wrong but wants to save her family, but the next she thinks the prince is actually the right answer. Then she starts to fall for him, even though she knows she shouldn't be trusting him and after he has forced her to kill so many. I didn't like how we glossed over Ruying's first kill and went to her 49th. The beginning showed how much she struggled with using her magic, but all of a sudden she's become this elite assassin, we didn't get the growth of her using her abilities Also, Ruying states that this one girl is like a sister to her, and she was promised her friend would be let go to safety, but not ONCE did Ruying check in on her, which doesn't make sense. Also, they kept depicting Ruying as this super powerful character because she can kill a person with her magic, she can only kill so many before she gets worn out. I'm sorry but that doesn't seem all that god like to me. I also didn't think it made much sense that the Romans are threatening to bomb Ruyings world if they rebel, when their own world was destroyed by pollution and war. The Romans are trying to save their world by conquering this new world, so what's the point if they destroy her world too. Finally, I didn't like the ending when the prince trusts her that quickly, he's described as someone who is taught not to trust or love anyone and yest after he betrays the girl he loves in a pretty serious matter he believes she still trusts him right away?

Part of me is torn on if I want to continue with this series. I did like the premise of it. The Romans are horrible selfish people conquering Ruying's people, destroying their culture all because they destroyed their own world. I want to see how Ruying is able to out maneuver the princes and save her people.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC from Random House Publishing Group

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is an amazing debut novel. I’m glad the author’s note was included at the beginning of the book as it gave me a perspective to view the horrors from as I was reading.

This is a fantasy retelling of colonization from a modern Roman Empire who, after destroying their (our) home planet, used their technology to rip a portal into a new world of magic blessed by ancient gods. A generation later, the young adults who grew up in this oppressed society have been forced to decide where their loyalties lay, and whether a tenuous peace can be found or if war is the only next step.

You can expect:
Chinese-inspired parables and history
Magic vs Technology
Enemies to allies to more?
Villain with tragic backstory
Secrets and Betrayal
1st Person, Single POV (mostly)

This was a great start to a series and I do want to continue. The sentences were long and descriptive, so it took a bit for me to get into, but it was beautiful writing. I have seen complaints about the love interest being toxic, but I feel like it was treated realistically for their circumstances and doesn’t portray it as relationship-goals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an eARC for my honest review.

I tried to love this book by going into it with a clear head from any biases. The beginning was enough to captivate me. Ru was solid in her stance against the colonizers. She had a clear and strong background and foundation for her story with her sister's addiction and grandmother raising her. From there I felt it was a back and forth battle between whose side Ru was on that got very repetitive after a while. I almost didn't care what side she was on, I just wanted her to pick one. The romance was hard to fall into. It felt one day we hated him and the next we're wanting to touch him even if he was saying questionable things to Ru. That may have to do with the time gap causing this disconnect as we don't get to see the connection grow. The magic system was definitely interesting and could be explored more in depth, along with the vague build up of what the Romans really are doing in Pangu. All the elements were definitely there, I just don't know if the execution was for me.

I kept trying to finish this book but unfortunately I’m gonna have to soft dnf this book at 40% the writing style wasn’t for me but I will hopefully pick this back up again. I keep seeing a lot of good reviews so I will pick this up again

I’ve seen To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods listed as both adult and YA fantasy, but, despite not being a YA reader, I found it didn’t matter much to me. I enjoyed this one to an extent, and I appreciated how Ruying found herself caught between two worlds, between what essentially amounts to the East and the West, and between magic and science. She was often a frustrating character to follow, trying to do what she needs to in order to protect her grandmother and sister, to survive, and to find a way to let her heart have what it wants, but was so easily manipulated. There’s a stronger romantic thread than I cared for, and a glimpse into a love triangle, but it was the story of Ruying wanting so badly to protect her family that I actually enjoyed.

Inspired by the Opium Wars and the human experiments that occurred in Manchuria during WWII, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods presents a world of magic, even if it is dying, but this novel drops the reader in after a portal in the sky has been opened and invaders have swiftly taken over, turning this country’s emperor into little more than a puppet, and the surrounding nations are prodded into bowing down to the invaders. After her father’s death thanks to opium, Ruying and her younger sister reside in a small part of what was once a sprawling home with their grandmother, surviving day to day while Ruying tries to take care of her opium addicted sister without their grandmother knowing. When she steals from one of the invaders, her life changes as she sparks his interest, heightened even more when he discovers her death magic. Taken forcefully from her home, Ruying finds herself in Prince Antony’s service, and things get complicated as her childhood friend Baihu implores her to be careful, but Ruying thinks herself in love, and being with the prince ensures her sister and grandmother are cared for and safe. Until disaster strikes when she’s out with Antony and truths are revealed that make her question things.

I find myself conflicted about this novel. There were things I enjoyed and appreciated, and others that just drove me crazy. I liked that this drew on what happened in Manchuria during WWII as I was completely unfamiliar with it, but it also tugged out memories of my grandmother’s stories from when she was a girl growing up in southern China during WWII. I really enjoyed how Ruying’s world made me think of China, and I loved her commitment to doing whatever she could to take care of her family. I also enjoyed the clash between, essentially, the East and the West as the invaders made me think of technologically advanced Romans, as well as a clash between magic and science as Ruying’s people once held greater powers than they do now and the invaders come from a world of science and technology. These dichotomies are rather black and white, but these are also the kinds of clashes I find myself enjoying. It did grate on my fantasy loving heart how magic was painted as vastly lesser, as something dying and to be used and controlled, instead of something mighty to be used against the invaders. I was also certainly not a fan of how Ruying was so easily and frequently manipulated by Antony. I had a hard time buying into their romance, and it just felt sullied to me. He clearly had the upper hand and she was little more than a tool no matter what he claimed, and Ruying was just completely blind.

Ruying’s world fascinated me. I loved that some of the people have magic, and I liked the things their magic could do, as well as the limitations imposed on them. I hated the way these people were used by the invaders, hated that they were supposedly powerful and capable of wielding something the invaders couldn’t, and yet the invaders always won because the magic is dying, and that just created such an imbalance of power that I just found myself frustrated with it, as though, of course, Rome has to win. I think this is one of the places I struggled with the most. I found myself frustrated with the leaders of Ruying’s world and how powerless everyone was painted to be. Certainly, I can understand that science and technology have a power of their own, but I felt like it was painted as something superior, so of course Ruying’s people are going to easily find themselves subjugated to their rule. But there were so many fascinating powers, so much strength and tenacity in the people, when they wanted to be so, that I was frustrated with the world. Ruying’s magic was interesting, though, and I loved the limits imposed on her. There was always a constant reminder of what the cost is, and yet, well, Ruying made her choices, and I certainly can’t say I agreed with all of them.

And yet I understood why she did it. I understood her motivations. Or, at least, some of them. With her father gone, her sister sickly thanks to her addiction, and her grandmother elderly, Ruying feels like it’s up to her to take care of her family. Not that her grandmother isn’t capable, but, as many traditional Asian grandmothers are wont to do, she was more concerned with marrying off Ruying to keep her safe. And, well, it was probably just the done thing. But I did appreciate the ferocity with which Ruying protected her family. It created some great tension between her and her sister, and I liked how I felt torn between them, torn between which of them was right. Ruying’s duty to her family, as misguided as it might have been, was easily my favorite part of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. It’s something familiar to me, something my parents worked to ingrain into me, so I found myself aching for Ruying at different points and finding myself, now and then, able to understand her.

What bothered me the most about Ruying, though, was just how easily manipulated she was and the way she treated the two men in her life. There’s the prince, who takes her as his personal assassin for reasons that are certainly not veiled or hidden, but Ruying, despite knowing everything, is just completely blinded by how handsome and attentive the prince is to her. It was often sickening to me, and I wanted to slap some sense into her. I hated how he manipulated her, and yet I hated her more for being so blinded by her belief that he cared about her, despite people close to the prince practically outright telling her she was a fool. Their romance just never sits right, and I feel like I want to even hesitate to call it a romance. It felt more like manipulation, like Stockholm syndrome, tinged with Ruying’s desperation to protect her family, who don’t even really play much of a role later on. Then there’s her relationship with her childhood friend Baihu. I actually liked him from the beginning. He clearly cared about Ruying, and I like to think a romance between them might be a whole lot better, but he’s clearly keeping things from her. I liked the reveals made about him at the end, and I want to hope the next book will be better because of the ending. But Ruying’s treatment of him at the beginning because of his relationship to the invaders just rubbed me the wrong way the deeper I read.

The other thing I enjoyed about To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods were the clashes between East and West, magic and science. It’s certainly almost too clear cut and certainly gives the West with its science the upper hand, and that did bother me as it makes magic feel very much lesser (and I do have a magic loving heart). But I also enjoyed the dichotomy, and I found myself fascinated by the clashes. It made it easier to see the inspiration drawn from what happened in Manchuria, and to make it easier to swallow the idea that Ruying has no choice but to sell her soul. Then again, Ruying is a coward; she wants to live. On the flip side, her death magic will most certainly kill her, so I’m hoping the next book will have her as a true hero. But, yes, I enjoyed the clashes, and hated how the East and magic did not come out on top. It was far more grating than I think it should have been, and it really bothered me how Ruying’s world just bowed down.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was not what I expected, much less the kind of East Asian inspired story I was looking for. I liked Ruying’s magic, but I did not like Ruying. I liked her world, but I did not like how helpless I felt it was painted. I liked Ruying’s devotion to her family, but I did not like the relationship she found herself in. This also, weirdly, felt a little episodic to me, with big events happening followed by slower parts where I, the reader, felt like I was dithering around. On the bright side, I found this to be a quick read, and I appreciated the inspiration this novel drew from. And I’ll be hoping the next book will be better.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

To be a debut novel??? This is GOODDDDDD!
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods features an amazing FMC Ruying who is gifted with death’s magic. With her country Pangu being overthrown by the princes of Rome, she makes a deal with one to bring peace to her country by becoming their hired assassin ❤️‍🔥

I loved the tension and development of the MMC Antony and Ruying’s relationship (if you forget the fact that he’s her colonizer😅) i wish the world building happened earlier on in the book as it seems “Rome” refers to modern day countries with their weapons and problems v. Pangu’s more traditional setting.

Overall, this book was TOO EASY to devour and I’m excited for the second book to be released! 😩

Huge thank you to Molly X Chang and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review ❤️‍🔥

Admittedly I requested this ARC because it had a pretty cover, was a debut author and in the fantasy category. What I got was beyond my expectations. This is a wonderful debut dystopian fantasy with sci-fi elements and magic. An alternate world where Rome was never defeated, they continued conquering and colonizing until they depleted and broke their world. Then through science and technology they discovered portals to other worlds, one of which has magic. Ruying is a Xianling, one gifted with magical qi, her gift is death. This is her journey, one fraught with hard choices, guilt & betrayal while she tries to save her family, her people. Can magic win over guns, technology and science?

While the description hinted at it being romantasy with a love triangle it’s barely there in this first installment.

There are events in this book that may be triggering to some. This story is set in a war torn, actively being colonized world. Triggers include extreme poverty, drug use/addiction, death, abuse, child abuse & torture.

I am sad to say that this didn't work well for me. While the concept and the beautiful cover drew me in, I did not enjoy my time reading this.

The writing itself was decent when allowed to flourish, but I felt so tired of it by only twenty percent in.

Info dumps that pulled me out of the story. Repetitive inner dialogue. There were many parts that I wished we got to see in real time that were glossed over, including most of her time using her magic and any development with a love interest.

There was just not enough here for me to really enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

"Monsters in flesh. Destined to ruin."

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was a heart wrenching and poignant tale about colonialism and the generational damage it inflicts on the innocent. I was met with a roller coaster of emotions, whether that was rage, devastation, curiosity, or hope. You may have heard of the controversies with the character of the protagonist as well as the way the book is advertised. Remember: Ruying is not your average hero. She is a survivor, which provides for an even greater reason to witness her tales. Do not go into this novel with romance being the driving force of your interest because this book is NOT that. I understand that TGUWG has been advertised as a "what if Zutara happened" and while I have not watched Avatar: The Last Airbender, I do not encourage lovers of that troupe to drive into a story with genocide and colonialism as the main focus. I picked up TGUWG for its exquisite cover (so beautifully drawn!!) and its promise of Chinese stories. Which is why I can't emphasis enough why readers should not finish with the idea of romanticization between Ruying and Antony. At the end of the day, it is still a complicated relationship detailing an oppressor and the oppressed. NOT ENEMIES TO LOVERS GUYS.

What I liked about TGUWG was the incorporations of Chinese sayings that I have heard growing up. but never got to see in English literature. And I found that here. But again: It's a compelling tale that brings forth your morals and values, You know those stories where you read to escape from reality? This novel is most definitely not it. While I am so not comfortable with the romance? and some of the writing in this book, I gave it a chance because I believed that it really is supposed to be overwhelming and to drag your heart down. I was reminded of the horror stories that I have been taught growing up and so the state of reading this book was a constant eye watering moment, which is why it doesn't make sense to have Ruying and Antony's relationship to be anything but knife against throat (again, NOT in a yess enemies but loverss! way).

Personally, I thought that To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods provided a descriptive atmosphere for envisioning the circumstances of the story and Ruying has bought me to tears many times with her monologues. She is a character worth reading. Questionable at times (very) but a character worth analyzing. When magic and science interweaves, the results are imaginable. Thank you to Netgalley, The Ballantine Books Group & Del Rey Books for the arc.

The first 60% was a solid 2 stars for me and I was tempted to DNF (which I rarely ever do) but the last 30-40% kept me going. This is a story with so much potential and the idea behind it is so unique and intriguing.

What irritated me and made me want to stop reading was the constant repetition; it took focus from anything else in the story. It seemed like every other sentence was how awful Rome was over and over or of how Ruying “comes from a long line of generals” and a great strategist of a grandmother; I understand the point the author is trying to drive home but it doesn’t need to be shoved down our throats again and again.

I am not one who enjoys a tremendous amount of tedious world building, but it was almost non-existent. I would’ve liked to read a little more about the world(s) and a lot less about the same things we’ve already been told. It feels more like the book is intended to make you hate the Romans instead of being about fantasy. The main focus for the majority of the book seems to be more on showing us how horrible the Romans were and the destruction of the Er-Long empire, and less about the actual fantasy or plot. I understand that the author wants to convey the harshness and the horrible atrocities that really did happen, but sometimes felt more like historical fiction than fantasy.

That all being said, I may still read the next book in the series when it comes out solely based on the last 20% of this book. I’m hopeful that all the repetition is out of the way and we can get more magic and action with a progressing story. Like I said, the premise is so unique and I really wanted to love this.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an E-Arc of this book. The following is my honest opinion *

3.5 ⭐ out 5
Read: 4/9/2024-4/16/2024

If you are a fan of Judy Lin's Book of Tea series and Kerri Maniscalco's Kingdom of the Wicked series (specifically the vibe of the main characters), this book might be for you.

It was an interesting read for me. The parts that had the magic system in it made this book more enjoyable and made me want to read more of the book to get further explanation on it. What threw it off for me was the "portal in the sky" and the very modern technology. (I do understand why the author did it this way. I do wish it had been more fleshed out.)

I am interested to see where the story will go. Definitely recommenf

I really wanted to like this book, but it just had too many issues. While the world built was interesting and mysterious, and the plot was intriguing, the style was shallow and the pace slow.

Aside from the MC, the characters are shallow and flat. In contrast, the endless inner monologue does give us layers for Ruying, but there is so much repetition in what she ruminates about. The romantic plot relies almost entirely on physical attraction and is otherwise baffling. Even with all the lengthy descriptions of the world and its politics and history, there are still so many questions left unanswered.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Ruying’s world, dominated by a magic that affects all aspects of life, was invaded through a portal in the sky by Rome, a science-advanced civilization. In the decade since they have arrived, Rome has taken over much of Ruying’s home controlling and weakening them with opiates and other advanced technology. When Ruying is captured by Roman Prince Antony for her magical powers over death, she enters a situation where there is no positive outcome. How can she save her family and world without sacrificing too much? Is peace just a tale used for manipulation and control?

I enjoyed this novel. The idea of an advanced civilization finding a parallel world to exploit is not a new concept but the way the author has constructed her story is unique. The journey Ruying takes emotionally as she navigates truths from lies is the heart of the story. That struggle is well written and not too overwhelming. The novel does end semi abruptly with a plot switch so just be prepared to be left wanting the next book. 4 stars.

Review based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group/Del Rey and NetGalley. Thank you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods follows magically gifted Ruying as she must navigate an impossible deal after being captured by the people who have invaded her home planet.

There's a lot to unpack here, and so much of it is incredibly complicated. First and foremost, I think it is important to keep in mind those who found the story presented in this book -- especially the romance, which seemed to be centered heavily in the book's early marketing -- offensive or exploitative of their history and culture. Additionally, I do want to acknowledge the author's role as someone who is also a part of the history and culture she writes about, and whose family was directly affected by the historical events which inspired this narrative.

Others have already said their piece about this being a colonizer romance, and I do think that bears repeating, though I will keep it brief. This book does involve a substantial amount, on the main character's part, of excusing the villainous behaviors of the apparent love interest. This in itself isn't necessarily a crime -- especially as Chang has come out to clarify that the arc of this relationship does not involve these two as endgame -- but the hurt of it stems from the actions of this character being specifically inspired by a group of people who committed heinous crimes against a minority population.

I do think, at least for me, the vibe was there in the book that Ruying's blind trust of Anthony was misguided and that she would eventually realize he was as much her enemy as any of them, but I'm not sure whether vibes are sufficient to overcome this kind of narrative presentation, especially when coupled with the early marketing that drove home the whole enemies-to-lovers-with-a-dark-prince thing. Beyond that, I have been thinking a lot about the responsibility of narrative in this kind of situation as well, and I can't help connecting these thoughts to the continual presence of Darkling apologists on the internet. Is it enough, in book two, to say surprise, this man is actually pure evil? After you've spent an entire book excusing his actions, hyping him up, painting him in a positive light? I'm not sure.

Beyond the romance issue, which is the hottest topic of conversation with this book, I'm on the fence about how I feel regarding the rest of it. In general, I think the balance of the story was off. In a world rife with war, drugs, magic, interplanetary portals, etc., it started to feel kind of frustrating just how much time we spent on the romance over everything else. I think plot-wise there were several opportunities for significantly more compelling story moments that were sort of brushed to the side in order to drive home the Ruying-is-blinded-by-love thing. At least some of this also comes down to character development, which seemed to be the least of anyone's worries for any character who wasn't Ruying or Antony. At the sentence level, the writing wasn't my favorite, and as a whole, I didn't find the construction of the story incredibly intuitive or organic.

At the same time, I do think this world and these characters have a wealth of potential. There's so much to explore thematically that book 1 has barely scratched the surface of, and I'd be really interested to see what this story would be in a more lived-in world with more complex and nuanced characters. I'll likely pick up book 2 when it comes around, out of sheer curiosity, but I do understand why this book has been such a controversial topic and not everyone's cup of tea.

⭐️⭐️.5
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Happy release day! 💗💗💖
Sadly this book just wasn’t for me.
We start the story with our main character Ruying who is living in a world on the borderline of war with the enemy, Rome.
Rome terrorizes her lands and brings a drug Opian, which supposedly enhances the powers of those who are born with them.
Ruying was born with the gift of death.
Now this book just wasn’t for me because I felt like it wasn’t on topic a lot, the author wrote a lot of world I feel like she just never used, and I would have loved to see all of her brilliant ideas fleshed out better!
I also felt like it was more of a tell and not show, and I definitely need show. Ruying also just didn’t feel real as a character to me, her motives were never clear and where her loyalty lies, no one knows.
And the romance…I just can’t get behind it, the love interest has just done too much bad and some of the things he says to Ruying are…but also he’s just not a good person and I’m sorry but he can’t be redeemed in my eyes.
But aside from that, for a debut the writing wasn’t bad, I had fun reading it, especially the end when I was very invested, I am hopeful to see where the story goes and if it can get better.

You’ll love this if you love…
- Chinese fantasy
- Burn the world if anything happens to her love interest
- No spice/ clean romance
- Unique magic concepts

Ruying girl...

This book had me in my feelings with the dedication, knowing that this story was taken from stories told by Molly's grandfather of war. Whew!

The time taken to build the world and give the main characters such personality and depth was great! I felt I was watching a movie as I read. In spaces dealing with Ruying's gift, I found it interesting how she had the ability to take life but thought long and hard about doing so. I saw the love triangle situation coming a mile away, it angered me but, I saw it coming.

There is so much I wish to say but I can't keep from giving spoilers! I am so glad I got to read this early, it is worth the hype! AND ITS A DEBUT NOVEL!?!

The emotional conflicts, the love, the growing up, the remembrance of past teachings, the history, the realness in fictional situations! I can't wait for book 2!

Ruying.....GIRL!

GET THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!