DNF. I had really been looking forward to this, but the prose style was excruciating with the choppy construction, and it was one interminable infodump. I like gradual world-building when it’s done right, but this was like reading a summary or plot outline with no character to speak of. If the first chapter had been like that, fine, but even the action sequences were lopped off in weird ways.

I feel bad, because the author’s note made it seem like this story is dear to the author’s heart, but this didn’t work for me at all.

I have very mixed opinions about this book.

The writing style is not even close to my preferred style; however, I talk this way. My sentences are fragmented, I repeat myself a lot to convey my point, and I tend to be overly-dramatic. As such, I could follow along just fine. I don't like reading purple prose, nor do I enjoy how bleak and contemplative the book was. Nowhere in the book did I feel joy or the true hint of love. I only felt sadness, guilt, and pain... And there was only any real development in the last 25% of the book. For the most part, we were just amping up the misery and the "hints of romance."

The romance bit is played off as a colonizer romance. It is arguably not one though. The entire time, she's recognizing more of the human within Antony. This is the part of him that warrants sympathy. Whether he's doing it on purpose or not, I don't know, but it works on her. She doesn't feel sorry for him as his people are genuinely all that is bad and horrendous. She does understand what it's like to know pain and fear, and to be willing to do whatever it takes to care and protect her loved ones. Mind you, when push comes to shove Ru can't really do "whatever it takes." For most of the story, Ru waffles. She's grasping at straws. Come the end, we see her come to some harder truths - not just about Antony, but about herself. And it's because of these ultimate choices that I would push back on the colonizer romance bit.

This book has romantic notions, but I didn't feel any romance between the characters. I only felt a level of kinship found between two folks who have similar emotional/mental/physical scars. Both know poverty, both know abuse by loved ones, both are facing the potential demise of their civilizations. The more they open up to one another, the easier it is to confuse vulnerability as intimacy- and thus, to think there's a romance budding. While we don't know the true direction of this book series, in this moment I would argue that this is not a colonizer romance. But I do understand why folks would be upset with it even being a suggestion.

I did read an ARC that was an unfinished draft, but the amount of repetition was a little too much. There also was a random Antony POV. I'm not certain why it was just the one chapter... I'm not even certain it was needed. I also don't know why we got Phantom of the Opera being hinted at... (The Phantom is a mysterious rebellious leader, and all of his people are called the Masks. And yes, they wear masks.)

From what I gather, this is a lot like Ancient China, but the Romans are from another planet (through a portal) who are very much like our modern-day world. I don't know if this was done so that we could feel more for the Roman cause? I mean, yeah, our current life situations are garbage, but that's not going to give me the green light to go wreck another world's life...

All in all, the book was full of purple prose written in a very bleak and contemplative way. There were no happy moments, no break in misery... It was just guilt, shame, pain, anger, potential romance - but denied romance, and distrust. Nothing was resolved except for her personal resolve, when she finally stopped waffling at the way end of the book. And I really just have no real connection to any of the characters.

I am honestly surprised I read the book in its entirety. I think it's because the world Ru lives in is so fascinating. The last 25% of the book was what I had been holding out for, so I'm glad I got to read it. I think it's because every now and then we got quotes like this, "Antony Augustus was not a religious man, but he would worship at her altar, kneel for her in eternity." Or, "'Maybe one day I'll deserve you.' And maybe one day, I'll learn to forgive."

Both of these quotes make their connection lead more on the romance side, though the second one does a great job of making it clear that they were not going to be in a relationship anytime soon (if at all). The first one makes me wonder if this is going to be a series about how the gal can change the man. If that is the case, then that's in poor choice.

I hope he'll want to change because she inspires him to overcome this shady life, but I also hope she keeps refusing him. He's a colonizer. He could have found a way to help the rebels. He could have decided to ASK people if they would donate their blood. He could have done things so different, and because he didn't - he shouldn't be given a colonizer romance. And she should be allowed to keep on refusing him. I'm saying this on behalf of the readership. We do not want a colonizer romance. We do not want "she changed him" romances.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 4/16/2024. This is cover is absolutely stunning, it’s a literal piece of art. It is absolutely breath-taking. I just had to put that out there. The book gains a star simply for its cover alone.

Now my thoughts on this story... Heroes die, cowards live. The pen ultimate switch of roles in many ways. That alone drew me into the book because it promised to be different. The core of this book, of the story Chang offers, is not an easy or even a palatable one at times and, for that, it is strong. Wars (even fantasy wars) are not neat and tidy. Rarely do you have a side that is purely good and one that is purely evil. Fantasy might work like that but not reality and so this book bridges the gap a bit more than most. You have the grit and the grime and the misery, the collaborators and the oppressed and the oppressors.


This story didn’t exactly hook me and overall only gets 3 stars. But like I said…. The cover!! *chefs kiss*

What an amazing attention grabbing book! The characters are compelling and do a great job of moving the story along. They mesh well together without awkwardness between them. They endear you to them and immerse you in their world. I loved seeing what Rome could become, seeing the Asian influence, the idioms and comparisons, word choice and writing flow, it all danced together beautifully like the finale of a wonderful ballet. I found myself constantly questioning loyalties and motives from multiple characters, which is something I love in a book. Twists and turns, secrets and confessions, hunger and greed and small romances and familial ties, this book really had it all. The parallels I see to WW2 and the colonization of America (among others) is terrifying, knowing that this is possible. This book could one day become a true story, a foretelling of where our world is heading. Our world of humanity would be the bad guys, and thats horrible to think about. But that doesn't stop me from wanting a sequel. This world fascinates me. There was a lot of world building in this book, but I'm compelled to want more, to know more details. The cut off at the end of this book is also perfect, as much as I hate it. It's definitely the perfect place to cut off for a sequel. I would also love a book about all these events and the time that passed during this book from Meiya's point of view! To see the other side of things, to see the world through her eyes and the things she does, would be so intriguing.

dnfed - i truly wanted to enjoy this book! from the moment i saw the gorgeous cover, i was intrigued. the prose was promising and i always love supporting an author's debut work. however, i couldn't get into this for the life of me. i do feel this plot would have been better suited for another author (or the same author, just after some experience, since her talent is promising). a lot of the world-building lacked depth and i was left with multiple questions. i also found the beginning to be rather slow, leaving me rather bored (and when i find myself bored while reading, it can make or break a book). that being said, thank you netgalley and random house publishing for providing me with an arc!

Things I love -
The cover
The magic system
The lush descriptions
The folklore

Things I didn't like -
The slow beginning
The point of the story
The enemies to lovers (The horror - This is usually my favorite trope but something about this just didn't sit right with me)

The oppressor-oppressed romance trope mentioned in social media isn't really a factor here. It was exaggerated. The angle here is pretty similar to the jasad heir but still, I couldn't understand Antony and Ruying's chemistry and it made for a very uncomfortable read

3 Stars

The cover of this book is beautiful and what initially drew my eye. The beginning is pretty slow, but it did pick up for me and then I had to find out what was going to happen. There is a lot of telling and not showing, but it was still an entertaining read and I look forward to the second book.

Set in a world called Pengu, we follow our FMC, Ruying, as she literally fights to survive the very dangerous empire she lives in. Her people are oppressed by ‘Rome’, who from my understanding, are from another dimension/world/planet? They appeared several years ago from a portal that ripped into the sky. The Romans don’t have magic like her people, but they do have technology and science and they seem more modern than the people of Pengu. Apparently the Romans destroyed their planet by using up all their resources and climate change happened. No one really knows exactly what they want to gain from Pengu, at least not until the end of this book. So, Ruying is ‘the girl blessed by Death’ and has the power to reap souls, or Qi, from people. She grows up being terrified of her gift, calling it a curse. It’s explained that no two magic abilities are the same and apparently she’s the only one with this ability. One of the enemy Roman princes, Antony, sees her use her gift and has her kidnapped and forces her into a bargain to be his personal assassin. She really only agrees because she doesn’t want to die and she wants to keep her family safe.

This is technically an enemies to lovers and maybe a love triangle. I’m hoping we get a lot more of Ruying’s childhood friend, Baihu, because I don’t see her ending up wanting to be with Antony after everything. My favorite part of this story was the mythology/folklore and the magic system. It was really well done and I wish we got more of Ruying using her powers. Overall, I did like this book and will be reading book 2. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC! 5 stars from me!

When I read the information on this book I was immediately drawn in. I had to read it and know the story of these characters. I am so glad I did!

The fact that this was loosely based on events that happened was harrowing. I felt my heart bleed for these people and the injustice they suffered. For the position our FMC was placed in so that she could protect her family and prevent more tragedies. It is easy to read about what someone, or some character, is going through and think about how you would do things differently. However much I disagreed with the decisions our FMC made, I could completely understand why she made them. Choosing life is the easiest road. Life for you and for those you love. Seeing which decision will ensure a good life or which decision is correct is not. I went into this book thinking it would go one way and it did not. I did not expect the mix of old and new, the blending of magic and science… or rather the clashing of them. This is not an easy book to read but it is worth it!

Those with magic are known as Xianling and they live in fear. Yang, the FMC, is one of the Pangulings with magic, death magic. Magic she has gone through great pains to ensure she keeps hidden and doesnt use. Magic has a price and for every time you use it you will shave off minutes, hours, or even years of your own life. Magic such as hers could be used against others, exploited, and deadly for too many. All she wants to do is protect her family from the Romans that have invaded and taken over their home. Forcing her people to scrape and bow like dogs eager for a gentle hand when all they receive are contempt and violence. Unfortunately she makes a costly mistake and the eyes of the Roman princes are now on her. She has to make a decision, rebel and her and her family will die or turn traitor against all her people.

Antony is a Roman prince and he can be very charming and very scary. He holds all the cards while whispering that they are equals. Words are but sounds we make of letters though, the important part to pay attention to is actions. Even knowing his deeds it is difficult not to want to believe in him. He knows when to show kindness or when to offer encouragement. His past is one to be pitied but his present is one to be feared.

I do not want to give away the journey. The story arc was wonderfully written and left me wrung out. I felt for the FMC and all she went through. I was constantly rooting for her and for her to come to her senses. The character development was phenomenal. We see the break down and the build up into something, someone new. I am only sad that I will need to wait for the next book in order to discover more. The hook did its job. I will be back for more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 4/16/2024. Just going to get it out of the way here - This is one of the prettiest darn covers I have seen in a long time. It is absolutely breath-taking. Now for the story... Heroes die, cowards live. It's one heck of a power statement to build a story on and to set in front of a character. For one thing, it drives home that this is not going to be a standard Hero's Journey and you can expect a lot of grey shades. The core of this book, of the story Chang offers, is not an easy or even a palatable one at times and, for that, it is strong. Wars (even fantasy wars) are not neat and tidy. Rarely do you have a side that is purely good and one that is purely evil. Fantasy might work like that but not reality and so this book bridges the gap a bit more than most. You have the grit and the grime and the misery, the collaborators and the oppressed and the oppressors.

Even our main character Ruying is a wavering bundle of human wants and needs. Actually, strike that. There is no "even" about it. More than most other characters in the book, Ruying shows the hard choices and compromises that a person might need to make in an oppressed nation. The survival of her sister and grandmother comes first, full stop. She herself is low on the totem pole of People To Protect. In fact, her deeply seated self-value issues put her lower than just about everyone. When your Gift is Death, though, and your mom died giving birth to you and your addict dad blamed you... I suppose it's easy to see how her ego is rock bottom. Equally as easy to see how she can react so well to the slightest bit of respect or praise. (Of course, that does not mean her reaction to a certain someone is HEALTHY.)

The best parts of this book are the descriptions - lush and graphic and powerful - and the growing moral questions and ambiguity. Chang makes it hard to know what the "right path" is and you are right there with Ruying in trying to decide how best to navigate the dangerous world. So many of the choices are no-win, an emotional gut-punch of damned if you do but damned if you don't. Very much like I imagine living in a land under the thumb of another would be.

However, working against these high points, you have a very slow start. Pacing was a weakness of the book, especially in the first half, and I felt like I was constantly revisiting the litany of "Romans are evil and vicious and hateful" and "I am cursed" and such. The second half picks up but then the last 50 pages are a race to the end combined with a sudden science infodump. Very odd.

Two other more personal points. I had to deal with a rather violent dislike/distaste for Ruying's sister but that might be a Me Thing. Also the sudden chapter from Antony's POV was a very odd stylistic choice. After 43 chapters of Ruying's POV, a short 2-3 pages of Antony was more than a little jarring.

All in all, I look forward to reading the second book to see what happens and who betrays who... Because it is definitely going to get worse before it gets better for Ruying. I also am willing to bet that the pacing issues and repetitiveness that interrupted my total enjoyment of this first book will be resolved since the world will be fully fleshed out already.

I was excited to get the opportunity to read this book. I was instantly hooked at the beginning - the world building/characters was easy for me to follow. Ruying is the FMC who lives in a world that has been taken over by the Romans. Ruying's culture possesses magic (some individuals are able to have special gifts) and with that they allowed and trusted the Romans however they were slowly overturned with their technology and science.

Ruying also possesses the ability to summon death- which she is captured and has to work under Antony once of the Roman Princes in order to keep her family safe. Under Antony's command - Ruying begins to struggle with whether or not he is as evil as she had thought and wonders if by doing his bidding if that will lead to both cultures being able to live together.

Although this book discusses themes of imperialism and colonialism- I felt that it was discussed almost each chapter. I also wanted to see more interactions between with Ruying and Antony. Even though they both begin to have feelings for one another I found it hard (more so Antony to believe his feelings for Ruying (as Ruying was isolated and manipulated by Antony). I needed more of Antony POV (which we did get a snippet). I also as a girl who loves Romantasies wanted to root for Antony- I too wanted to believe him.

Overall- I do plan to read the next book I need to know what happens now that Ruying is ready to fight for what she believes. I do hope there will be more romance elements.

Will post to Goodreads on release date!

“None of us could’ve guessed that hell opened from the skies above, not from the ground beneath.”


This book dealt with some heavier themes such as imperialism and colonialism, loyalty, heritage, sacrifices and morality. The author does an amazing job at showing the depth between it all.

To put it plainly, I really enjoyed the book! It’s not one of my all time favorites, but I’m sure it will be for many.

A fresh face of fantasy, Asian mythology/folklore, enemies to lovers.. this book has some strong tropes that is the backbone of romances these days. It follows Ruying, a young girl who can control Death. She lives in a world that has been invaded by ruthless people of another world. Due to Ruying’s world being one of magic, when the invaders dropped from the sky with their science machines, it was something unbelievable to her world. Now caught in a war between science and magic, between two cultures and worlds, she has to decide where she fits into this and the difficult choices facing her.

The world building , the lore, even the heavy suffering of both sides in the book, was masterfully crafted and made me cry! I can’t wait for book #2, I’m excited to see where it’s headed.

Big hugs to the author for weathering the hate storm as well!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC! My opinion is my own.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I am not finishing this novel. DNF. The world building is interesting, but the plot is really slow. I’ve been in a slump and this isn’t helping. I’m rating it three stars because it makes me.

I was very excited for this book. I love the cover, was intrigued by the premise, and was touched by the author's note. However, I ended up feeling disappointed. The world-building felt confusing and the main character is frustrating to me.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods has been on my wishlist since I saw it appear on several blogs last year. I love books that are based on Chinese mythology/culture. So, when I saw that Random House had it wish only, I decided to take the chance and wish for it. I was delighted when I got the email saying my wish had been granted. But I was also cautious because I have a habit of hyping books up and being disappointed when I read them. Happily, this wasn’t the case with To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. I loved the book!!

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the first book in the series with the same name. Since this is the first book, you can read it as a standalone. But I will go on a limb and say that the rest of the series will not be standalone. There was so much world and character-building that it would be hard to jump right in if you started reading later in the series.

The main storyline of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods centers around Ruying. It was well-crafted and well-written. Add in the more minor, secondary storylines (with Ruying’s family, Antony’s family, and the resistance), and I couldn’t put the book down. I devoured this book in one sitting.

Ruying was not a likable character when the book began. Was she sympathetic? Yes. But, likable, no. She hated the Romans with a passion. She witnessed her father and sister get addicted to a drug that they introduced to the population. She also chafed under the rules that they imposed. So, I wasn’t surprised when she did something stupid and got caught by the Romans. There was a change in her after the Romans caught her, which saddened me. But, again, I understood. Everything she did, she did to protect her grandmother and sister.

I did not like Antony. He used terror and psychological tactics to tear down Ruying and build her up to what he wanted. He was a master manipulator who said all the right things to Ruying to gain her trust and confidence. But I couldn’t help but pity Antony in a way. He, too, was shaped into what he was by a cruel adoptive grandfather and father. I wasn’t surprised when a huge secret of his was revealed. I did see it coming, but I wasn’t prepared for what it did to Ruying.

The magic in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was fascinating. People were either born with or without magic. But, since the Romans arrived and after they destroyed the temples (where people learned to control their magic), magic was disappearing. The author showcased different levels of magic, going from common to rare. Ruying’s magic fascinates me because of what is tied to it (every life she takes shaves years off her life). But I also wondered if that was true (something Antony said to Ruying made my antenna go up). I also wondered if her sister’s magic (life) would come into play later in the series.

The book had a romance angle, but it made me slightly sick to read. I understand that Ruying was developing something akin to Stockholm Syndrome, and her feelings came from that. But still. Her other romance choice, a childhood friend turned drug kingpin, wasn’t much better. But I would have chosen him over Antony.

The end of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods only raised more questions than it answered. Nothing was resolved, but a lot was revealed. Given how the last chapter ende, I look forward to what will happen in book 2.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Molly X. Chang for allowing me to read and review the ARC of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is a fantasy novel that has a world based off of feudal China under Roman rule, but also with magic. I really like historically or semi-historically based fantasy novels and thought that this one had an interesting premise!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I ended up DNFing at 50%. I thought that the magic system and setting was really interesting and had great potential. My issue was with the romance. Ruying, the female main character, is forced to serve the Roman-inspired prince. He abused Ruying and left her in bad condition in a cell for a long time. When the romance starts, he is still her "master" and does not act at all like they are equals. A power differential like this framed as enemies to lovers is a huge ick for me in books and I am just not interested in reading romances like this. Once it was clear that this was the direction the book was going, I chose to stop reading.

I know that there has been some drama surrounding this book and reviews. I want to make it clear that I did read 50% of the book and chose to DNF because I did not like aspects of the romantic relationship. This decision was made based on the book content that I read and not from any issues with the author.

I would give this book a try if you're into power-based romances. It was absolutely not for me. 2 stars. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, my thoughts are my own!

This book was an engaging read, the writing and it's easy flow made it one that I could finish in a couple of sittings. I'd say this is a solid 3 star read, it was entertaining and had a unique world to it. I would have liked to see that world flesh out a little more. I enjoyed the main character for the most part, although there were times when she was kind of juvenile which made the book seem more YA.

After a long time, I came across a good fantasy debut and i finished it in literally two sittings. I devoured this book cuz the protagonist and the plotline was superb. The writing is smooth and easy making it very easy for the readers. It was a total treat to read this book.

DNF @50%

I want to say that I LOVE Asian fantasy typically. I went into this really wanting to love it but was just bored. I think I haven't been in the right mood to read this and will give it another go in the future, maybe on audiobook? No hate to the author, I think she has done a great job and many people are going to love this.

Thank you to netgally, the publisher, and of course the author for the ARC in exchange for a review.

DNF @ 50%. I’m sorry, I am very uncomfortable with romanticizing colonial oppression and Stockholm syndrome type situations.

I felt as though the writing style and character development lacked depth, authenticity, and a certain “oomph” that made me want to keep reading. In fact, there were many instances where the prose reminded me of fanfiction I would read as a pre-teen. I was really excited for this read and tried to push through but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!

This book follows Yang Ruying, a girl living on the planet of Pangu in Er-Lang, a once-powerful country that has been taken over and is now occupied by the Romans. Though Er-Lang and its people thrived on magic long ago, this magic has significantly dissipated over the past several decades. Now, few Xianlings, people blessed with magic, remain in Er-Lang. Ruying and her twin sister, Meiya, are some of the country's remaining powerful Xianlings. Ruying is blessed by Death and Meiya has powers of healing.

Er-Lang's power and magic are further diminished when the Romans, Gods of science, come to Pangu and take it as their own. The Romans introduce opian, a devastating substance that promises greater power to Xianlings, but more often leads to addiction and their demise. For nearly two decades, Er-Lang's citizens have suffered under the Romans' occupation, control, and constant violence.

Ruying is desperate to keep her family safe and alive, but with her twin sister being addicted to opian and her grandmother ailing as she ages, this is easier said than done. To protect her family and herself, Ruying is forced to become an ally of Antony Augustus, a prince of Rome who is vying for the throne. Antony promises Ruying he will protect her family and unite their worlds as long as Ruying carries out her end of the bargain: using her magic to ensure Antony will ascend to the throne. As Ruying is forced to work for Antony, betrayals, emotions, and life or death situations are present at every turn.

While the premise of this book was promising, I ultimately was disappointed. The world building was severely lacking and wasn't explained until over halfway through the book. The imagery and Ruying's inner thoughts were incredibly repetitive. Additionally, many of the plot points of the book happened "off-screen" and the reader was told about events rather than experiencing them through the eyes of the narrator. I was also extremely unconvinced and confused about Ruying's devotion to her family and about the extent of her power. Finally, the budding romance between Ruying and Antony made zero sense to me, as Antony is actively working to overtake Ruying's country and is forcing her to kill her own people.

I'm hoping that others do not share my opinions and that the book is well-received upon its release. Despite my negative review of this book, Molly X. Chang definitely has potential and I hope the next book in the series is better!