“Immortal Longings” offers a solid blend of action, drama, and politics, supported by an intriguing magic system. The individuals with a specific gene can jump between bodies and use them to fight (or get drunk with no consequences). A touch of romance adds further depth (?) to the story.

Princess Calla killed her parents five years before the start of the book. She has no problem killing and isn’t exactly a good person, but her parents were classic tyrants who cared nothing for people. Calla needs to kill one more person - king Kasa. Her ambitious cousin, August, offers her a deal. He becomes the ruler; she gets her vengeance.

Thus, Calla enters the annual gladiatorial-style games, confident in her superior abilities that should guarantee an easy victory. However, a royal exile named Anton stands in her way, taking part in the games to save his comatose lover. As expected, the unlikely alliance between Calla and Anton blossoms into a passionate love affair. The problem? There can be only one winner and the remaining 86 contestants die.

I read the whole book during the flight back from holidays (today). I liked its relentless pace and cool magic system. However, the character development fell short in my opinion. The ending felt rushed and I’m not the biggest fan of a predictable enemy-to-lovers trope. Still, kudos for immersing me in action and suspense. I would have liked it to have more depth and a more satisfying resolution (though as far as endings go, this one is strong).

I liked it. Not as much as others, but I expect New Adult readers will find it more emotionally engaging than I did. Worth a shot.

Immortal Longings is TikTok favourites Chloe Gong’s first adult novel and it is a fantasy inspired by Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra. It is yet another hunger-games esque deal if you set The Hunger Games in an urban city landscape, made all the contestants ‘Careers’ and had the general populace as collateral. It is fast-paced, brutal and action-packed and every character in it is morally ambiguous. It is less about the societal implications of the games and more about the political intrigue and power-playing amongst those who rule the kingdom. Oh and people can body jump too!

Our main protagonist Calla, is a fugitive princess on the run after massacring almost her entire family and she has entered the games under a false alias to finish off the job. Her rival and ally in the game is Anton, a former courtier who has been exiled out of his body for treason, who has entered the games to pay the medical bills for his lover, who is in a coma. The story is a whole lot more complicated than that, but it’s better that you go in reading this one blind, trust me.

I really enjoyed this - I would say I was skeptical up until halfway through, there was a lot of world building and so many plot points that it initially felt a bit convuluted. However, these plot points do eventually thread together to make a satisfying book overall, with lots of twists and turns and really good reveals. The enemies to rivals to unlikely lovers was done reasonably well, I bought into the enemies to rivals part but it jumped very quickly into “I would kill for you” but the question really was “would I die for you?”

This is my first book by this author I’ve read and although I have heard that it is possibly her weakest so far, I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel and will be checking out her YA offerings. I would recommend this to people who love The Hunger Games, Blood and Ash and The Cruel Prince. Warning though - this book is considerably bloodier and I would check the trigger warnings before reading.

4 stars overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in return for an honest review.

𝟰.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

[𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘦-𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺]

Every year, the kingdom of Tali hosts a set of deadly games, in which competitors fight to the death for a chance of winning riches beyond their wildest dreams. Calla and Anton both enter the games, though their end goal is quite different. Being the most powerful competitors, they end up striking an alliance, that quickly turns into something they weren’t expecting.

This is Chloe Gong’s adult fantasy debut and it did not disappoint. Everything about this book fascinated me. Although the beginning was a little slow, due to the worldbuilding being quite dense, I found myself quickly mesmerized by the world Gong has created. The contrasts in the kingdom are really big, the nobles all indulging in riches, while the rest of the population is left to starve and fend for themselves. The author did a terrific job in setting the atmosphere, the discontentment of the people, their anger and helplessness is very tangible. They’re miserable, but they fear the king and won’t risk a rebellion, if it will only make their lives worse. The plot is so good, I loved the hunger games vibes, but I appreciate how it’s not a copy paste version of it. This being an adult book, I particularly enjoyed the violence of the games, that only made the environment more deadly. The magic system is brilliant and unique. Some people are born with the ability to body jump - their essence, referred to as “qi” in the book- is able to enter someone’s else’s body. Interesting, isn’t it? Without giving spoilers, I’ll say that because of this ability, some jump from their birth body to another body, which means it’s difficult to trust someone when you don’t know if they’re who they say they are.

Amongst many other things, one of my favorite aspects about Gong’s writing is how much she focuses on the politics of the world, and this book in particular delves into the subject of political power in a dystopian society. The meaning of the games for this society is so well portrayed. King Kasa uses them as a tool, a way to keep the masses entertained and focused on something other that the utter chaos and violence that surrounds them everyday. In doing so, it keeps them occupied and contained, they’re so enthralled by the bloody violence of the deadly games, that, for a while, they forget the political turmoil that’s permanent in the kingdom.

We have a lot of characters, but Calla, Anton and August are the main ones. The characters are morally grey, very interesting and complex. It’s impossible not to want to know more about each of them. August is pretty much an enigma, I’m not sure he can be trusted, but I highly enjoyed his povs. Chloe writes amazing female characters and Calla is not an exception. She is sarcastic, arrogant and deadly, has self-destructive tendencies and is, to put it quite plainly, a mess. What’s there not to love? I adore her, there’s a lot of vulnerability behind the hard exterior, a girl who had to become something powerful in order to survive. Anton shares a lot of similarities with Calla, but he’s softer. He’s charming and witty, he stole my heart immediately, but he’s very complicated, and, just like Calla, a total mess.

From the moment they meet, the tension between Calla and Anton is tangible and I love their dynamic. If you’re a fan of knife to the throat, “I can kill you any second”, rivals to lovers and backstabbing betrayals, you’ll love them. Their romance is all consuming and obsessive, to the point where you’re left wondering if it’s really love at all. My issue with their relationship is that we don’t get to see a lot of it, I feel like a part of it happens off page and I wanted more!!

Because the book focuses more on the various plots that are happening, the character development is not as in depth as I wish it was. This, the slow beginning and dense worldbuilding, that left me a little confused at the start, are my main critiques and the reason why it’s not a 5 star read. However, it does not dampen my enjoyment and love for this book.

THE ENDING!! That final plot twist is incredible and I need the second book. I’m without words, I just know book two will be amazing. Immortal Longings will surely please Chloe Gong’s fans, but I believe it can also open the door for more readers to get to know her work.

In this immersive and action-packed adult debut, Chloe Gong drops a banger novel yet again! Secret Shanghai was her debut into the industry and now, as a well-established author, she strikes with Immortal Longings—a reimagining of another of Shakespeare's tragedies; Antony and Cleopatra.

Many readers assume that her brand is Shakespearean retellings and star-crossed lovers and though there might be some truth to it, it doesn't feel quite right. And I think there's a bigger picture to it. Post-reading Foul Lady Fortune and Immortal Longings, you would notice that Chloe's bejeweled prose and the stakes present throughout her books inadvertently take the spotlight. And not to forget, the yearning and angst that never fail to cater to her audience.

The games are around the corner in the packed twin cities of San-Er ruled by King Kasa who is the personification of tyranny. His adopted son, August Shenzi is to take over after him, but he grows impatient as the days seep by. Princess Calla Tuolemi, August's cousin, had gone into hiding after the infamous bloodbath where she "died" and now would do anything for Kasa's head. And Anton? He is desperate—the love of his life had been comatose for years and the hospital bills only keep growing. The only way to change that is by enrolling in the games in hopes of monetary compensation.

The author pitches the novel as Antony & Cleopatra meets Clove and Cato in a 90's Wong Kar-wai film and I think that it perfectly captures the atmosphere of Immortal Longings. It is very much Hunger Games-esque with the games going on in San-Er and cue Calla and Anton ending up in an unlikely partnership with each other. The novel also has a unique element to it; body jumping, which was executed so well. It felt real and I also found it interesting how jumping affects people and the way it plays a very important role in the story.

Calla and Anton are the ship to root for. And Chloe does that so well considering they're star-crossed so the stakes are even higher. It only gets better with each chapter, the threads of the plot unravel leaving you dumbfounded, but the twists only get more terrifying. My issue with the book, though, is that though Immortal Longings was a memorable read, the characters felt recycled. Calla reminded me too much of Juliette & Rosalind and Anton of Roma. Though they had their conflicts and ambitions, they just felt like another facet of the author's previous protagonists.

On an ending note, if you loved Chloe's previous works, you are going to enjoy this. If not, I think you'll need to check it out for yourself! At the end of the day, it's completely your opinion—sorry I got a little carried away, but I genuinely hope you enjoy reading it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the review copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

"And what fine daylight we have today"

A starving city and a selfish crown. Citizens driven to participate in deadly games to escape their fate or at least give their families a chance of surviving in a lightless time.

Calla is determined to rid Talin of its remaining ruler after she killed her parents 5 years ago and fled. Prince August finds her and enlists her support to supplant himself as king. As the games go on, Calla is forced to join forces with Anton who needs the prize money from the games to keep his childhood love alive. This partnership quickly becomes something more and Calla is forced to choose between her love and the kingdom she fought so hard to free.

I was a little nervous when I picked this up because as much as the blurb was intriguing, the dystopian hints do not always appeal to me. However this was excellently written with the world building precise and easy to follow.

Calla is an immensely strong character with a morally grey streak, with one goal in mind. How can she bring herself to pull away when she is so close to achieving what she needs to do. The chemistry between her and Anton while not the focus of the story, is interesting and their banter is engaging. You admire Anton's loyalty to his lover while August is willing to do whatever it takes to rule. This dynamic makes it easier for you to choose a side to root for.

Overall an interesting read with numerous twists to keep you turning the pages late into the night

Absolutely engaging ; this story captured my attention so quickly because it has EVERYTHING. The angsty characters, the political context, a very cool "magic" subplot, and deadly games, of course. Highly recommend if you're a Hunger Games fan and if you like your morally grey characters a little bloody.

First of all I want to be completely honest, I am afraid I didn’t get to finish the ending of this book due to device issues.

I found on a small device (a phone) the front was really to small to read comfortably, usually I would have a tablet with me, or even use the computer however as I am currently travelling I was struggling to read the front on Netgalley.

What I can tell you from the chapters I have read, is that this book is unique, and something very different to other YA novels I have read.

Once I am back home and on a computer I will try and get back and finish Immortal Longings for sure, however at this moment in time it isn’t practical to read it on such a small screen with small font.

I will definitely be checking back into it in the near future however.

The concept was really interesting, and the story was enjoyable enough to hold my attention. The main characters felt very similar to previous characters the author has written, which I struggled with, they felt juvenile, despite this being an adult debut. Despite liking how morally grey everyone was, on a few occasions it felt quite cringey, and the strong, powerful quotes didn't really work, or the impact felt lacklaster, especially with some of the plot twists being quite predictable. There were also a few moments during the book where the story felt stilted and repetitive, but for the most part, I really enjoyed it and spent hours happily reading.

Immortal Longings sets up an intriguing but familiar premise; a death game held in a kingdom on the brink in which certain members have the ability to launch their consciousness into other bodies. Unfortunately, the plot, and main characters, suffer from underdevelopment in service of world building that proves more confusing than enlightening despite the number of pages dedicated to it. The romance aspect of this narrative is so rushed as to be incomprehensible, with Calla's sudden desire one of few surprises in the novel. Despite being marketed as adult, this book is tonally and thematically a YA fantasy, and does not measure up to Gong's other titles on any metric.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC

I am a huge fan of Chloe Gong, and her secret Shanghai series is up there in my top five series of all time. When she announced Immortal Longings, I knew this was going to be just as good as the rest of her work.

whilst the world-building is in depth and took a little while to understand fully, I didn't feel like it was too much of an info dump. I may be biased because I love her, but this book was a firm 5 stars for me, and I can't wait for more from Chloe!

I had no idea this book would be so damn good. I especially really liked the world building and the characters. With the world building, I was kind of shocked that the book setting was exactly how I imagined it after looking through Chloe Gong’s Pinterest board and that clearly shows Chloe Gong wrote it so well.

Since this is marketed as an adult fantasy, I can see why that is. There is a lot of graphic scenes of violence and gore throughout the whole book so bare that in mind if that is not your cup of tea. I, however, absolutely loved every bit of it, and I think it was quite well written. Honestly, I think the gore was one aspect I loved most about the book.

Also, I feel like Chloe Gong’s writing improves with every new book she releases and it’s evident in how her writing flows so well. I was so in awe with her writing style throughout this book.

There were really good plot twists too that had me gasping because I probably would have never guessed it myself.

The tension between Calla and Anton was so damn good and I enjoyed every single moment they had together throughout the book.

Lastly, I can’t finish this review without talking about August because I’m literally a simp for him lmao. There’s just something so intriguing about him ever since the first chapter.

I’m definitely excited for the next book to come out because of that ending!!!

Thank you to both NetGalley and Hodderscape for the free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was SOO excited when I got approved for this book. Chloe Gong is an absolute autobuy author for me. I immediately fell in love with her writing style with These Violent Delights and I have loved everything else she has written since, too. This book is not an exception, even if it is a little different than what I had expected!

I am a massive fan of competition books - The Hunger Games was one of my first major loves in the world of YA - so the premise of this book is very up my street anyway. The execution of it only makes it even more so. This one hasn't even released yet and I am desperately awaiting its sequel!

Told from multiple perspectives, this book shows us so many different parts of this world that Gong has created. Though incredibly built, it feels wrong to call it anything but horrific; with a city that can be described as gritty at best, a magic system that allows members of the society to jump from body to body at will and a popular televised game that requires a player be the last one standing through whatever means necessary, this world is masterfully built.

The characters who populate this story are just as well crafted. The main perspectives are that of the crown prince, a parricidal princess and an exiled aristocrat. Considering each of them have seemingly similar backgrounds, their lives and perspectives are so incredibly different and each offers so much to the story. I absolutely loved each of their narrations.

Every now and again, there was a bit of info-dumping going on, but I find that is true of a lot of adult fantasy novels, especially with so much history involved in them. I didn't find it enough of an issue to be even slightly annoyed by this and I very much enjoyed learning all of the small and large details about the world that Gong has crafted.

I cannot wait for the next instalment of this series. It is going to be a new favourite for me for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance reader copy.

I was quite excited going into this book, I hadn’t read any of the authors other work but had heard a lot of good things.
I found this book hard to get into and had to push myself to read it so I could review it.

I enjoy fantasy books but found that this one may have needed a book before to set up world building and some understanding of all the mechanics as they aren’t explained well in this book.

I found that the premise was good but there was so kick also happening that didn’t get nearly as much explanation as it should have.
I’m imagining that there some plan for a sequel due to the cliff hanger ending and the unexplained areas in the story.

I expected a lot and it didn’t deliver.

this was truly SO GOOD. i was a little nervous going into it because i wasnt a fan of chloe gong’s debut but my god this blew tvd out of the water and i couldnt be happier about it!!

jumping is such an interesting concept and im excited to see where we go with it in the next two books and especially what happens with the situation towards the end!!!

my only issues are that the ending felt a little rushed and i didnt find the romance completely believable

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Calla is a feisty one for sure and I absolutely loved that about her. A whizz with a sword and absolutely lethal, she was very interesting to read about. Being a princess who killed her parents - the king and queen - so is most assuredly an outcast. However, she takes this in her stride and lives life on the edge. I liked reading from Calla’s POV for the majority of the book because her thought processes are rather interesting to me. She’s cold and calculated when she needs to be but there’s this warmth inside her that peeks out now and again that’s incredibly endearing. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where her character goes in the next book!
Anton, like Calla, is absolutely lethal and rather intriguing because of it. He seems to prefer being in a new body every few days at most because it offers variety - and there’s the thrill of stealing someone else’s vessel when they least expect it. I rather liked reading from his POV because it felt different to any other POV I’ve read in the past. Considering how the ending of this book came about, it’s going to be very exciting to read from his perspective in the next book!
August isn’t seen quite as much as the other two but he still makes an impact. He’s desperate to change the world in any way he can and if that means taking a page out of Calla’s book and killing his adoptive father, so be it. He did annoy me a little bit, I must admit. He seems so self-righteous that at times I wanted to knock some sense into him. He seemed to hate getting his hands dirty too but wanting the deadly results he desired. August is a character that doesn’t jump out at me as a favourite, but I did like his POVs. Anton may just come out on top between them two.

Being a massive fan of Gong’s work from the very beginning and getting an advanced copy of her first book, I just knew I needed to jump into her Adult debut! The plot is very good and strong, which is no surprise to me. It was engaging and fast paced, keeping the reader on their toes throughout. The characters were well fleshed out and interesting, all very different and individual from the other. The romance was cute, giving me the perfect essence of enemies to lovers - something I think Gong excels at wholeheartedly! Also, the slight inclusion of spice was perfect in my eyes! I must say that the story is rather wordy and at times, I did find myself struggling to keep up but I didn’t want this to affect my rating. All first books that are fantasy tend to be wordy and a bit overwhelming at times as the reader settles into the new world and established their understanding, and I think this is what was holding me back a bit. The ending however… holy crap I was not expecting that! What brilliance but what a cliffhanger it has left me on! I need the next book immediately!

Overall, Immortal Longings is another stunning story from Chloe Gong that everyone needs to read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HOW DARE YOU END IT LIKE THAT!!!
Chloe better be writing the next book because I need it.

It was a bit of a slow start, but once I got used to the world, I was all in. The stakes, the romance, the drama, the battles, and the politics... I need more. Those twists on twists were also fab. Solid 4-stars on vibes.

I really enjoyed reading this Chloe Gong book, I was intrigued to see how it would play out compared to her other books and was not disappointed. It's fast-paced and so intriguing and there was just something that forced you to keep reading. The characters were well developed and each stood out on their own, the world building and royal politics was something that I really enjoyed unpicking. Even now, I have more questions and intrigue regarding the magic that surrounded the world Gong has built, I was fascinated to follow the characters through their powers and found that the character on Anton in particular was so well written and fully developed in his personality that I forgot that his appearance wasn't always set. Originally, I was worried that this would be too reminicent of THG however I was glad to see that it had so much depth and it's own standing in the fantasy/dystopian world.

Immersive, dark, raw and full of with talent! - ALL the stars!! Also where can I sign up for book 2?!

Chloe Gong never disappoints - I loved all of her twisted retellings of Juliet & Romeo and now, with Immortal Longings I think I have reache a new level of fangirling.

Loved the themes this story included: discussion of trauma, violence, spice, bit of romance.
I have always loved the trials,only one can survive, games with a high stake kind of situation going on and this novel has excelled all my expectations. Loved that it was mature, dark and very smartly explaining the horrors of the game.

If you prefer plot dirven stories over character driven or romantically overpowering ones (I would consider this one a very traumatic slow burn affair), Immortal Longings will be a new favorite adult book for you!

Thank you so much for the Publisher, Netgalley and Chloe Gong for this masterpiece and being able to read it early!

Somehow I need to make all these thoughts and feelings about this book into an actual review, and not just me screaming that, once again, Chloe Gong has tricked me into caring about characters when I’m fully aware of how this play ends.

It’s an absolute masterpiece. The world of San-Er is rich and dense in a way that I can envision so clearly. The whole technological side mixed with a monarchy was just the cherry on top.

The stars of this book are its characters.

Calla’s yearning for change to the corrupt world she lives in is something so personal to me. Her wish to stop children from going hungry, and her willingness to take it all upon herself made me wanna cry. The more I read, the more I understand that she is really just a collection of these fragile hopes, and that there is not much of her that is tangible.

In contrast to this, Anton is aimless. He clings on to the past, and cannot build anything permanent because he doesn’t really understand how. I just wanted to grab him and tell him that that he could make something if he actually committed to a cause or a belief.

Separately, I do feel a great amount of sympathy for August, who does have good intentions, but is still clinging onto the fear that all of this could be taken away after spending so long fighting to be seen.

There’s a whole cast of other characters that I could also add here but I think that would make this more of an essay, than a review.

I’m so overwhelmed by this book but I’m the best way possible. It’s definitely one of best I’ve read, and now I’m scared for the next one.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this e-arc. This review given freely and is entirely my own.

2.5/5

This book by Chloe Gong falls short of her best work. It is in desperate need of an editor. The excessive info-dumping throughout the pages becomes tiresome and makes it difficult to grasp the actual plot. The fictional city of San-Er, created by Gong, is inundated with centuries worth of history, overshadowing the story.

Whenever I forced myself to pick up the book, my eyes would immediately glaze over, demotivating me further. Gong's slow exposition style is evident here, but the excessive info-dumping makes it feel more like a history textbook than a fantasy novel. The information is not woven seamlessly into the narrative, but rather delivered clumsily.

It took me weeks to get into the story, not out of genuine interest or enjoyment, but simply because I wanted to be done with it. The plot lacks grip, especially when it closely resembles the Hunger Games but with a monarchical setting instead of a republic. I expected something different, with intriguing commentary or subversion. The complexity that Gong aimed for is lost amidst the multitude of characters and their shallow development. It was exhausting trying to keep up, and everything remained superficial, lacking depth.

Moreover, none of the characters managed to captivate me, making it difficult to find something engaging or compelling. The lack of dialogue for most of them in the beginning quarter of the book prevented me from truly getting to know them. Instead, their inner monologues felt generic and served as more info-dumping. There was a distinct absence of personality, bite, grit, or excitement. They all felt equally boring and lacking in distinct traits.

Gong attempted to make the characters mysterious and edgy by withholding information about them, but this only added to my confusion rather than enticing me. Their motivations for participating in the games and their thirst for vengeance were not clearly established, leaving me disconnected from their journeys.

Overall, the book was severely dull and painfully uninteresting.