When you think you're reading a conclusion but it's only the middle book... This one didn't charm me or capture my attention the same way book 1 did. The relationship felt so disjointed and the reconciliation rushed. Where's the pining I want. Plot was just meh as well. Felt bit girlbossy as a whole.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book 1 was sort of a miss for me because the world-building felt a bit too all over the place, and the plot was lagging yet racing. Book 2 sort of kind of stayed in the same realm; however, it had me more invested, and hence another star.

The stakes in this book are much higher; we have more active players in the plot, and even though the world-building and the history are still patchy, it gave me more to go on than Immortal Longings. The most intriguing part for me is how San-Er somehow floats between an urban yet rural setting and how that just fits. The reason why I say the world-building is patchy is because it felt like Chloe Gong went and flagged all the cracks in the last one and placed more information to fill them up, iykyk.

Calla and Anton are pretty much in a battle of will, pushing and pulling with and against their goals. But what are their goals even anymore? Their relationship felt so distant (intentionally?), but the tension!!! uff!! The tension! However, having said this book is not *A ROMANTASY*, not in my opinion. The fun fact is I actually liked how Calla's perspective on everything sort of shifted with more subplots and body switches.

I feel like I have confused myself with this review! All in all, I am a bit unsure as to who is in whose body, but I can sure tell you that the classic Chloe Gong cliffhanger had me sit down on the edge of my seat, mouth open, for a good 5 minutes.

I didn't love Immortal Longings, but this was really good and kept me intrigued - I'm excited for the next book!

I still don't fully understand the whole jumping-into-other-people thing yet, and I don't think this is on the level of expertise of her other books, but I do love her writing style so much. The worldbuilding in this is very compelling, and I love how complex and morally grey all of the characters are. I love how angsty the romance is in this, even more so than in the first book, and the magic system really expands which is very cool. I love Chloe Gong, I just find myself getting lost a fair bit with this series.

I loved the first book in this series so I was glad to go back for a second time. Everyone’s all over the place Antony has taken over the body of August who is now King, Calla the renegade princess (who hates is guts because she’s the only one who knows it’s him) is his untouchable advisor and Antony’s ex has just woken up from a coma she should have died from and could ruin it all. This second book is way more loosey goosey plot wise than the first which is to be expected when you take over a kingdom. Nobody really knows what they are doing and are madly scrambling to keep all their plates spinning. There is less body swapping in this one but still keeping everyone’s identity straight is tricky and you might need a flow chart to keep track. Everyone has a least two. I loved it everyone’s having a crisis and none of them can handle it and there’s plenty of soapy style cliff hangers and dun dun dun moments. Great fun with swords,

A life is short. Legacy is forever.

After starting this book more than six months ago, I finally got back into it and I'm so glad I did. I loved the first book but didn't enjoy it properly because of the time it took me to read it, this time around I got to read more consistently and I LOVED THIS VOLUME. the plot twists? the revelation?? the way mrs Gong's writing always HITS ?? aah I love it so much and I'm so excited for the conclusion. Also important to note that this book did not suffer middle book syndrome in my opinion, so cheers to that.

Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mineA more extensive review will follow

Vilest Things is a wonderful sequel to Immortal Longings. The ending of Immortal Longings set up a perfect start for Vilest Things and it did not disappoint. I love Calla, she is fierce and she knows what she wants, but she also cares a lot. I loved learning more about her and her past and I loved the tension between her and Anton. The ending sets up the next book in a perfect way once again and I can’t wait to read it or generally more by Chloe Gong since I really like her stories and her writing style!

I'm quite sad as I really enjoyed Immortal Longings but this just wasn't hitting it for me! Don't get me wrong, the plot was masterfully crafted and I really loved what Chloe did with the plot twists we were left with at the end of Immortal Longings - I just found it hard to pick up and found myself uninterested in some scenes.
I'd like to give it another go in the future as I do enjoy Chloe's other works!

Chloe gong, does it again! The tension is magnificent with betrayal at every corner !
I need the next one ASAP.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In my opinion, this one has a good pacing and the world-building seemed interesting to me. This sequel really steps up the game with good plot twists and the uniqueness of the magic system. Not forget to mention, the characters: Calla is an extraordinary character with intriguing layers. I can't wait for the next book. That cliffhanger left me very curious, and it should be said that I didn't know there would be more books in this series, which was a great relief because it couldn't stay like this.

Wow - the Immortal Longings walked so that Vilest Things could run! I absolutely devoured this story - loved the pacing, loved the plot twists, loved the layers. Was absolutely entertained!

Book # 2 in a romantasy series, inspired by Antony and Cleopatra. I loved the unique world building and magic system in this series. The author's writing style is easy to read and become invested in. I enjoyed this sequel and look forward to move by this author in the future.

Didn’t really enjoy this one - felt like it was discombobulated and confusing at times. Still love the world and magic system but just felt like the story development fell completely flat.

Also, I really didn’t enjoy both of the main characters having very similar names and I found this often confusing in terms of swapping povs.

Chloe Gong's Vilest Things is an electrifying and pulse-pounding sequel to Immortal Longings, taking readers deeper into the political intrigue, romance, and high-stakes drama of the kingdom of Talin. Picking up where the first book left off, Calla Tuoleimi has defeated her tyrant uncle, King Kasa, and now serves as royal advisor to the newly crowned August Shenzhi. But the throne is not as it seems—August is not the true king. Instead, Anton Makusa, Calla’s former ally turned rival, has hijacked August’s body and is using it to exact his revenge on those who betrayed him.

The novel is a whirlwind of twists, betrayals, and forbidden romance. As tensions rise and the kingdom teeters on the brink of anarchy, Calla and Anton are forced to navigate a dangerous game of power, all while hiding their true identities. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is captivating, layered with complex emotions and high stakes, making their every interaction crackle with tension.

Gong masterfully blends romance with political intrigue, creating a world where love and ambition collide. Vilest Things is a thrilling continuation of the series, expanding the world of Talin with darker twists and deeper emotional stakes. Fans of Immortal Longings will be swept away by the escalating conflict and the forbidden connection between Calla and Anton, while newcomers will find themselves drawn into a world of high drama and fierce passion.

For those who crave a gripping fantasy with rich world-building, intense romance, and characters who are as morally grey as they are unforgettable, Vilest Things delivers in spades. A must-read for fans of epic fantasy and enemies-to-lovers romance.

The ending of the first book had left me wanting and reeling, and the sequel did not disappoint. Seeing Calla and Anton again was incredible and I loved every bit of it.
Although I was a bit sad at first that the romance was taking a back seat, the political intrigue was really engrossing while still allowing us to see them interact. I can’t say I cared for most of the secondary characters, but Calla’s story and the new antagonist kept me on the edge of my seat.
Seeing Calla being jealous and Anton’s hurt feelings leading to all that banter was all I wanted and goddess, I love Calla’s edges so much, she’s such a magnificent main character.
I can’t wait for the next book and I know the author will take us exactly where this is supposed to go.

What I liked so much about the first one was the game/trial element, and I think that not having it in this one made me not like it very much.
I still think the world and magic are very interesting, but there was just something missing in this one and I can't 100% put my finger on what it was.
I still have a million questions that need to be answered and because of that I will absolutely read the conclusion, but I won't rush to read it unfortunately.

I mean this when I say Chloe Gong absolutely never ever misses, the first time I read my arc of these violent Delights I knew I was going to love ever single thing she writes and I absolutely wasn't wrong she impresses me more and more with every book !!

I loved book 1 and knew I was going to love this just as much. I did feel it didn’t have as much action with the Games being over, but this was more than made up for with the political intrigue and the threats to the city. Calla remains my favourite character, and I can’t wait to find out what will happen in book 3. Once again, the author knocks it out of the park with a fantastic adventure with hints of sci-fi and fantasy!

4,5★

Vilest Things was a captivating sequel to Immortal Longings, slowly expanding the world-building through an entertaining yet slow-paced plot, and that nevertheless delivered shockingly brilliant plot twists (I swear the last two chapters had my jaw on the floor – Chloe Gong the writer you are!!!).

Unfortunately, it didn’t hit as well as Immortal Longings, and it suffered a bit from the second book syndrome. This is due, in part, to the fact that to deal with the aftermath of what happened in the previous book and to put up the foundations for the next one there had to be a few different POVs, which were interesting but took away a bit of attention from Calla and Anton, their relationship and their characters' growth.
Still, every scene with them (especially in the last part) was filled with an insane amount of tension and emotional depth, and the fact that, for how badly Call betrayed Anton at the end of the Games, they can’t truly stay away or hurt each other was so beautifully handled.

I'm honestly extremely excited to see how the whole story will wrap up in the sequel, and to go back to this unique dystopian world that mixes classic history with a fascinating sci-fi backdrop.

The experience of reading this book was weird, but in the best way I think.

Immortal Longings left me a little disppointed. The idea behind the book was amazing, the stakes were over the roof, the plot was there... but I didn't feel connected to any of it. And that's pretty much how this book started for me. I was taking forever to get through it and wasn't really invested in the story. And then a switch flipped. I caught myself thinking about the story and I wanted to continue reading. I can't pinpoint what the turning point was but I would start book 3 right now if I had it.

This book was a pleasant surprise.