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.

Unfortunately, this series is not for me.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the concept, and I'm all for unlikeable and morally grey characters, but these characters are just annoying, they don't come morally grey, just selfishly stupid.

And since the first book, I can't shake off the way I'm uncomfortable with the whole jumping thing and what makes me more uncomfortable is the fact that the characters don't bat an eye (there is a really weird scene in the first book iyk)... There is just unnecessary violence upon unnecessary violence lacking substance and flat characters without real and stable motivations.

It's just sad, I really wanted to like this book and the whole series.

The only thing I kinda liked was the writing.

(I might rewrite this for it to make more sence, but I'm simply tired. Bye!)

Wow, I really liked this, much more than Immortal longings. Actually I liked that novel but i felt it too distant, disconnected and, for me, it had no emotional depth. Vilest Things, on the other hand, pics up at the end of Immortal Longings and has an incredible plot line, many twists and turns. I was never bored and the characters redeemed themselves. I count this as an incredible win.
I actually thought that this was going to be a duology, but it's not. It's a trilogy. And it has a massive cliff-hanger...

Chloe Gong always manages to consistently keep me guessing and intrigued. I loved this next instalment in the series and it only made me more excited for the next!

I think if I have to choose, I'd choose Vilest Things as my favourite book in the series (so far!). The book does not fall prey to the notorious second book syndrome, and instead truly shines as we see the characters deal with the consequences of everything that happened in book 1. This time, I really enjoyed the number of different perspectives we get, interspersed with Calla and Anton's, showing how the outcomes of the games have affected each person differently and how they are dealing with them.

In book 2, we step outside of San-Er, into the provinces that make up this kingdom, allowing us a more expanded look at this world. One of the best things Chloe Gong does creating an atmospheric, stunning setting and her writing completely grounds you into the world. The world-building in this book is my favourite yet, as we get to explore much beyond the looming walls of San-Er. We also learn more about the functioning of the kingdom so that was really interesting to explore.

Otta's awakening adds another level of tension because she is also scheming for something more - for power, and of course, knows a hidden secret about the crown. Otta's addition was definitely my favourite part of the book. She was such an interesting character and I hope we get to see her perspective in the next book.

It is in this book that I feel both Calla and Anton truly shine. They are perfect foils to each other; each scheming for the same purpose but in their own remarkable way. The progression of their relationship was really done well considering what we know. These two are such badass characters - their fights were perfection, literally I could see their battles play out in front of me like a scene from a movie.

I won't lie - the climax was my favourite part of the book. In terms of the pacing, the action, everything that went down, it was intense and I loved it. The ending, in Chloe Gong fashion, will leave you gasping. I thought it might happen, but the way it did was just *chef's kiss*.

After reading Vilest Things , my excitement for book 3 has only grown. I cannot wait to see what the conclusion of this story is going to look like!

"Who hurt you?" - me: Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong hurt me with how amazing yet twisted and shocking. I don't want to take too much away from anyone else who wants to read this amazing series; but this I wanna say: you won't regret it!

Chloe Gong has the talent to leave you utterly destroyed by the end of her novels, the same was for Immortal Longings with that end. In the sequel, Vilest Things, the stakes are raised, the betrayals doubled and the action just sweeps you in. I absolutely loved book 2 and genuinely think this story cannot get any more nerve-wracking, blood hungry, dangerous... but well, it's Chloe Gong and we all know we need to brace ourselves for the next!

I love Chloe Gong, but this one fell a bit flat for me. It took me way longer to focus on the storyline, because there were some times where I just felt like I didn't know what was going on. I hope the next book is better!

I really enjoyed Immortal Longings and was excited to quickly jump into the sequel. Without giving everything away I think that this was the perfect balance of character development/ world building/ politics. Don’t really care for the ‘romance’ and it didn’t feature very heavily thankfully. I got a bit lost at points and had to reread but that could be my sleep deprived brain up with the baby all night 😬.
Cannot wait for the 3rd book.

4.25⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Hodder and Stoughton for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review. 


TW: death, body manipulation/body swapping, violence, murder, blood, gore, corpses, explicit sex, dubious consent


‘Immortal Longings’ was one of my favourite books of last year and I didn’t know if the sequel could live up to it but ‘Vilest Things’ definitely did. Set immediately after the shocking end of the first book, Calla Tuoleimi has killed her tyrant uncle King Kasa and set the twin cities of San-Er, the capitals of the Talin empire, free from his reign after a series of bloody, body hopping games. However, to get there, she had to brutally murder Anton Makusa- the man she’d teamed up with in the games and fallen in love with. Her cousin, August Shenzi is now the King but Calla knows the truth: in the few moments before he died, Anton hopped into August’s body and now he’s got all the power, he’s refusing to leave. He is furious at Calla for betraying him and intentionally speed running through August’s perfectly laid plans to repair their world. Calla is forced into the role of a royal adviser, kept just distant enough that she can’t hurt Anton again. When Anton’s first love- and August’s half sister- Otta Avia impossibly wakens from her seven year coma, she reveals a secret that looks set to destroy the monarchy’s legitimacy over its people. Calla is convinced this is a trick but Anton isn’t taking the chance of losing his crown so soon especially as chaos erupts in the cities and the countryside is struck by the discovery of hundreds of dead soldiers. Forced on a journey through the empire to discover the true crown of Talin, and to solve the mysteries of Otta’s intentions and the murdered soldiers, Calla and Anton have to put their differences aside. As they work together, it soon becomes clear that the world they’re trying to save might not deserve it- no matter how much August might want to come back. 


‘Immortal Longings’ was the brilliant adult debut of Chloe Gong, retelling Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ in a futuristic, bloodthirsty world full of body hopping and back stabbing. I adored it and I couldn’t believe the incredible cliffhanger at the end so I had really high expectations going into ‘Vilest Things’; I’m so glad to say that they were completely surpassed. I’ve loved everything Chloe Gong writes and I can’t wait for the final part of this series because the endings are always so brutal. Calla continues to be a morally grey, ruthless main character (she isn’t actually the Princess everyone believes she is, she merely stole Princess Calla’s body at eight years old and has been living as her ever since) but also in this book she’s deeply guilty and heartbroken over the actions she took against Anton. She has succeeded in what she wanted most in the world but now it’s not enough; she’s forced into an even worse situation having to serve as Anton’s adviser. Their relationship is so tense and shines every moment in its on the page, even when they’re just arguing or fighting over how to continue. One of my favourite scenes is where they play a game of Snakes and Ladders and it rapidly spirals into something much more serious. Anton is no longer the romantic who entered the games to continue keeping Otta alive, he’s betrayed and furious, drunk with power and disturbed to learn just how much of his life has been hidden from him. I loved how they left San-Er behind in this series and went into the countryside, expanding the world out further and bringing in new themes of rural depravation and wider conflicts. The magic system is even more focused on, especially as Calla begins to try out the “old ways” that allowed body hopping without light in the first book, no matter their consequences. This was a perfect slow burn sequel, building the world and its problems even further while remaining true to the destructive and turbulent relationships of the first- now with the added issue of Otta Avia, Anton’s murder and August trying to retake control. With the way this ended, the wait for the next book is going to be even more difficult than waiting for this one.

I loved it, The plot thickens and the misteries unravel, the story is filled with unique, gray characters that fight for the power. I really liked the story and the ambience, I don't know how is going to end this, but knowing how Chloe Gong writes is not going to be pretty and I'm here for it.

I absolutely loved reading the book 1 and was so excited to read this sequal too. This was as impressive as the book 1 plus the writing was amazing as usual.
I had a great time reading this as they characters and plotline was amazingly penned down right from the starting till the very ending.

Chloe Gong skillfully weaves intricate political machinations throughout her fantasy, creating a narrative that feels like an elaborate chess match. The ever-evolving motivations and shifting moralities of her characters add depth, making it a treat for readers who enjoy complex dynamics and tension.
However, the story occasionally faltered for me. At times, it felt like we were revisiting the same ideas, cycling through theories and accusations without clear progression. This repetition made it difficult to stay fully engaged, and once I lost that connection with the characters, it took effort to regain my focus.

Chloe Gong has the unique ability to create such different and unique premises in her books and in Vilest Things, the follow up to Immortal Longings, we are given yet another unique and spectacular story.

Big thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this title!

Vilest Things, the sequel to Immortal Longings, continues to explore a dystopian fantasy world filled with political intrigue and body/soul jumping. Chloe Gong's talent for creating complex political schemes and morally grey characters shines through once again.

I appreciated the push-and-pull dynamic between Calla and Anton, who are bound by secrets and tension, making their relationship one of the most compelling aspects of the book.

However, I couldn’t help but feel that the pacing was uneven. The beginning felt slow and bogged down by a lot of political exposition, which sometimes left me confused, especially when new elements were introduced without much explanation.

The magic system, particularly around qi and body jumping, became more chaotic in this instalment, and I would have liked more clarity on the new powers. That said, once the plot picked up toward the end, I was fully invested again, and the cliffhanger has me eager to see what happens next.

While it wasn’t as action-packed as the first book and did suffer from some repetition, I’m still intrigued by where the story is going and will definitely be reading the next book.

I can hardly put into words the emotional whirlwind that Vilest Things took me on. If you thought the cliffhanger in the first book was intense, just wait until you finish this one! The ending leaves you hanging, and with no release date for the next installment in sight, it feels almost like a crime!

What I adored most were the plot twists, the jaw-dropping reveals, and the betrayals that kept me on my toes. I also loved diving deeper into the world-building, especially the intricate politics and magic system that are richly detailed here. And if you're a fan of the enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers trope (with some serious slow-burn tension this time), this book will have you exclaiming, “Ah, shit, here we go again!” in the best possible way.

I really enjoyed this book, but it didn’t blow me away as much as the first one did. The first one had something truly special that just caught me up and kept me gripped. Few books can match it, but I had hoped for the same from this one as it’s the sequel.

Things get intense though! Having set up the rules of the world in the first book, Chloe Gong sets about breaking them in interesting ways in the sequel! Whatever you thought you knew about the rules? Things are much more complicated than that. Having seen it hinted at in the first book, it was fun to watch the characters’ reactions to the changes in this one. It meant that there wasn’t a lull that middle books in a series often have.

This book was very political. All the stuff that’s beginning to stir in the first bit is coming together in this one, with a very literal fight for the crown. I think that’s why it didn’t catch me as much as the first one. But it will be interesting to see what happens to the different factions in the third book.

I’m really, really looking forward to seeing what happens next as there’s a lot of intrigue in here that I’d like to see resolved.

I was slightly worried going into this knowing that the games were over, and although this did feel like a filler book I had a lot of fun reading it. There’s still plenty of violence, gore, body swapping, and cults. The main plot focuses on the aftermath of “August” being crowned king and Otta waking up. This book also goes deeper into the magic of the world and Calla’s past.

A few of the world-building things I was worried about in the first book are becoming clearer and more fleshed out which is a relief. The first person present tense still throws me and every so often it takes me out of the moment. I don’t mind it too much as there’s something in the way Chloe Gong writes these that makes them so easy for me to read.

The only thing that didn’t quite meet my expectations was the relationship between Calla and Anton. The last book ended with a perfect setup for true enemies and I wish we had milked it a little more. The betrayal was forgiven so quickly that it almost took the shock of it away. I wish we had more tension between the two. I’d have happily done without the romance in this book if it meant we had more will they won't they.

I'm really excited to read the next book and hope our main couple have one or two more fallouts.