[REVIEW] IMMORTAL LONGINGS - CHLOE GONG (ENGLISH REVIEW)

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Title: Immortal Longings (Flesh and Falsh Gods #1)

Author: Chloe Gong

Expected Publication: 18 July 2023

Pages:384 pages

ISBN: 9781399700436

Language: English

BLURB

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

The only way to win, is to survive.

Every year, thousands flock to San-Er, the dangerously dense capital twin cities of the kingdom of Talin, where the palace hosts a set of deadly games. Those confident in their ability to jump between bodies can enter a fight to the death - for the chance to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding for five years, ever since she murdered her parents to free the people of Talin from her tyrannical family. Only one person stands in her way of finishing the job: her reclusive uncle King Kasa. However, she knows he always greets the victor of the games. If she wins, she will finally get the chance to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, whose childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace. He's deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Which means his last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

When Anton proposes an unexpected alliance with Calla, they quickly find their partnership spiraling into something all-consuming. But before the games close, Calla must decide what she's playing for - her lover or her kingdom. For no matter what, only one of them can walk out alive . . .

 

REVIEW

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me this ARC book! Here I leave my honest review.

I’ve read Chloe Gong book before and I love it. Now I’m waiting her sequel for Foul Lady Fortune. When I knew she will wrote new book with adult fantasy category, I know I want to read that book. She’s so good to create a world full of misery for her characters and readers.

I read the blurb and I think I have a big expectation for this book. That’s why I was so excited when I got the book. People said in their review that this book has The Hunger Games vibes on it and I love both book and films of The Hunger Games, it increase my expectation to this book.

But sadly it all crumble now. I was so bored while reading this book. Even from the beginning. I can not connect with the world she trying to create. I can’t connect to the characters, I can’t sympathize with them and it got worst when the plot is so slow. Under 400 pages but I can’t finish book faster, I think I need more than 2 weeks to finish this book and it never happen with book less than 400 pages. Kind of disappoint while reading this book.

Calla is depicted as a character who strong, a princess who killed her parents and has a great skill on combat. She only has one purpose, to win the game and carry out her plan. I don’t know how I feeling with her. I think her reason to carry out her plan is not strong enough, maybe the author done a poor job to tell us more about Calla past and why suddenly she has that plan. I know we got a glimpse of real past of Calla but still I’m not sure it’s enough.

The book has so many POV. Even from the characters that I think didn’t have big impact to the plot. I’m not sure why I’m reading his/her character. It feels like the author just want to fill the books.

The games, the biggest event in the book, feel so weak and make no sense for me. It feels like a Hunger Games, we have contestants and now you have to kill each other until there are only two to combat each other directly. But the weird one is the place. They doing the game in open, near civilization when people can suddenly get into a battle. Just make no sense for me. No safety at all for the civilization. And ah I forget to mention about the jumping! One big factor that make this book unique is where some people can jump out from her/his body and take another body. I believe this is the reason why they did the game at open space but didn’t they say that this is Illegal? Another weird moments. The jumping part makes a big influence, it was a great “spice” for the plot.

I don’t really care about other characters beside Calla even for Prince August that has a potential will become the real enemy. But of course except Anton. He has a big job here in this book and become the love interest of Calla. You know from the blurb that Anton has childhood lover that he care and trying to keep her alive. But for the game he need Calla partnership, if the author want to make their partnership just like that I don’t have any objection. But suddenly Calla and Anton have a special place for each other? I don’t even remember that they have a great relationship at all. It feels flat and business only type of relationship. I don’t know how, when, and why their partnership change into relationship.

"Do you flirt with every person you're trying to kill?" "Only you, Fifty-Seven"

The only reason I gave this book 3 ⭐ when I want to give it below that that is because of the last 10% of the book. The story turn great and of course end with cliffhanger. I can guess the plot twist at the end and have a little expectation for the next book.