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lovelymisanthrope's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I received this as part of my FairyLoot subscription.
"Immortal Longings" is the first book in a new fantasy series from Chloe Gong. Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been hiding in plain sight for five years. Her entire family was murdered, and she was the one to do it. Now she has one last family member to bring down, and she has one shot to be able to do so. Every year, the kingdom of Talin hosts a competition in which people who can jump bodies are invited to come and compete to the death to win unimaginable riches. The winner also gets to meet the elusive king, Calla's uncle. Through unexpected alliances, Calla finds herself fighting to win this game, but she learns quickly that everyone has their own motivations, and they all might not align.
I had heard about this book, and was interested because it was another Shakespeare retelling, but I honestly was not going to pick it up because I did not enjoy Chloe Gong's previous duet, "These Violent Delights". However, since I did receive a copy of it, I figured I would give it a shot. Overall, I did enjoy this book more than "These Violent Delights", but I am still not a huge fan of Chloe Gong's writing style.
This novel felt very futuristic with its technologies and characters fighting in this game, which is typically not a setting I really enjoy; however, I think it was executed well. The characters seemed fleshed out, but I just did not connect with them. There is something about them that feels standoffish, and it makes it difficult for me to read and become invested in their story. I think it might be because of the jumping bodies plot point. Since characters can jump, their physical descriptions are always changing, and it felt kind of messy to me. I really had to pay attention to whose perspective I was reading from.
I likely will not continue with this series, but I will happily recommend this to people who ae interested in this type of fantasy.
"Immortal Longings" is the first book in a new fantasy series from Chloe Gong. Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been hiding in plain sight for five years. Her entire family was murdered, and she was the one to do it. Now she has one last family member to bring down, and she has one shot to be able to do so. Every year, the kingdom of Talin hosts a competition in which people who can jump bodies are invited to come and compete to the death to win unimaginable riches. The winner also gets to meet the elusive king, Calla's uncle. Through unexpected alliances, Calla finds herself fighting to win this game, but she learns quickly that everyone has their own motivations, and they all might not align.
I had heard about this book, and was interested because it was another Shakespeare retelling, but I honestly was not going to pick it up because I did not enjoy Chloe Gong's previous duet, "These Violent Delights". However, since I did receive a copy of it, I figured I would give it a shot. Overall, I did enjoy this book more than "These Violent Delights", but I am still not a huge fan of Chloe Gong's writing style.
This novel felt very futuristic with its technologies and characters fighting in this game, which is typically not a setting I really enjoy; however, I think it was executed well. The characters seemed fleshed out, but I just did not connect with them. There is something about them that feels standoffish, and it makes it difficult for me to read and become invested in their story. I think it might be because of the jumping bodies plot point. Since characters can jump, their physical descriptions are always changing, and it felt kind of messy to me. I really had to pay attention to whose perspective I was reading from.
I likely will not continue with this series, but I will happily recommend this to people who ae interested in this type of fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Death
Moderate: Child death
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