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kimwritesstuff's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think if you like The Poppy Wars or Shatter Me, you'll like To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. This book definitely lives in the morally grey and depicts Ruying as a character who is really stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Before Ruying was born, Romans from another world ripped a portal in the sky and invaded her world. Even though Ruying's people have magic, the Romans have science and weapons. For decades, Rome has kept their boot on the neck of her world and kept her people down by flooding the streets with opium. When Ruying is coerced into being an assassin by one of Rome's princes, she finds herself in a difficult position. She uses her powers to kill for Prince Antony and begins to believe some of his lies, that he is the lesser evil and really wants peace.
There were things I liked about this book and several things I almost hated. Let's talk about the good. I thought the brutal reality of colonization was wonderfully done, and I loved the alternate history of Rome not only being a superpower but powerful enough to punch holes in worlds. Oh, and I loved Antony as a character; he very easily represents a White Savior. Even when Ruying tries to object or show the evil of his actions, he always defends his actions with "the greater good" because he never really sees her people or world as anything more than resources. He's the most realistic type of villain.
Now what I didn't love, first, I thought the characters were all a little thin. Even Ruying as our main character didn't feel fleshed out enough for me. It wasn't until the last 25% of the book that I got a real sense of any motivation for any of the characters (beyond Ruying wanting to save her family). I thought it would have been interesting if Ruying would have been using her position of power to learn more about her own gift, but instead she just murders and relaxes, I guess. It's like she doesn't want to help herself. The writing was also incredibly repetitive. The same turn of phrase was used over and over.
I would be interested in the next book to see if the characters and writing get better. This was a quick read with an interesting plot; it just needed more oomph.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Before Ruying was born, Romans from another world ripped a portal in the sky and invaded her world. Even though Ruying's people have magic, the Romans have science and weapons. For decades, Rome has kept their boot on the neck of her world and kept her people down by flooding the streets with opium. When Ruying is coerced into being an assassin by one of Rome's princes, she finds herself in a difficult position. She uses her powers to kill for Prince Antony and begins to believe some of his lies, that he is the lesser evil and really wants peace.
There were things I liked about this book and several things I almost hated. Let's talk about the good. I thought the brutal reality of colonization was wonderfully done, and I loved the alternate history of Rome not only being a superpower but powerful enough to punch holes in worlds. Oh, and I loved Antony as a character; he very easily represents a White Savior. Even when Ruying tries to object or show the evil of his actions, he always defends his actions with "the greater good" because he never really sees her people or world as anything more than resources. He's the most realistic type of villain.
Now what I didn't love, first, I thought the characters were all a little thin. Even Ruying as our main character didn't feel fleshed out enough for me. It wasn't until the last 25% of the book that I got a real sense of any motivation for any of the characters (beyond Ruying wanting to save her family). I thought it would have been interesting if Ruying would have been using her position of power to learn more about her own gift, but instead she just murders and relaxes, I guess. It's like she doesn't want to help herself. The writing was also incredibly repetitive. The same turn of phrase was used over and over.
I would be interested in the next book to see if the characters and writing get better. This was a quick read with an interesting plot; it just needed more oomph.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, Blood, and Torture
Moderate: Child death and Child abuse
abception's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Death, War, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Drug use
Minor: Alcoholism, Medical content, Confinement, and Gun violence
reyap30's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Note: I was not aware of the discourse around this book or the controversy that had occurred until after I finished reading it and went to post my review on Goodreads. Even now, I do not know everything that happened. I will only be doing more research after I post this review. I want to be as unbiased as possible. This review's content will only contain me reacting to the contents of the book. Nothing more.
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.
When you encounter stories that touch on colonialism and how it impacts both sides of the scale, I feel like as a reader I need to broaden my perspective. This is a story that encompasses deep loss turning into rage. It is also a story of greed.
Ruying as a character is so flawed and undergoes a peculiar developmental arc throughout the book. She has been raised under a regime that oppresses her people in so many ways. In the beginning, the hopelessness and fear she feels that she can make any difference feels incredibly relatable. The feeling only heightens when considering the responsibility she feels to provide for her family, one being an elder that needs medicine and the other being, for a lack of a better term, drug addict.
Too often, we expect the main character immediately to rise above and combat the injustices they see in the world. This, combined with powers that grow stronger with a short training arc is an archetype that is overdone. It was refreshing to see a power that weakens its wielder. However, the nature of her power itself raises a line of moral questioning, which I feel was appropriately done within the book. We see her go from being reluctant to kill, to being forced to kill, to then justifying herself over and over again.
Which brings me to the relationship she has with the male lead. This books really benefits from the lack of Antony's POV. I rather enjoyed the uncertainty of whether or not Antony was truly the white savior he was presenting himself to be. I find the author's storytelling choices to keep us guessing on that front to be impressive. It's the way literally every side character tells her not to trust him, to stay true to her people and to not forget how their colonizing has personally affected her. Every single time, this is usually followed up with the violent ideas of a vigilante that wants to revolt against Rome. On side keeps preaching war while the other side preaches ideas of peace. For Ruying, who desperately wants to live in a world of peace, where her loved ones can remain out of danger, combined with her sense of duty towards her family, I can empathize with which ideas she would latch on to, even if they are coming from the enemy to her people.
Considering all this, I do have to acknowledge that not once throughout this entire book did I feel that Ruying had complete agency over her actions. The dynamic between her and Antony was at times sickening, and at others somewhat fascinating. But if I was to convince myself as a reader that these feelings between them were real, then this is truly an enemies to lovers situation. It's dark and morally questionable that these two should feel anything for each other. Initially, Antony merely sees her as a tool and Ruying is constantly afraid of her loved ones dying. On this front, I was actually relieved that any bond formed off the page, in the midst of a time skip of about 4-6 months. As a reader, I did not want to feel as attached to Antony as Ruying. He was keeping secrets (his literal war crimes) all the way til the end of the book. To me, it felt as though she had constructed a defense mechanism in her mind in order to maintain a sense of normalcy. There are a few times she wishes that she could just play pretend that they are just a boy and a girl, with no burdens or responsibilities. Yet because of the core nature of their relationship, I like that it feels like even when she trusts him that she never fully puts her faith in his cause. (For me personally, this is the first time I have wanted the childhood best friend second lead to be the one that gets the girl. Thank you to Baihu for constantly making her doubt Antony when she's being gaslit a little too hard.)
Antony as a character is still shrouded in mystery. I wasn't a fan of the one POV chapter we had from him, not because it confirms he has real feelings for her, but because of where it was placed in the narrative. I would have rather we discovered that after we learn his secret and betrayal. Other than that through Ruying, we were only able to see a few aspects of his true motivations. From Ruying's perspective, we see her humanize him, because he has a backstory that he shares with her. It was bound to happen with the prolonged time spent together and the nature of her work for him. And yet the ending of this book reinforces that any society that endeavors to colonize and steal resources from another is doing it, and will always be doing it, out of greed. As I was reading, I thought it was always a bit iffy that she saw past the monster that he is to her people and trusted him.
But when I really thought about it, it was a great starting point on a few questions. Would it be wrong to empathize with your enemy? Wouldn't it be easier to act against an enemy when you understand them better? Is Ruying a weak character for aligning herself with the path of least resistance? Is Antony truly the lesser evil? Can their societies even go back to the way things were? What if war and death is the only solution to save the people of Pangu?
So then comes the rage. I love how this book ended but also not quite. How she was in such a vulnerable place mentally and emotionally throughout the entire book and finally pushes back to regain some agency. The way I see she's switching allegiance from one charismatic leader that wants the dirty work to happen in the shadows to a charismatic leader that is pushing for an all out war. I would rather she lean into the archetype of becoming a badass leader that forges a path that neither of these men can fathom.
My fascination with the characterization aside and relationship dynamics between the two leads, I was pretty happy with the prose. It was riddled with proverbs, metaphors and similes, sometimes to the point of being overdone. I would rather see this then simplistic writing style, which has been my experience as of late. I was intrigued by the use of Chinese characters within the novel as well.
Which brings me to the worldbuilding aspect. It's clear that Pangu as a whole represents a historical period in China. Rome represents today's western civilization. I feel like the real world inspirations behind the fantasy settings was a way for the author to not have to delve so deep into creating a world from scratch. If the reader can draw upon the real world knowledge, they can fill in any gaps in the holes. I would have liked to have Pangu's geography and history a bit more fleshed out. Rome is barely touched on, other than that they brought disease, weapons and drugs to Pangu. I did find it intruiging when Antony had mentioned that Rome was just one country in their home world. I had so many questions after that piece of information.
There are some triggering topics covered in this book. The descriptions of how Rome has destroyed Pangu's culture and continues to find ways to take more and more from its people is tragic.
The more I think about this book the more nuance I feel it has. By this I mean, Ruying's response to everything that happens to her. Antony just sucks so far. I do want to know more about him though.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants a thought provoking read for topics on morality, war, poverty, global pollution, and anti-colonialism. I wouldn't call this a romance, which is how the author has been presenting it as on her social media. It has a romance subplot but it's not heavy on the romance at all.
Happy reading!
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.
When you encounter stories that touch on colonialism and how it impacts both sides of the scale, I feel like as a reader I need to broaden my perspective. This is a story that encompasses deep loss turning into rage. It is also a story of greed.
Ruying as a character is so flawed and undergoes a peculiar developmental arc throughout the book. She has been raised under a regime that oppresses her people in so many ways. In the beginning, the hopelessness and fear she feels that she can make any difference feels incredibly relatable. The feeling only heightens when considering the responsibility she feels to provide for her family, one being an elder that needs medicine and the other being, for a lack of a better term, drug addict.
Too often, we expect the main character immediately to rise above and combat the injustices they see in the world. This, combined with powers that grow stronger with a short training arc is an archetype that is overdone. It was refreshing to see a power that weakens its wielder. However, the nature of her power itself raises a line of moral questioning, which I feel was appropriately done within the book. We see her go from being reluctant to kill, to being forced to kill, to then justifying herself over and over again.
Which brings me to the relationship she has with the male lead. This books really benefits from the lack of Antony's POV. I rather enjoyed the uncertainty of whether or not Antony was truly the white savior he was presenting himself to be. I find the author's storytelling choices to keep us guessing on that front to be impressive. It's the way literally every side character tells her not to trust him, to stay true to her people and to not forget how their colonizing has personally affected her. Every single time, this is usually followed up with the violent ideas of a vigilante that wants to revolt against Rome. On side keeps preaching war while the other side preaches ideas of peace. For Ruying, who desperately wants to live in a world of peace, where her loved ones can remain out of danger, combined with her sense of duty towards her family, I can empathize with which ideas she would latch on to, even if they are coming from the enemy to her people.
Considering all this, I do have to acknowledge that not once throughout this entire book did I feel that Ruying had complete agency over her actions. The dynamic between her and Antony was at times sickening, and at others somewhat fascinating. But if I was to convince myself as a reader that these feelings between them were real, then this is truly an enemies to lovers situation. It's dark and morally questionable that these two should feel anything for each other. Initially, Antony merely sees her as a tool and Ruying is constantly afraid of her loved ones dying. On this front, I was actually relieved that any bond formed off the page, in the midst of a time skip of about 4-6 months. As a reader, I did not want to feel as attached to Antony as Ruying. He was keeping secrets (his literal war crimes) all the way til the end of the book. To me, it felt as though she had constructed a defense mechanism in her mind in order to maintain a sense of normalcy. There are a few times she wishes that she could just play pretend that they are just a boy and a girl, with no burdens or responsibilities. Yet because of the core nature of their relationship, I like that it feels like even when she trusts him that she never fully puts her faith in his cause. (For me personally, this is the first time I have wanted the childhood best friend second lead to be the one that gets the girl. Thank you to Baihu for constantly making her doubt Antony when she's being gaslit a little too hard.)
Antony as a character is still shrouded in mystery. I wasn't a fan of the one POV chapter we had from him, not because it confirms he has real feelings for her, but because of where it was placed in the narrative. I would have rather we discovered that after we learn his secret and betrayal. Other than that through Ruying, we were only able to see a few aspects of his true motivations. From Ruying's perspective, we see her humanize him, because he has a backstory that he shares with her. It was bound to happen with the prolonged time spent together and the nature of her work for him. And yet the ending of this book reinforces that any society that endeavors to colonize and steal resources from another is doing it, and will always be doing it, out of greed. As I was reading, I thought it was always a bit iffy that she saw past the monster that he is to her people and trusted him.
But when I really thought about it, it was a great starting point on a few questions. Would it be wrong to empathize with your enemy? Wouldn't it be easier to act against an enemy when you understand them better? Is Ruying a weak character for aligning herself with the path of least resistance? Is Antony truly the lesser evil? Can their societies even go back to the way things were? What if war and death is the only solution to save the people of Pangu?
So then comes the rage. I love how this book ended but also not quite. How she was in such a vulnerable place mentally and emotionally throughout the entire book and finally pushes back to regain some agency. The way I see she's switching allegiance from one charismatic leader that wants the dirty work to happen in the shadows to a charismatic leader that is pushing for an all out war. I would rather she lean into the archetype of becoming a badass leader that forges a path that neither of these men can fathom.
My fascination with the characterization aside and relationship dynamics between the two leads, I was pretty happy with the prose. It was riddled with proverbs, metaphors and similes, sometimes to the point of being overdone. I would rather see this then simplistic writing style, which has been my experience as of late. I was intrigued by the use of Chinese characters within the novel as well.
Which brings me to the worldbuilding aspect. It's clear that Pangu as a whole represents a historical period in China. Rome represents today's western civilization. I feel like the real world inspirations behind the fantasy settings was a way for the author to not have to delve so deep into creating a world from scratch. If the reader can draw upon the real world knowledge, they can fill in any gaps in the holes. I would have liked to have Pangu's geography and history a bit more fleshed out. Rome is barely touched on, other than that they brought disease, weapons and drugs to Pangu. I did find it intruiging when Antony had mentioned that Rome was just one country in their home world. I had so many questions after that piece of information.
There are some triggering topics covered in this book. The descriptions of how Rome has destroyed Pangu's culture and continues to find ways to take more and more from its people is tragic.
The more I think about this book the more nuance I feel it has. By this I mean, Ruying's response to everything that happens to her. Antony just sucks so far. I do want to know more about him though.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants a thought provoking read for topics on morality, war, poverty, global pollution, and anti-colonialism. I wouldn't call this a romance, which is how the author has been presenting it as on her social media. It has a romance subplot but it's not heavy on the romance at all.
Happy reading!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Gaslighting, Grief, Drug abuse, and War
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Torture and Violence
paracosim's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Whew, so first off all this book has caused quite the commotion. At this point in time I’m unable to add a review to Goodreads alongside my Storygraph review, so for now it’ll be just here.
There have been more than a few misconceptions about this book, the most pressing being the issue of marketing. I’ve spent many years in the publishing world and can tell you as someone who knows the ins and outs, that Molly X. Chang had no decision in marketing this book as an enemies to lovers romance. It should never have been marketed that way, but this flub should never fall on the author. Authors have very little choice in the matter; they don’t even get a say in their own book covers, or sometimes even their titles. This was not a mistake on the author’s part. I have no idea what the marketing team was thinking, but they definitely messed up on that front. It should have been marketed as a dark, taboo villain romance. This book is not enemies-to-lovers. In fact I hope Ruying snaps Antony’s neck.
To Gaze Upon Wicked G-ds is set in the fictional world of Pangu, more specifically in fantasy China. It’s also an alternate universe version of our own history, where the Roman Empire never fell but instead survived until modern times. There’s even a reference to Julius Caesar. The emperor of Rome discovered a portal to a new world (Ruying, the main character’s, world) and realized that Rome could escape climate change and human disaster by creating a new home in Pangu…and bringing more human disaster. So that’s where we’re at. This has been yet another big misconception of the book online, of people thinking Chang had created a fictional land named the Roman Empire. Nope, it is genuinely the Roman Empire tumblr likes to celebrate every Ides of March. (Or, well, we celebrate Caesar’s death. Bit of a difference there.)
The story concept is good, it’s based on real events in human history, the cover is beautiful, and there desperately needs to be a content warning page at the start of the book. I’m fazed by very little but for those whose lives have been touched in any way by addiction, be cautious.
The writing itself is a little juvenile. Chang is a young debut author and relies too heavily on short, choppy sentences framed in their own paragraph to make a point. Many young writers do this; she’ll grow out of it. Her side characters are barely present and don’t have much going on, which I’m hoping will be fixed in the sequel. Her pacing was good.
I can’t personally speak on the colonizer aspect in regards to China, because I am not Chinese. I am part of a group of people who have been colonized, forcibly expelled from our homes, experimented on, and more. The colonizer romance didn’t bother me because it’s clearly intended not to be end-game, but a form of trauma bonding.(She sees the light at the end, which gives me hope for her snapping Antony’s neck.)
Overall, this was an okay book. I was somewhat relieved when it was over.
Whew, so first off all this book has caused quite the commotion. At this point in time I’m unable to add a review to Goodreads alongside my Storygraph review, so for now it’ll be just here.
There have been more than a few misconceptions about this book, the most pressing being the issue of marketing. I’ve spent many years in the publishing world and can tell you as someone who knows the ins and outs, that Molly X. Chang had no decision in marketing this book as an enemies to lovers romance. It should never have been marketed that way, but this flub should never fall on the author. Authors have very little choice in the matter; they don’t even get a say in their own book covers, or sometimes even their titles. This was not a mistake on the author’s part. I have no idea what the marketing team was thinking, but they definitely messed up on that front. It should have been marketed as a dark, taboo villain romance. This book is not enemies-to-lovers. In fact I hope Ruying snaps Antony’s neck.
To Gaze Upon Wicked G-ds is set in the fictional world of Pangu, more specifically in fantasy China. It’s also an alternate universe version of our own history, where the Roman Empire never fell but instead survived until modern times. There’s even a reference to Julius Caesar. The emperor of Rome discovered a portal to a new world (Ruying, the main character’s, world) and realized that Rome could escape climate change and human disaster by creating a new home in Pangu…and bringing more human disaster. So that’s where we’re at. This has been yet another big misconception of the book online, of people thinking Chang had created a fictional land named the Roman Empire. Nope, it is genuinely the Roman Empire tumblr likes to celebrate every Ides of March. (Or, well, we celebrate Caesar’s death. Bit of a difference there.)
The story concept is good, it’s based on real events in human history, the cover is beautiful, and there desperately needs to be a content warning page at the start of the book. I’m fazed by very little but for those whose lives have been touched in any way by addiction, be cautious.
The writing itself is a little juvenile. Chang is a young debut author and relies too heavily on short, choppy sentences framed in their own paragraph to make a point. Many young writers do this; she’ll grow out of it. Her side characters are barely present and don’t have much going on, which I’m hoping will be fixed in the sequel. Her pacing was good.
I can’t personally speak on the colonizer aspect in regards to China, because I am not Chinese. I am part of a group of people who have been colonized, forcibly expelled from our homes, experimented on, and more. The colonizer romance didn’t bother me because it’s clearly intended not to be end-game, but a form of trauma bonding.
Overall, this was an okay book. I was somewhat relieved when it was over.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Torture, Colonisation, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Police brutality
danaburrreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, and Death of parent
Minor: Torture
roseleebooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I really wanted to like this book, and if the entire story had been written more like the last 20% this review would have been mostly positive.
Let me start with what I did like: the world was really interesting. The Romans are a direct reflection of the modern West, but with access to a world that was relatively unspoiled by pollution and exploitation of natural resources. Pangu is a world built around magic which the Romans don't have and this setup has so much potential in the science vs magic.
However, the story is hindered by the first 70% of the book in which it felt like very little happened except a lot of internal monologue of the main character. The book spends so much time telling us how the FMC feels and what she's thinking without showing us the world or characters around her in any meaningful way. The last portion of the story gets better with a bit more plot but I nearly stopped reading so many times leading up to that.
Overall I was disappointed by the pacing and limited view of the world and characters. I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book or not at this time.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.
Let me start with what I did like: the world was really interesting. The Romans are a direct reflection of the modern West, but with access to a world that was relatively unspoiled by pollution and exploitation of natural resources. Pangu is a world built around magic which the Romans don't have and this setup has so much potential in the science vs magic.
However, the story is hindered by the first 70% of the book in which it felt like very little happened except a lot of internal monologue of the main character. The book spends so much time telling us how the FMC feels and what she's thinking without showing us the world or characters around her in any meaningful way. The last portion of the story gets better with a bit more plot but I nearly stopped reading so many times leading up to that.
Overall I was disappointed by the pacing and limited view of the world and characters. I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book or not at this time.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Colonisation, Child death, Addiction, Death, Slavery, Drug abuse, and Violence
cballar5's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received this ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Since the new year started, I’ve begun reading ARC’s and also actively looking for new cultures and nationalities outside of the norm. This definitely fit the bill. The plot was interesting and fueled by the fight between magic and science, with war right around the corner. I enjoyed the spirituality of this culture and how well thought out it is in the book. The plot did drag at a few points for me, but not for long. By the time I finished this book, I don’t know whose side I’m actually on.
The characters are multi faceted and have great backstories. The reader really gets a sense of how the characters came to be where they are in life. Even minor characters have a lasting impact. I am hoping we’re not heading towards a love triangle in this next book though; I’ve never been a fan and honestly, I really like Antony. The author does a great job of blurring good and evil; it’s hard to root for someone who has committed atrocities, but she’s successfully done just that.
The author has a flowing writing style that fits the content of the book. It’s almost reverent in describing the people and their cultures. It was beautiful to read.
All in all, this was a fun read. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, although it is obvious this is written for an age group younger than the one I’m in. It drug a bit in spots and was a bit juvenile for me in a few spots, but I still give it 4⭐️.
Since the new year started, I’ve begun reading ARC’s and also actively looking for new cultures and nationalities outside of the norm. This definitely fit the bill. The plot was interesting and fueled by the fight between magic and science, with war right around the corner. I enjoyed the spirituality of this culture and how well thought out it is in the book. The plot did drag at a few points for me, but not for long. By the time I finished this book, I don’t know whose side I’m actually on.
The characters are multi faceted and have great backstories. The reader really gets a sense of how the characters came to be where they are in life. Even minor characters have a lasting impact. I am hoping we’re not heading towards a love triangle in this next book though; I’ve never been a fan and honestly, I really like Antony. The author does a great job of blurring good and evil; it’s hard to root for someone who has committed atrocities, but she’s successfully done just that.
The author has a flowing writing style that fits the content of the book. It’s almost reverent in describing the people and their cultures. It was beautiful to read.
All in all, this was a fun read. I enjoyed the plot and the characters, although it is obvious this is written for an age group younger than the one I’m in. It drug a bit in spots and was a bit juvenile for me in a few spots, but I still give it 4⭐️.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Violence
cneighbors36's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
"To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" is Molly X. Chang's debut novel. I was really torn with this review for a few reasons. First, the book was not what I expected at all. The book is really heavy and deals with very deep issues, which I did not expect going into it. Additionally, I did not like the MMC or the romance at all. The relationship honestly felt very problematic and more of a controlling power dynamic. The ending did make me feel somewhat better, though. I enjoyed the author's writing style as it was very descriptive, but Ruying's thought process did feel repetitive at times. The world-building in the book is intriguing and unique. However, it can sometimes be challenging and could have been explained better/more. I am unsure if parts were left out due to the FMC not knowing it, and we are supposed to be learning as she does, or if it was just a mistake on the author's part. I will probably pick up the next book to see which direction the author plans to go with the series, but I won't be in a hurry to do so. In the next book, I hope we see more detail on the world-building and magic system.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: War and Torture
booksthatburn's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
TO GAZE UPON WICKED GODS is a collaborator's view of colonization, as a girl with the power to wield death agrees to work with a prince among the colonizers because he promises to use her in pursuit of lasting peace.
Ruying has been trying to keep her twin sister alive and their grandmother cared for even as everything else is falling apart. Their city is divided, literally, with half of it carved away for use by the Roman colonizers from another world who have held the city in their grip for more than two decades. The Romans brought a powerfully addictive drug with them, promising it would unlock the people's magic but all it has brought is pain. After losing their father to the drug, Ruying is trying to wean her sister off of it, bargaining away whatever possessions she must in order to keep her family together. Already in this precarious state, Ruying is unable to say no when a mistake lands her in Roman dungeons, faced with torture and death unless she agrees to help one of the princes with his dreams of peace through Death like only Ruying can wield.
Ruying is a fascinating main character. Normally I don't like characters who make terrible decisions when a better option is clearly available, but that's not quite what's happening here. There's an ongoing discussion of which definition of "better" should be applied. Ruying's choice might not be the one I would make, but I completely understand why she does what she does, and I don't know for sure if I'd actually disagree under the same circumstances. That tension makes for an excellent story, with Ruying fully committing to her choices once they're made, but then remaining open enough to reevaluate her situation as new facts come to light. At her core, her goal is to protect her family at any cost, and that drives her to a great many things which she would not otherwise accept. Ruying isn't the only one making such choices, early on she interacts with a sort of friend who has been collaborating with the Romans in exchange for access and power. She judges him at first, then comes to understand why he does so. Ruying finds herself in a colonized/colonizer romance, always aware of the coercion which is inextricable from her position. She cares for Anthony, but any safety she feels is always at his discretion. He might really love her, but there's no risk for him in that, not really. Whereas Ruying knows that if she loses his favor, she and her family could lose everything in an instant.
The worldbuilding is excellent. It focuses on the people, the language, and culture, frequently including passages and their translations. There are also frequent reminders of how the Roman invasion changed things, never letting the reader forget that it hasn't always been this way, even though for the reader, it has, because this is our first view of this world. As the first book in the series, this doesn't have to resolve any particular major plot point because it's still setting things up for later. Ruying makes an important decision towards the end in a way that serves as an emotional resolution/climax of the story, while establishing a new status quo for the sequel.
TO GAZE UPON WICKED GODS is a collaborator's view of colonization, as a girl with the power to wield death agrees to work with a prince among the colonizers because he promises to use her in pursuit of lasting peace.
Ruying has been trying to keep her twin sister alive and their grandmother cared for even as everything else is falling apart. Their city is divided, literally, with half of it carved away for use by the Roman colonizers from another world who have held the city in their grip for more than two decades. The Romans brought a powerfully addictive drug with them, promising it would unlock the people's magic but all it has brought is pain. After losing their father to the drug, Ruying is trying to wean her sister off of it, bargaining away whatever possessions she must in order to keep her family together. Already in this precarious state, Ruying is unable to say no when a mistake lands her in Roman dungeons, faced with torture and death unless she agrees to help one of the princes with his dreams of peace through Death like only Ruying can wield.
Ruying is a fascinating main character. Normally I don't like characters who make terrible decisions when a better option is clearly available, but that's not quite what's happening here. There's an ongoing discussion of which definition of "better" should be applied. Ruying's choice might not be the one I would make, but I completely understand why she does what she does, and I don't know for sure if I'd actually disagree under the same circumstances. That tension makes for an excellent story, with Ruying fully committing to her choices once they're made, but then remaining open enough to reevaluate her situation as new facts come to light. At her core, her goal is to protect her family at any cost, and that drives her to a great many things which she would not otherwise accept. Ruying isn't the only one making such choices, early on she interacts with a sort of friend who has been collaborating with the Romans in exchange for access and power. She judges him at first, then comes to understand why he does so. Ruying finds herself in a colonized/colonizer romance, always aware of the coercion which is inextricable from her position. She cares for Anthony, but any safety she feels is always at his discretion. He might really love her, but there's no risk for him in that, not really. Whereas Ruying knows that if she loses his favor, she and her family could lose everything in an instant.
The worldbuilding is excellent. It focuses on the people, the language, and culture, frequently including passages and their translations. There are also frequent reminders of how the Roman invasion changed things, never letting the reader forget that it hasn't always been this way, even though for the reader, it has, because this is our first view of this world. As the first book in the series, this doesn't have to resolve any particular major plot point because it's still setting things up for later. Ruying makes an important decision towards the end in a way that serves as an emotional resolution/climax of the story, while establishing a new status quo for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Confinement, Murder, Kidnapping, Classism, Death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, War, Gun violence, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Child death, Sexism, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Abandonment, Rape, Medical content, Trafficking, and Alcohol
savannnah_reads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
HEROES DIE. COWARDS LIVE.
I was promised an “epic fantasy” and even star crossed lovers but you know what I got? A COLONIZER ROMANCE.
The beginning started so strong. There were so many lines that had me giddy because I finally found another ARC that I could get into and was written well. Unfortunately, the threads of the story started to come undone around halfway through, and by the end, everything felt rushed and confusing.
We start with Ruying, a young woman in a setting that is basically medieval China (under a different name). She is very firm about (and repeats it every chapter) her willingness to do anything to protect her twin and her ailing Grandmother. Ruying also has powers like a small sub-section of her world, but no one knows where the powers came from or why each person that has them is unlike anyone else. Three people can have water powers, but one might have the ability to control bodies of water, one might control storms, one might be able to suck water out of the environment. Ruying’s power is Death as in she can suck the Qi out of anyone to the point that they die.
We kind of murkily also discover that her kingdom is actively being colonized by Rome (yeah, Rome, Rome. Why the author gave fantasy-China a different name and not Rome, I don’t know). But this version of Rome is set far enough into the future that they have guns, universal remotes, emergency room equipment, bulletproof glass, fighter jets, and nukes.
For 20 years, Rome has steadily invaded Ruying’s world through a portal we truly get no details on. It’s just a portal that showed up one day and never left; it just exists in the sky and is never mentioned again.
Anyway, Rome is colonizing book-China and exerting God-like authority over Ruyings people thanks to their “science” (a major theme is that the ever-lessening magical powers of this world can’t stand up to the “science” of Rome, aka progress/advancement/technology/weapons)
Ruying encounters a man named Antony (yeah.) that she knows is a villain, but surprise, he’s hot and she gets a crush while acting as his assassin under duress. The thing is, all the assassin-ing happens off page. We just hear about how randomly skilled she is for a 19 year old with no formal training or experience, but never really see it.
Things progress, betrayals are had, feelings go back and forth etc etc until some very predictable plot twists and a random chapter thrown in from Antony’s POV that spoils the whole “is he actually a bad guy? Or is he just misunderstood?” Question. Because honestly, for the whole middle part, I wanted to believe that he was secretly scheming for the good of both worlds in a way that would be revealed in grand fashion. But instead, it really is just a book about a girly falling in love with her oppressor. Even when he’s come close to killing her, forced her to kill people he admits are innocent, holds a gun up to her head,, tells her that he’s willing to sacrifice people for the “greater good” (which people’s greater good?) and only ever made weak excuses as to why he’s doing what he’s doing for his rickety-ass plan to “save the world.” She turns her back on the culture and people she says over and over and over that she’s wholly dedicated to and protective of.
My girl Ruying ignored every red flag that was slapping her in the face. She even occasionally snaps out of her lovesick puppy shtick, only to fall right back into it when Antony smiles at her with dimples.
I think this was an interesting (or at least a first, for me) examination of the messiness of interpersonal relationships under colonialism. Of the merits between honoring the past and those who have shaped history and forging forward for progress, but destroying your history. Of people trying to figure out if what they do as an individual matters in the grand scheme of things. If justifying some for the sake of the masses is justified. I also really liked the way Antony was a super villain but in a way that was carefully crafted; he didn’t just stomp in and crush people, he learned their culture and beliefs and language. To me, that makes him even more insidious because he knew exactly how to hurt people.
I just think it needs a few more rounds of editing, clearer and earlier world-building, and if you’re going to have the colonized fall in love with the colonizer just to have her be betrayed by him, it needs to be more drawn out and really soak in the feelings of disgust and confusion. And when she’s in that, keep her in it, harder to really drive the impact of the betrayal.
Another emphasis on needing more editing. I know this was an ARC, but there are lots of grammatical errors and the twist with the experiment gets ruined bc it’s confusingly accidentally revealed before the actual reveal of her name. And some of the dialogue was confusing in a way that it takes you out of the story. Things like characters supposedly in mideval times saying things like “is he going to be okay?” And “don’t paint me out to be the bad guy” plus their use of both gold coins AND pennies????
Things I wanted more of:
- Baihu!! He was a really interesting and complex character and I was much more interested in his espionage between worlds
- Ruying’s daddy issues; I wanted more about how they probably manifested in her speedy trust toward Antony; the need to belong and be taken care of!
- Baihu eating Ruying UP about her naivety
- The magic system. In this book, the only explanation for it that we get is “no one knooooows where it comes from! It’s just there!!”
Favorite Quotes:
“Heroes die. Cowards live.”
“To say Er-Lang Baihu was a villain would be a stretch. To say he was innocent was a lie.”
“Frustration was dark crimson. It tasted of ash when I tried to swallow, scorched my throat before clotting my lungs.”
“All heroes fail to pass the test of love.”
“I fear you the way mortals fear gods.”
“He pushed me away, loaded a bullet into the gun, and pressed it against my head this time.
‘Your power is exquisite—and you are beautiful. But there are plenty of pretty things in this world. Don't think for a second that I, Antony Augustus, am someone who sees a pretty girl and loses his head or grows soft. If I were like that, I would have been killed a long time ago, and Rome would never meet its greatest ruler.’”
“His eyes met mine, without fear. As if daring me to prove my words. I gripped the gun tighter. ‘Call off the snipers!’
‘Or what?’ ‘Or I'll show you how much of a killer I can be.’ ‘Do it,’ he whispered without taking his eyes off me, his body too close to mine in the confined space, his voice a taunting rasp.
‘Do it. Kill me. Pull the trigger.’”
Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Torture, War, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse