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A review by elaichipod
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
emotional
tense
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
2.25
I received this eARC from NetGalley.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I think the writing could have been developed a bit. I felt like there was background in every single chapter and it was becoming repetitive so I'd skim through those paragraphs. I like complex political situations, but I did not like the execution as much. Romans from a dying Earth essentially used a wormhole to find Pangu, where some of the people are gifted and have super cells. The story focuses on Ruying while Pangu and the Romans are at the brink of war. There's a lot of focus on betrayal, politics, and allies while Ruying teams up with a Roman prince to save her people. Throughout the book it's hard to know what side Ruying is on but, I just couldn't fathom how she could stand by and ultimately fall in love with Antony, who is probably the biggest red flag I have had the misfortune of reading. He was unlikeable from the very beginning to the very end. And don't think that him instinctively saving Ruying will make me forget or forgive his war crimes. The lab testing was the most appalling aspect of Antony's secret. I couldn't believe that this was what he was hiding. He clearly was never going to leave the people of Pangu in peace and it's obvious when you remember that his motto is "power belongs to those who take it." When I first started reading I thought Ruying would team up with Baihu who was first represented as a betrayer. I see that there are 2 more books in this series but I really hope that Antony and Ruying are not a couple because I personally could not accept a man who has been kidnapping, abusing, and killing my people in wartime laboratories, but that's just me.
I didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I think the writing could have been developed a bit. I felt like there was background in every single chapter and it was becoming repetitive so I'd skim through those paragraphs. I like complex political situations, but I did not like the execution as much. Romans from a dying Earth essentially used a wormhole to find Pangu, where some of the people are gifted and have super cells. The story focuses on Ruying while Pangu and the Romans are at the brink of war. There's a lot of focus on betrayal, politics, and allies while Ruying teams up with a Roman prince to save her people. Throughout the book it's hard to know what side Ruying is on but, I just couldn't fathom how she could stand by and ultimately fall in love with Antony, who is probably the biggest red flag I have had the misfortune of reading. He was unlikeable from the very beginning to the very end. And don't think that him instinctively saving Ruying will make me forget or forgive his war crimes. The lab testing was the most appalling aspect of Antony's secret. I couldn't believe that this was what he was hiding. He clearly was never going to leave the people of Pangu in peace and it's obvious when you remember that his motto is "power belongs to those who take it." When I first started reading I thought Ruying would team up with Baihu who was first represented as a betrayer. I see that there are 2 more books in this series but I really hope that Antony and Ruying are not a couple because I personally could not accept a man who has been kidnapping, abusing, and killing my people in wartime laboratories, but that's just me.