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A review by kmartbooks
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang
1.5
My heart goes out to the author for the difficulties that she had with this book (and there were so many). However, I really recommend reading and watching BIPOC reviews/reviewers about this book. There is a lot of trauma associated with the historical events portrayed in this book.
This is a story that promised so much but unfortunately fell short of my expectations. This is set in a world that has been conquered by technologically advanced invaders. Ruying, one of the colonized people and our main character, possesses death magic—a power that both intrigues and terrifies her. When an enemy prince discovers her abilities, he imprisons her and demands that she become his assassin or he will harm her family.
Obviously, the romance was a HUGE problem. The anti-colonialism message (that I THINK was supposed to come through?) was completely overshadowed by the romance in this. The romance between Ruying and the prince feels forced and made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially given the author's note in the beginning. There were notes of romance between the two even when his actions were horrific. She kept thinking about how attractive he was even as he was threatening her and her family. Ruying's motivations and character development also feel inconsistent, as her actions often contradict her stated beliefs and desires. Another huge problem I had was the time skip. That portion could have been utilized to expand upon the feelings between the two characters and could have shown us how Ruying was being manipulated by Antony. It really only serves to confuse readers and disrupt the flow of the story. The world-building and character development suffer as a result, leaving the reader with more questions than answers.
I wish the author all the best and hope that she takes the criticism to heart in the continued series. I appreciate the copy from Netgalley and the publisher. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
This is a story that promised so much but unfortunately fell short of my expectations. This is set in a world that has been conquered by technologically advanced invaders. Ruying, one of the colonized people and our main character, possesses death magic—a power that both intrigues and terrifies her. When an enemy prince discovers her abilities, he imprisons her and demands that she become his assassin or he will harm her family.
Obviously, the romance was a HUGE problem. The anti-colonialism message (that I THINK was supposed to come through?) was completely overshadowed by the romance in this. The romance between Ruying and the prince feels forced and made me incredibly uncomfortable, especially given the author's note in the beginning. There were notes of romance between the two even when his actions were horrific. She kept thinking about how attractive he was even as he was threatening her and her family. Ruying's motivations and character development also feel inconsistent, as her actions often contradict her stated beliefs and desires. Another huge problem I had was the time skip. That portion could have been utilized to expand upon the feelings between the two characters and could have shown us how Ruying was being manipulated by Antony. It really only serves to confuse readers and disrupt the flow of the story. The world-building and character development suffer as a result, leaving the reader with more questions than answers.
I wish the author all the best and hope that she takes the criticism to heart in the continued series. I appreciate the copy from Netgalley and the publisher. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation