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A review by brewdy_reader
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This is a combo of Hunger Games meets The Host/Squid Game but reinvented in an Asian-inspired urban environment where power and wealth corrupt.
Look, I think this book got done dirty in reviews. I was very entertained by this story and cannot wait for the sequel to come out.
The descriptions of the city make the smog suffocating and the poverty palpable. Street food and urban bars and brothels, city guards and surveillance cameras on every corner, cramped living quarters, and rumors of life outside the city walls set the backdrop for the annual competition in which 88 lucky entrants fight to the death in a winner take all game. Morally grey is a theme for all the MCs: an exile, an outlaw princess, and the heir to the throne.
The first third of the book does require mental focus in order to grasp the names, places, characters and their backstories, and also the rules of the fantasy system. Critics call this 'info dumping' but this is exactly what happens in high fantasy books; it cannot be all action all the time and requires build up. This is fantasy first and romance second. There is flirting, tension, romance, and one pretty spicy scene. There's also some great combat street fighting and dark urban dystopian vibes.
Minor complaints: the opening was on the slow side and some of the wrap-up anti-climatic. However, I really enjoyed the fantasy elements and I'm excited to see what is next from Chloe Gong.
Look, I think this book got done dirty in reviews. I was very entertained by this story and cannot wait for the sequel to come out.
The descriptions of the city make the smog suffocating and the poverty palpable. Street food and urban bars and brothels, city guards and surveillance cameras on every corner, cramped living quarters, and rumors of life outside the city walls set the backdrop for the annual competition in which 88 lucky entrants fight to the death in a winner take all game. Morally grey is a theme for all the MCs: an exile, an outlaw princess, and the heir to the throne.
The first third of the book does require mental focus in order to grasp the names, places, characters and their backstories, and also the rules of the fantasy system. Critics call this 'info dumping' but this is exactly what happens in high fantasy books; it cannot be all action all the time and requires build up. This is fantasy first and romance second. There is flirting, tension, romance, and one pretty spicy scene. There's also some great combat street fighting and dark urban dystopian vibes.
Minor complaints: the opening was on the slow side and some of the wrap-up anti-climatic. However, I really enjoyed the fantasy elements and I'm excited to see what is next from Chloe Gong.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, Classism, and Gore