Chloe Gong's Immortal Longings is her adult debut and takes readers into a high-stakes competition where players must kill each other until a sole winner remains. Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding ever since she murdered her parents in an attempt to start a revolution five years ago. Entering King Kasa's games is her only way to get close enough to the reclusive monarch in order to finish what she started and bring about the change the kingdom of Talin.
isbn: 9781668000229 pages: 384
publication date: July 18th, 2023 | source: e-arc from publisher
genre: adult, fantasy, retelling
rating: 7/10
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Set in a 90's inspired world, the capital city of San-Er used to be ruled by two families before Calla Tuoleimi committed parricide. Now ruled by King Kasa, the city is becoming overly crowded with poverty and crime running rampant in the streets while the nobility live their lives of luxury on the sky-rise floors. The yearly games invite the citizens of San-Er to enter into weeks of ruthless killing until one remains standing and this year, Calla finds herself as one of the chosen players. While the games start off in her favor, things become complicated when she learns of another outcasted noble, Anton Makusa, who is also playing to win.
Chloe Gong is incredibly talented in creating worlds that include complex politics and unlikely allies that strike up a tension-filled temporary truce. Calla enters the game with the plan to win on her own skills but finds herself aided by King Kasa's adopted son, Prince August, providing her with inside intel while she and Anton try not to kill each other. The stakes of the game are raised with the inclusion of jumping, a skill that allows an individual to "jump" into another person's body temporarily as a host. Anton is one of the best jumpers and utilizes this to his advantage as do many of the other players.
Throughout the novel, the recurring theme of revolution and what it means to overthrow a tyrant on the throne is explored as the characters grapple with their own moral compasses. Calla and Anton soon find companionship in each other that expands beyond their initial alliance agreements. As the number of players dwindles, they have to come to terms with where exactly their relationship with each stands in the grand scheme of their original goals. I loved seeing their relationship develop especially with how resistant they are to each other initially. The slow build and tension created a captivating dynamic that kept me hooked, I honestly could not stop reading.
Chlog Gong's first adult novel is immersive in its world-building and storytelling with characters that challenge and question what it means to bring about lasting change for the good of the people. With a cutthroat competition and stakes that seem to climb higher with each chapter, Immortal Longings is a fantastic start to a trilogy that I have no doubt will absolutely crush my heart in the best way possible!
I received an e-arc from the publisher through NetGalley - I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.
