Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong—A Dark Tale of Love, Survival and Stakes

Foul Lady Fortune was my favourite book of Chloe Gong, so after reading that I knew I needed to read her adult debut. And a few days later, I was provided with a e-ARC for review and was overjoyed! So if course, I went ahead and read it. If you adore Chloe’s books, you’ll love this—it’s shorter than her other books, yes, but the pages brim with tension as the reader is transported to the Games in San-Er.

synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

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review

Rating – 4.0 stars

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, for presenting me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review. Quotes mentioned in this post are from an advanced copy and are subjected to change.

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August shakes his head. “There are no gods in this world.” He reaches out to close her eyes. “Only kings and tyrants.”

In this immersive and action-packed adult debut, Chloe Gong drops a banger novel yet again! Secret Shanghai was her debut into the industry and now, as a well-established author, she strikes with Immortal Longings—a reimagining of another of Shakespeare’s tragedies; Antony and Cleopatra.

Many readers assume that her brand is Shakespearean retellings and star-crossed lovers and though there might be some truth to it, it doesn’t feel quite right. And I think there’s a bigger picture to it. Post-reading Foul Lady Fortune and Immortal Longings, you would notice that Chloe’s bejeweled prose and the stakes present throughout her books inadvertently take the spotlight. And not to forget, the yearning and angst that never fail to cater to her audience.

The games are around the corner in the packed twin cities of San-Er ruled by King Kasa who is the personification of tyranny. His adopted son, August Shenzi is to take over after him, but he grows impatient as the days seep by. Princess Calla Tuolemi, August’s cousin, had gone into hiding after the infamous bloodbath where she “died” and now would do anything for Kasa’s head. And Anton? He is desperate—the love of his life had been comatose for years and the hospital bills only keep growing. The only way to change that is by enrolling in the games in hopes of monetary compensation.

Love isn’t deserved. It is given freely.

The author pitches the novel as Antony & Cleopatra meets Clove and Cato in a 90’s Wong Kar-wai film and I think that it perfectly captures the atmosphere of Immortal Longings. It is very much Hunger Games-esque with the games going on in San-Er and cue Calla and Anton ending up in an unlikely partnership with each other. The novel also has a unique element to it; body jumping, which was executed so well. It felt real and I also found it interesting how jumping affects people and the way it plays a very important role in the story.

Calla and Anton are the ship to root for. And Chloe does that so well considering they’re star-crossed so the stakes are even higher. It only gets better with each chapter, the threads of the plot unravel leaving you dumbfounded, but the twists only get more terrifying. My issue with the book, though, is that though Immortal Longings was a memorable read, the characters felt recycled. Calla reminded me too much of Juliette & Rosalind and Anton of Roma. Though they had their conflicts and ambitions, they just felt like another facet of the author’s previous protagonists.

On an ending note, if you loved Chloe’s previous works, you are going to enjoy this. If not, I think you’ll need to check it out for yourself! At the end of the day, it’s completely your opinion—sorry I got a little carried away, but I genuinely hope you enjoy reading it.

about the author

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, PEOPLE, Forbes and more. She is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she double-majored in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Chloe is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.

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