As many of you might know, I am a huge fan of Chloe Gong and the Secret Shanghai series. Obviously I was eagerly anticipating her adult debut – Immortal Longings. So when the amazing Kate Keehan at Hodderscape sent me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, I dived right in.
This review originally appeared on The Nerd Daily.
The only way to win, is to survive.
Every year, thousands flock to San-Er, the dangerously dense capital twin cities of the kingdom of Talin, where the palace hosts a set of deadly games. Those confident in their ability to jump between bodies can enter a fight to the death – for the chance to win unimaginable riches. Princess Calla Tuoleimi has been in hiding for five years, ever since she murdered her parents to free the people of Talin from her tyrannical family. Only one person stands in her way of finishing the job: her reclusive uncle King Kasa. However, she knows he always greets the victor of the games. If she wins, she will finally get the chance to kill him. Enter Anton Makusa, whose childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace.
He’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Which means his last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning. When Anton proposes an unexpected alliance with Calla, they quickly find their partnership spiraling into something all-consuming. But before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for – her lover or her kingdom. For no matter what, only one of them can walk out alive…
Publication Date: 18th July
TW: blood, violence, childhood trauma, death, poverty, on-page death & murder, suicidal thoughts & intention, kidnapping, hospitals, consent issues
My Thoughts:
Immortal Longings is a slick, smart and sharp adult debut that pulls you into its dark and tangled web. Whether you escape or not, it will stay with you.
Something I have always loved about Gong’s work is how she draws inspiration from classic Shakespearean tales. You can identify the fingerprints of Shakespeare in the characters and overarching plotlines, but these are definitely Gong’s creations. There is always a twist, subversion or challenge to these well-known narratives. Immortal Longings takes some inspiration from Antony and Cleopatra and for me, this was most evident in the sizzling passion and changing dynamics between Calla and Anton. These two could set the world on fire and would probably happily watch everything around them burn. This is a dynamic that you can never really pin down. Everything is a manipulation, a power play but there are also some feelings in there that catch sparks.
Juliette Cai officially has competition for my favourite Gong characters here in the complex Calla Tuoleimi. She is often cruel, but there are shimemrs of vulnerability and Gong ensures there is depth and layers to her character. She is driven by rage and revenge, going to any means necessary to achieve her goals. However, she is also driven by a deep desire to survive and some of the moments around that are genuinely heart-wrenching. Gong never lets you forget that this is a character whose hands are stained by blood though. She is a badass fighter, branded by her reputation. I also have to shout out Mr Mao Mao for being the only pure character in the entire book (as far as we currently know).
Gong has taken the beating heart of her YA series, tore it out and ramped everything up to eleven. This is a violent book, drenched in blood and death. The stakes are always rising higher, with new and intriguing players stepping onto the board at unexpected moments. Gong unleashes her trademark, cut-throat twists with some moments that made me want to throw the book across the room. If you thought her previous twists were awful, we have reached new levels of evil genius.
The entire concept of body switching is fascinating and connects to deeper ethical questions around identity and personhood. In this world, it is easy to lose sight of who you truly are and to keep running from the heinous actions you have taken. Also, as a literary device, it works as an excellent way to keep your readers on their toes and creates such a tense and paranoid atmosphere. When literally everyone around you could be an enemy in disguise, who can you truly trust?
As always, Gong’s writing is incredibly evocative. Her worldbuilding is incredibly vivid and rich. San-Er springs to life around you, until you can practically see the smoke and smell the scent of blood in the air. The balance of narrative perspectives is excellent, bringing together a variety of intriguing characters and giving us new insights into both past and present. As with Calla, Anton is given so much depth and complexity in his character. His perspective is one that I adored, filled with devious manipulation and desires. He almost callously ‘jumps’ from body to body with very little regard for those he has invaded.
Immortal Longings is a twisty, intense and vicious stab to the heart that I absolutely adored.
A Short Book Lover 
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