It’s been a long time since I’ve written a book review and what better way to get back into doing so than by starting off with one of my favorite authors: Chloe Gong. Spoiler alert: I don’t have many negative things to say here. I’m back with a new review structure and I’ve got quite a few things to say. Let’s get to it: 

About the Book

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.

My Review

“There’s beggary in a love that can be counted and calculated.”

It’s no surprise that I’m reviewing another Chloe Gong book. My earlier review of These Violent Delights set me on a path of being a real fan here. I’ve been to multiple of Gong’s book signings and have had quite a few quick chats with her and can happily say that there’s as much to love about her as a person as there is in her writing. Immortal Longings was also featured in my 2023 Must-Reads and I’m sorry to the others that I’ve read from that list and haven’t reviewed but my girl Chloe will always get my thoughts.

Immortal Longings did not disappoint. As a Shakespeare fan and a former Hunger Games girlie, this book was an amazing read. I was immediately captured by this concept of body jumping and how it can manifest in a society where those who can jump are as common as having brown or green eyes. While the story itself is compelling from the beginning, the real star for me was Calla Tuoleimi, a “lost” princess in her own right who is totally against the monarchy and ready to take it down. Gong introduces a new flavor of a princess that has grown up in the system, of one that benefits from it, and is still hellbent on bringing it down.

Now, I try to stay spoiler free here and so I won’t give anything away. But I will say that my jaw hit the FLOOR when it’s revealed exactly why Calla is so set on this path, and it made the story all the better.

And, of course, I came (and stayed) for the romance. Anton, Anton, Anton—I love me a good smart ass. I love that our star-crossed couple (and I will continue to refer to them as this) were equally matched this entire time, even in love. Unlike The Hunger Games, I was fully waiting up until the very last page of the book for one of them to kill the other. Katniss and Peeta didn’t have that; if anyone was leaving The Hunger Games, it would’ve been Katniss. But Calla and Anton easily give the other the run for their money and, in true Chloe Gong fashion, that’s what makes the story interesting! The pining is subtle and not all-in-your face.

The story is very intricate and has plenty of twists and turns to keep you entertained. I loved Gong’s pacing and her fantasy system that I honestly haven’t quite read before and probably wouldn’t have given it a chance if I didn’t already know that she knocks it out of the park every time. Here are some things that stood out to me the most:

What I liked 

Loving Shakespeare is in my bones. Have I read all of his works? No. But a significant time of my college career with dedicated to taking multiple Shakespeare courses, analyzing his work, and writing papers on it, so I think I know a thing or two. I don’t think I would read a Shakespeare retelling from any other author, though. Gong captures the essence of Anthony and Cleopatra (the characters, the romance—not the play itself) so well in Anton and Calla that I couldn’t help but root for them the entire time.

I love a good slow burn. I love WORKING for it. And Chloe sure as hell made me work for it. There was a moment while reading the book that I thought “okay….Anton and Calla are just allies. They’ve got a lot of baggage, this is a complicated situation. Maybe the romance will come next book.” but then BAM, I got my star-crossed couple and it truly made my heart soar.

What I didn’t like 

When I’m reading fantasy, I don’t really want any elements from the modern world. I often make jokes to my friend about how most fantasy writers remind us of birth control by having our female MC’s take a “tonic” but I honestly really like that—please don’t take me out of the fantasy world by having things like cars and phones. That’s honestly the only drawback of the book to me. San-Er is based on Kowloon’s Walled City in the 1990s so I understand why characters had pagers, why there were internet cafes, and why technology played such a role in the series, I just wished that it wasn’t a part of the story. It felt a little too sci-fi like to me but someone once told me that the Venn diagram of sci-fi and fantasy is actually a circle so I’m choosing to vibe with this one. Regardless, this aspect didn’t take much away from the series for me, it was just an addition that I didn’t particularly care for.

Rating 

If you’ve read this far into the review, my rating probably won’t shock you. With so little negative to say about the book—and taking into consideration the fact that the technological aspect of it is normally something that turns me away from a book entirely, but I kept reading this anyway—I’m giving Immortal Longings a solid:

9/10

I highly recommend Chloe as an author! She’s got such a way with words that it’s hard to not be a fan of the stories she’s telling. If you’re willing to give this book a chance, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Y’all already know #2 will be on my 2024 Must-Read list!