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lambsbooks 's review for:
Immortal Longings
by Chloe Gong
The gods let us jump so that we could be free.
August shakes his head. “There are no gods in this world.” He reaches out to close her eyes. “Only kings and tyrants.”
Man, this book was good. It had the brutality of The Hunger Games on a backdrop of a Hong Kong-inspired fantasy. The concept was one I’ve never read before: where bodies are mere vessels and the only thing that matters is qi, a person's life force, soul, I guess? They call it jumping, where you can send your qi into another body if they’re within range and are weaker than you. Your eye colour seems to be the only thing that stays the same though. Anyway, it was a very interesting concept and I hope we hear more about it, and the other ways qi works, in the next books!
Calla Tuoleimi, princess of Er. She could do nothing on a throne, but she can do everything with a sword in her hand.
I really enjoyed Calla as a main character. I thought she was tough, ruthless (like…extremely ruthless), and motivated. She wanted to kill the king and nothing, not even love, would get in her way.
Anton. I liked Anton, for the most part. Even though we had his POV sometimes, I feel like I don’t know him enough yet. I want more backstory, more of Otta, what made him tick, that sort of thing.
“That she was a sociopath”—his fists have clenched—“and a lying, manipulative bitch of a half sister.”
Anton cannot contain his glower. A rush like no other floods Calla’s veins.
“He wouldn’t dare—”
“No, you’re right,” Calla cuts in, examining her nails. “Those aren’t his words at all. Those are mine.”
I’m definitely interested in seeing more of Otta, whose side is she going to help?
She knows she’s leaving marks on him, her nails digging deep, and by the intensity of his fingers on her hips, he will have left a canvas of damage too. Let it bruise. Let him mark her skin permanently as a memory of what divine agony is.
But I did like Calla and Anton together, it was very:
🗡back-and-forth
🗡enemies-to-lovers
🗡I-tried-to-kill-you-a-few-times-and-may-try-again
🗡Do-I-want-to-have-sex-with-you-or-kill-you-I-don’t-know.
“You’re beautiful.” Calla snorts behind her mask.
“You can’t see me.”
“Who says I have to?”
“Do you flirt with every person you’re trying to kill?”
“Only you, Fifty-Seven.”
I thought their relationship progressed naturally enough to not be insta-love, which is the bane of any romance's existence, and it flowed nicely.
But Anton does not tighten his grip on her throat. What should be a deathly squeeze becomes merely a caress, and he leans in to kiss her, more softly than any of the times previous.
“I know,” Calla replies, matching his volume. She closes her eyes, her hands tracing down his back, nails running along the muscle. There’s some feral feeling humming in her chest, and she has to resist the urge not to attack him when her hands sink low, feeling how hard he is. She’s going to lose her mind. His hand runs another caress at her jaw. She can hear the teasing in his voice.
“Is something the matter?”
“You are wicked,” she breathes. “Take your pants off and fuck me.”
August. Eh. I wasn’t a fan. He seems to think he could be a better king than Kasa, but his personality, the way he gets what he wants, makes me think he’d just grow power-hungry like any tyrant would.
There were 3 reveals/ahh moments I’ll talk about, but they have huge spoilers, so don’t click if you don’t want things ruined.
Anton lets out a long breath. “This is Calla Tuoleimi’s body,” he whispers, “but you’re not Calla, are you?”
I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!! It should have been obvious when she first mentioned that she had only jumped once in her life, but at that point, I’m pretty sure I was still a little confused about the process. She’s been the princess for so long that she technically is her now, but what a great surprise! Also explains her brutally murdering her “parents.”
2. Ledia’s betrayal.
Another thing that surprised me but really shouldn’t have since she wanted to run away when she was younger. August shouldn’t have been surprised, but considering he’s turning power-hungry, I can see how he would have missed a rebellion right under his nose.
3. Anton’s survival.
Yes. This entire thing. What is he gonna do now?? Are Calla and Anton going to go back to being enemies – like…she did kill him in the arena!! Is he going to jump back to his real body eventually and give August back his body? Is he going to stay ruler if he jumps to his real body, or will August?? I have so many questions!!!
No matter what, everything in Talin flows back to him. There is nothing that can compete with his wealth, but stay in line, and he might just break off a piece and offer it generously. A gift; a consolation prize.
This book is rife with politics, oppression, and poverty. The wealthy can do no harm and the poor are left to die in the streets, sometimes literally if they can’t afford the hospital bed. At the center of it all? A delusional King. One who believes he was chosen by the gods and is a blessing to the city.
Casual travel in and out of San-Er is, after all, forbidden. Once someone becomes a citizen of the twin cities by birth or by lottery, there they remain, unless they are granted a formal departure permit. King Kasa is too afraid of what might happen if people are allowed free travel.
AND THE FUDGING CLIFFHANGER HOW DARE YOU
“It will be remembered,” he goes on, like he doesn’t hear her. “And what fine daylight we have today to ensure its longevity in their memory.”
Some quotes:
Now, the games are a thrill that anyone can participate in, a solution to a kingdom simmering with complaints. Don’t worry if your babies drop dead because they have hollowed into starved husks, King Kasa declares. Don’t worry that your elderly must sleep in cages because there is no more apartment space, nor that the neon light from the strip club across the alleyway keeps you awake night after night. Put your name in the lottery, slaughter only eighty-seven of your fellow citizens, and be awarded with riches beyond your wildest dreams.
Maybe it would be better if San-Er simply killed its people faster. Instead, it lets them rot. The elderly with nowhere else to go live stacked atop one another like animals inside enclosures. The children breathe asbestos in their schools and store poison in their lungs. Sometimes the sick and injured intentionally wander the streets during the games, hoping to be invaded. The games make jumping legal for the players, after all—they must answer for it by providing some sort of care. Collateral casualties who are gravely injured must be taken to the hospital free of cost; collateral casualties whose bodies are destroyed must be paid handsomely, and if their qi is killed alongside it, then their family members get the money. Plenty throw themselves in front of players on purpose, making a sacrifice so that their loved ones can eat.
“Do not mistake my tolerance for weakness, August,” she says quietly. “Do not forget who you’re talking to. You’ve gotten used to ordering people around, I know. Day in and day out, they must heed what you say, because you are the crown prince, and they cannot offend such a man.” Her eyes flicker back to him. “But I am Calla Tuoleimi.” The lie no longer feels like a lie. “I am a princess who sacrificed my own throne for this kingdom. You do not order me around.”
Thank you to the author and Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
______________________________
A FUCKING CLIFFHANGER
WHYYYYYY
UGHHHHHH
I thought there was another page 😭
So, this was an ARC, review to come ONCE I GET OVER THAT ENDING