Reviews

With a cliffhanger like that, I'm going to have to read the next book! But I'm not even sure I liked this one. The world building was amateur. The characters were complex and surprised me the whole way through. But too much surprise means I never really felt much emotion towards any of them. Way too much of a Hunger Games copy cat but not well done.

In the city of San-Er (or twin cities?), Calla and 86 other players have entered a game to fight to the death. They willingly apply to compete in hopes of the prize that will help cure the poverty that exists everywhere in this city of haves and have lots. Where everyone but the royalty are barely getting by. However, I couldn't really understand the city. The descriptions were boring. Told to the reader rather than showing through the text. And there's some sort of conflict outside the city as well as a faction inside the city. But again, not well explained so who know.

An interesting concept for this book was jumping. Where someone can jump into another's body if their qi is strong enough to take over. Not entirely an easy concept to understand. And then there are empty vessels anyone can use. And if you leave your birth body I guess you risk someone else taking it over. It was confusing.

Main characters Calla, Anton, and August are interesting. All hoping for a better world and wanting to rid San-Er of the corrupt, selfish king who sits on the throne. But none agreeing precisely how to do it.

A try at an adult book but really was more YA with too much violence and one scene of spice.

But due to the surprise ending I'm going to be left wondering what is next and probably won't give up on the series yet.

abex's review against another edition

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emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

pallavi_vats's review against another edition

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0.25

i couldn't decide if this is worse or lightlark
but then this at least attempts a different east asian world (?)

so congrats, you're barely better then lightlark

lottie1803's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

mjk1221's review against another edition

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3.0

I listened to this via audiobook and did not have the struggles that many people seemed to have. So, perhaps try it via audio if you’re struggling with it. I do listen to books at 2.5x so that might also be part of it…

Other than the graphic deaths/fights, I’m not exactly sure why this is adult? Maybe more NA. It read a lot like a YA novel to me.

My main problem with the book is that this book reminds me of another book (no, not Hunger Games - haha) and I can’t figure out which! With that said, yes, it’s “Hunger Game-ish,” but there are so many books like that now. Any book that is a competition to the death it ends up being compared to that. I found the rules of the games a little not explained…I guess there doesn’t have to be a great amount of rules when it’s a fight to the death, but…Eh.

I liked Calla mostly. She has an interesting twist. Anton was okay. I did enjoy their enemies-to-lovers until they became lovers. Meh. After that, I found them a little less interesting and maybe a little too “lovey” considering everything that’s going on and that they have to do!

The most interesting thing about the book was the magic system with the jumping and qi. It definitely made the world unique.

I will read the next book because of that END. Bombshell cliffhanger.

_cozyreadercorner's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

the alluring celestial gilded illustration on the black and gold book cover caught my eye and the fact that it was written by a relatively new Asian American female author made me reach for it from the bookshelf. then was immediately convinced to give it a go once I read the intriguing premise — a broadcasted annual battle royale match reminiscent of the Hunger Games (except all volunteers instead of tributes) mixed with dynastic/royal strife common in East Asian historical dramas and set in a moody, claustrophobic cyberpunk backdrop that reminded me of those portrayed in Hong Kong films. the most compelling aspect was the magical ability of body jumping. was fun trying to understand the rules to the magic system, the beliefs and traditions of qi, and the different “body-jumpers” that exist within the universe.

The story takes place in the Talin kingdom and its administrative twin cities San-Er and revolves around 3 central characters:

August Shenzhi - adoptive son of King Kasa (current ruler) who secretly wants to overthrow his incompetent, selfish father and ascend to the throne with the help of his cousin…
Calla Tuoleimi - former princess of Er who has been in hiding ever since she inexplicably massacred her parents 5 years ago and plans to win this year’s games in order to enter the palace and kill her uncle Kasa. along the way, she finds an unexpected ally in an equally formidable player…
Anton Makusa - an exiled aristocrat, powerful body jumper, and August’s former friend who enters the games for the ultimate monetary prize to pay off his crushing medical debt accrued due to his comatose lover.

Calla is the common thread among the three of them, maintaining a strategic alliance with August in exchange for his help in the games and with Anton to wipe out the other 86 players together to get to the JueDou (finale) more quickly. could feel the heightened tension in every chapter, not only due to all the inevitable violence and bloodshed of the games but also because the three of them never fully trust each other, conversing with hidden meanings and keeping their guards up at all times as if preparing to be backstabbed at any moment both literally and figuratively. then there are the details of the filthy, polluted cityscape mentioned throughout, constantly reminding how poverty-stricken and gloomy the environment is and successfully making every situation feel even more suffocating than it already is.

enjoyed how the events of the mysterious external forces wreaking havoc in the games, the subtle breakthroughs in the character arcs, and the gradual bits of info from each of the triad’s pasts were set up to expose their secrets, true motives, and their gripes/the failures of the presiding monarchy. (nothing like shared trauma/hatred bringing people together amirite?). i can also appreciate that all three of them are morally grey anti-heroes, fighting for seemingly altruistic causes but with selfish incentives, if that makes sense?

August believes he would make a better king, undoing and fixing what his father has done.
Calla wants to kill Kasa to stop societal ills but also avenge for what he allowed happen to her.
Anton takes care of his girlfriend to keep his guilt for the part he played in her downfall at bay.

although what they did was for well-intentioned purposes, their ends-justify-the-means attitude and very few/lack of remorse was still quite hard to stomach (but then again i’m here judging from a non-dystopian world lol). not sure about their ages (probably late teens/early 20s?) but the way they simply attributed all the societal dysfunction to the king and their conviction that removing him will usher in a new age without laying the groundwork/plan on how to resolve those systemic issues prior or even while plotting to depose the king really made me confused where August got the confidence that he’d be ready to take over and make a better king (albeit King Kasa was without a doubt more inept than his son). and while the overall broader connections and grand plot twists made sense, still can’t help but feel there were missing parts to the storylines about: August and Anton’s beef, August and Calla’s upbringing in the palace (to explain why they hated their parents so much and perhaps how they gained such loyalty from Galipei, Chanmi, and Yilas),

Leida’s past and relationship to August and Galipei (to understand her betrayal and why she believed August wouldn’t live up to be a better king?), Pampi’s schemes and motives (how did she learn to body jump without light? what was she going to do with the hearts), and of course how did Anton manage to jump into August’s body at the last minute before his death?

. Sigh of relief when I read that cliffhanger hinting at a sequel. so hopefully I can get more answers and a clearer picture of the relationship dynamics.

SPOILERS:

felt like Anton and Calla’s romance was a bit sudden and escalated so quickly. like why were they already prepared to die for each other in the 1v1 at the coliseum after only a mere few weeks as allies together? did their romance just fly over my head, masked by adrenaline bc of how high stakes everything else was? felt like their happy moments probably needed a bit more breathing room to simmer and settle in. 🤔
wish Eno survived! he could have pulled his chip and withdrawn just moments before his death. why did he have to have the same fate as Rue in Hunger Games!!! he was like Anton and Calla’s adopted kid )’: why did he have to be the sacrifice/plot device to “show” a bit of Calla’s humanity? ): hated August for this. 😢
biggest shocker was definitely Calla not being the real Calla and probably better than my original theory — that she was was actually adopted (which was close) and hiding the fact she can’t jump — as the reason why she refused to jump out of her body this whole time. she must be so afraid to jump out if she even overcame her fight-or-flight response when Pampi was attempting to gruesomely carve her heart out. wonder if the real Calla’s qi will fight back to reclaim her body
and the fact Calla actually used Anton’s love for her as his weakness to gain an opening and resolutely decided to fatally backstab him. the clown i was 🤡… really thought she was going to find a loophole and try to maneuver a win-win situation.
still sus about Anton bc he could’ve avoided the stalemate dilemma if he just pulled the chip and withdrawn? i’m sure Calla would have split the prize with them. but then that’d be anticlimactic... but the thing is it sort of implies he’s still hung up on his ex-gf Otta though… 🤨
most unbelievable part was Otta waking up from her coma after 7 years even though Galipei was poisoning her IV and setting her up to die. like what? did that threat finally trigger her immune response to kick in and revive her instead? lol impeccable timing. will she have amnesia? or try to steal Anton back? 🙄
applause👏 for when Anton used their code phrase to reveal himself in August’s body during the coronation. that was just icing on the cake 💨🎂

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