A review by maddiefisherreads
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

5.0

As an established fan of Chloe Gong, this is the book I’ve been waiting for. It provides the visceral setting I’ve come to expect from Gong, while leveling up the characters and chemistry from her previous work. An action-packed plot, with a speculative and imaginative magic system made for her best-paced book yet, and truly fantastic reading. The morality questions this book raises are also fascinating and true to the inspirational Shakespearean material. Such an achievement!

While reading, I kept thinking “this is like a grittier, more adult Throne of Glass.” We got a competition to gain proximity to a tyrant king, a secret identity reveal, and a forbidden love.

I loved that this magic system explored identity, and the nature of the soul. It had me questioning the morality of the main characters, and it posed so many complications which Gong fleshed out without flaw.

I was immersed in the exploration of obsession and ambition, and how those things can look and sound a lot like love, but maybe are different beasts entirely. I can’t wait to return to this world, and I’m so glad we’re getting a trilogy. Really loved this unexpected surprise of a story.