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December 2024

Vilest Things (Flesh and False Gods #2) by Chloe Gong: A Book Review

Vilest things

 

Chloe Gong's Website

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Fable

 

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Romance, Adult, Retelling
Number of pages: 372
ISBN: 9781668055014

ASIN:1668055015

Series: Flesh and False Gods (#2)

Format: Paperback, Hardcover, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N, CD)
Publication date: September 10, 2024
Publisher: Saga Press
Type: Book, Novel, Series, Sequel

 

*A HUGE thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada and Saga Press for a physical galley of this book! I get no compensation whatsoever, and I write this book review willingly.*

Fun fact: When I requested Vilest Things by Chloe Gong, all I knew was the blurb (which grabbed my interest right away!) and that it was a retelling of Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare. Honestly, I had not read the first book, Immortal Longings, but the description of Vilest Things captivated me so much I asked for it and I am fortunate enough to have been granted a physical galley of it! So, of course, I rushed and purchased a copy of Immortal Longings to know what happened prior to the second book. I was NOT disappointed, as it shows in my bookstagram review.

But what about Vilest Things?

Well, I was pleasantly surprised, and while it was different than the first book, it was nonetheless a great read!

Want to find out how so?

Just keep on reading, loves!

 

The Positive Points

The characterization in this book is excellent! Calla is not becoming a better person per se, but there is some character development to her. She is softer with orphans now and kids (who clearly remind her of when she used to be one), and she has a bit more trouble maneuvering the twin cities from a high standpoint since she reintegrated the royalty. It’s also interesting to note she admits to be at ease with some people while she would never admit this in the first book. She’s still not likeable person, yet she is as interesting as before, if not more as we discover more of her personality and past.

The angst is angstin’ so much in Vilest Things (even more so than in Immortal Longings, the first book)! There is such pressure on Calla and Anton, and between them, wow! The tension, ish! It’s chef’s kiss, so deliciously painful.

 

There is the truth. There is her pulsating heart, pulled bloody from her chest and harvested for the threads of deceit she wove into it herself. - Calla Tuoleimi (p. 57, Vilest Things)

 

The angst between Calla and Anton is strong in this story. And I love how it’s mostly Calla’s fault for it all, and that she admits it, at least to herself; this drives the story in Vilest Things, in my opinion.

 

Calla Tuoleimi has ruined him, so he’ll have to ruin everything in return. - Anton Makusa (Chapter 17, p. 177, Vilest Things)

 

As for Anton Makusa, this quote explains very well how heart-broken he feels, how vengeful, and how he altered his behaviour due to strong conflicting feelings. He loves her, and that’s part of the problem. So, he wants to take vengeance on Calla by ruining everything… except her, it seems. Because he’s a lovesick fool, and it’s so adorable AND angsty.

The main antagonist is a certain surprise someone from the ending of the first book: Otta Avia. Yes, that one… At least, to me, she seems like the villain throughout most of the book (of course, it doesn’t help that we’re mostly on Calla and Anton’s side as readers). When I learned something important about her though at the end of the book, my perspective wavered: she is the enemy, but for an excellent reason. She’s shrewd, and pulling the strings of everyone (yes, even Calla, and mostly Anton) like a master puppeteer. Otta is a little bitch, and she’s a pest, meddling in things she shouldn’t (or so we think) just for a grand plan of hers we don’t know anything about. Also, she loves to make trouble for Anton and Calla, and kind of puts herself between them sometimes, as well as against them. She’s also dangerous and well-versed in qi feats previously unknown to us as readers and to the other characters. In addition to that, or because of all these reasons most likely, she’s a very interesting character. I love to hate her, you see. It is clear Otta Avia’s got several aces up her sleeve… and so far, they’ve all blown my mind! Just who is she? ;)

On another note, I love that despite Anton having taken August’s place in his body, the author still uses Anton’s name in the descriptions. I’ve read books where the author uses the disguise’s name instead and it’s a bit silly because we KNOW who the character really is, and can sometimes be confusing. So, kudos!

Also, I’ve never read Antony & Cleopatra by Shakespeare (one of his rare works I haven’t read yet!), so I can’t talk much about the retelling aspect of the story. However, I am a big admirer of Cleopatra and what she did to save and help her kingdom. Thus, I noticed something: I love how the author cleverly weaved in Cleopatra’s story into the country of Talin in Vilest Things! It is both fascinating and entertaining, as well as it brings even more depth and intrigue to the story at hand. I can’t tell you how, it would be a spoiler. But remember this while reading the book: it’s about a great queen who was about to lose the war, and knew she had to do something about it.

This sequel really delves deeper into the question of identity. Who is Calla Tuoleimi? What happened to the real Calla, the child who was invaded by the Calla we know? Who is Anton Makusa, the guy who always jumps, never in his own body? Who does that make you when you jump and are not in your birth body anymore? What about it? The question is threaded throughout the book, and is strung tight with intensity, right up until the end for one of the biggest reveals I have EVER read (similar to the shock I had with Maven Calore in the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard)!

Moreover, Vilest Things doesn’t read like an ARC. What I mean is that I focus on details and take notes for ARCs to write up my reviews, but with this book I read it like any other excellent book on my bookshelves! I picked it up and read through, it’s so intriguing and engrossing, a lot of times pleasantly forgetting to focus and take notes. So it did writing up this review a bit more difficult, haha, but the reading experience was fluid and so thrilling! It might have been slow in the beginning, but once things get in motion, omg, it’s exciting and pleasantly confusing the more you read because you learn things and connect the dots and it’s astonishing what is happening! Plus, some events occur that I was surprised by since it seems unbreakable rules in the first book. I won’t say which implicit rules, but it’s to do with the characters and their own limits. There were SO MANY surprises in Vilest Things! A captivating read that left me breathless, just like Immortal Longings! Now, when’s the third book coming out?!

 

The Negative Points

The story is slow compared to Immortal Longings. It takes a long while to truly become exciting and intriguing. It does, but it’s not the big fighting mess of the first book with threats and stakes around every corner. It’s more subtle, and more political. I like it, don’t get me wrong, but since I was expecting it to still be as thrilling with the fighting mess, I was surprised, so it needs to be mentioned. The intensity just shifted—it turned into severe angst between Anton and Calla, the return of Otta Avia, and Anton being the new King under the guise of August. So, like I said, it’s more subtle, yet it grows more intriguing and exciting as you read through the book.

A point that really bothered me is how Galipei, who clearly loves August romantically (I am sure, don’t tell me otherwise!), takes sooooo long to realise that August is in fact… Anton now, because Anton jumped into August. I understand there was no flash of light or anything they stand by as rules for jumping, but when you love someone, you notice how different and weird they sound as another, it seems to me… Yes, he does know something IS off with his August, but… it’s not enough. He doesn’t seem to be really taking action about it or truly trying to seek him out in private (I know he did try, but it’s only mentioned, we don’t see it). This annoyed me because Galipei is not an idiot, and he obviously loves August, so this should be obvious something is wrong with his love… But he acts just a bit different with August, more worried and more distant, as we see in his own chapters. However, he does plan things behind August’s back, which is interesting—but it never mentions that he knows it’s not August, it’s always as though he thinks something is off but nothing more. At last, a great thing is that Galipei now has his own chapters, yay!

 

In Conclusion

Overall, I give this gripping and exciting read with a bit of a slow start a solid rating of 4.5 stars out of 5! Vilest Things is an excellent sequel to Immortal Longings, and I can’t wait to read the third book! Please please please, will it be out soon?!

Movie gif. Agnes from Despicable Me sits in bed wearing teddy bear pajamas as she sweetly asks to be read a bedtime story. Text, "Pretty please?"

Quatre point cinq

If you want to learn more about the author, Chloe Gong, you can visit her website, follow her on her Instagram account, her Goodreads Author Page, her Tumblr account as well as her Pinterest (you can view her boards for her books! <3). You can even listen to her series' playlists on her Spotify! Don't forget to add Vilest Things to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves! 


Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood: A Book Review

Gentlest of wild things

 

Sarah Underwood's Website

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Fable

 

Genre: Historical fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance, Retelling
Number of pages: 400
ISBN: 978-0063234529

ASIN:B0CRQG9R8F

Format: Hardcover, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook), Audiobook (Audible, Kobo, B&N)
Publication date: October 01, 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins
Type: Book, Novel, Standalone

 

Trigger Warnings: Emotional and physical abuse by a parent.

 

*A HUGE thanks to HarperCollins Canada and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book! I get no compensation whatsoever, and I write this review willingly.*

As soon as I saw the cover and the blurb for Gentlest of Wild Things, a sapphic Ancient Greece story, I yearned to read it! I’m so delighted HarperCollins Canada offered me an e-ARC of this book, iiiiiiiihhhhhh!!! It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024, and I am proud to bring you this review! :D

Do you want to know why I’m so thrilled about Gentlest of Wild Things?

Read on, loves!

 

Blurb

On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire―love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros.

Eirene and her beloved twin sister, Phoebe, have always managed to escape Desire’s thrall. Until Leandros’ wife dies mysteriously and he sets his sights on Phoebe. Determined to keep her sister safe, Eirene strikes a bargain with Leandros: if she can complete the four elaborate tasks he sets her, he will find another bride. But it soon becomes clear that the tasks are part of something bigger; something related to Desire and Lamia, the strange, neglected daughter Leandros keeps locked away.

Lamia knows her father hides her for her own protection, though as she and Eirene grow closer, she finds herself longing for the outside world. But the price of freedom is high, and with something deadly―something hungry―stalking the night, that price must be paid in blood . . .

 

The Positive Points

What a thrilling beginning chapter! I wasn’t expecting that chase. The prologue is confusing, but in a thrilling “I need to know MORE” kind of way. Honestly, the more I kept reading, the faster I read it and I couldn’t stop thinking about this story. I was so enraptured by this book! Another great thing was how the gods were mentioned in expressions such as “Damn her principles to Hades and back”, and other times Eirene thinks about the gods and how she works and none has ever helped. Like, they’re here and alive, but she only believes in them and doesn’t know they’re real. Like it’s a hint to us, readers. About what’s to come and how the story is more supernatural than we think at first.

As for the characters themselves, I must say that both Eirene and Lamia are loveable in their own ways. Their first meeting was explosively dramatic, emotional, and fun as a ready. I wasn’t expecting that to go this awry! It was different from the usual “I like you already” or “love at first meeting” that is prevalent in so many stories it’s become bland. Eirene is so cute and protective, I love her! She is the strong determined sister to protect her sister Phoebe, weaker in health and in a bad situation. On a side note, I love how each girl has a passion. For Eirene, it’s plants and herbs. For Phoebe, it’s weaving. And for Lamia, it’s drawing. It’s more realistic and it’s nice to see they have something, a hobby, to hold onto, something they love. Lamia is such a cutie! Poor her though, she is so ignorant of the world and abused for the villain’s own riches. She was brainwashed into thinking what her father was doing was good… I love her, she is so kind-hearted and caring, and, poor her, innocent, too! What Lamia has as a special gift, I thought it was just so beautiful and poetic, and well handled throughout the story, with an evolution tied to the character’s arc. Wow! Her character arc is where she becomes more assured and grounded in reality. It was beautiful to see! And the fact that Lamia tried so much to save and help Eirene even if it meant she might run away… Awwwwwww, my FEELS! Plus, there is some closure I wasn’t expecting for one aspect of Lamia’s life later on which echoes the very first chapter. What a great thing to weave into the story!

As for the villain, wow, he’s very dangerous just like I thought before we actually met him. Even with Lamia, his own daughter! He emanates shrewdness, danger, and violence. He is so cruel and abusive, both with Lamia and Eirene, mostly with words, and threats, and mean tricks and lies, but also with physical violence and manipulation. I’m sure he’s a beast—at least, to me.

Speaking of Eirene and Lamia, the sapphic romance is sweet and easy to follow. I love how Eirene is rebellious with boys and wishes not to marry, while Lamia is all compliments and admiration for Eirene. Great ways to show them being sapphic before getting to know each other and falling in love. It’s innate even though they don’t know what it is or means. Their little attraction and romance is so cute. It’s soft and sweet by moments, throughout the big problematic mess they’re in. It’s also really sweet how their affection grows naturally and you can notice it through thoughts, awkward touches, and words like “Our Lamia” when Eirene is proud, and more. For example, it is romantic and soft and sensual per moments with them discovering they desire each other. Like how being close to the other feels, and wishing she would just lean over and kiss her… I also let let out a gasp when I learned that Eirene’s goal is in direct conflict with Lamia herself and her affection and love for her. Ouch! You’ll see! The longing was real, I was so waiting for them to get together, iiiiiiihhhhhh! It was very satisfying! This is a story of love (in many shapes), and also of a void of loneliness being filled by someone you come to love.

Fun fact: I didn’t know wrapping a bandage could be so sensual and romantic, but wow, it is, and it’s beautiful.

I Didnt Know That No Idea GIF by BuzzFeed

Awwww, I love when FMCs cut their own hair. I did it twice too for the unease I felt with my long hair and I was at a time where I couldn’t pay for a haircut, so I tried to cut my hair and felt thrilled and wild. And it wasn’t so bad. I love when the FMC feels the same and tries the same thing. It’s also an act of rebellion and to seek wellness in one’s body.

Oh, and I love how Eirene discovers the source of Desire. I have been waiting for their two storylines to merge like this for the intrigue to have its answer. The “how” took me by surprise because I wasn’t waiting for it anymore. Fun!

Gentlest of Wild Things is a clever retelling in ancient times of Psyche and Eros, but make it sapphic. It’s lovely and magical. It’s also a strong “do it yourself” story, which I always love.

Every one of Eirene’s task was fun and exciting, but the last one was the most thrilling and exciting, and full of magic and mythology. What a retelling, and what turn it took! I noticed, like I mentioned earlier, that Lamia underwent the most changes in her arc. Eireine’s is more subtle, yet still there.

This story respects mythology, like the path to Hades not being for mortal eyes, and more. Also, same respect with the time period, like with men acting out the plays. 

Lastly, this is a doubtlessly a story of women who stand up to men who abused them in more ways than one. It’s powerful. As for the conclusion itself, it was veeeery satisfying and had me feeling all warm and fuzzy and giddy, rocking my legs and smiling.

 

The Negative Points

Hm, let’s skip this, shall we? None was to be found, whatsoever. The writing, the character development, the intrigue, everything was great!

 

In Conclusion

All in all, Gentlest of Wild Things was excellent to the end! It is a feminist, and cutely romantic sapphic tale! And the villain gets what he deserves… Mythology was well mixed with magic and romance as well, it was so nice! I give Gentlest of Wild Things a rating of 5 amphoras out of 5, because it was such a great read and sweet from the beginning to the end with strong emotions, thrills, and a soft romance. I loved all of it! Honestly, I would take a dozen more books like this one!!

thor GIF

 

Cinq

If you would like to learn more about the author, Sarah Underwood, you can visit her website, follow her on her Instagram account, and on her Goodreads Author page. Don't forget to add Gentlest of Wild Things to your wishlist, your cart, or your bookshelves!


The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom: A Book Review

The-end-and-the-beginning-9781668045398_hr

K. J. Holdom's Website

Simon & Schuster CA's Author Page

Indigo

Amazon CA

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Fable

 

 

Genre: Historical fiction
Number of pages: 352
ISBN: 9781668045398

ASIN:B0CV27P1LW

Format: Paperback, eBook (Kobo, Kindle, Nook)
Publication date: November 05, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Type: Book, Novel, Standalone

 

Trigger Warnings: Rape is mentioned and alluded to in this story, Murder, Death, Bullying.

 

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for a physical galley of The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom! I write up this review willingly and without any compensation whatsoever.*

 

I remember seeing this cover and being intrigued, then reading the blurb and knowing I had to review it! I was so excited to read this book—it was my most anticipated read of fall!

It made my whole season having it to read and review!

I mean, a story inspired by true events of a Hitler Youth Camp teenager who escapes with his best friend? To find his mother, who’s also struggling in her own way—against a Nazi officer keeping her prisoner under threats?

YES, YES, definitely!!

Want to know how enjoyable it was, and what surprises I encountered during my reading experience?

Read on, lovelies!

 

The Positive Points

The best point about this book is how unique a point of view this is; it’s like being inside Germany during the end of the war. It’s rare that we get to see and experience this. There are few books tackling this topic, like The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. And it’s even based on a true story, wow!

As for the writing, there’s a certain poetry in description, and a strong imagery, mostly in setting.

I like the structure of the book: the backstory is told through the character’s POV in italics in big chunks (but not info dumps) inside the chapters. They’re memories, distant yet part of the present, like in italics in the text. A clever and fun way of doing this. Furthermore, I noticed there a lot of anguish and fleeting thoughts from previous scenes on Max’s part, one of the two main characters.

Plus, the research was thoroughly done and it shows through things like the black bread they ate, and people’s customs (such as how in France back at that time, high-born families never said, “bon appétit”) and events.

Max saved a cat—or a Horst (a character in the Hitler Youth Camp), which makes him more lovable. By siding with Horst, a “loser” in the Hitler Youth Camp as seen by his superiors and colleagues, I got attached to Max. His heart is sweet and soft and in the right place. Also, I love that he’s half-French, and half-German. This complicates things for him and unveils a different side of History we're not very knowledgeable about.

Speaking of characters, I fell in love with Max and Hans’ friendship right from their first scene. They’re so cute! Their friendship is everything, aw, my heart! So pure and true, right up until the very end of the book. Friendship is a huge theme, vital in this story.

As for the mother, Marguerite, she has some spike and fight in her! I like her and find her funny. I’m attached to her and what happens to her. Marguerite is a strong character, but rather fearful. She’s realistic, as not everyone has great courage. Yet, she cares for her children above all. I thought stuff like : “Awww, poor mother…” because she feels guilty of sending Max to that Hitler Youth Camp, and she wants him back to her side now, to protect him somehow. Truthfully, the mother’s worry and guilt towards her children is understandable. And mostly how she now wants a simple life for them, but at least a life where they’re safe and not in the middle of a bloody war. So they can at least live.

In my opinion, both POVs are survival stories, but in very different perspectives. Max is on the run, trying to survive the harsh reality of war and nature as he tries to reach his house with his best friend Hans. Meanwhile, the mother, Marguerite, is endeavoring to survive her time with her captor, a high-ranking nazi officer, and also trying to keep her daughter, Anna, safe.

Once the author used the title as a sentence, and gosh, was I happy! :D I love when they do that. Also, the author always leaves us with tension, questions, or cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. It’s fun! And very intriguing.

 

“The world pulls away. It feels as if she has lost her footing and been hurled into the air, weightless, staring at the endless glory of the stars, all the time bracing for the smack of bone on ice.” (Marguerite's POV)

 

This quote exemplifies really well how reading this book feels like: it’s tense, and like I need to know more, but at the same time, I know I’ll be smacked hard with shock and feels with what happens next, what truly happened, and the information given as we move forward! The End and the Beginning reads like a psychological thriller—it’s enjoyable!

Something that totally impressed me is that he side characters are not furniture like they are in most stories! They have lives and agendas of their own in this one. One even helps Marguerite without her knowing until the act is done, and bravo! So realistic, and fun to bring a side character’s secret agenda in like this against the Nazi keeping them prisoners.

My heart ached, and I was tearful in the last chapter with Max. So unfair for this little boy. But hadn’t Germany been unfair to most?

Moreover, I love that the author tells us how her research went and how she learned of Edmund’s story through generous relatives and more at the end of the book. It’s very fascinating and insightful to know, both for other authors and readers alike. She also added her sources, yay! I always find this so thrilling because I love to read more about captivating topics.

Lastly, I am glad this novel exists, if only to tell Edmund’s story, and also to talk about how it was inside Germany and with their indoctrination.

 

The Negative Points

Unfortunately, I noticed there were a few French errors… I speak French as my first language, and I am an editor, so it’s quite easy for me to spot those. I really hope a French-speaking editor worked on these sentences before publication.

Also, I think I had a bad timing with this book. It’s quite a heavy read in terms of topics and emotions, and I’m recovering from an open-heart surgery and it’s hard. So, two heavy things at the same time weren’t perhaps the best pairing in my life at the moment because it turned out hard to read…

I am not a fan of slow-paced reads, and according to the blurb, I imagined there would be more action. But all that is subjective, and while this is a heavy read, with a sense of impending doom written throughout, don’t let it deter you from reading this original book! These reasons are personal, and you might find this book at the right moment, and love the slow character-driven focus!

I am taking away one star because the blurb really made me think it would be action-filled, or at least told at a rapid pace. Also, because of the French errors—there weren’t many, but I really hope they’ve been checked by a French-speaking editor before publication.

 

In Conclusion

All in all, I really enjoyed this book’s structure and the agency of the side characters, as well as the thorough research. While it was a hard read for me due to timing, it was nonetheless very unique and interesting. I give The End and the Beginning by K. J. Holdom a rating of 4 stars out of 5! It’s an original debut book, and I hope you will give it a read!

Quatre

If you want to learn more about the author, K. J. Holdom, make sure to head over to her website, her S&S author page, as well as her Goodreads author page. Don't forget to add The End and the Beginning to your wishlist, your cart, or your digital bookshelves!