Immortal Longings

New Zealand author Chloe Gong gained significant notability within the reading community following the release of her YA series, ‘These Violent Delights’, which put a fantastical spin on Shakespeare classics. Once again, Inspired by the classic play ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, Gong has delivered a blend of urban fantasy, noir and dystopic themes in her new adult fiction debut, ‘Immortal Longings’.

The cover art is really strong and will undoubtedly draw people in. The fluorescent red and green colouring set in a metropolis-style backdrop with a female unsheathing a blade sets the tone for what the reader can expect in the story: action, pace and a little gore. Including strong world-building, lore and socio-political themes that weave together in this story perfect for fans of 'The Hunger Games' and 'Divergent'.

Set in the East Asian capital twin cities in the Kingdom of Talin, thousands of citizens anticipate the deadly games where competitors who can jump from one body vessel to another must fight to their deaths to win unthinkable riches. Princess Calla, who has been lurking in the shadows and slums for five years, prepares to enter the games, win and kill the King - her uncle Kasa. She is fueled by the desire to overthrow the monarchy, right the wrongs of the royals and bring better opportunities to the poor. However, Calla isn’t the only competitor with a fiery desire to win. Anton Makusa has a lot at stake and won’t go down without a fight, so when the two finally meet, how hard will they collide?

The story is told between three perspectives, which adds a lot of pace and maintains interest, especially as the vivid world-building can be lengthy. The protagonists are complex, with strong personalities and unique voices, though it was confusing jumping between the two male points of view as it wasn't always clear who the chapter was following. Overall, this is a good read.