Vilest Things

Good read. Raunchy but not driven by that- just a nice bonus occasionally. Solid characters and nicely twisty plot.

The magic in the world of Talin is very enticing and the lore developing in the world throughout the trilogy is thrilling and mystifying. The way the narration jumps between perspectives really puts the reader in the position of someone body jumping and having to put the pieces together. The ending of the book leaves the reader agonizing for the next edition to the trilogy. The main critique I have is that the “romance” parts of the book were awkward, out of place, and unnecessary as if the author was told there needs to be one raunchy scene per book to classify as ‘adult fiction’. The plot would have been unchanged with its omission, so I’m just left wondering why it was included at all.

The magic system, the twists, the character dynamics— if I weren’t trying to reduce star inflation I’d give this five stars 😤 I loved reading this continuation and I can hardly wait for the next one!!!

4.5 starsI fell in love with this world in the first book and wow does it get better in the second! Vilest Things picks up right where Immortal Longings ended. We are seeing the aftermath of Calla and Anton's time competing and immediately see how things have changed. The tension between them picks up in this book for sure. Anton is determined to hate Calla for what she and Calla is determined to be there and make big changes after killing the previous ruler. The lovers to enemies to lovers is done really well. It thought the timing and development with their relationship was perfect.This series has a very complex plot and world building and it continues to expand in this book. We learn so many new things about the history, provinces, and qi. One of the best things was seeing more how qi works and the different abilities it gives specific people. On top of that I feel like it was twist after twist all throughout the book. I loved that we got the point of view and insight from multiple characters. This really allowed us to know what was going on at different locations throughout the book.Overall this was a great sequel and once again ends on a big cliff hanger. I definitely need the next book soon. With this being inspired by Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra I am anxiously waiting to see how Chloe Gong will end Calla and Anton's story in the third book!

I loved the follow up to Immortal Longings 🐈. Mao Mao and Calla are my favorite characters, of course. Bebe had me questioning her, but I think I'm gonna like her and can't wait to see where book 3 takes her. Thank you to Saga Press for sending me a physical copy of Vilest Things! #SagaSaysCrewAnton and Calla are at odds after the events of book 1, especially after his long lost love, Otta, awakes from a years-long coma. I was fighting for them to find their way back to each other the whole time.The twists and turns that the story takes in book 2 kept me hooked and that cliff hanger 😮 Chloe, I need book 3 immediately!The audiobook was performed phenomenally by Jeena Yi! She did an amazing job, once again.