#vilest things

[rainmidnight]

even mr chloe gong knows about gallopei neighsanna i'm dying

[chloegong]

hello tumblr I have come to bring you the VILEST THINGS COVER REVEALS AHHHHHHHHH

in case you missed it, there's an excerpt here and yeah I picked it myself for maximum toxic situationship angst

"chloe what about august what about galipei—" they suffer too don't worry we have to leave some suffering for inside the book ok!!! you can preorder a copy now, all links are live for this sequel to show up at ur door on Sept 10th :D

Official Description:

Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er’s bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa’s adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.

Only Calla knows it isn’t really August.

Anton Makusa is still furious about Calla’s betrayal in the final round of the games. In an impossible feat, he took over August’s body to survive, and has no intention of giving up this newfound power. But when his first love, the beautiful, explosive Otta Avia, awakens from a years-long coma and reveals a secret that threatens the monarchy’s authority over Talin, chaos erupts. As tensions come to a boiling point, Calla and Anton must set their conflicts aside and head to the kingdom’s far reaches to prevent anarchy… even if their empire might be better off burning.

[juliette-cai-enthusiast]

August Shenzhi? More like August Scheme-zhi

[romajuliettemai]

Is it concerning that I dreamt that I was reading vilest things last night

[hazellevessque]

Chloe Gong all I’m saying is that you should at least ask your publishers for the FAFG book 3 release date to be September 16th. Because that’s my birthday. And it would be a wonderful gift

[writergracethepanda]

Body count has like 500 potential meaning in San-Er, and I'm terrified of them all.

[bubbeshfk]

I feel like SagaPress marketing the Flesh and False Gods series as this Hunger Games romantasy to the BookTok crowd may have hurt the series's perception and I think is part of the reason it's so wildly misread. People missing that body jumping is unethical on purpose and that the characters understanding of the world is heavily propagandized and therefore highly unreliable. Like what are your guys thoughts.

[jessread-s]

Thanks to @chloegong and @sagapress for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Art torn with the permission of @artbysmashley

✩⛓️🕊️Review:

Seeking out the next fantasy book that will destroy you? Look no further! 

Picking up where “Immortal Longings” leaves off, “Vilest Things” follows Calla Tuoleimi as she serves as royal advisor to August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne. Only Calla knows Anton took over August’s body to survive her betrayal. The two must set aside their conflicts when Otta Avia awakens and her secrets threaten the very fabric of the monarchy.  

This book outdoes its predecessor with more power (but in the wrong hands), more repercussions, more politics, more tension, and even more  betrayals. Gong truly has a knack for making her readers suffer and I’m not sure what this says about me, but I endured every cliffhanger, volatile exchange between Calla and Anton, and unanswered question happily. 

“Vilest Things” is told from multiple points-of-view and I was captivated by every single one. Gong makes each perspective necessary in advancing the plot forward and unraveling what larger is at stake. As a result, I was equally frustrated and excited to follow a different character at the start of each chapter and discover a new piece to the puzzle. 

I am obsessed with the world Gong creates in “Immortal Longings”, so I really enjoyed how she expands upon it in this book. Gong completely engrossed me in Calla and Anton’s journey beyond the walls surrounding San-Er and into the outer reaches of Talin. Each province they cross into is accompanied by descriptions of the region and its customs to make one distinctive from another. The secret that draws them out there in the first place adds an element of mystery relating to the kingdom and its history that kept me on the edge of my seat!

 Calla and Anton’s begrudging alliance on their travels had me in a chokehold! The events at the end of book one obliterate all trust established between the two of them, bringing their relationship right back to square one, and their toxicity festers because of that. Both still have residual feelings, but allow their stubbornness to keep them apart. Otta also serves as a source of tension for Calla and Anton’s relationship and nothing was more agonizing than watching Otta manipulate their perceptions of each other. The angst and mutual pining, however, makes it all worthwhile.

Fair warning: “Vilest Things” ends with the most brutal cliffhanger. I thought the end of “Immortal Longings” was soul-destroying…but this is a whole other level. I could do nothing but watch it play out and I fear I might be scarred for life. Chloe if you’re reading this, I’ll forgive you in exchange for book 3. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[skepticalcatfrog]

Guys should I read IL and VT because I'm getting the impression that Galipei and August have an incredibly weird relationship with each other that I absolutely need to see

[typingwithmyhandstied]

I think of Galipei literally every time I see a horse or hear about a horse. It's bad.

[rainmidnight]

do you think chloe gong knows that someone on twitter thought galipei was a horse.......

[chloegong]

vilest things tour and the gifts that come by preordering!!!

first: my comedy act in person if you're in new york, boston, chicago, austin, san diego, or portland.... join us for discussion about behind-the-scenes tomfoolery + ask your questions + get your books signed!! all tickets are available here ‼️

second: all US preorders, which includes tour tickets, which includes your B&N orders, your local independent bookstore orders etc etc etc will come with a royal blue Mao Mao tote bag (as pictured) while supplies last so fill in the form on that same page to claim yours!

and finally: preorder art print by @artbysmashley!!! this gorgeous print is an incentive via Astoria Bookshop, which means it's open within the US and internationally so long as Astoria Bookshop ships to your country!!! you can also request the book to be SIGNED and PERSONALIZED however you wish, past requests have included drawing the characters at christmas or doing a dance by the kpop group bts (idk where that came from either)

note: the art print will be available on the tour stops as well!

[juliette-cai-enthusiast]

Me describing Galipei and August: *wipes away a tear* they’re just so toxic and fucked up

[dominoren]

[romajuliettemai]

You can't hurt me. I read Chloe Gong books.

[writergracethepanda]

Happy National Horse Day to the one and only Galipei!

horse boy and agustus