Thanks to Gallery / Saga Press and NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feedback are my own. 

I was in the minority of people who didn't love These Violent Delights, so I'm happy to say I liked this book more than her debut! I will also say that this book ended on a pretty big cliffhanger that actually  upped my rating by a quarter of a star, although I'm still undecided if I'll continue with the series.

I think this is a very standard fantasy novel. It is far less heavy on the romance than the synopsis and marketing would imply, though it's definitely there, but that was honestly fine for me. I really loved the concept of the magic system and using qi as the essence of the magic. There are so many chances for this series to be a hit as it progresses.

With that being said, I think the weakest part of Gong's books is the worldbuilding, consistently. I didn't feel drawn in or captivated by San-Er, despite the fact that it's a really cool setting. The book centers around politics, but we never get a good idea of what's actually going on; the main antagonist is never characterized as more than a generic Big Bad. I was hoping the games in the synopsis would have the same tension and atmosphere as The Hunger Games, but I never felt like there were any real stakes.

Overall a mixed bag, but the potential is really there on this one.