A review by ddnreads
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.5

Disclaimer: I'm well aware with the "drama" surrounding this book before it even debut. The negative bomb review, and personal chat  getting out of hands leading to misinformation. I've stated that I'm willing to give the author benefit of the doubt and would still read the book despite what everyone saying. So, this review is objectively about the story itself. 

Okay so where do we start.... There are sooo many things I wanted to talk about and they're not nice.

Let's start with the main character, Ruying. I can't stand her. She has the deathly power, PLENTY I MEAN PLENTY OF TIMES to prove herself and support her hometown cause but she didn't. When literally her sister begged her to. But the moment the colonizer (yes, it's a colonizer romance) (he didn't even try hard enough) talked to her, she used the power for the colonizer's side. In the name of survival, protection and greater good, she was soooo naive and simply stupid. It doesn't make sense and there are no chemistry between them. I don't like the symphatizer gaze throughout the book on the colonizer's side. It doesn't sound right. Like "I believe you have power better than me, you're able to protect me and my family, and you're not evil like everyone else" then surprise when the said colonizer turned out to be the same. She would always choose their romance before anything else.

Idk the ending didn't make it better.... About the freaking time. That's just logical and should've been done waaayyy before to make the story better. 

And the writing is kinda repetitive and the proverbs were oftenly out of place. It could've been written better and to have the enemy using the proverbs in between sentences are also nope.

Idk if it's wise using Romans as the enemy while mendling with the historical chinese with Sino (?) idk why don't u created a new fantasy place rather than using a real life place (?)

It doesn't give a nice aftertaste.

The star is for the gorgeous cover!!!! 😍

Thank you so much for the arc in exchange for an honest review🫶🏽 hopefully the next installment could've been better written.