Special thanks to Del Rey for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

TL;DR: Little hurts more than being disappointed by a book on my most anticipated 2024 release list. The premise was intriguing and in general, I think the story and writing were promising but the execution was weak and ultimately, underwhelming. From reading the author’s note, this story is dear to her but that passion didn’t come through the writing. There was a lack of emotional connection and the characters came across as one-dimensional. There have been reviewers saying this is a colonizer romance and I can’t disagree—it was a very uncomfortable relationship (maybe purposefully so but then I think it was clumsily written) but mostly because, IMHO, it felt forced and more like Stockholm Syndrome than any ‘real’ romance. Overall, while I think this had potential, it just didn’t work for me. Part of me is curious to see what happens next but I’m not sure I would buy it to read it.

I read this with Becky @Becky’s Book Blog and we both felt the same way about the flat characters, the lack of world-building, and the uncomfortable colonizer romance. Sadly, we were both disappointed by this, and that feeling was made worse cos we were so keen to read it. Check out Becky’s review!

I was ecstatic when I managed to get my hands on an e-ARC of this book because the minute I saw the cover and read the synopsis, I knew I wanted to read it ASAP! Unfortunately, the execution of the plot didn’t work for me. I think this could have been a richly developed story wrought with emotion and strong characters to love and loathe, but what I felt most while reading was underwhelmed. I was intrigued by this world that the author brings to life but it was poorly developed. I can’t remember getting any world-building other than the impact of colonization on Pangu; however, other elements like the portal were not further explored. The magical abilities granted to the Xianglings were also interesting but I would have loved to see what others were capable of beyond our MC. Sadly, this was another element that was not explored in further detail but it would’ve added richness to the world. What I did appreciate was the way the author wrote about what it feels like for Ruying to use her power and these were the moments when Death truly felt like its own character. The descriptions of this dark power were visceral and alluring!

While the pace moved fast and it was easy to read—I got about half of it in a couple of hours, the writing was repetitive and up until the 40+% mark, not much happened. Ruying’s perspective was also trying because of how repetitive her internal monologue was—we would get the same information, presented in the same way, repeatedly and it happened throughout! It was hard not to get bored or irritated by the repetition and I think this would’ve benefitted from having another POV, whether it’s Antony or even Meiyang.

This brings me to the characters and where I think most of my issues stem from because I didn’t find anyone particularly likeable, easy to root for, or memorable. Everyone was so flat and when there was room for character and relationship development, we got a massive time jump instead. If I can be honest, I’m still confused about what I felt/thought of Ruying, but I didn’t see her as the “strong” lead that maybe the author set out to write. I found her naivete confusing, her actions ironic, and her attitude mildly irritating but I also felt sorry for the situation she found herself in. I understood her need to keep the family she had protected but at the cost of what she sacrificed, and so easily too, at that? What made it more confusing is that her reasons seemed to change throughout the story.

Before reading this, I learned of some controversy related to the author and the story and heard it being labelled a “colonizer romance“. I have to say that I agree and admittedly, the label influenced how I read the book at times. That said , even without that label in mind, I wouldn’t have been convinced of the romance because their relationship felt emotionless and forced. I was not sold on their chemistry and it honestly read more like Stockholm Syndrome than genuine feeling. Ruying sounded completely brainwashed! At no point did Antony’s actions or words foster trust in his character, so the ease with which Ruying was convinced by his “vulnerable nature” and “genuine heart” was shocking.

No other character stood out to me in any way and even though I felt like the author was trying to show their rage, it was more telling than showing, which (again) impacted my connection to the story. Sadly, this made potentially shocking and heartbreaking moments fall flat. That essentially sums up my overall experience with To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. While there is a small part of me that’s curious to see where the author will take this next and if there’ll be improvements in the overall package, at this moment, I wouldn’t be inclined to pick it up. As it is, I’m also struggling to think of who I’d recommend this book to!

Do you have To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods on your TBR?

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