Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

 Title: Immortal Longings

Author:  Chloe Gong

Narrated by:  Jeena Yi

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 57 minutes 

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

What is your favorite fantasy novel?  I am always looking for an engaging new fantasy world to learn about.  My all-time favorite is still the Lord of the Rings.

The world of Immortal Longings is a set in the kingdom of Talin, in the twin cities of San-Er.  Every year a set of games is held that anyone can enter.  The goal of the game is to be the only person left alive at the end to win great riches. Anyone can enter and the games take place across the city.   Making things more interesting is that some people can enter other people’s bodies and force their souls to leave.   Who will be the winner of this year’s games?

The story centers on three main characters.  Princess Calla Tuoleimi killed her parents in a massacre five years ago and has been in hiding since then.  She has returned to enter the games for the opportunity to get close to and kill her uncle.  She is aided by King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to make the world a better place.  Princess Calla’s toughest opponent is Anton Makusa.  He is an aristocrat in exile trying to earn enough money to pay the medical bills for his love who has been in a coma for years.  Only one can win.

I felt like this story was the Hunger Games grown up, set in the Capital with body jumping added in.  It also is a story where there can only be one winner.  The beginning of this book was slow as the world was built, but the action increased as the story went along.  I was stunned by the end of this book, and it left me wanting more.  I can’t wait for the second novel in this series.  

As this is an adult book, there was also a love story and a long drawn-out steamy love scene.

The body jumping kept throwing me for a loop.  I would not want to live in a world where someone could just oust you from your body and take over.  

There was plenty of fighting and battles in this story.  It is billed as an Antony and Cleopatra story.  I’m a fan of the real historical figures and of the Shakespeare play.  I will admit that I didn’t think it was really an Antony and Cleopatra story at all except for the fact that there was palace intrigue.

Jeena Yi was a great narrator who had unique voices for different characters.