Eyes of Kings by Chloe Gong
Explosive. Breathtaking. It all comes down to the wire in the action-packed conclusion to Chloe Gong’s Flesh and False Gods trilogy, Eyes of Kings.
Inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, the trilogy is set within the world of Talin, in which individuals can jump from body to body using their qi. In the wake of the events of Immortal Longings and Vilest Things, the kingdom is in chaos. August Shenzhi has been dethroned by Calla Tuoleimi, who now bears the divine crown. At Calla’s side is Anton Makusa, and together, they find themselves in the midst of the beginnings of war, with August and Sinoa Tuoleimi — Calla’s long-ago ancestor now in the body of Otta Avia — on the other side, while the Crescent Societies exert their power in the capital city. The citizens of San-Er, as well as those who live in the provinces, have begun to hear rumblings of old gods awakening, their qi returning, as miracles and great feats of power pop up across the realm. No one is safe, and no secret will remain undiscovered. Who is a god? Who will end up wearing the crown? Will anyone even live long enough to see the victor take the throne as war and violent gods loom on the horizon? And who — truly — is Calla Tuoleimi?
Fleshed-Out Characters and Intricate Twists
In this hotly anticipated final installment, Gong pulls out all the stops. Eyes of Kings builds upon the exhilarating storytelling of the first two books, maintaining the fast pace, epic action sequences and delicious twists and turns, and delivers a stellar conclusion to these characters’ adventures. For any Shakespeare fans out there, this series has made fantastic use of the source material, and I was extremely satisfied with how Gong wielded the legacies of the original characters through to the end.
Calla Tuoleimi has always been a favorite character of mine. She is fiery and fierce, passionate and strong, and yet there was always the underlying layer of doubt, of the confusion and lack of details on her earliest parts of life, which made her so interesting to read. Eyes of Kings finally reveals all, and what a reveal it is! Gong has crafted such an intricate web of characters and relationships, and it is amazing to finally be able to step back and see the full picture in this book, after the trail of breadcrumbs that has been left throughout the pages.
I love the way that Gong gives us windows into different characters’ viewpoints in different chapters, letting us in on secrets that our main characters have not learned yet. The overlapping tidbits build great suspense, and when everything finally comes out into the light, I was practically gasping out loud with the realization of how it all connected.
A Satisfying Conclusion
This world, these characters, and the magic system that Gong has built are beautifully layered, with such depth to these individuals and their surroundings, that we are right there in the pulsing, living, breathing streets with them. We feel their pain. We see the beauty. We share their sorrows, their joy, their anger, and their revenge.
What a way to conclude an already epic series. If you love a book filled with action, powerful female characters, a stunning world, an elaborate magic system, political machinations and so much more, then Eyes of Kings is for you!
