To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

Introduction 

The story follows Ruying, a young girl from the Pangu kingdom where people inherit magical abilities, and she has been blessed by the rare Gift of Death. However, over two decades ago, colonisers arrived from a portal in sky, and has slowly started taking over Pangu with their advance science that appear far superior to the magic that flow throughs this world. Ruying catches one of the princes' attention, and soon she is captured and given a choice: serve the enemy prince or die. But what price is she willing to pay to keep her loved ones save - where does she draw line?
 
In this paragraph, I would like to note that this book has a lot of controversy surrounding it. The author clearly states in the beginning of the book, that is dedicated to her grandparents who suffered greatly in Manchuria during a coloniser's occupation. I would like to underline, that I do not have the historical or critical knowledge to provide any opinion on this matter. Many readers are horrified by Ruying showing romantical interest in one of the colonisers, but I want to refrain from mirroring the story to the real world. I simply am not qualified to do so. However, I will still explore the main character's relationship to her love interest and those around her.

World building 

The world of Pangu is a reimagining of China but with magical elements. Whether it is a different planet, realm, or country compared to the colonisers of Rome, it is never clearly stated. It is a bit frustrating that certain aspects are left out, since the author often writes very very clear about the world. In my own view, a little too clearly, as barely anything is left for interpretation. From the very beginning, everything is described in such detail that it looses the humanity. Chang could have benefitted of studying the concept of "show, don't tell", as the clinical and impersonal description of Pangu's suffering becomes repetitive and bland. In short, the world building lacks depth and the willingness of the characters to explore it further. 

It is also all too clear, the Rome is the Earth, suffering from pollution and destruction that has lead the people to look for desperate solutions. It is revealed very late in the book, that this is the cause of the occupation of Pangu, and I find it hard to believe that Panga has been occupied for more than 20 years, and no one has been able to make a proper guess to why the people of Rome are there. Continuing on that note, I find it frustrating that due to one major incident, Ruying flat out refuses to acknowledge that there is any possibility that the magic that her people possess, might actually be better than Rome's science. This comes across as odd, since she sometimes has to explain to the reader what a helicopter is, but at the same time, she can easily describe other objects and things too matter-of-factly about a concept that does not seem to exist at all in her world. 

Unsure where to put it, it should also be highlighted that certain elements that were needed to drive the plot forward, made little sense. The author tried too hard justified specific traits or topics, so that it would make sense. One thing I frowned upon was how the grandmother was used more as a tool than as a person you cared for. Here is an example:

Grandma insisted that, as children, Meiya and I learn qing gong: the art of moving swiftly and lightly. She taught us how to leap from roof to roof, soundless, like wraiths in the night, and scale the smoothest of walls. You never know when you'll need it. (p. 258). 


Where on Earth did this woman learn how to do this? She is described as someone who cannot cook as she was of high birth and had servants, yet she knows something like this, and she somehow teaches it to her grandchildren? Spare me. I would rather the author had cut out this entirely. All in all, the world lacked depth and more nuisance. Certain elements were overexplained, and others left with barely anything. 

Characters 

This book barely has any characters in it. Besides our main character, I had no connection to any other characters, not even Antony or Baihu. But first of all, our dear Ruying. She does make questionable decisions, but that seems to be the selling point of this story: for her to push the number of questionable things she is willing to do to keep her family (sister and grandmother) safe. She also has a childhood friend (whose name escapes), but she has very few scenes in the book (like all other characters), so even though it is her death that pushes Ruying over the edge, the effect is weak. The reader does not care about someone the main character hasn't even thought about for over 200 pages. So let us focus on what we actually do know about Ruying. She believes that she is doing the right thing for her family, but whether or not she is doing what is right for her people is a mixed bag. One quote that highlighted her disconcern is this argument she has with Baihu, her other childhood from whom she had a crush one ages ago but whom she now hates. 

"You really have no idea what Antony is like, do you? What he's done? What he and his scientists are doing to our people?"

"You're right. I don't know what he's doing, not in detail. And frankly, I don't give a damn. This is my path, my grave, my decision. I believe in Antony." (p 235)


Honestly, she should care. I do not understand how she is so easily convinced that no matter what Antony does, the end justifies the means. She would rather live in ignorance than face the fact that she might be on the wrong side of the war. Perhaps that is what we are supposed to learn from this story. Ignorance is bliss, until it can no longer be ignored. However, that doesn't mean that it could not have been written in a more convincing way. I also believe that Baihu is used as a scapegoat for Ruying. What he is doing is (for whatever reason) still so much worse than what she does in Antony's name. But when it is revealed that Baihu actually works for the resistance, her reaction lacked the chock that I desired. I wanted her world to crumple, for her to realise how she had been using him, but sadly, that did not occur. Nothing could change her mind other than seeing a so called good friend being murdered. (For who cares about the 50+ people she killed herself, off screen).

I should probably also dedicate a paragraph to Antony. It has already been 1,5 week since I finished the book, and the details of this man is fading quicker than lightning. I have a lingering expression that Antony actually did not have a lot of important scenes with Ruying. The part of the story that establishes their relationship (the start of her assassination career) is brushed over with a time skip. No relation is properly made and I personally would have loved to see the evolution of their relationship in more detail. I do not think Antony was anything special. The reader was told of his charm, but it was rarely seen in any interactions. At least he looked nice, didn't he?

My thoughts on other people's thoughts

I would again like to highlight that I am not qualified to comment on the historical elements and the coloniser theme in a way I feel like this story deserves. However, I will say that the romance do not take up as much space in this book as I was led to believe by the internet. Ruying is not head over heels in love with Antony as I thought she might be, and she even pushes him away after their one and only kiss. The fact that she changes sides at the end almost surprised by, because no one has discussed this anywhere. At the ending of this book, I am optimistic that Antony is not necessarily the end game for our main character because, honestly, he was not that great. Now that Baihu is not actually a traitor, he has real potential to become Ruying's love interest. Either way, this book was less focused on romance than I thought it would be. 

One of the problematic things with this book was the advertising. I arrived late to this, but as far as I can tell from reviews and comments, the author received a lot of backlash for poor advertising of the book, and it was changed to having a bigger focus on Baihu as a love interest, trying to hide the romance coloniser threats it was getting. I cannot comment a lot on this, but it is nor purely the author's fault, I do believe where unfair in their judgement as the ending did provide any conclusions.

Other people agree with my opinion that the book had way too much tell, and far too little show. The book should have had another few rounds of edits before being published. I also found phrases being reused within 5 pages of each other in such a way, that I had to go back and make sure I was not imagining things. Please, please, please edit books better and more. It is a rising tendency I am seeing that I am not a fan of.

Overall rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐★★★★★

In the end, I give this book 5 out of 10 stars. As many other new authors out there, Chang has a lot of good ideas that are poorly executed. It is without a doubt problematic to have a romance between a girl and her coloniser oppressor, but the problem also lie in that the story is based on true events and is dedicated to her grandparents - victims of real and horrible war crimes. It could have handled the situation better. That said, Chang does not deserve all the criticism, she has received. Antony is by no means the perfect love interest, and he is by no means the one Ruying is going to end up with. People focus heavily on their relationship without taking the ending into consideration when Ruying decides to work against him, nor do they focus on any of the other plot points. Either way, there is still a chance I will read the sequel to this book, if nothing else but because I still believe Ruying will make better decisions and that she will believe more in her own people and their abilities to fight back. 

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