Vilest Things

Bestseller Gong dials up the tension of her Flesh & False Gods series with this pulse-pounding follow-up to Immortal Longings. Princess Calla Tuolemi, having won the city of San-Er’s bloody tournament—in the process killing her lover, Anton Makusa—now moves forward with her plan to murder King Kasa. She’s astonished, however, to learn that Anton is still alive and has taken over Prince August Shenzhi’s body. Though Anton feels betrayed, the two agree to a truce as they confront a serious threat to their rule: there’s been a rash of strange killings in the provinces and Calla fears they are linked to insurgent groups. This is compounded by the sudden awakening of Anton’s former lover, Otta Avia, from a seven-year coma and her shocking address to the people in which she calls the current monarch’s power into question. Gong nimbly expands the series’s scope, taking the fight outside of San-Er and offering more insight into the body-swapping magic system. Complete with thrilling fight scenes and plenty of romantic angst, this keeps the series going strong. Agent: Laura Crockett, Triada US. (Sept.)