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She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?

“A thrilling tale of magic and murder, intrigue and betrayal.”—Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sword Catcher

The gorgeous first edition hardcover of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods will feature a poster, color endpapers, a custom-stamped case, and a foil jacket!

Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.

When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.

Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?

About the Author

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Molly X. Chang is a first-generation immigrant born in Harbin, China. To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is her debut novel.

Praise For…

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“With hauntingly poetic prose, Molly X. Chang spins a tale at the intersection of science fiction, fantasy, and the very real devastation that colonialism brings down on colonized peoples.”—Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

“This book is a thrilling gut punch, both lavishly magical and devastatingly human.”—Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer

“Readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what’s going to happen next.”—Adalyn Grace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna

“A heart-pounding, brilliant debut that shines with pure magic.”—Rebecca Ross, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Divine Rivals

“An electric collision of science, magic, and a terrifying alternate history, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the complex romantic fantasy you’ve been waiting for.”—Hannah F. Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“A fantasy rich with heart and rooted in ancestral memory, a romance that will leave readers on the edge of their seat, a story that will take one’s breath away—this book is the complete package.”—Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars

“To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is absolutely captivating, with a fierce heroine torn between love and loyalty as two worlds collide with devastating consequences.”—Emily Thiede, author of This Vicious Grace
 
“As ambitious as it is heartfelt, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods cements Molly X. Chang as an explosive new talent in fantasy. I was swept away by this debut and eagerly await her next book.”—Isabel Cañas, USA Today bestselling author of Vampires of El Norte
 
“To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is desperate, grasping, breathless, filled with hard choices and characters who seek some measure of peace in an unforgiving land. Intensely riveting character dynamics in a truly unique world make this debut an absolute stunner!”—Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

“History and fantasy, sisterhood and betrayal, the tragedy of empire and triumph of the human spirit are vivid interwoven threads in an extraordinarily fine debut.”—Sarah Rees Brennan, author of Long Live Evil