A young woman with the power to take life is forced into a dangerous bargain with an enemy prince, leading to a complex exploration of morality, survival, and the blurred lines between love and manipulation in a world torn apart by colonization and war. The story delves into themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and the consequences of choices made in the face of oppression and power dynamics.

Molly X. Chang's debut novel "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" is an ambitious, genre-blending fantasy that interweaves elements of Chinese mythology, history and culture with a futuristic sci-fi twist. Set in a fantastical China-inspired realm called Pangu that has been conquered by an invading force known as the Romans, the story follows Ruying, a young woman blessed with the rare and feared power of Death magic. When her abilities are discovered by Antony, an enemy prince, Ruying is forced to become his personal assassin in exchange for her family's protection. This Faustian bargain sends her down a dark path as she grapples with questions of morality, survival, heritage and forbidden feelings.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its complex, flawed and vividly rendered protagonist. Ruying is a heroine conflicted by competing loyalties - to her family, her oppressed people, and her own conscience. Her first person perspective provides an intimate window into her internal struggles as she is torn between self-preservation and moral compromise. Chang takes bold risks with Ruying's arc, allowing her to make difficult, even controversial choices that will likely spark much reader debate and interpretation. This is the hallmark of a thought-provoking story that aims to explore the gray areas of human nature and the brutal calculus of living under colonial rule.

The immersive, intricately crafted world of Pangu is another highlight. Chang draws upon Chinese legends, language and storytelling traditions to conjure a realm where magic and mysticism clash with the technological might of the invading Romans. The juxtaposition of science and the supernatural adds a fresh twist to familiar YA fantasy tropes. Evocative sensory details and metaphors bring the settings and characters to vivid life.

Antony makes for a seductive and polarizing love interest, one whose darkness and moral ambiguity will captivate some readers while alienating others. This is a romance that unflinchingly portrays the messy power dynamics between colonizer and colonized. Whether Ruying and Antony's star-crossed connection reads as a naive girl's self-delusion, a trauma response, a slow-burn redemption arc or a disturbing romanticization of Stockholm Syndrome will largely depend on the individual reader. But it is undeniably provocative.

Pacing is a bit uneven, with a slower start giving way to a propulsive back half as the stakes escalate. The prose occasionally veers purple, but for the most part Chang deploys a poetic, yearning style well-suited to the intensity of Ruying's journey. Questions of Ruying's complicity linger, not entirely resolved. Some may find her too passive, while others will empathize with the impossible choices foisted upon her. The book notably ends on a cliffhanger, setting up higher stakes and expanded world-building for the sequel.

Ultimately, "To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods" is an ambitious, emotionally charged debut from a promising new voice in YA fantasy. Chang takes narrative risks in service of a heroine's dark, transformative coming-of-age journey through a lushly imagined, all-too-relevant world of oppression and resistance. This is a book that aims to provoke uncomfortable questions and cathartic discourse. For that, and for its poignant exploration of an Asian girl's struggle to survive with soul intact, it is well worth reading. Bring on Book 2.