Chloe Gong writing zombie romance novel, previews 'Deadlock' — SkimNews
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- Chloe Gong released "Eyes of Kings" on Aug. 4, the final installment in her "Flesh & False Gods" trilogy inspired by Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra," whose tagline promises that "at the end of this war, there can only be one king."
- "Deadlock," the sequel to 2025's "Coldwire," is set for a Nov. 17 release, and Gong says she is already deep into writing the untitled third book in that trilogy.
- Gong is simultaneously writing the final book in her "StrangeLoom" trilogy and revising a top-secret contemporary novel she is pitching as "an Emily Henry love story meets the zombie apocalypse" — her first departure from historical fantasy.
- Gong says she deliberately avoids seeking out reader reactions to "Eyes of Kings" but enjoys being tagged in fans' "crying videos" and aesthetic Instagram flat lays, noting "no one's happy, but everyone's had a great time."
- Gong said a "These Violent Delights" TV or film adaptation remains "in conversation" in Hollywood but she has "nothing to report," calling herself an "unfussy author" open to any adaptation despite the CGI demands of fantasy.
Why it matters: Gong closing two trilogies while launching a contemporary zombie rom-com marks her first genre pivot after six years of Shakespearean historical fantasy, signaling a deliberate expansion of her brand — and the fact that a "These Violent Delights" adaptation is still merely "in conversation" years after the 2020 bestseller shows how slowly fantasy properties move through Hollywood development.
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