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Reviews tagging 'Grief'
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
10 reviews
tylercrow's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
This has been my favorite so far; I love the second arc.
It was so horrible to read because you know what happens so you’re just anticipating. The way it goes into detail with the plague and Xie Lian’s descent into despair/helplessness, how he doesn’t even believe in himself anymore. Then there is the scene with Hong Hong-er and you go “there he is, that’s why he’s like that”.
I am so glad that when it switches back to present day, it’s with a silly quest of solo-Xie Lian. It really lightened the tense air that had settled on the book.
Points deducted for:
-the land of fucking tender
I am so glad that when it switches back to present day, it’s with a silly quest of solo-Xie Lian. It really lightened the tense air that had settled on the book.
Points deducted for:
-the land of fucking tender
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, War, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, and Grief
aparna_s's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Truly the best series I've ever read <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Abandonment, Body horror, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Murder, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War
zia_c's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
From "𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 3000" to "3000 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴"🏮
The love between these two sentences is immeasurable ~~❤✨❤✨❤
God!! I need a Hua Cheng in my life desperately 😭😭😭
The love between these two sentences is immeasurable ~~❤✨❤✨❤
God!! I need a Hua Cheng in my life desperately 😭😭😭
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Self harm, Sexism, Miscarriage, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Violence, War, Gore, and Hate crime
saltycoffee's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Murder, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Classism, Colonisation, Body horror, Grief, Gore, Death, Abandonment, Abortion, Child death, Chronic illness, and Genocide
wickedgrumpy's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Well, this one starts with a flashback and to be honest Qi Rong might need three most annoying character so my enjoyment level when he was on page was low. However, it picked up and we got some little nuggets to tie the past to the present and then we transitioned to the present timeline.
The first section got quite dreary and dark and Xie Lian had a lot of growing as a new god. That juxtaposed with the second half of the book that was quite comedic and humorous to the point it was close to slapstick was a little jarring but very effective in defining the massive character change that Xie Lian had gone through in his 800+ years.
I'm thoroughly enjoying myself and will shortly be reading the next installment.
The first section got quite dreary and dark and Xie Lian had a lot of growing as a new god. That juxtaposed with the second half of the book that was quite comedic and humorous to the point it was close to slapstick was a little jarring but very effective in defining the massive character change that Xie Lian had gone through in his 800+ years.
I'm thoroughly enjoying myself and will shortly be reading the next installment.
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Torture, War, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Death, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Rape, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia
aromarrie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I will never forget you."
my most favorite volume in the series so far :')
the series has been incredibly dark & gory from the start but being transported backwards in time to witness the fall of the Kingdom of Xianle, xie lian's home, was one of the most challenging things i've ever read. it was seeing this heavenly official be chided for trying to mix himself up in mortal matters as his former home faces a crisis where the people of Yong'an, a poor city within Xianle, facing a drought and a refugee crisis like no other.; it was seeing just exactly why gods & mortals do not mix in a mortality crisis like this as xie lian slays mortals who are trying to fight for their own future, and clashes with mortals like lang ying who added so much to the somber reading experience. it was knowing the dire fate of the Kingdom of Xianle as they faced a pandemic that was truly alarming but seeing it all in real time, seeing how chaotic things truly got before temples and statues built in xie lian's name were eventually burned down in a mortal fury, it was a fiery sight to see, and very disheartening, too.
with this series being split up into volumes, it really adds more to my memorable reading experience because of the way this publisher goes about splitting each volume into their own separate story, but keeping the threads attached so that the details of the events in this volume tangle with what we knew from the previous. the connections made to details i was made aware of in the first volume added so much more depth and left me quite stunned because of the implications of it. this was as such with the mention in volume one of Xianle facing a pandemic centuries ago where a disease called Human Face Disease was spreading, only for me to actually see all the terror that happened and to understand how dire the fatalities were, both in bodies and spirits, in this volume here. it was also seen in the connection of hua cheng, aka Crimson Rain Sought Flower, who i can't help but compare to this young soldier boy that stood loyally by xie lian's side all those years ago and also honghong-er with the nods to the red umbrella that's a symbol of hua cheng's, as well as the red string tied around one of his fingers.
seeing how they were connected to the actions of xie lian made xie lian's character truly so compelling because we see him make some mistakes that were rooted in purely good intentions in the buildup to the fall of his former home, and yet the implication that the little boy he went out of his way to help, despite going against rules, was possibly hua cheng himself is just absolutely astounding. even more so is seeing how large these cast of characters are, and how interwoven they are in the centuries that their fates have been linked to each other. the lore of these gods and the ghosts as well is truly everything, as was seen with shi qingxuan and their backstory in volume two and is even further delved into by the end of this third volume here. the Four Calamaties are a fixture in this series that is one of my favorites of all the lore, one of them including hua cheng himself, but there's also the matter of White No-Face, aka White-Clothed Calamity.
this being, once sighted, is a sign that extreme devastation will collapse in the general area it shows itself in, and as it was mentioned in volume one, it showed itself to xie lian shortly before the fall of the Kingdom of Xianle. actually meeting this character in this volume made my heart drop, and there was even an illustration created in its likeness on page that added more to the ominous tone of the story. at the time when xie lian caught this figure, he wasn't truly aware of its meaning, but as the reader, i had the doomed knowledge of the fate that was to come. in the scene that it first appears, it felt even more daunting because it was in a moment where xie lian truly seemed to have tore something inside himself and was genuinely crossing a line that would have irreversible consequences. there was the knowledge that by xie lian having likely been the root of the birth of this calamity due to him involving himself in mortal matters, it added much much more complexity to everything he had done up to this point and what damage he's already done, all with good but disastrous will.
it was moments with his family, the king & queen of Xianle, that painted him in a light where he still was very young at the time, and his ascension truly added to this burden as this once-Crown Prince of Xianle wanted to fight for the people but ultimately aided in their demise. the words of his mentore, Chief State Preceptor, mei nianqing, will always haunt me:
"You used your divinity to interfere in mortal matters . . . You've completely upended the predetermined fate of the Kingdom of Xianle--made a complete and utter mess. For the sake of balance, nature will breed things to bring everything you've derailed back on track."
there is some lightheartedness to be found among the heavenly officials as they play their games in the Heavenly Realm in the present day, such as the scene with the Mid-Autumn Festival, an annual event associated with familial reunions and such where mortals also light their lanterns to worship the heavens (there's definitely more to it, but this is my brief overview of it from what was depicted in this volume). watching as these gods in a more relaxed atmosphere as they oversaw how many lanterns were lit for each & every one of them added to the intrigue of the story that is quite grim in an overwhelming majority but still has moments where camaraderie and mischief are alight among the characters. there's still a lot of mystery, and this volume ends on quite a cliffhanger that connects to what i said earlier about shi qingxuan, and is even connected to another piece of lore that only enriches the story even further and i look forward to seeing it get uncovered more soon.
this was genuinely a fantastic read, as this entire series has always been but here, things were intense on a whole other level and i was invested in every moment of it.
my most favorite volume in the series so far :')
the series has been incredibly dark & gory from the start but being transported backwards in time to witness the fall of the Kingdom of Xianle, xie lian's home, was one of the most challenging things i've ever read. it was seeing this heavenly official be chided for trying to mix himself up in mortal matters as his former home faces a crisis where the people of Yong'an, a poor city within Xianle, facing a drought and a refugee crisis like no other.; it was seeing just exactly why gods & mortals do not mix in a mortality crisis like this as xie lian slays mortals who are trying to fight for their own future, and clashes with mortals like lang ying who added so much to the somber reading experience. it was knowing the dire fate of the Kingdom of Xianle as they faced a pandemic that was truly alarming but seeing it all in real time, seeing how chaotic things truly got before temples and statues built in xie lian's name were eventually burned down in a mortal fury, it was a fiery sight to see, and very disheartening, too.
with this series being split up into volumes, it really adds more to my memorable reading experience because of the way this publisher goes about splitting each volume into their own separate story, but keeping the threads attached so that the details of the events in this volume tangle with what we knew from the previous. the connections made to details i was made aware of in the first volume added so much more depth and left me quite stunned because of the implications of it. this was as such with the mention in volume one of Xianle facing a pandemic centuries ago where a disease called Human Face Disease was spreading, only for me to actually see all the terror that happened and to understand how dire the fatalities were, both in bodies and spirits, in this volume here. it was also seen in the connection of hua cheng, aka Crimson Rain Sought Flower, who i can't help but compare to this young soldier boy that stood loyally by xie lian's side all those years ago and also honghong-er with the nods to the red umbrella that's a symbol of hua cheng's, as well as the red string tied around one of his fingers.
seeing how they were connected to the actions of xie lian made xie lian's character truly so compelling because we see him make some mistakes that were rooted in purely good intentions in the buildup to the fall of his former home, and yet the implication that the little boy he went out of his way to help, despite going against rules, was possibly hua cheng himself is just absolutely astounding. even more so is seeing how large these cast of characters are, and how interwoven they are in the centuries that their fates have been linked to each other. the lore of these gods and the ghosts as well is truly everything, as was seen with shi qingxuan and their backstory in volume two and is even further delved into by the end of this third volume here. the Four Calamaties are a fixture in this series that is one of my favorites of all the lore, one of them including hua cheng himself, but there's also the matter of White No-Face, aka White-Clothed Calamity.
this being, once sighted, is a sign that extreme devastation will collapse in the general area it shows itself in, and as it was mentioned in volume one, it showed itself to xie lian shortly before the fall of the Kingdom of Xianle. actually meeting this character in this volume made my heart drop, and there was even an illustration created in its likeness on page that added more to the ominous tone of the story. at the time when xie lian caught this figure, he wasn't truly aware of its meaning, but as the reader, i had the doomed knowledge of the fate that was to come. in the scene that it first appears, it felt even more daunting because it was in a moment where xie lian truly seemed to have tore something inside himself and was genuinely crossing a line that would have irreversible consequences. there was the knowledge that by xie lian having likely been the root of the birth of this calamity due to him involving himself in mortal matters, it added much much more complexity to everything he had done up to this point and what damage he's already done, all with good but disastrous will.
it was moments with his family, the king & queen of Xianle, that painted him in a light where he still was very young at the time, and his ascension truly added to this burden as this once-Crown Prince of Xianle wanted to fight for the people but ultimately aided in their demise. the words of his mentore, Chief State Preceptor, mei nianqing, will always haunt me:
"You used your divinity to interfere in mortal matters . . . You've completely upended the predetermined fate of the Kingdom of Xianle--made a complete and utter mess. For the sake of balance, nature will breed things to bring everything you've derailed back on track."
there is some lightheartedness to be found among the heavenly officials as they play their games in the Heavenly Realm in the present day, such as the scene with the Mid-Autumn Festival, an annual event associated with familial reunions and such where mortals also light their lanterns to worship the heavens (there's definitely more to it, but this is my brief overview of it from what was depicted in this volume). watching as these gods in a more relaxed atmosphere as they oversaw how many lanterns were lit for each & every one of them added to the intrigue of the story that is quite grim in an overwhelming majority but still has moments where camaraderie and mischief are alight among the characters. there's still a lot of mystery, and this volume ends on quite a cliffhanger that connects to what i said earlier about shi qingxuan, and is even connected to another piece of lore that only enriches the story even further and i look forward to seeing it get uncovered more soon.
this was genuinely a fantastic read, as this entire series has always been but here, things were intense on a whole other level and i was invested in every moment of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Classism, Grief, and Pregnancy
vigil's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i actively disliked reading 45-50% of this book.
i’ve narrowed down my main issue with tgcf. it feels like, and practically written like multiple different stories, yet the author tries to cram them into one while they go down kicking and screaming, yet can’t truly make either side satisfying enough. mxtx has good ideas and excellent character work, but ideas aren’t enough, especially when they’re drawn out too long, or not long enough. this book is trying to a mix of plot driven and character driven, but the plot is too shaky in its execution that it had to carried by the characters in an unnatural manner, as this wasn’t meant to happen occur in the first place.
that’s why, for me, once we reach the second half, some of the romance between hualian rings hollow, like the author is making up for everything she didn’t do in the first half.i liked the kiss, (seriously. more of them please.) but it really felt like “sorry i put you through that agonizingly long flashback arc, here’s a kiss!”
and the first half is just simply not intriguing enough for me. any vague interest i had in xie lian’s past was immediately dashed once i had to read 200+ of the longest pages in my life about it. not because it was sad, because it was a drag to get through.
the side characters in this are more prominent but we still have next to zero for the mains aside from xie lian. and no, hua cheng’s tragic backstory as hong-er does not suddenly make him into a fully realized character. he’s just a guy we barely know with a sad life! get in line!
this just. really needed an editor. i dread to think what the extra 100k words that are planning to be added will be like in a novel that is already bloated and overwritten.
i’ve narrowed down my main issue with tgcf. it feels like, and practically written like multiple different stories, yet the author tries to cram them into one while they go down kicking and screaming, yet can’t truly make either side satisfying enough. mxtx has good ideas and excellent character work, but ideas aren’t enough, especially when they’re drawn out too long, or not long enough. this book is trying to a mix of plot driven and character driven, but the plot is too shaky in its execution that it had to carried by the characters in an unnatural manner, as this wasn’t meant to happen occur in the first place.
that’s why, for me, once we reach the second half, some of the romance between hualian rings hollow, like the author is making up for everything she didn’t do in the first half.
and the first half is just simply not intriguing enough for me. any vague interest i had in xie lian’s past was immediately dashed once i had to read 200+ of the longest pages in my life about it. not because it was sad, because it was a drag to get through.
the side characters in this are more prominent but we still have next to zero for the mains aside from xie lian.
this just. really needed an editor. i dread to think what the extra 100k words that are planning to be added will be like in a novel that is already bloated and overwritten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Miscarriage, and Murder
cait's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and War
bookishcryptid's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, and Self harm
aardwyrm's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Terminal illness, Torture, Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, and War
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