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emergencily's review against another edition
4.5
1500 page slow burn Chinese martial arts fantasy gay romance novel? It's like they set up a mouse trap and this bait was personalized just for me.
A lot of fantasy romance novels fall into the trap of either focusing too much on crafting their worlds, leaving the development of the characters and romance to the wayside, or the reverse situation. Thankfully, MXTX manages to balance all of these reasonably well.
The plot is genuinely interesting and well-crafted. The author's somewhat excessive use of time skips can sometimes stall the pacing and confuse you when reading. And for readers unfamiliar with the tropes & terms of xianxia, combined with a large cast (each of whom has about 5 different names and titles) it means it takes some perseverance to get through the first volume and make sense of it all. But once the story hits its stride, it's a page turner of a murderous action, thriller and mystery rolled into one.
The MC, Wei Wuxian, is the star that holds it all together. You can't help but fall in love with his mischief, lackadaisal arrogance, and enduring kindness. Seeing his character grow over the course of the novel is a treat. The highs he hits only makes the lows he falls to from his own hubris even more painful (and trust me. He falls low, and takes everyone around him down with him). He's also strongly situated as a character within a larger cast full of characters who are all interesting, loveable and frustrating in turns in their own rights. All the recurring characters are connected by a web of complex and unique relationships - emnity, sworn brotherhood, rivalry, servitude - that the story takes its time nurturing. And of course the relationship btwn Wei Wuxian and his love interest Lan Zhan as it grows over the decades, withstanding death, war, and time, is the one you root for the most.
A lot of fantasy romance novels fall into the trap of either focusing too much on crafting their worlds, leaving the development of the characters and romance to the wayside, or the reverse situation. Thankfully, MXTX manages to balance all of these reasonably well.
The plot is genuinely interesting and well-crafted. The author's somewhat excessive use of time skips can sometimes stall the pacing and confuse you when reading. And for readers unfamiliar with the tropes & terms of xianxia, combined with a large cast (each of whom has about 5 different names and titles) it means it takes some perseverance to get through the first volume and make sense of it all. But once the story hits its stride, it's a page turner of a murderous action, thriller and mystery rolled into one.
The MC, Wei Wuxian, is the star that holds it all together. You can't help but fall in love with his mischief, lackadaisal arrogance, and enduring kindness. Seeing his character grow over the course of the novel is a treat. The highs he hits only makes the lows he falls to from his own hubris even more painful (and trust me. He falls low, and takes everyone around him down with him). He's also strongly situated as a character within a larger cast full of characters who are all interesting, loveable and frustrating in turns in their own rights. All the recurring characters are connected by a web of complex and unique relationships - emnity, sworn brotherhood, rivalry, servitude - that the story takes its time nurturing. And of course the relationship btwn Wei Wuxian and his love interest Lan Zhan as it grows over the decades, withstanding death, war, and time, is the one you root for the most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Homophobia and Incest
Minor: Rape
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