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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
Благословение небожителей, том 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
5 reviews
mxpringle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Minor: Sexual content
aromarrie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
this is only the second volume in this series and already i can see how much the author has put into it, how epic it really is. i loved how in this volume, not only did we get to explore the chaos of Ghost City where hua cheng presides over, but we get to know more about xie lian and his complicated history, as well as how tangled certain relationships he has with other characters have become. there's so much that goes on in this one volume alone that i worry i haven't fully retained all that had happened, reveals coming to light that only confused me further as i got through the story, only to then become even more twisted as those same reveals are uncovered to have had more hidden truths lying inside. the history with xie lian and his former home in the Kingdom of Xianle is one with a lot of twists & turns as i already saw in volume one, but to learn more about the events building up to the fall of the Kingdom through a first-hand account once we reach the second arch of the volume, it was mind-blowing.
i really genuinely love the author's writing in here, i love how they talk about these characters and their backstories and doesn't shy away from depicting some of the most violent events to occur and the most lively. there's some more characters we get to know more from the first volume, such as the Lord Wind Master, aka shi qingxuan, and feng xin & mu qing, who in terms of the latter pair served under xie lian centuries ago. the series is so funny at times, it's bizarre, and i think shi qingxuan really helped to make this volume feel more spirited, it was really lovely getting to know more about them; interesting, too, because we even get to learn more how gender roles work among these gods who are worshipped by their followers in the Mortal Realm, and to see how that affected the way shi qingxuan expresses themself and switches between genders often due to certain ideals among mortals added a depth to this rich fantasy that i really.
i also enjoyed seeing feng xin & mu qing more on page as it was hard to get a read of them in the first volume and it's still a little hard to read about them now; but to see how complex their characters really are, and to actually see with my own eyes how their relationships with xie lian were affected by the passage of time, it was so brilliant the way the author explored them. mu qing seems the most suspicious in how much he easily seems to find pleasure in xie lian's misfortunes now that the former technically precedes the latter in heavenly roles after all these years; but with the second arch of the story, i feel it's not so simple of an assumption to make and there's much more behind the tension of that specific dynamic.
there were some new characters revealed, such as qi rong and honghong-er that really shook up the story at times, especially the latter, so i'm looking more forward to their roles in this series. qi rong still had a big impact in the story that was alluded to the first volume but in here, he's even more of a menace who has his own share of reveals that really shook up the story and left me feeling unsettled due to his crazed nature. on that front, xie lian has been on a journey where he genuinely likes to see the good potential that those around him may have but in the case with qi rong, the two's connection and long history as it's uncovered really tests xie lian and what he does in this story, which is pretty shocking but intriguing nonetheless.
the connection between honghong-er and hua cheng is very uncanny in a sense, something that has been unspoken up to this point and i can only really guess at. just seeing the possibility that the two might actually have a tie makes the relationship that xie lian & hua cheng share in the present feel as if there's even more history that xie lian isn't aware of, and it completely reshapes everything i've read of the two since the beginning. honghong-er is this child from xie lian's past who is the root behind some of the misfortunes that come to light once he appears, and once we dig into this past, so many of the details and the knowledge that honghong-er was like a symbol of doom as prophecied through divination from another character made the possible connection to hua cheng, a surpreme ghost who is feared by the heavens due to his terrifying nature feel even more enlightening; i really look forward to seeing the author explore that possible connection a little further.
i think xie lian & hua cheng's relationship overall is definitely worthy of the mass attention it's garnered among readers and if my suspicions are correct, their story really is something epic that has spanned far longer than even xie lian is aware of, and that excites me greatly. ultimately, yeah, i'm glad to have the next volume in my hands at the moment so it looks like i'll immediately be jumping forward with it soon. in the meantime, i have to really question if maybe i should reread this series right after just finishing with it once i get there because there's so much to unpack, but i'm loving all of it so it'll be a good time.
i really genuinely love the author's writing in here, i love how they talk about these characters and their backstories and doesn't shy away from depicting some of the most violent events to occur and the most lively. there's some more characters we get to know more from the first volume, such as the Lord Wind Master, aka shi qingxuan, and feng xin & mu qing, who in terms of the latter pair served under xie lian centuries ago. the series is so funny at times, it's bizarre, and i think shi qingxuan really helped to make this volume feel more spirited, it was really lovely getting to know more about them; interesting, too, because we even get to learn more how gender roles work among these gods who are worshipped by their followers in the Mortal Realm, and to see how that affected the way shi qingxuan expresses themself and switches between genders often due to certain ideals among mortals added a depth to this rich fantasy that i really.
i also enjoyed seeing feng xin & mu qing more on page as it was hard to get a read of them in the first volume and it's still a little hard to read about them now; but to see how complex their characters really are, and to actually see with my own eyes how their relationships with xie lian were affected by the passage of time, it was so brilliant the way the author explored them. mu qing seems the most suspicious in how much he easily seems to find pleasure in xie lian's misfortunes now that the former technically precedes the latter in heavenly roles after all these years; but with the second arch of the story, i feel it's not so simple of an assumption to make and there's much more behind the tension of that specific dynamic.
there were some new characters revealed, such as qi rong and honghong-er that really shook up the story at times, especially the latter, so i'm looking more forward to their roles in this series. qi rong still had a big impact in the story that was alluded to the first volume but in here, he's even more of a menace who has his own share of reveals that really shook up the story and left me feeling unsettled due to his crazed nature. on that front, xie lian has been on a journey where he genuinely likes to see the good potential that those around him may have but in the case with qi rong, the two's connection and long history as it's uncovered really tests xie lian and what he does in this story, which is pretty shocking but intriguing nonetheless.
the connection between honghong-er and hua cheng is very uncanny in a sense, something that has been unspoken up to this point and i can only really guess at. just seeing the possibility that the two might actually have a tie makes the relationship that xie lian & hua cheng share in the present feel as if there's even more history that xie lian isn't aware of, and it completely reshapes everything i've read of the two since the beginning. honghong-er is this child from xie lian's past who is the root behind some of the misfortunes that come to light once he appears, and once we dig into this past, so many of the details and the knowledge that honghong-er was like a symbol of doom as prophecied through divination from another character made the possible connection to hua cheng, a surpreme ghost who is feared by the heavens due to his terrifying nature feel even more enlightening; i really look forward to seeing the author explore that possible connection a little further.
i think xie lian & hua cheng's relationship overall is definitely worthy of the mass attention it's garnered among readers and if my suspicions are correct, their story really is something epic that has spanned far longer than even xie lian is aware of, and that excites me greatly. ultimately, yeah, i'm glad to have the next volume in my hands at the moment so it looks like i'll immediately be jumping forward with it soon. in the meantime, i have to really question if maybe i should reread this series right after just finishing with it once i get there because there's so much to unpack, but i'm loving all of it so it'll be a good time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
squinnittowinit's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Xiè Lián continues to be a wonderful main character, kind and thoughtful no matter what's happening around him. His unlucky nature leads to quite a bit of hilarity even in the midst of the very serious situations he finds himself in.
Huā Chéng is funny and entertaining in his own way as he casually meddles once again in the affairs of the heavenly realm.
Huā Chéng is funny and entertaining in his own way as he casually meddles once again in the affairs of the heavenly realm.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Mental illness, Violence, Gore, Murder, Child death, Cannibalism, Child abuse, and Cursing
Moderate: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Hate crime, Death, and Confinement
Minor: War, Abandonment, Transphobia, Self harm, Grief, and Kidnapping
atlanticgiantpumpkin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, and War
Moderate: Genocide, Bullying, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Outing, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Torture, and Dysphoria
cait's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
"Right or wrong is very important. If I must choose, then I choose the third path."
It's hard to discuss Volume 2 of Heaven Official's Blessing without spoiling Volume 1. We continue to follow Xie Lian immediately after the events of the first book - as expected, since this was a serialized web novel that has now been split into multiple books as opposed to an actual series written in parts and over an extended period of time. The Crown Prince is still dealing with the consequences of his actions at Banyue Pass when the Emperor asks him to complete a secretive mission to rescue a missing heavenly official who was least heard from outside of the ghost city run by Hua Cheng. Xie Lian is the only person the Emperor thinks can a) be trusted and b) survive a potential run-in with Hua Cheng during the course of the investigation.
I loved this book almost as much as the first one. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian have the best interactions - who knew rolling dice could be so hot?! - and the second half of the novel is finally diving into Xie Lian's backstory from before he ascended the first time, giving us our very first opportunity to really get to know Mu Qing and Feng Xin and the tumultuousness of their relationship from the start. That, along with the introduction of Rong Rong, has me excited to learn more about how we got to this point with Xie Lian's good luck turned bad (I have theories), Mu Qing's seeming hatred of Xie Lian, Feng Xin's seeming indifference towards Xie Lian, and what exactly drove Hua Cheng to be Hua Cheng.
As ever, the character interactions are second to none, the dialogue is hilarious, and the story-telling maintains all of Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù's signature wit and skill. My only complaint is that I really, really wanted more Hua Cheng, which leads to the fact that I am so excited for Volume 3!
It's hard to discuss Volume 2 of Heaven Official's Blessing without spoiling Volume 1. We continue to follow Xie Lian immediately after the events of the first book - as expected, since this was a serialized web novel that has now been split into multiple books as opposed to an actual series written in parts and over an extended period of time. The Crown Prince is still dealing with the consequences of his actions at Banyue Pass when the Emperor asks him to complete a secretive mission to rescue a missing heavenly official who was least heard from outside of the ghost city run by Hua Cheng. Xie Lian is the only person the Emperor thinks can a) be trusted and b) survive a potential run-in with Hua Cheng during the course of the investigation.
I loved this book almost as much as the first one. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian have the best interactions - who knew rolling dice could be so hot?! - and the second half of the novel is finally diving into Xie Lian's backstory from before he ascended the first time, giving us our very first opportunity to really get to know Mu Qing and Feng Xin and the tumultuousness of their relationship from the start. That, along with the introduction of Rong Rong, has me excited to learn more about how we got to this point with Xie Lian's good luck turned bad (I have theories), Mu Qing's seeming hatred of Xie Lian, Feng Xin's seeming indifference towards Xie Lian, and what exactly drove Hua Cheng to be Hua Cheng.
As ever, the character interactions are second to none, the dialogue is hilarious, and the story-telling maintains all of Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù's signature wit and skill. My only complaint is that I really, really wanted more Hua Cheng, which leads to the fact that I am so excited for Volume 3!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, War, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment
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