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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The world building!? Chefs kiss, I adore the steam punk vibes, action, and obviously the politics of this world, and the violet gold being the plot basically which is the substitute like for oil is hella interesting. Now Chang geng and Gu yun’s relationship is at the moment god father and son but obviously they’re the love interests, just not now with the whole age difference (and yes they ARE NOT BLOOD RELATED PEOPLE!!)
Now here we go peeps.. GU YUN!? I have so many comments on this mf it’s insane I love that monocle ass guy! Also he’s disabled but can lead an army from such a young age? Crazy to me and he’s been through it
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-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
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
funny
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia
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:
No
adventurous
funny
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
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Oh, but this was so GOOD! This book reads as a LOT more complex than what I remember of MDZS. For one, the worldbuilding is MUCH more thorough than the world of MDZS, which had enough details in it to build a sense of what it’s like in the reader’s head, but certainly not to the same detail as this book. While it’s set in a fictional China, this book goes beyond China’s borders to show its connection to fictional versions of Central Asia, Europe, and Japan.
And in line with that expansion of the world, the plot and the themes expand as well. While this volume contains elements of mystery and court intrigue, the main bulk of the plot (in this volume anyway) is centered on the resource called violet gold (which reads like a stand-in for crude oil) and the ways Great Liang has attempted to secure its supply of the resource. Those methods include soft and hard controls of the market, but notably, it includes colonial subjugation of a region where the resource is most abundant. That latter bit makes for some interesting thoughts if one is a reader for whom such a theme is of interest, especially given how one character in particular states that, if it were up to them, they would go on a colonial-expansionist project in order to ensure the safety and stability of Great Liang.
While all of those are weighty and complex topics, this series is still firmly in the danmei genre, as shown by the relationship between Gu Yun and Chang Geng, whose relationship is a bit more nuanced and complex in its portrayal than that between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. There are plenty of silly moments, of course, and more than a few times I facepalmed (in a good way) at their dynamic, but while it’s clear that they are the main romantic couple of this series, their relationship is not as clear-cut as the main couple in MDSZ.
Overall, this was an excellent read: a step up in terms of style, narrative, and thematic concerns compared to MDZS, while still remaining within the ambit danmei as a genre. I am not entirely sure if this difference is a result of the authors’ specific skills and styles, or if it is a result of their respective translators, but regardless, this volume certainly shows that priest is entirely capable of doing some very good worldbuilding while weaving a complex plot, as well as working with equally complex themes. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the next volume, as well as for priest’s other works, because I think that her writing might just be the kind I really enjoy.
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes