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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3,5/5 when it comes to the enemies to lovers trope it accomplished what it promised however i found the first half to be quite boring and i actually read the second half while being drunk so it kinda felt like a fever dream
adventurous
challenging
funny
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:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
This book was such a refreshing danmei read.
If you struggle with reading translated books, fear not. They did such a good job that I never felt left out of the loop while characters were talking.
Also I loved the banter. Normally I have a hard time understanding what is meant when characters have a conversation that should be banter. But this felt like the author frfr wrote the banter in english. It was exhilarating to finally be giddy about EVERY interaction that the main characters had.
Also: the characters, especially Shen Zechuan, were just so interesting. What I normally hate about reading chinese novels are the unnecessary dumb af characters that just can’t seem to read the room and are just there to make the reading more comedic but are just annoying. This book does not do that. I think its because the author is someone who is capable of writing funny scenes without resorting to them. Most of the conversations the main characters have is fun. They are just so sarcastic and manipulative af that it is so much fun just to read them talking to each other.
Back to the characters being interesting. All of them are just realistic. I mean we do have some characters who are a bit slow and don’t really got much smarts but they are also portrayed in a realistic way. Even some side characters who we only get glimpses of have so much personality that i just loved reading about every one of them.
Another thing is the gatekeep, gaslight, girlbossing that the MCs are doing. Everything is just so gratifying to watch unfold and I love that this book does not do as much telling like other Chinese novels do. Instead the author shows us everything bit by bit, always revealing a bigger picture slowly.
Cannot wait to read further in this series.
If you struggle with reading translated books, fear not. They did such a good job that I never felt left out of the loop while characters were talking.
Also I loved the banter. Normally I have a hard time understanding what is meant when characters have a conversation that should be banter. But this felt like the author frfr wrote the banter in english. It was exhilarating to finally be giddy about EVERY interaction that the main characters had.
Also: the characters, especially Shen Zechuan, were just so interesting. What I normally hate about reading chinese novels are the unnecessary dumb af characters that just can’t seem to read the room and are just there to make the reading more comedic but are just annoying. This book does not do that. I think its because the author is someone who is capable of writing funny scenes without resorting to them. Most of the conversations the main characters have is fun. They are just so sarcastic and manipulative af that it is so much fun just to read them talking to each other.
Back to the characters being interesting. All of them are just realistic. I mean we do have some characters who are a bit slow and don’t really got much smarts but they are also portrayed in a realistic way. Even some side characters who we only get glimpses of have so much personality that i just loved reading about every one of them.
Another thing is the gatekeep, gaslight, girlbossing that the MCs are doing. Everything is just so gratifying to watch unfold and I love that this book does not do as much telling like other Chinese novels do. Instead the author shows us everything bit by bit, always revealing a bigger picture slowly.
Cannot wait to read further in this series.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I’ve read this book twice now. If you have any idea how big this book is then you know that it’s a labor of love to get through it twice. I absolutely love this book. I love the relationship between the main characters. Once they both fell for each other there was no going back. They didn’t care what others thought nor did they compromise their relationship for others. I loved how they both grew more mature and more confident in themselves, and each other. The plot was really well written and the end was tied with a little bow. Also the last steamy scene was crazy but so on par with who they are as a couple. The emotional parts of this gutted me to my core. You’ll know them when you get to them ( no spoilers). I cried so hard multiple times while reading this book. There is a side couple that develops that will make you feel things really deeply.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder
**some spoilers because this is just for me to remember the story**
Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye. Zechuan is exiled due to the blunder the nation faced after his father (adopted iirc) lost to this important war, and everyone thinks his father betrayed them to the enemy. Zechuan is locked in this tower or sumthing, but eventually finds himself hired by the court as one of sum kind of guards (can't be bothered to look up the names at this point haha).
Chiye hates Zechuan with a passion, maybe as much or even more than the general masses for what his father did. But by circumstance they keep on meeting and we get this enemies' banter/flirting between them for the most part of volume 1. i'm still kinda confused how that just came to happen ('cause i still can't fathom how you can flirt with someone you genuinely hate, unless the only reason here is Chiye finds Zechuan attractive and vice versa). but i guess i might find out more in volume 2?
there's also a lot of court intrigue involved and the reason why Chiye and Zechuan find themselves meeting again and again. i found that plotline more interesting than the romance at this point of the story.
Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye. Zechuan is exiled due to the blunder the nation faced after his father (adopted iirc) lost to this important war, and everyone thinks his father betrayed them to the enemy. Zechuan is locked in this tower or sumthing, but eventually finds himself hired by the court as one of sum kind of guards (can't be bothered to look up the names at this point haha).
Chiye hates Zechuan with a passion, maybe as much or even more than the general masses for what his father did. But by circumstance they keep on meeting and we get this enemies' banter/flirting between them for the most part of volume 1. i'm still kinda confused how that just came to happen ('cause i still can't fathom how you can flirt with someone you genuinely hate, unless the only reason here is Chiye finds Zechuan attractive and vice versa). but i guess i might find out more in volume 2?
there's also a lot of court intrigue involved and the reason why Chiye and Zechuan find themselves meeting again and again. i found that plotline more interesting than the romance at this point of the story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes