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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Already read this when it was an online translation and this is like one of my favorite danmei.
So this is a reread for me now that it is actually getting published... I was actually planning to do this reread once all the volumes are out but my friend started reading this on my rec and she kept messaging me about it and I am just one weak human...I cannot resist gushing about my favorite power couple lol
Anyway yeah, just expect fully 5 starts from me for this entire series, I will not hear any arguments on this!
This volume is the introduction to the setting, the major players and the whole plot kicking off, in fact I would say probably like 100-150 pages or so is just the prologue. The story reeeally starts after a five year time skip. And does it ever. There's political intrigue, assassinations, factions warring for power. I recently described the plot to someone and they said it sounded like game of thrones...and honestly? Yeah. It kinda is an ancient chinese game of thrones where you have different houses fighting for the throne of Qudu.
Our main protagonists are both victims of the constant power plays going on around them and they are set up to be bitter enemies. The thing that I love about this setup is that they are ACTUAL enemies-not rivals, not enemies due to a stupid misunderstanding and not because one of them is just evil (or an asshole). They are enemies because of the circumstances and because of the actual plot happening. They may have made things worse but they are just inherently set up as enemies.
Which makes it even better to see them become....well lovers -although they are still very much antagonistic at the end of this volume...
They actively spend time together (trying to figure out what the other is planning and if they are plotting against the other) and have to work at starting to...maybe not trust but work together in a "the enemy of my enemy" kinda way. And then along the way they get to find out that they're not actually bad people and have a lot in common...and that the whole circumstances they have found themselves in are not their fault.
It makes the progression of their romance really realistic and not like it comes out of nowhere.
Plus Xiao Chiye being constantly horny for Shen Lanzhou and being mortified about it is really funny.
So if you like really intricate palace intrigue and political machinachions along with one of THE best enemies to lovers to fucking BAMF power couple romances you will ever read...then I cannot recommend this series enough
So this is a reread for me now that it is actually getting published... I was actually planning to do this reread once all the volumes are out but my friend started reading this on my rec and she kept messaging me about it and I am just one weak human...I cannot resist gushing about my favorite power couple lol
Anyway yeah, just expect fully 5 starts from me for this entire series, I will not hear any arguments on this!
This volume is the introduction to the setting, the major players and the whole plot kicking off, in fact I would say probably like 100-150 pages or so is just the prologue. The story reeeally starts after a five year time skip. And does it ever. There's political intrigue, assassinations, factions warring for power. I recently described the plot to someone and they said it sounded like game of thrones...and honestly? Yeah. It kinda is an ancient chinese game of thrones where you have different houses fighting for the throne of Qudu.
Our main protagonists are both victims of the constant power plays going on around them and they are set up to be bitter enemies. The thing that I love about this setup is that they are ACTUAL enemies-not rivals, not enemies due to a stupid misunderstanding and not because one of them is just evil (or an asshole). They are enemies because of the circumstances and because of the actual plot happening. They may have made things worse but they are just inherently set up as enemies.
Which makes it even better to see them become....well lovers -although they are still very much antagonistic at the end of this volume...
They actively spend time together (trying to figure out what the other is planning and if they are plotting against the other) and have to work at starting to...maybe not trust but work together in a "the enemy of my enemy" kinda way. And then along the way they get to find out that they're not actually bad people and have a lot in common...and that the whole circumstances they have found themselves in are not their fault.
It makes the progression of their romance really realistic and not like it comes out of nowhere.
Plus Xiao Chiye being constantly horny for Shen Lanzhou and being mortified about it is really funny.
So if you like really intricate palace intrigue and political machinachions along with one of THE best enemies to lovers to fucking BAMF power couple romances you will ever read...then I cannot recommend this series enough
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
funny
mysterious
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
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:
No
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated