Reviews with content warning for Body horror - Heaven Official's Blessing - Light Novel, Band 01

I read some of the TGCF unofficial tl (p much just the contents of this volume), and already loved the story as it was... The translation team rly did a great job here bc this tl breathes so much life into it! It feels like a brand new story! ^^

The main characters are absolutely incredible. I found myself endlessly charmed by everything Xie Lian does (´◡`ʃƪ) ! I'm alr a huge fan of San Lang, Fu Yao, & Nan Feng too... Truly couldn't ask for a better group of MCs. The dynamics & hidden feelings... It's all so juicy!! 😩

As for the story... What can I say! It's off to such a great start, with just enough hints to keep me intrigued as to just what Xie Lian's been up to all this time / what awaits him in the future ! Yet also dreading finding out haha...

looks directly at the story of General Hua... T_T

I did take off half a star bc I feel like the Banyue arc drags just a bit... But other than that, really enjoyed!
As TGCF is the only MXTX novel I didn't get to finish before Seven Seas picked them up, I'm very excited to see where this story goes !

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veronikav's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

TGCF is probably the best of the first volumes of MXTX's works that just came out in English. This volume covers the Banyue arc and ends around the same time as the donghua so if you've seen it, you might think there's not much new here but actually reading it is much different to having seen the animation. MXTX's novels are great for their worldbuilding and that is showcased very well in TGCF. Her style of writing is a bit less conventional for people who aren't already used to the web novel danmei genre - however it only takes a little bit of getting used to.

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birdy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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jijelly's review against another edition

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funny mysterious relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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aardwyrm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I went in having seen the show already and so there weren't many surprises in this first volume, but I got all the sweet, weird, fantastical nonsense I knew would be waiting for me, and that's all I wanted. Yes, the translation is a little clumsy in places, but it's inevitable. I also really liked the references at the back. I'm still learning the ins and outs of the genre and a lot gets, well, lost in translation.

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annir's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think that if you're a person who believes that books that do more "telling" than "showing" are bad, you probably won't like this book. But I really enjoyed the translation and honestly I am dumb and miss things easily in TV shows so I really enjoyed having everything explained really simply because now I understand what happened in the Sinner Pit in the show. And I don't know, it's full of fun adventure, ghost stuff, gay longing, and really funny dialogue. Like, I came for a good time and got it.

Also that whole conversation San Lang and Xie Lian have at the end about Xie Lian's desire to protect common people and San Lang saying that it's a foolish but incredibly brave thing to say was so lovely to read. And sprinkled on top of that San Lang trying to see if Xie Lian would like him if he were ugly? I cry.

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yuuzel's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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