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Reviews tagging 'Murder'
Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
28 reviews
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 ‘Rolling Dice With Heated Stares And Soft Touches’ Stars! *fans myself again*
My Brief Summary:
Off to the Ghost City we go! Xie Lian is given a task by the heavenly officials, which he is more than happy to go on if it means the chance to possibly see his new/old friend San Lang aka Hua Cheng, who rules over the city and is one of the four calamities and a supreme ghost. The Ghost City (as its name suggests) holds all kinds of ghosts with trouble that may come in between him completing his mission.
Xie Lian has been warned of Hua Cheng, but when the two are together, no one can deny how different Crimson Rain Sought Flower is to our prince than to anyone else. Will Xie Lian be able to complete his mission? What happens when a familiar boy with bandages appears again? What other difficulties will arise? What lies between Hua Cheng’s and Xie Lian’s chemistry and connection?
Thoughts:
Oh my! Our slow burn continues on, and I am obsessed with HuaLian! Just when I thought Hua Cheng would take awhile to come back, he didn’t leave us or Xie Lian waiting for long! Can’t keep these two apart, and I am grateful for it.
Let’s dive into the good stuff.
What we get:
-GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS ART!
-Wacky ghosts
-Sensual gambling (with adorable half eaten buns as a prize for one fine gentleman in particular)
-Oblivious companions
-Interior design conversations (iykyk - just live together!!)
-The reverse Ariana Grande ‘You want it, you got it!’ from Hua Cheng to Xie Lian
-The introduction to a scimitar named Eming
-Low-key High-key innuendos everywhere
-Side character shenanigans
-Fighting scenes
-Shoulder touches/massage
-A heartbreaking and lovely bandaged boy that is basically adopted by Xie Lian and us (readers)
-Moments where those who have a degradation kink might really enjoy :):)
-Tomfoolery everywhere
-Painful scenes
-HuaLian moments too pure for words that are just enough, but never enough!
Characters
>Xie Lian: An angel and a badass rolled into one being! He either doesn’t give an f*ck what others think, will fight his beliefs, is self-sacrificing, or just shooting (unknown to himself) heart-eyes at Hua Cheng. There is no in betweens for me when it comes to him.
>Hua Cheng: The ‘I hate everyone but you’ energy is so strong with him, and I eat up every moment of it. HC is a simp in the purest sense, and I hope you never change! Also I am, respectfully, in love with you.
This story is primarily adventure based, but gets really emotional, funny, dark, mysterious and inspiring! I can’t wait to see what lies in store for our main characters, and for the readers!
P.s. If you can’t find me, it’s because I’m still rolling around laughing on the ground after Xie Lian said he can’t get erect to a random stranger. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Would I recommend this and to who:
Yes!! For those who loveeee a good slow burn!
And you better love it or fear the wrath of us HuaLian simps (primarily maya and anmol will bring the hellfire)!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Paperback
How did I discover this:
anmol!! maya, lila and I get to tagalong for the adventure and fall in love with the volumes more and more as we go!
Pace:
Medium
POV:
Xie Lian
Quotes:
”Hua Cheng chuckled lighting” … “Xie Lian’s heart skipped a beat”
“Whether you’re here to see me or not, I’m happy either way.”
“A home has a family. A place where someone lives alone is not a home … if it’s home, then even a small place like Puqi Shrine is a million times better than my Paradise Manor.”
“If you ask, I’ll deliver”
“fight me and you will surely die.”
“Does that mean everytime I roll a two, I can see you?” … “If you want to see me, it won’t matter what you roll. I will appear.”
“The moment Hua Cheng left, Xie Lian immediately sense the void behind him and turned around in a rush, running a few steps after him.”
“Those who are destined to shine, I must let them shine.”
“If one day I ascend, I will surely do all that I said today and become a power to behold!”
Triggers:
Violence, Gore, Blood, Injury, Body Horror, Death, Abuse, Torture, Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Swearing, War/Battles, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Illness, Bullying, Toxic Relationships, etc.
_______________________________
Here for the “plot” and “story-building” 🤭 yup that's what I'm invested in!
BR with the babes - anmol, maya and lila
My Brief Summary:
Off to the Ghost City we go! Xie Lian is given a task by the heavenly officials, which he is more than happy to go on if it means the chance to possibly see his new/old friend San Lang aka Hua Cheng, who rules over the city and is one of the four calamities and a supreme ghost. The Ghost City (as its name suggests) holds all kinds of ghosts with trouble that may come in between him completing his mission.
Xie Lian has been warned of Hua Cheng, but when the two are together, no one can deny how different Crimson Rain Sought Flower is to our prince than to anyone else. Will Xie Lian be able to complete his mission? What happens when a familiar boy with bandages appears again? What other difficulties will arise? What lies between Hua Cheng’s and Xie Lian’s chemistry and connection?
Thoughts:
Oh my! Our slow burn continues on, and I am obsessed with HuaLian! Just when I thought Hua Cheng would take awhile to come back, he didn’t leave us or Xie Lian waiting for long! Can’t keep these two apart, and I am grateful for it.
Let’s dive into the good stuff.
What we get:
-GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS ART!
-Wacky ghosts
-Sensual gambling (with adorable half eaten buns as a prize for one fine gentleman in particular)
-Oblivious companions
-Interior design conversations (iykyk - just live together!!)
-The reverse Ariana Grande ‘You want it, you got it!’ from Hua Cheng to Xie Lian
-The introduction to a scimitar named Eming
-Low-key High-key innuendos everywhere
-Side character shenanigans
-Fighting scenes
-Shoulder touches/massage
-A heartbreaking and lovely bandaged boy that is basically adopted by Xie Lian and us (readers)
-Moments where those who have a degradation kink might really enjoy :):)
-Tomfoolery everywhere
-Painful scenes
-HuaLian moments too pure for words that are just enough, but never enough!
Characters
>Xie Lian: An angel and a badass rolled into one being! He either doesn’t give an f*ck what others think, will fight his beliefs, is self-sacrificing, or just shooting (unknown to himself) heart-eyes at Hua Cheng. There is no in betweens for me when it comes to him.
>Hua Cheng: The ‘I hate everyone but you’ energy is so strong with him, and I eat up every moment of it. HC is a simp in the purest sense, and I hope you never change! Also I am, respectfully, in love with you.
This story is primarily adventure based, but gets really emotional, funny, dark, mysterious and inspiring! I can’t wait to see what lies in store for our main characters, and for the readers!
P.s. If you can’t find me, it’s because I’m still rolling around laughing on the ground after Xie Lian said he can’t get erect to a random stranger. BYEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Would I recommend this and to who:
Yes!! For those who loveeee a good slow burn!
And you better love it or fear the wrath of us HuaLian simps (primarily maya and anmol will bring the hellfire)!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Paperback
How did I discover this:
anmol!! maya, lila and I get to tagalong for the adventure and fall in love with the volumes more and more as we go!
Pace:
Medium
POV:
Xie Lian
Quotes:
”Hua Cheng chuckled lighting” … “Xie Lian’s heart skipped a beat”
“Whether you’re here to see me or not, I’m happy either way.”
“A home has a family. A place where someone lives alone is not a home … if it’s home, then even a small place like Puqi Shrine is a million times better than my Paradise Manor.”
“If you ask, I’ll deliver”
“fight me and you will surely die.”
“Does that mean everytime I roll a two, I can see you?” … “If you want to see me, it won’t matter what you roll. I will appear.”
“The moment Hua Cheng left, Xie Lian immediately sense the void behind him and turned around in a rush, running a few steps after him.”
“Those who are destined to shine, I must let them shine.”
“If one day I ascend, I will surely do all that I said today and become a power to behold!”
Triggers:
Violence, Gore, Blood, Injury, Body Horror, Death, Abuse, Torture, Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Swearing, War/Battles, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Illness, Bullying, Toxic Relationships, etc.
_______________________________
Here for the “plot” and “story-building” 🤭 yup that's what I'm invested in!
BR with the babes - anmol, maya and lila
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood
Moderate: Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Murder
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Since the characters are for the majority hundreds of years old you can imagine that there is a lot of backstory. It seems that we got a nice chunk of a flashback of it in this volume.
In the previous volume this was handled more as telling history or sharing gossip which was amusing because of the lens it was told from. For the flashback it was more of a lived experience so not much humor.
I'm still enjoying the story and since it is predominantly character based with some "baddie-of-the-week" elements the previous experiences of a nigh immortal character are integral.
In the previous volume this was handled more as telling history or sharing gossip which was amusing because of the lens it was told from. For the flashback it was more of a lived experience so not much humor.
I'm still enjoying the story and since it is predominantly character based with some "baddie-of-the-week" elements the previous experiences of a nigh immortal character are integral.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, War, Classism
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was amazing (as is to be expected). I didn’t write a review when I first finished it so I don’t remember what I thought but I did enjoy it (I think). Although I still enjoy mdzs more this was still an enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
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
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: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Classism
Minor: Self harm, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abandonment, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
such an improvement over the first volume. this actually feels more like the story we should've been getting from the start as it is actually a story. the pacing, plot lines, and character exploration is much better in this installment rather than the previous.
it (mostly) moves past the arduous set up of volume one, while still introducing new plot threads and character information in an organic matter. this one had an actual plot within it that felt like a main story, even when it traveled in different directions. we begin to fill in the outline of xie lian, though much of hua cheng is still left a mystery. i will say it was nice to see him in his element inhis domain, ghost city the side characters are also finally important to the narrative and one actually kicks off another portion of the plot, that is very illuminating for our protagonist, and previously unseen antagonist green ghost, qi rong.
the misogynistic undertones that are present in the first book are largely absent from this one thankfully, but that's only really because there's no women here.
the reason for it getting a 4.0 is the fact that for the last hundred pages of this book (and the next TWO hundred pages of volume three) we're relegated to a clumsily introduced flashback arc. my issue with mo xiang tong xiu's writing is that she will introduce concepts very early on, and when she suddenly decides its relevant to the plot, she shoves you backwards into at least around a hundred pages of flashback exposition, and then immediately tries to pick backup where she left off. this doesn't mean i don't enjoy the flashbacks themselves per se, just i don't enjoy their ham-fisted inclusion, and often unnecessary and odd length. too detailed on things that don't matter, and a paragraph of exposition on things that do.see the beginning conversation during arc two with the state preceptor that could have been cut back, along with the descriptions of xie lian's clothes vs mentioning how he ascended for the first time in a short paragraph at the very end of the volume.
the nature of most web novels is that when they move to trad publishing they could use professional editors. mxtx is absolutely no exception to that, and i'm really beginning to understand why this is eight books long.
as a final, seemingly everpresent disclaimer, translation and related issues abound. please stop saying xie lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, i got it the first six times.
it (mostly) moves past the arduous set up of volume one, while still introducing new plot threads and character information in an organic matter. this one had an actual plot within it that felt like a main story, even when it traveled in different directions. we begin to fill in the outline of xie lian, though much of hua cheng is still left a mystery. i will say it was nice to see him in his element in
the misogynistic undertones that are present in the first book are largely absent from this one thankfully, but that's only really because there's no women here.
the reason for it getting a 4.0 is the fact that for the last hundred pages of this book (and the next TWO hundred pages of volume three) we're relegated to a clumsily introduced flashback arc. my issue with mo xiang tong xiu's writing is that she will introduce concepts very early on, and when she suddenly decides its relevant to the plot, she shoves you backwards into at least around a hundred pages of flashback exposition, and then immediately tries to pick backup where she left off. this doesn't mean i don't enjoy the flashbacks themselves per se, just i don't enjoy their ham-fisted inclusion, and often unnecessary and odd length. too detailed on things that don't matter, and a paragraph of exposition on things that do.
the nature of most web novels is that when they move to trad publishing they could use professional editors. mxtx is absolutely no exception to that, and i'm really beginning to understand why this is eight books long.
as a final, seemingly everpresent disclaimer, translation and related issues abound. please stop saying xie lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, i got it the first six times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail