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4.53 AVERAGE
4.53 AVERAGE
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
Inicio: 21 de Diciembre 2019 - 17 capítulos (pausa)
Continué: 26 de Abril 2020 - 2 de Mayo 2020 (18 - 125)
Continué: 26 de Abril 2020 - 2 de Mayo 2020 (18 - 125)
This review is for the fan translation.
I finished the book in a week which, considering it's 477K and I was working normal hours, is pretty well done. And I liked it. Quite a lot, in fact.
There were places that made me blink and think a bit harder what the idea behind the wording was but in general, it was a pleasant reading. I mean, I have read origific written native English speakers and had way worse reading experiences. Could it be better? Well, of course it could, but it's a fan work by volunteers and translated by a high schooler.
Things I liked:
The novel gave me a lot more of the characters than the drama ever let on which was of course because of censors but also because of the switching POV. It was sometimes a bit jarring but that's a style issue. The internal monologues were sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes info dumps. I mean, I still don't like Jiang Cheng, but I can understand his POV slightly more. Barely. He's still a bully.
And holy shit the worldbuilding. Yes, if I stopped to think about it while watching (which I didn't, obvs), I could see that the cultivator sects lived their lives and the "normal" people lived totally separate lives and the two groups had zero to nothing in common. And now that I'm done with the novel, I can't help thinking, what if... what do the common people think about the cultivators? Are they god-like because they strive for immortality? Are some cultivators like godly godfathers the common people tell their grandchildren? Hmm...
Things I didn't like:
Jiang Yanli was a washed-out wallpaper who barely had enough strength to fling a flower at Wei Wuxian when he rode by. I honestly didn't understand how I was supposed to believe she was SO important to Wei Wuxian when her presence was nonexistent. Yes, she made soup. And? In the drama, she had at least a bit of personality and she trained with her brothers. Not much, but some. In the book, the only time she grew a backbone was when she defended Wei Wuxian in the Phoenix Mountain hunting event.
Wen Qing was supposed to be a powerful individual of the Wen sect inner circle and...we got pretty much nothing until she was a starving beggar pleading Wei Wuxian for help to find her brother. In the drama, she's a force to be reckoned with, in the novel... not so much. Why?
Other... Yeah. Don't get me started on the porn. I mean, there's nothing wrong with rape fantasies (there's a reason why they are so popular) but the author isn't perhaps the most fluent porn writer and the fact that the translator was highschooler at the time probably didn't help. Just... Yeah, magic, I know. But Lan Wangji rawing Wei Wuxian's virginal ass for over an hour without lube... just...that's not how anuses work. Honestly. *sigh*
And speaking of honesty: I would've much rather read an extra about what the hell happened to Wei Wuxian in the Burial Mounds during those three months than read more and oh, even more rape dreams. Sheesh. Yeah, the extras were mostly cute and underlined the fluff and love WWX and LWJ immersed themselves in after everything was said and done but I don't think they really added much to the story? I would've been happy with the main story ending.
All in all, it was easy reading, the story was intriguing, I loved the humor and the knives, I liked Wei Wuxian's voice, and I loved seeing glimpses of feral Lang Wangji (wouldn't have said no to seeing him in the drama but alas). I'd like to congratulate the drama creators for being able to bring so much of the novel to the screen even with all the dancing around the censorship. I mean, drunk Lang Wangji carving their names on the wall (and leaving out the kiss faces mentioned in the novel), or him binding their hands together with his headband (without pointing out that it's literally handfasting = marriage).
I finished the book in a week which, considering it's 477K and I was working normal hours, is pretty well done. And I liked it. Quite a lot, in fact.
There were places that made me blink and think a bit harder what the idea behind the wording was but in general, it was a pleasant reading. I mean, I have read origific written native English speakers and had way worse reading experiences. Could it be better? Well, of course it could, but it's a fan work by volunteers and translated by a high schooler.
Things I liked:
Spoiler
The backstories and how the characters were more than just black-and-white marionettes. They had motivations and reasons for what they did––or sometimes they didn't! Sometimes bad things happened just because. Yes, there were Grand Nefarious Plans but there were also things that happened out of pure spite and then other people got caught in the mess and it all turned out way bigger than it originally was ever meant to be and it was fucking awesome. Chaos!The novel gave me a lot more of the characters than the drama ever let on which was of course because of censors but also because of the switching POV. It was sometimes a bit jarring but that's a style issue. The internal monologues were sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious, and sometimes info dumps. I mean, I still don't like Jiang Cheng, but I can understand his POV slightly more. Barely. He's still a bully.
And holy shit the worldbuilding. Yes, if I stopped to think about it while watching (which I didn't, obvs), I could see that the cultivator sects lived their lives and the "normal" people lived totally separate lives and the two groups had zero to nothing in common. And now that I'm done with the novel, I can't help thinking, what if... what do the common people think about the cultivators? Are they god-like because they strive for immortality? Are some cultivators like godly godfathers the common people tell their grandchildren? Hmm...
Things I didn't like:
Spoiler
The women. Or how there were none.Jiang Yanli was a washed-out wallpaper who barely had enough strength to fling a flower at Wei Wuxian when he rode by. I honestly didn't understand how I was supposed to believe she was SO important to Wei Wuxian when her presence was nonexistent. Yes, she made soup. And? In the drama, she had at least a bit of personality and she trained with her brothers. Not much, but some. In the book, the only time she grew a backbone was when she defended Wei Wuxian in the Phoenix Mountain hunting event.
Wen Qing was supposed to be a powerful individual of the Wen sect inner circle and...we got pretty much nothing until she was a starving beggar pleading Wei Wuxian for help to find her brother. In the drama, she's a force to be reckoned with, in the novel... not so much. Why?
Other... Yeah. Don't get me started on the porn. I mean, there's nothing wrong with rape fantasies (there's a reason why they are so popular) but the author isn't perhaps the most fluent porn writer and the fact that the translator was highschooler at the time probably didn't help. Just... Yeah, magic, I know. But Lan Wangji rawing Wei Wuxian's virginal ass for over an hour without lube... just...that's not how anuses work. Honestly. *sigh*
And speaking of honesty: I would've much rather read an extra about what the hell happened to Wei Wuxian in the Burial Mounds during those three months than read more and oh, even more rape dreams. Sheesh. Yeah, the extras were mostly cute and underlined the fluff and love WWX and LWJ immersed themselves in after everything was said and done but I don't think they really added much to the story? I would've been happy with the main story ending.
All in all, it was easy reading, the story was intriguing, I loved the humor and the knives, I liked Wei Wuxian's voice, and I loved seeing glimpses of feral Lang Wangji (wouldn't have said no to seeing him in the drama but alas). I'd like to congratulate the drama creators for being able to bring so much of the novel to the screen even with all the dancing around the censorship. I mean, drunk Lang Wangji carving their names on the wall (and leaving out the kiss faces mentioned in the novel), or him binding their hands together with his headband (without pointing out that it's literally handfasting = marriage).
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
3/5 stars
Update 2020:
For a while I was really into this novel (and some of its many adaptations) but truth be told after some time this novel didn’t age well in my eyes: from the non-linear choice of narration to the resolution of the story, I feel like it didn’t leave a mark on me as much as it did for everyone else (I also suspect that overexposure to EVERY type of adaptation of MDZS out there ended up with me being fed up with...well, everything.)
So, lowering my rating to 3 stars and leaving it at that mostly because I’m still fond of some of the characters and I liked the worldbuilding.
Update 2020:
For a while I was really into this novel (and some of its many adaptations) but truth be told after some time this novel didn’t age well in my eyes: from the non-linear choice of narration to the resolution of the story, I feel like it didn’t leave a mark on me as much as it did for everyone else (I also suspect that overexposure to EVERY type of adaptation of MDZS out there ended up with me being fed up with...well, everything.)
So, lowering my rating to 3 stars and leaving it at that mostly because I’m still fond of some of the characters and I liked the worldbuilding.
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
“He stood before the door for a long time, but he never left […]
Lan WangJi looked up behind him, his white robes and forehead ribbon fluttering in the cold wind.
The night had passed. The sun in the sky was about to rise.
And the sun on the ground was falling.”
Actual rating: ∞/5 (Goodreads needs a new rating system for this one)
A perfect story doesn't exi-
Oh, no it does and it is this one right here! I have never been this sad about a story ending that I legit dragged out finishing it over multiple days. And nothing I will write right now will do it any justice.
Where should I even begin? This 1756 page epos is not just your next BL love story. It's so much more. You are looking for a mind blowing fantasy world set in ancient China, with complex characters, badass fight scenes, political scheming, scenes that make you cry with laughter one moment and sadness the next and to top it all off has the most heart-wrenchingly sad, painful as well as beautiful love story, look no further, you have found it.
We follow a guy who is the smartest man ever who, while establishing a whole separate path of cultivation in an entire demon slaying cultivation world (hence the title of the book), cannot stop his mouth from saying the craziest things in any given moment, our beloved Wei WuXian. He is loyal to a degree that I haven't read about before (and I have read the gentleman bastards series) while being oh so hilarious and cocky!
He is the main character and we follow him through a significant chunk of his life, his hardships, his friendships, his downfall, his rise back up, solving mysteries, exorcising and slaying demons, saving his friends... Falling in love.
Enter: Lan WangJi. This man is... Perfect... At everything. Except communicating. And the fact that he's fallen head over heels for the crazy wildcard described above... Man, I know I've said this before but if you don't fall in love with Lan WangJi, then love isn't meant for you.
But it is not just out two main characters who are so carefully fleshed out, all the side characters are such magnificently detailed, complex characters with their own motivations, hardships, friendships and loyalties that despite the fact that I started out reading the book because of the two main characters, I laughed, cried and felt for all of them, Chian Cheng, the most misunderstood person in the book, Jin Ling the second most misunderstood character, Wen Ning with his heart of gold, Jin GuangYao, a character so grey, I still can’t make my mind up about him, let me stop here or I will just end up listing every single one of them.
However, let me praise one last one, the unsung hero, the true MVP of this story, Lan XiChen. Everyone who knows knows and everyone who doesn’t, trust me on this one.
What truly blew me away was the world building. While it is complex, it is also easy to understand (I sometimes feel as if you need a degree in Chinese history to understand some Chinese fantasy worlds, not necessary with this one). The magic system blends in perfectly with the concept of the martial arts heroes that most Wuxia/ Xianxia stories are based around.
If you feel like this tomb of a book is too much, then please, do yourself the favour and watch the perfection that is the live action adaptation on Netflix (The Untamed). It is beautiful and there is nothing more I can say.
Also, I had the hardest time picking a quote for this review, so have another one!
One last thing I have to bring up is the fact that this is of course a translated work and there is not yet an official translation for this. Most people are recommending the translation of Exiled Rebels Scanlations, which is also the one I read because it is the only translation that is completed as of yet. The translation does read a bit amature-ish at times, however this is a completely free translation on the internet and I do admire the translators for their hard work. Since it isn’t official I don’t think it is fair to let it influence the rating of this book. However, if you do not intend to read this book in one go but are totally fine waiting for some updates, there is currently a second translation in the works by Fanyiyi (check out NovelUpdates, it is very easy to find there), which strikes me as being excellent quality!
If you are looking for one heck of a ride, hop in, buckle up and let the WangXian love story sweep you away into this fantastical world! See you on the other side!
Lan WangJi looked up behind him, his white robes and forehead ribbon fluttering in the cold wind.
The night had passed. The sun in the sky was about to rise.
And the sun on the ground was falling.”
Actual rating: ∞/5 (Goodreads needs a new rating system for this one)
A perfect story doesn't exi-
Oh, no it does and it is this one right here! I have never been this sad about a story ending that I legit dragged out finishing it over multiple days. And nothing I will write right now will do it any justice.
Where should I even begin? This 1756 page epos is not just your next BL love story. It's so much more. You are looking for a mind blowing fantasy world set in ancient China, with complex characters, badass fight scenes, political scheming, scenes that make you cry with laughter one moment and sadness the next and to top it all off has the most heart-wrenchingly sad, painful as well as beautiful love story, look no further, you have found it.
We follow a guy who is the smartest man ever who, while establishing a whole separate path of cultivation in an entire demon slaying cultivation world (hence the title of the book), cannot stop his mouth from saying the craziest things in any given moment, our beloved Wei WuXian. He is loyal to a degree that I haven't read about before (and I have read the gentleman bastards series) while being oh so hilarious and cocky!
He is the main character and we follow him through a significant chunk of his life, his hardships, his friendships, his downfall, his rise back up, solving mysteries, exorcising and slaying demons, saving his friends... Falling in love.
Enter: Lan WangJi. This man is... Perfect... At everything. Except communicating. And the fact that he's fallen head over heels for the crazy wildcard described above... Man, I know I've said this before but if you don't fall in love with Lan WangJi, then love isn't meant for you.
But it is not just out two main characters who are so carefully fleshed out, all the side characters are such magnificently detailed, complex characters with their own motivations, hardships, friendships and loyalties that despite the fact that I started out reading the book because of the two main characters, I laughed, cried and felt for all of them, Chian Cheng, the most misunderstood person in the book, Jin Ling the second most misunderstood character, Wen Ning with his heart of gold, Jin GuangYao, a character so grey, I still can’t make my mind up about him, let me stop here or I will just end up listing every single one of them.
However, let me praise one last one, the unsung hero, the true MVP of this story, Lan XiChen. Everyone who knows knows and everyone who doesn’t, trust me on this one.
What truly blew me away was the world building. While it is complex, it is also easy to understand (I sometimes feel as if you need a degree in Chinese history to understand some Chinese fantasy worlds, not necessary with this one). The magic system blends in perfectly with the concept of the martial arts heroes that most Wuxia/ Xianxia stories are based around.
If you feel like this tomb of a book is too much, then please, do yourself the favour and watch the perfection that is the live action adaptation on Netflix (The Untamed). It is beautiful and there is nothing more I can say.
Also, I had the hardest time picking a quote for this review, so have another one!
One last thing I have to bring up is the fact that this is of course a translated work and there is not yet an official translation for this. Most people are recommending the translation of Exiled Rebels Scanlations, which is also the one I read because it is the only translation that is completed as of yet. The translation does read a bit amature-ish at times, however this is a completely free translation on the internet and I do admire the translators for their hard work. Since it isn’t official I don’t think it is fair to let it influence the rating of this book. However, if you do not intend to read this book in one go but are totally fine waiting for some updates, there is currently a second translation in the works by Fanyiyi (check out NovelUpdates, it is very easy to find there), which strikes me as being excellent quality!
If you are looking for one heck of a ride, hop in, buckle up and let the WangXian love story sweep you away into this fantastical world! See you on the other side!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
梦开始的地方