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4.53 AVERAGE
4.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
Honestly, I had a really hard time figuring out my thoughts about this series. And I figured it's because it has some really strong points, while at the same time some really weak ones.
I'll start with the positives:
This series has some amazing characters. They're well thought out, have very complex dynamics and relationships, and even if you don't like them, as time goes on you begin to understand the characters and their motivations even more. Our main character seems very straight forward in the beginning, and as events come to pass (or are revealed with flashbacks) you start learning his more subtle characteristics, and the stuff he keeps hidden from others. His relationship with Lan Wangji is amazing, and fun to read about, their devotion and interactions are a really big positive in the series.
I'll also say it has some amazingly ccomplex relationship between our main character and his brother, one that gets super interesting to read about. It became one of my favorite siblings dynamics that I've read.
Now to the negatives:
This is what bothered me the most about the story, and really affected my rating and view of it, the series has some really bizarre pacing. The author suddenly starts these extremely long, mildly out of place flashbacks, that makes it feel like you started a different story in the middle of the book/present conflict. This gave the series some really strange pacing issues. Since this is the first danmei I've read it might be a staple of the genre that I'm still not used to, but it definitely harmed the series in my eyes.
We spend hundreds of pages slowly finding crumbles of clues about the plot and story, just to suddenly reveal everything all at once during one scene in the final book. including a secret second "villain", the intricacies of the main villain, the "conclusion" of the romance, the talk with Jiang Cheng . This made the reveals feel rushed and honestly a little underwhelming.
Besides the bizarre pacing, the other negative for me is that the women in the series are surprisingly very badly written. Again, this might be common in danmeis, so I am kind of giving it the benefit of the doubt, and agreeing that people aren't coming to this series expecting great female characters. But it is still very disappointing to see an author that exceeds so much at character building, being this dismissive and sloppy about their female characters.
Now, to some more neutral points:
After a few days thinking about it, I realized that what might've bothered me about the series, is that it has some amazing characters, but kind of a weak/left aside plot.
Most of the better points and reveals are strictly about character dynamics and back stories, and not about the plot.
Thought I did really enjoy most of the reveals, (some catching me completely off guard) the series is definitely for people who enjoy character focused stories, instead of more balanced or more plot focused stories.
And lastly, the author has a pretty distinctive writing style. It feels very informal, which makes the series quite easy to read. I did enjoy it, and I'm kind of curious to see if this is just a writing style common in danmei, Chinese books in general, or just this authors particular style.
Overall this is a fun story with high highs, and low lows.
I'll start with the positives:
This series has some amazing characters. They're well thought out, have very complex dynamics and relationships, and even if you don't like them, as time goes on you begin to understand the characters and their motivations even more. Our main character seems very straight forward in the beginning, and as events come to pass (or are revealed with flashbacks) you start learning his more subtle characteristics, and the stuff he keeps hidden from others. His relationship with Lan Wangji is amazing, and fun to read about, their devotion and interactions are a really big positive in the series.
I'll also say it has some amazingly ccomplex relationship between our main character and his brother, one that gets super interesting to read about. It became one of my favorite siblings dynamics that I've read.
Now to the negatives:
This is what bothered me the most about the story, and really affected my rating and view of it, the series has some really bizarre pacing. The author suddenly starts these extremely long, mildly out of place flashbacks, that makes it feel like you started a different story in the middle of the book/present conflict. This gave the series some really strange pacing issues. Since this is the first danmei I've read it might be a staple of the genre that I'm still not used to, but it definitely harmed the series in my eyes.
We spend hundreds of pages slowly finding crumbles of clues about the plot and story, just to suddenly reveal everything all at once during one scene in the final book.
Besides the bizarre pacing, the other negative for me is that the women in the series are surprisingly very badly written. Again, this might be common in danmeis, so I am kind of giving it the benefit of the doubt, and agreeing that people aren't coming to this series expecting great female characters. But it is still very disappointing to see an author that exceeds so much at character building, being this dismissive and sloppy about their female characters.
Now, to some more neutral points:
After a few days thinking about it, I realized that what might've bothered me about the series, is that it has some amazing characters, but kind of a weak/left aside plot.
Most of the better points and reveals are strictly about character dynamics and back stories, and not about the plot.
Thought I did really enjoy most of the reveals, (some catching me completely off guard) the series is definitely for people who enjoy character focused stories, instead of more balanced or more plot focused stories.
And lastly, the author has a pretty distinctive writing style. It feels very informal, which makes the series quite easy to read. I did enjoy it, and I'm kind of curious to see if this is just a writing style common in danmei, Chinese books in general, or just this authors particular style.
Overall this is a fun story with high highs, and low lows.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Classism
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
اوه قاد.
ا ابا ارتب كلامي واكتب ريفيو محترم لاني أحس انه هالكتاب يستاهل بس أنا من متى أعرف اكتب ريفيوز ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟ توي خلصته ومشاعري حرفياً فايضين فكل مكان أحس بختنق منهمممم !!!!!!! كيف كتاب واحد يكون فيه كلشي ؟؟؟؟ حرفياً كلشيء ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
احس حرفياً اني عشت معهم هالعشرين سنة اللي مروا ......احس انه كل ألم وكل تحدي مر فيه ويشيان هو شيء أنا شخصيااً مرييتتت فيهههه وما اعرف لو السبب هو القصة او الشخصيات او عدد الصفحات او كل هالاسباب متجمعة بس انا صارلي مده ما حسيت بهالاحساس بسبب رواية .....احساس انه كل الشخصيات قريبين مني واني عشت كل اللحظات اللي صارت معاهم وسمسمششمشمشمشم بتش حتى معرف اعبر بس انا غارق فالحب وممتن للكاتب وللمترجم وللاشخاص المزعجين فتويتر اللي ما وقفوا يسولفوا عن الكبل الصيني القي لاني حرفياً عشت افضل اسبوع من حياتي وانا اقرا هالرواية وارتبطت بكل الطرق الممكنة مع شخصياتها ...
الرواية جداً مذهلة وبالنسبة لي كانت مثالية ولاشيء ينقصها ...السحر والفاتنزي وبنائهم كانوا مثاليين ومكتوبيين بدون اخطاء-معرف لو كان الكاتب مستوحيهم من التراث الصيني او انهم من خياله بس فكل الحالات سوى شغل عظيم فشرحهم وكتابتهم وايد كانوا سهلين وما صعب ينفهموا وجداً مثيرين للاهتمام فنفس الوقت- ...
الرومنس ...اه الرومنس ؟؟؟؟؟ كان من افضل اللي قريتهم منزمان ؟؟؟؟؟ كيف ويشيان ووانقجي كانوا يحبوا بعضض ؟؟؟؟؟ كيف يحموا بعض ويحاربوا جمب بعض ويوقفوا فصف بعضهم ضد العالم كله ؟؟؟ اقوى كبل فالعالم كلنا ننحني احتراماً لهالحب المقدس اءاءاءا
العلاقات كلها بشكل عام فهالكتاب بالنسبة لي انكتبوا بشكل واقعي جداً ومثالي ...كل العلاقات الانسانية والمشاعر اللي حسوا فيها الابطال بسبب هالعلاقات بالنسبة لي كانوا مثاليين وواقعيين واظن هالشيء اللي خلاهم يؤثرون فيني بهالشكل العود ... ابوس اصابع وعقل الكاتب
رغم انه عدد الصفحات جداً جداً عود بالنسبة لي بس ستل ما كنت ابا اخلصها-الا علشان اعرف الحقايق بس- ...الكتابة وايد عيبتني والطريقة اللي انكتبت فيها الرواية وكيف انه الالغاز ما ينحلون لين اخر اخر شيء وايد عيبتني !!!!!!لايك ابداً ابداً ولا للحظة وحدة حسيت بالملل او عديت مقطع ! كنت على اطراف اصابعي طول الوقت !! والبلوت تويستس كانوا من افضللللللل اللي قريتهم فحياتي ! لايك فالنهايةةةةةلما اكتشفنا من المسبب فكل شيء ؟؟؟؟ حرفياً لين الحين مصدوم !!!
طبعاً الرواية خلتني اصيح واضحك وايد وايد احس انها -والشخصيات اللي فيها- صاروا اصدقائي اليديدين :) ويشيان ووانقجي هم اولادي وابائي فنفس الوقت
ا ابا ارتب كلامي واكتب ريفيو محترم لاني أحس انه هالكتاب يستاهل بس أنا من متى أعرف اكتب ريفيوز ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟ توي خلصته ومشاعري حرفياً فايضين فكل مكان أحس بختنق منهمممم !!!!!!! كيف كتاب واحد يكون فيه كلشي ؟؟؟؟ حرفياً كلشيء ؟؟؟؟؟؟؟
احس حرفياً اني عشت معهم هالعشرين سنة اللي مروا ......احس انه كل ألم وكل تحدي مر فيه ويشيان هو شيء أنا شخصيااً مرييتتت فيهههه وما اعرف لو السبب هو القصة او الشخصيات او عدد الصفحات او كل هالاسباب متجمعة بس انا صارلي مده ما حسيت بهالاحساس بسبب رواية .....احساس انه كل الشخصيات قريبين مني واني عشت كل اللحظات اللي صارت معاهم وسمسمششمشمشمشم بتش حتى معرف اعبر بس انا غارق فالحب وممتن للكاتب وللمترجم وللاشخاص المزعجين فتويتر اللي ما وقفوا يسولفوا عن الكبل الصيني القي لاني حرفياً عشت افضل اسبوع من حياتي وانا اقرا هالرواية وارتبطت بكل الطرق الممكنة مع شخصياتها ...
الرواية جداً مذهلة وبالنسبة لي كانت مثالية ولاشيء ينقصها ...السحر والفاتنزي وبنائهم كانوا مثاليين ومكتوبيين بدون اخطاء-معرف لو كان الكاتب مستوحيهم من التراث الصيني او انهم من خياله بس فكل الحالات سوى شغل عظيم فشرحهم وكتابتهم وايد كانوا سهلين وما صعب ينفهموا وجداً مثيرين للاهتمام فنفس الوقت- ...
الرومنس ...اه الرومنس ؟؟؟؟؟ كان من افضل اللي قريتهم منزمان ؟؟؟؟؟ كيف ويشيان ووانقجي كانوا يحبوا بعضض ؟؟؟؟؟ كيف يحموا بعض ويحاربوا جمب بعض ويوقفوا فصف بعضهم ضد العالم كله ؟؟؟ اقوى كبل فالعالم كلنا ننحني احتراماً لهالحب المقدس اءاءاءا
العلاقات كلها بشكل عام فهالكتاب بالنسبة لي انكتبوا بشكل واقعي جداً ومثالي ...كل العلاقات الانسانية والمشاعر اللي حسوا فيها الابطال بسبب هالعلاقات بالنسبة لي كانوا مثاليين وواقعيين واظن هالشيء اللي خلاهم يؤثرون فيني بهالشكل العود ... ابوس اصابع وعقل الكاتب
رغم انه عدد الصفحات جداً جداً عود بالنسبة لي بس ستل ما كنت ابا اخلصها-الا علشان اعرف الحقايق بس- ...الكتابة وايد عيبتني والطريقة اللي انكتبت فيها الرواية وكيف انه الالغاز ما ينحلون لين اخر اخر شيء وايد عيبتني !!!!!!لايك ابداً ابداً ولا للحظة وحدة حسيت بالملل او عديت مقطع ! كنت على اطراف اصابعي طول الوقت !! والبلوت تويستس كانوا من افضللللللل اللي قريتهم فحياتي ! لايك فالنهايةةةةةلما اكتشفنا من المسبب فكل شيء ؟؟؟؟ حرفياً لين الحين مصدوم !!!
طبعاً الرواية خلتني اصيح واضحك وايد وايد احس انها -والشخصيات اللي فيها- صاروا اصدقائي اليديدين :) ويشيان ووانقجي هم اولادي وابائي فنفس الوقت
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
that sorrow you feel when you finish your favorite book
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quite possibly my favorite confession scene of all time, with some of my favorite characters. I am a pile of mush and happy feelings.
"Everyday means everyday" ❤️
"Everyday means everyday" ❤️
Update after finishing the audio drama (second FULL read through): Why don't more books in the west get audio drama adaptations??? DAMN MDZS audio drama is amazing. If you haven't checked it out, the full audio drama is on youtube now with English subs. I'm telling you, the EMOTIONS in the voice acting UGHHH IT'S SOOO GOOD and the SOUND EFFECTS and of course the MUSIC (