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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
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
+1 to my personal list of "when I learn Chinese, I want to reread" bc I like it .
i woke up from an accidental nap…thought about the fact of having to continue this book….felt a literal ache in my chest….got sad because the transmigration trope here has to be my most favorite of the few danmei i’ve read that had it (which feels like a curse tbh), and i did get a new favorite character, zhen li….but the secret identities trope—no matter the proper logic of it—was unbearable after only 10 chapters or so, and there’s over 100 in this story, so no :’)
also felt so apathetic about the main couple, it literally pained me. maybe in the future i’ll return to this….
also felt so apathetic about the main couple, it literally pained me. maybe in the future i’ll return to this….
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-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:
Yes
Reminds me of Guardian (by Priest) in several ways - the main couple's respective backstories and personalities; the mix of obsession/possessiveness and soft domesticity in their dynamic; the ensemble cast, each with unique abilities and different motivations - but the background lore is that of an infinite flow novel. That makes this appropriate for this stage of my continued descent into danmei, since I've recently finished reading three big titles in that genre.
I didn't know about the lore going in, though. I just thought the premise sounded interesting, and I knew I liked this author's writing based on another book that I read on recommendation. This one has much more ambitious worldbuilding than They All Say I've Encountered A Ghost, but where there is humour, it's still good, and where the story heads into angsty territory, the sense of pathos comes through. I was really rooting for You Zhengping and Yu Hua (Misters You and Yu of the title) to get the peaceful life they wanted.
I do think there are some pacing issues and some of the secondary characters were not really interesting to me, so there were stretches when I wanted to get back to the leads. But overall, this is a fun and touching read.
I didn't know about the lore going in, though. I just thought the premise sounded interesting, and I knew I liked this author's writing based on another book that I read on recommendation. This one has much more ambitious worldbuilding than They All Say I've Encountered A Ghost, but where there is humour, it's still good, and where the story heads into angsty territory, the sense of pathos comes through. I was really rooting for You Zhengping and Yu Hua (Misters You and Yu of the title) to get the peaceful life they wanted.
I do think there are some pacing issues and some of the secondary characters were not really interesting to me, so there were stretches when I wanted to get back to the leads. But overall, this is a fun and touching read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
Although the pacing dragged a bit, I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. The plot, worldbuilding and characters were complex but well fleshed out, and the author clearly spent a lot of time working on it, as (although they were quite complicated) the book didn’t leave the reader feeling lost or confused.
The heavy focus on the main couple, as well as their development and the deep dive into their thought processes and unconscious prejudices, gave the novel a depth that wouldn’t have been there otherwise, and I’m glad this didn’t get in the way of the side characters’ characterisation, as they were also very well written and explored throughout the story.
The main character is… difficult to describe, to say the least. He has a strong desire for control and although it was quite off-putting in the beginning, we gradually get to know more about his past and the reasons why he acts like that as the story progresses. I was actually hesitant to pick this novel up due to the reviews I previously read concerning him, but I’m glad to say that the author did an amazing job at exploring his character and making him slowly regain his humanity.
(The fatphobia, though, is inexcusable and unfortunately it is very prevalent, specially in the beginning)
Overall a very solid novel, with strong characters and an intricate plot, serving a lot of fluff and dog food along the way.
The heavy focus on the main couple, as well as their development and the deep dive into their thought processes and unconscious prejudices, gave the novel a depth that wouldn’t have been there otherwise, and I’m glad this didn’t get in the way of the side characters’ characterisation, as they were also very well written and explored throughout the story.
The main character is… difficult to describe, to say the least. He has a strong desire for control and although it was quite off-putting in the beginning, we gradually get to know more about his past and the reasons why he acts like that as the story progresses. I was actually hesitant to pick this novel up due to the reviews I previously read concerning him, but I’m glad to say that the author did an amazing job at exploring his character and making him slowly regain his humanity.
(The fatphobia, though, is inexcusable and unfortunately it is very prevalent, specially in the beginning)
Overall a very solid novel, with strong characters and an intricate plot, serving a lot of fluff and dog food along the way.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia