Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

5 reviews

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

The beginning was a little on the slow side but it picked up and quickly became engaging and I didn't want to put it down.

I think the main deterrent I have might be with the style of translation.  I am used to translated works using footnotes for quick reference so having one chunk at the end describing all the nuance that is otherwise lost in translation interrupts the flow.  I chose to discern by context and then read through the glossary and such after so I think it will improve the experience for reading the next book in the series.  I admit that this is a personal preference.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Violence, Death, Murder, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Medical content, War, Gore, and Torture

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

adventurous emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Murder, Self harm, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Blood, Bullying, Genocide, Violence, and War

squinnittowinit's review against another edition

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

5.0

Heaven Official's Blessing Vol. 1 is hilarious, witty, and thoughtful all at the same time. Xiè Lián is a wonderful main character, a kind soul who truly sees the best in people and wants to help them, but at the same time he isn't naive or sheltered. He is a calm and centered presence in the crazy situations he finds himself in.

The biggest difficulty a reader might have with this book is how many names some of the characters have, as many of them are immortal gods who have gained names over time. Keeping a paper nearby to make a character log or keeping the Heaven Official's Blessing wiki pulled up (but beware spoilers) as you read may be helpful.

Another thing to note is this is a translation from Chinese. In order to more closely capture the meanings of the original text, this version is not quite written in the 'literary English prose' style that English readers may be used to, but it is grammatically correct and overall quite understandable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Body horror, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Suicide, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Mental illness, Self harm, and Confinement

Minor: Sexism, Grief, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Body shaming, and Misogyny

aardwyrm's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Genocide, Grief, Death, Confinement, Bullying, and Cursing

yuuzel's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death of parent, Death, Body horror, Self harm, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: War, Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Murder

Minor: Abortion, Xenophobia, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Confinement, Cannibalism, and Alcohol