A review by wordswritinstarlight
Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu (Novel) Vol. 1 by Tang Jiu Qing

challenging funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Look, this is danmei for people who like the Captive Prince—hyper-competent protagonists, incredibly messy enemies-to-lovers, and an absolute viper’s nest of an imperial court to finish it off.  As someone who LOVES the Captive Prince, I am the target audience and predictably I had a fantastic time.  The writing style is quick, clever, and evocative without being clunky, and the translation is smooth and effortless reading.  Shen Zechuan and Xiao Chiye are a great matchup of skills, and a more nuanced take than the usual “the smart one” and “the buff one” pairing I’m used to seeing—they’re both very clever and conniving, but they’re clever and conniving in very different ways, and while Shen Zechuan is limited in his fighting ability, he’s also very capable of taking care of himself in a fight.  I have high hopes for them as the ascendant Manipulate Malewife Manslaughter Power Couple in my heart.

Recommended for people who like their romance plot lines to get DEEP in the political scheming more or less immediately.  Honestly if you like political scheming and enemies-to-lovers, this would be a good first experiment with translated C-novels.