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A review by nini23
太岁 [Tai Sui] by priest
adventurous
emotional
5.0
Priest has opened my eyes to what possibilities the genre of xianxia could be. I've always been interested in reading about immortals, gods, celestials, paladins, deities in both western and eastern fantasy. Imagine living eternally, having that immense power to create and destroy, watching us short-lived humans scurrying around.
Priest starts off this xianxia with a common enough scenario: disciples are being selected to enter a renowned cultivation sect Xuanyin. With this once every decade selection, the ones chosen will start the path of cultivation to become immortals. We're also introduced to the main character Xi Ping/Shiyong, son of the Marquis of Yongning. He is often exasperatedly referred to as a fun-loving scoundrel.
Tai Sui took me a long time to read, it's an exceptionally lengthy webnovel spread across 5 books with a listed 1900+ pages. The format is similar to Priest's other webnovel Silent Reading/Mo Du also divided across 5 books. I am not only impressed by this book, I marvel at Priest's versatility in writing different genres such as Tian Ya Ke (danmei wuxia), Mo Du (modern psychological crime thriller, also danmei), Zhen Hun (speculative fiction). I'm in the midst of reading another of her works No Pollution, No Public Harm which I would categorize as modern wuxia. Tai Sui is listed as 'steampunk xianxia,' a rarity. The fan translator of Tai Sui, E Danglers (a pseudonym), is superb with both the translation and citation notes. I got a good sense of the rhythm of the language, the humour, the irony, the historical and literary references.
The worldbuilding of Tai Sui is exceptional; there are four nations where we start off in Great Wan but visit each of the three others Western Chu, Southern Shu, Northern Li. The nations each have their own royal families, spiritual mountains, famed cultivators, customs, exports, topography, language, cuisine, enmities, sociopolitical inequalities. It's a fully realized world with a definitive delineation between cultivators and mortals. Within the cultivation world, the cultivators who have broken through have a 'Way Of The Heart' with different specializations such as sword, incriptions, arrays, tool-making, medicine etc. The different cultivation levels range from established foundation to shed skin elder (most powerful).
I feel that the complexity and maturity of Priest's writing has really reached a pinnacle here. When uprisings and revolutions occur in one spot, the novel traces the attendant effects in neighbouring countries. Some try to take advantage, others move in with their own agenda. There are numerous moving parts reflective of the real world. As always, it's the powerless masses that suffer the most. Priest shines the light on how the powerful view them as ants, thoughtlessly trampled as casualties but can be strong in numbers and aspirations. Priest makes very interesting inserted observations about power structures and power imbalances within society. I also like how Priest interrogates the idea of 'evil cultivators' and the origin of the 3000 orthodox paths to cultivation.
That feeling of expansiveness, the breadth of perception, in how fleeting and ephemeral our mortal lives are is something valuable I took away from this novel. And yes, we all have heart demons!
The human attachments that kept Shiyong tethered to the mortal world: his memories of the Marquis manor on Dangui Lane, his grandmother, parents, cousin-brother Zhou Ying Third Prince, shifu Zhi Xiu, Xi Yue half-puppet, his first follower Wei Chengxiang really touched me. Priest does not handle Shiyong gently, he is literally shattered repeatedly, his cultivation journey is unconventional to say the least. Along the way we come to care very deeply for this irreverent rascal who manages to learn only one sword move from his esteemed long suffering teacher. All the characters are obstinate in their own way, chock-full of secrets, protecting those they care about, making provisions and plans. I like how surprised Shiyong was to learn of his dad's secret pact. The extra chapters at the end were especially bittersweet.
Priest starts off this xianxia with a common enough scenario: disciples are being selected to enter a renowned cultivation sect Xuanyin. With this once every decade selection, the ones chosen will start the path of cultivation to become immortals. We're also introduced to the main character Xi Ping/Shiyong, son of the Marquis of Yongning. He is often exasperatedly referred to as a fun-loving scoundrel.
Tai Sui took me a long time to read, it's an exceptionally lengthy webnovel spread across 5 books with a listed 1900+ pages. The format is similar to Priest's other webnovel Silent Reading/Mo Du also divided across 5 books. I am not only impressed by this book, I marvel at Priest's versatility in writing different genres such as Tian Ya Ke (danmei wuxia), Mo Du (modern psychological crime thriller, also danmei), Zhen Hun (speculative fiction). I'm in the midst of reading another of her works No Pollution, No Public Harm which I would categorize as modern wuxia. Tai Sui is listed as 'steampunk xianxia,' a rarity. The fan translator of Tai Sui, E Danglers (a pseudonym), is superb with both the translation and citation notes. I got a good sense of the rhythm of the language, the humour, the irony, the historical and literary references.
The worldbuilding of Tai Sui is exceptional; there are four nations where we start off in Great Wan but visit each of the three others Western Chu, Southern Shu, Northern Li. The nations each have their own royal families, spiritual mountains, famed cultivators, customs, exports, topography, language, cuisine, enmities, sociopolitical inequalities. It's a fully realized world with a definitive delineation between cultivators and mortals. Within the cultivation world, the cultivators who have broken through have a 'Way Of The Heart' with different specializations such as sword, incriptions, arrays, tool-making, medicine etc. The different cultivation levels range from established foundation to shed skin elder (most powerful).
I feel that the complexity and maturity of Priest's writing has really reached a pinnacle here. When uprisings and revolutions occur in one spot, the novel traces the attendant effects in neighbouring countries. Some try to take advantage, others move in with their own agenda. There are numerous moving parts reflective of the real world. As always, it's the powerless masses that suffer the most. Priest shines the light on how the powerful view them as ants, thoughtlessly trampled as casualties but can be strong in numbers and aspirations. Priest makes very interesting inserted observations about power structures and power imbalances within society. I also like how Priest interrogates the idea of 'evil cultivators' and the origin of the 3000 orthodox paths to cultivation.
That feeling of expansiveness, the breadth of perception, in how fleeting and ephemeral our mortal lives are is something valuable I took away from this novel. And yes, we all have heart demons!
The human attachments that kept Shiyong tethered to the mortal world: his memories of the Marquis manor on Dangui Lane, his grandmother, parents, cousin-brother Zhou Ying Third Prince, shifu Zhi Xiu, Xi Yue half-puppet, his first follower Wei Chengxiang really touched me. Priest does not handle Shiyong gently, he is literally shattered repeatedly, his cultivation journey is unconventional to say the least. Along the way we come to care very deeply for this irreverent rascal who manages to learn only one sword move from his esteemed long suffering teacher. All the characters are obstinate in their own way, chock-full of secrets, protecting those they care about, making provisions and plans. I like how surprised Shiyong was to learn of his dad's secret pact. The extra chapters at the end were especially bittersweet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, War, Injury/Injury detail