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A review by streetlights
Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
What is this book about?
Mo Dao Zu Shi is a fascinating tale about family, debts, the power of narratives, and ultimately, love. It follows the story of Wei Wuxian, a clever cultivator who gains fame by harnessing the powers of demonic cultivation to win a righteous war. However, that celebrated respect soon turns on him, resulting in his gruesome death as a villain of the cultivation world.
The novel starts 13 years later, where he is resurrected in the body of a young man. Although he is granted another chance at life, Wei Wuxian is immediately thrust into solving a decades-long murder mystery, all the while confronting the secrets and consequences of his own past. Yet this time, he has Lan Wangji by his side, an esteemed and righteous cultivator he knew from his youth, who somehow harbors affections for Wei Wuxian despite his "villainous" past.
Genre, Adaptations, Translations
MDZS is a (low) xianxia danmei novel that started out as a serialized webnovel. If this is your first xianxia novel, I suggest doing a quick research on the tropes and themes common in the genre to facilitate a better appreciation of the themes.
This novel has also been adapted as an audio drama, a manhua, a donghua, and a live action drama. The live action drama is called The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling). Note that if you are familiar with the donghua or live action drama, there have been deviations and plot changes from the novel due to censorship, so you may find that there are differences in characterizations, themes, and even story structure. For example, the novel does not tell the story in chronological order, unlike the adaptations.
The fan translation by Exiled Rebels is decent, and I am forever grateful for fan translators everywhere for taking the time to do what they do. It's not quite as polished, but it does the job of presenting this beautiful story to a wide audience.
Themes
MDZS is an excellent book that touches on a lot of heavy themes: revenge, classism, filial piety and debts, and the power of narratives. There are always truths that never come to light, and lies that are accepted into the public narrative. MDZS uses rumors, hearsays, and a somewhat unreliable narration to bring this to full effect. All the characters are multifaceted and end up having a sympathetic side, and everyone's stories serve as a foil for someone else. The side characters are well developed because of this. Ultimately, the story becomes less of a question of who is right or wrong, but rather, whose version of their story prevails in the end? Whose version do you accept? Or perhaps, it is up to the reader to make their own judgements, much like how it is up to society to decide who gets to be the hero and who gets to be the villain.
But it's also a story about second chances, family, and love. It's a fun murder mystery adventure with xianxia fantasy elements. There's found family, there's a love story that lasts decades. There is a dog, and no, it doesn't die. :D
The story focuses on Wei Wuxian, but it spans multiple generations of characters and how the previous generation affects the next. The actions of the past generation affects the future generation, with how they relate to the world in the best and worst ways. But, as part of the themes, there is also an effort by the main characters to not pass their trauma down to the next generation. You will find characters of different ages with different beliefs, and it's fascinating to see how society changes through each generation, and how that all affects Wei Wuxian and how he fits into the world.
The romance is good. MXTX wrote both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji as idealized characters, but they both go through their own character arcs. They are both hyper-competent people, and though their personalities are very different, they are drawn to each other because of those differences, and because they have the same core values. The romance is well-developed, spanning over many years. It is an important part of their story, but it is ultimately not the most important piece of the puzzle in solving the mysteries surrounding Wei Wuxian. MDZS also has one of the most entertaining confession scenes!
But beyond the romance, there is a lot of focus on family dynamics as well. How Wei Wuxian deals with his nephew, whose parents he inadvertently killed; the shaky family dynamics of the Jiangs and how Wei Wuxian factors in their lives as an adopted "son" and servant; the found family he finds with the Wen remnants, and later, the Lans; how, in his second life, he ends up caring for a gaggle of junior disciples who look up to him.
Finally, a note on story structure. The novel moves back and forth between the past and the present. This is a deliberate writing choice, since MXTX is conveying two stories and using the progression of each one to build the tension, emotions, and mystery/reveals in the other. Long flashback chapters might not be everyone's cup of tea, so be aware of it before diving into the book. Personally, I find this to be very rewarding as a reader.
Final Review
Overall, I really loved this book and ended up caring for all the characters. MXTX is a master of handling unreliable narration. This is something that she does in all her books, but it is especially pronounced in MDZS.
If the themes and story is something that interests you, please check this book out! You will not be disappointed.
Mo Dao Zu Shi is a fascinating tale about family, debts, the power of narratives, and ultimately, love. It follows the story of Wei Wuxian, a clever cultivator who gains fame by harnessing the powers of demonic cultivation to win a righteous war. However, that celebrated respect soon turns on him, resulting in his gruesome death as a villain of the cultivation world.
The novel starts 13 years later, where he is resurrected in the body of a young man. Although he is granted another chance at life, Wei Wuxian is immediately thrust into solving a decades-long murder mystery, all the while confronting the secrets and consequences of his own past. Yet this time, he has Lan Wangji by his side, an esteemed and righteous cultivator he knew from his youth, who somehow harbors affections for Wei Wuxian despite his "villainous" past.
Genre, Adaptations, Translations
MDZS is a (low) xianxia danmei novel that started out as a serialized webnovel. If this is your first xianxia novel, I suggest doing a quick research on the tropes and themes common in the genre to facilitate a better appreciation of the themes.
This novel has also been adapted as an audio drama, a manhua, a donghua, and a live action drama. The live action drama is called The Untamed (Chen Qing Ling). Note that if you are familiar with the donghua or live action drama, there have been deviations and plot changes from the novel due to censorship, so you may find that there are differences in characterizations, themes, and even story structure. For example, the novel does not tell the story in chronological order, unlike the adaptations.
The fan translation by Exiled Rebels is decent, and I am forever grateful for fan translators everywhere for taking the time to do what they do. It's not quite as polished, but it does the job of presenting this beautiful story to a wide audience.
Themes
MDZS is an excellent book that touches on a lot of heavy themes: revenge, classism, filial piety and debts, and the power of narratives. There are always truths that never come to light, and lies that are accepted into the public narrative. MDZS uses rumors, hearsays, and a somewhat unreliable narration to bring this to full effect. All the characters are multifaceted and end up having a sympathetic side, and everyone's stories serve as a foil for someone else. The side characters are well developed because of this. Ultimately, the story becomes less of a question of who is right or wrong, but rather, whose version of their story prevails in the end? Whose version do you accept? Or perhaps, it is up to the reader to make their own judgements, much like how it is up to society to decide who gets to be the hero and who gets to be the villain.
But it's also a story about second chances, family, and love. It's a fun murder mystery adventure with xianxia fantasy elements. There's found family, there's a love story that lasts decades. There is a dog, and no, it doesn't die. :D
The story focuses on Wei Wuxian, but it spans multiple generations of characters and how the previous generation affects the next. The actions of the past generation affects the future generation, with how they relate to the world in the best and worst ways. But, as part of the themes, there is also an effort by the main characters to not pass their trauma down to the next generation. You will find characters of different ages with different beliefs, and it's fascinating to see how society changes through each generation, and how that all affects Wei Wuxian and how he fits into the world.
The romance is good. MXTX wrote both Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji as idealized characters, but they both go through their own character arcs. They are both hyper-competent people, and though their personalities are very different, they are drawn to each other because of those differences, and because they have the same core values. The romance is well-developed, spanning over many years. It is an important part of their story, but it is ultimately not the most important piece of the puzzle in solving the mysteries surrounding Wei Wuxian. MDZS also has one of the most entertaining confession scenes!
But beyond the romance, there is a lot of focus on family dynamics as well. How Wei Wuxian deals with his nephew, whose parents he inadvertently killed; the shaky family dynamics of the Jiangs and how Wei Wuxian factors in their lives as an adopted "son" and servant; the found family he finds with the Wen remnants, and later, the Lans; how, in his second life, he ends up caring for a gaggle of junior disciples who look up to him.
Finally, a note on story structure. The novel moves back and forth between the past and the present. This is a deliberate writing choice, since MXTX is conveying two stories and using the progression of each one to build the tension, emotions, and mystery/reveals in the other. Long flashback chapters might not be everyone's cup of tea, so be aware of it before diving into the book. Personally, I find this to be very rewarding as a reader.
Final Review
Overall, I really loved this book and ended up caring for all the characters. MXTX is a master of handling unreliable narration. This is something that she does in all her books, but it is especially pronounced in MDZS.
If the themes and story is something that interests you, please check this book out! You will not be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, and War
Minor: Incest and Suicide
There are two explicit sex scenes in the novel proper, and then many more in the extra chapters, which are optional to read. The main couple goes through some dubious consent issues before getting together, although for the most part, the offending party regrets it when it happens.