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| Thousand Autumns vol 2 by Meng Xi Shi |
The second volume of Thousand Autumns: Qian Qiu, a xianxia set in alternative 7th century China, picks up where the previous left, at the banquet where stunning revelations have ruined the party. Battle after battle ensues, barely giving the reader time to adjust. In the end, Shen Qiao has to step in to save the night and reveal who he is.
Pace calms a little after that, but not by much. The narrative is much tighter than in the first volume. The politics of the backstory have been set aside, the cast of characters is smaller, and Shen Qiao has a clear goal: finding his treacherous friend who poisoned him. He parts ways with Yan Wushi, only to have the man return in his life in a most unfortunate manner possible.
It’s clear by now that this isn’t a love story. It’s the story of Shen Qiao’s trials and tribulations. He’s tested time and again, beaten to near death, only to rise back up and grow even stronger. Yan Wushi barely makes an appearance, and there are no scenes from his point of view. But I still read it like a love story, rooting for the pair, only to have my hopes crushed.
Even without a romance, it’s a wonderful story. Shen Qiao is a great character with excellent morals and kind personality. It’s wonderful to follow his journey. Yan Wushi is ever the schemer and it’s difficult to get a hang of him. The volume doesn’t end with a cliffhanger, but there’s a promise of an interesting story to come. And I haven’t given up on Yan Wushi yet—and neither has Shen Qiao. I absolutely have to read more.
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