The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish Vol. 3 by Xue Shan Fei Hu: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

The Disabled Tyrant's Beloved Pet Fish vol 3 by Xue Shan Fei Hu

The delightfully silly transmigration story has reached its third volume. Prince Jing has been ordered to the empire’s western border to show his mettle, and naturally Li Yu, his beloved pet fish, follows him there. It’s a quiet town pestered by bandits and locusts, and Li Yu has practical suggestions for solving both. The latter is handled by bringing ducks to the affected areas to eat the insects, which leads to establishing a restaurant too.

The main story is Prince Jing and Li Yu consummating their relationship (which I thought they’d done already), which leads to a surprise pregnancy. The fish scamming system, the programme guiding Li Yu’s transmigration journey, had asked for Li Yu’s consent, but did it during the act itself, when he wasn’t exactly paying attention and just agreed to anything it said. The possibility of pregnancy hadn’t even occurred to him, both of them being male.

Luckily, the system gives him a choice to handle the pregnancy as a fish. It still makes him a rather unique male fish, but at least the entire thing is easy for him. The only difficulty is hiding it from Prince Jing, because he still believes the prince doesn’t know the man in his bed and his favourite pet fish are the same. But when four fish eggs pop out, it’s difficult to keep secrets anymore.

Four lovely boy fishes emerge, but they need to wait for nine months before they turn into babies, a good stretch to fake Li Yu’s pregnancy. Despite some questions raised, most people take it in a stride. In the background, Prince Jing is trying to make the emperor to accept Li Yu as his consort instead of concubine. Once the babies are born, i.e. turn human, he finally gets the permission and the two get married. No one opposes and no one questions that the babies are theirs. There’s even blood test done by imperial physicians who confirm the children’s lineage.

Apart from one last test for Li Yu, during which he learns to transform into a merman, the rest of the story revolves around the babies. They’re rather unique, having spent nine months as fishes learning things a normal human baby has no idea of. They can communicate with each other and try to do so with others too, and learn to walk and talk and even sort of write before they’re even a year old. They’re cute, but not as cute as Li Yu as a fish, and there are no silly antics. Even outsiders notice this, when Prince Jing tries to show off a substitute fish as his favourite pet.

But the sixth prince hasn’t given up his ambition to be named as the crown prince. He’s stirring trouble on the background, and is ready to strike. The volume ends just as he makes his move. It’s a cliffhanger of sorts, but I would’ve read on even without it. The feel-good, low angst silliness of this series keeps me happy for days.

That being said, I only gave the volume four stars for slightly slower pace. Li Yu turned into a respectable adult who no longer had time for his fishy antics, and the children weren’t quite up to his level of cuteness yet. The next volume appears to be the final, so I’m hoping it’ll bring the old Li Yu back.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun vol 7 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Husky & His White Cat Shizun vol 7 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Volume 7 continues the hunt for Xu Shuanglin who has hid himself in the ancestral burial mountain of the Rufeng sect. Led by Nangong Si who is the only one who can open the mountain’s defences, the entire cultivation world head there, only to face a battle after another. Xu Shuanglin is more powerful than they believed, and he’s managed to harness the entire mountain, including the dragon at its heart, to his help.

It’s mostly Nangong Si’s story. He’s the last member of his sect and Xu Shuanglin—Nangong Xu—is his uncle. Time and again, he throws himself to defeating the mountain to help others reach its peak where Xu Shuanglin is hiding, facing not only the dragon but his most revered ancestor too. In a very moving scene, he has a chance to encounter his long dead mother, reanimated by Xu Shuanglin. But despite his constant sacrifices, the wrath of the cultivators against his sect doesn’t ease, not even at the end.

Mo Ran is having difficult time during the battle. He struggles with keeping the truth of his first life hidden while trying to use what he’s learned during it to help defeat Xu Shuanglin. At one point he’s poisoned with a substance that makes him relive scenes from his past life, trying to convince him he’s never left it, which really messes with his head. But when they finally reach Xu Shuanglin, he’s the only one who can reach through is madness, having gone through the same.

Mo Ran is the only one who realises too, that Xu Shuanglin isn’t the final boss, on top of which there’s a secondary player among the cultivators, who attacks at the worst possible moment. The one who suffers most is Shi Mei. Facing certain death, he gives a speech that I’m not entirely sure how to take. Maybe he wanted to give his piece of mind to Mo Ran and Xue Meng, or maybe he wanted them to act against him to focus on winning the day. Either way, it isn’t dealt with in this volume. (He didn’t die though, in case you’re worried.)

But just as Mo Ran starts to believe he might make it out of the mountain without facing his past, the worst happens. The past arrives, concretely. The last quarter of the book focuses on Mo Ran and Chu Wanning, as the latter finally learns about the other Mo Ran, in a very physical and painful way. But the volume ends before we learn what he thinks of it.

The most interesting twist is saved for the last couple of chapters. We learn where Chu Wanning comes from and it’s nothing I could’ve imagined. He had no idea of it either, but the aftermath of that is saved for the next volume. There’s also a twist about Mo Ran’s connection with Rufeng sect that stems from his past life (if I understood it correctly, which isn’t all that certain.) That’ll have consequences later too.

This was a mixed read for me. First three quarters was an endless battle that focused more on other characters than Mo Ran and Chu Wanning. It was interesting enough with its twists and turns and moving sacrifices, but much too long. The volume was saved by the last quarter though, that focused on the two main characters. The stunning revelations for both of them were enough to lift the volume back to excellent. If (when) the aftermath of that goes sideways, there’s a long road ahead for the two to happily ever after. I can’t wait.

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 2 by Blackegg: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 2 by Blackegg

Continuing with The Perils of Pigeon Post series so more conscientious don’t have to. The basic story remains good. Wu Xingzi, the forty-year-old civil servant who has neither looks nor grace, money nor prospects, continues his relationship with Guan Shanjin, the young, handsome, and vigorous war hero general feared by all.

The start is really sweet. The general accompanies Wu Xingzi to the latter’s home village during the New Year to pay respects to his ancestors. The villagers are baffled to see them after months of absence. Half of them were sure Wu Xingzi would return a dumped man and when that hasn’t happened, decide that he must have used sorcery to bewitch the general. The rest of the village is ready to defend Wu Xingzi with fists and brooms. They win.

Wu Xingzi is prepared to stay home for good and let the general go. More so after the rumour circulating the village reach him that he’s only a substitute for Mr Lu, the general’s beloved teacher. But the general has other ideas. He even becomes violently jealous when Wu Xingzi shows him his treasured collection of dick pictures he’s received through the Peng Society.

In a fit of rage the general tears some of them, causing the old man great distress. The pictures were the only thing that kept him from killing himself for loneliness and he had counted on them to keep him company after the general leaves him. His sorrow was so real that I cried with him for the loss and for his loneliness.

But Wu Xingzi never clings to sorrow, and Guan Shanjin’s genuine remorse mollifies him. After the general replaces the torn pictures, he’s ready to follow him back to the Horse-Face city. But there Wu Xingzi again finds himself ignored for Mr Lu. The teacher’s wedding preparations with miss Yue take the general’s time. At first, Wu Xingzi doesn’t think it odd, but when both Mr Lu and Miss Yue constantly rub it in his face that the general prefers Mr Lu, even someone as slow and goodnatured as him is forced to come to a conclusion that he’s not needed. Problem is, despite his best intentions, he’s fallen in love with Guan Shanjin.

Little does he know that the general has already grown out of love with Mr Lu, and is prepared to spend his life with Wu Xingzi, mostly because he doesn’t bother to tell it to the older man. He needs a distraction while he prepares an attack against the Yue family, and doesn’t want to involve Wu Xingzi. But when he finally has time for the older man, Wu Xingzi is already gone.

The volume ends there. It’s followed, however, by two extra chapters in “alternate” universe that are basically really bizarre rape porn. You’d best skip them completely for the sake of your ability to continue to respect the general and for your mental health.

Like in the first volume, there are numerous long and unrealistic sex scenes. I think the author has based their idea of gay sex on omegaverse BL, because I don’t think men’s bodies behave quite that way. While I didn’t mind them as such, I rolled my eyes a few times. In bed, the general is rather forceful, making poor Wu Xingzi suffer a lot, no matter how much the older man likes it. Outside the bed, he’s caring and loving, looking after his older lover very well. He doesn’t realise it himself that he’s falling in love. I like how he sees the old man as he is, not attractive at all, yet he can’t help preferring him to the supremely beautiful Mr Lu.

For his part, Wu Xingzi is yet to realise he’s not as alone as he believes. He’s made friends who are prepared to go to great lengths to ensure his happiness. It remains to be seen whether the winners are those who think he’ll be happiest without the general or those who think he should end up with him. I definitely want him to find all the happiness, so I have to keep reading on.

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki’s Conjecture Vol. 5 (manga) by Toji Aio, Mikage Sawamura: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Associate Professor Akira Takatsuki's Conjecture vol 5 by Mikage Sawamura

Volume 5 manga was released before vol 5 light novel, which is postponed to January, so here the manga catches up with the original. The volume starts by wrapping up the case of cursed office workers that was left unfinished in the previous one. But the most important part of that case is that Naoya learns that he’s not the only one who’s experienced the festival of the death, with the same consequence for his fellow of hearing lies.

It’s a pivotal moment in Naoya’s life so far, giving him new kind of focus. He really wants to go with Akira to the village where it happened, despite the warning of his counterpart of not returning there. But the other person also gives him advice on how to live with the condition without losing his mind.

The most exciting part of the light novel was the surprise visit of Akira’s uncle who lives in England. Akira used to live there with him as a teenager, and he’s the only family member he’s close to. Manga doesn’t quite capture the meaning of his visit, and he’s relegated to a background character. And the extra story where he tells Naoya of Akira’s life in London is left out completely. Unless it’s added at some later point, the readers of manga only will miss out on a large part of what makes Akira tick.

Most of the manga volume is taken by a mermaid story. Akira, Naoya, Kenji, and Akira’s uncle travel to the seaside where there’s been mermaid sightings. They encounter a little boy who insists she’s his mother, only to learn from the child’s father that she has drowned, and he hasn’t quite figured out how to tell that to his son.

It could’ve been left at that, a private tragedy, but the story takes a twist. Because it turns out, the boy could be telling the truth after all. The mother’s childhood friend is very mysterious, someone who has maybe lived a long time. And she knows just by reading Akira’s palm that he’s not alone in his body. But she disappears before he gets to the bottom of the matter.

The last story is from the volume 5 of the light novel, which I haven’t read yet. Akira’s students hold a night of one hundred candles, where they gather to tell scary stories in candle light. This too will have consequences, but the manga ends before we get to those.

This volume had a better pace than the previous one, which was too hectic. The art felt more restful too, and so different that I had to go back to older volumes to see if there has been a great change in style. The panels were maybe larger in this one, with fewer of them per page, which added to the calmer feel. It also allowed the artist, Toji Aio, to draw close-ups of the characters, giving the volume an over-all different feel. I hope this style continues in the subsequent volumes.

Peerless vol. 2 by Meng Xi Shi: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

Peerless vol. 2 by Meng Xi Shi

Second volume of Peerless sees Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao, the brilliant leaders of Sui empire’s secret agencies, embark on their journey to west to form an alliance with one of the khaganates there. With them is the khan’s favourite concubine, and Cui Buqu’s trusted underling. But since two women and two men who are not married or related travelling together is seen improper, the group poses as two married couples, though not in obvious kind of pairings.

The journey through the desert is arduous and the small group pauses at Qiemo, the remotest outpost of the empire. They soon discover, that the actual power in the town isn’t in the hands of the empire’s representative, but a former bandit and a descendant of a former king who have divided the town between them. Since they have a bit of time in their hands, Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao decide to do something about it, with their now familiar method of causing chaos and seeing what’s what once the dust settles. What emerges is a discovery of a secret organisation that neither agent had heard of before.

From there, the journey continues to the khaganate. There they discover that the favourite concubine has lost her position and the enemy and the khan’s second son now have the khan’s ear. They’re determined to see the representatives of the empire dead, concocting a scheme after another. The pair prevail, though not unscathed, turning the tides for the empire. But just as they’re about to form the alliance, bad luck—or a hidden enemy—strikes again, ruining everything. The book ends at this cliffhanger.

This was in some ways better book than the first. The story was more straightforward, and the dynamics of the odd pair started to settle in. Cui Buqu wasn’t sick the whole time, so his brilliant mind could shine. Feng Xiao wasn’t quite as obsessed with his own beauty and excellence, and he got to show off his martial arts skills—and his acting skills as a woman, which he made the most of. But the power struggle between the pair wasn’t so prominent, with fewer funny scenes between them, and there were more battle scenes, which paused the story several times. Not as many as in Thousand Autumns though. Nevertheless, the grumpy-sunshine(ish) pair is wonderful and I can’t wait to see how they get out of the latest scrape and where they’ll head next.

Hell’s Acre by Lilith Saintcrow: review

3/5 stars on Goodreads

Hell's Acre by Lilith Saintcrow

Hell’s Acre was a really different book from what I presumed by the description, cover, and previous books by the author I’ve read. I expected a fast-paced alt-world urban fantasy told in first person narrative. But it’s an alt-Victorian gaslamp fantasy told in third person by multiple point of view characters, with an overly florid narrative style that is incredibly slow to read, as every sentence is packed full in a convoluted fashion that forces the reader to go back several times.

The world isn’t what I thought either, based on the description: a country that has refused to accept Christianity and where Rome never fell. I presumed it would be based on Roman gods and traditions, or since this takes place in England, Anglo-Saxon ones, or a combination of both. Mithraism, for example, in the temple of which the book starts, would’ve had rich, distinct rituals and interesting underground architecture that would’ve immediately made this world unique.

What we have is a very traditional Christian setting, like convents structured like Christian ones and organised by gender, and Priories and Abbeys, with a few token words of other religions and cultures in the mix to make it seem something else. Character names are based on Bible. Even the name of the book directs thoughts to Christianity, even if the concept of hell isn’t solely Christian. The world feels half thought out and is a great disappointment.

It took a long time to get a hang of the characters too, as the narrative doesn’t really dwell on their inner thoughts, and reader is more observing them from the outside. Yet, for all the floridity, characters are very sparsely described, and long after the reader has already formed their own image of them.

The story emerges slowly and in a roundabout way, with every character’s POV chapter opening mid-action with little or nothing to orient the reader. Beth, going by Gemma Dove, an orphan, has been living in this world’s version of France to hide her from powers who want her for something that isn’t specified. But her guardian has died and she’s returned to England (Albion) to revenge her parents’ death. She’s well trained in self-defence and believes in her abilities, but it isn’t easy to go after her prey even with powerful backers.

She takes a job as a teacher of boys in an orphanage near the bad part of town, Hell’s Acre, and that fills most of her days, with some adventures in the mix. She catches the attention of Avery Black, who leads a group of vigilantes (or something, I never quite figured out) in Hell’s Acre. Reader doesn’t learn much about him, or Hellions, the organisation he belongs to (but not the vigilantes?), but he’s after the same man as Gemma.

The book description gives to understand that the two team up. However, while their paths cross from time to time, the two don’t realise their mutual goal before the book ends. The ending is a cliffhanger. There’s a hint of interest, but no romance. I’m not sure I need to read more to find out what happens next. The story wasn’t interesting enough, and it was too much work to read, with too little given in return. I’m giving it three stars though, because I did finish it and it doesn’t quite feel like a two-star book despite everything I found lacking.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Case File Compendium Vol. 3 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Case File Compendium vol 3 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Volume 3 of Case File Compendium is about the aftermath of the sexual assault in the previous volume. If the reader is hoping for soul-searching, deep conversations, healing and understanding, they will be sorely disappointed.

He Yu plunges deep into his psychopathy, living in a reality of his own, where his actions aren’t his fault, and pushing himself in Xie Qingcheng’s company—and into the older man’s bed. He’s still demanding answers for what took place when Xie Qingcheng resigned as his doctor. The latter isn’t willing to tell him anything, and only gives in to He Yu’s forceful demands to get rid of him faster.

Xie Qingcheng wants nothing to do with He Yu. He’s deeply traumatised by what took place, and he hates He Yu with passion. However, since he bottles everything in, he simply goes on as if nothing has happened, his rage surfacing only on occasion with He Yu. Reader feels both annoyance and sympathy for him, as it turns out he’s coped with hardships this way all his life.

Life keeps throwing the two together, and they end up on the set of a same movie production. Things get so bad that the reader starts believing this will end with either of them killing the other. But before their hatred peaks, a serial killer shows up and the two are caught in his web.

This was a difficult, heavy book. On one hand, I’m happy that the events of the previous book aren’t glossed over here, but there was nothing light to give the reader even a breather. Even the revelation of the source of He Yu’s madness didn’t ease things, as it’s a tragic story too.

We mostly follow He Yu as he descends into his madness. The brief lucid moments are always followed by worse delusions and violence. And Xie Qingcheng’s suffering isn’t any easier to witness. There aren’t even any side stories and plots that would take attention away from the two even briefly. And just as the plot changes a new gear, the book ends in a double cliffhanger, with Xie Qingcheng ready to reveal one of his secrets, and the pair in a mortal peril.

Nevertheless, this was a good book. He Yu’s mental illness is believable and Xie Qingcheng’s suffering relatable. It’ll be an agony to wait for the next book, but I’m invested in the story now. It’ll definitely need all the remaining several volumes before any sort of HEA can be achieved.

Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads 

Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav Barsukov

Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory combines two novellas, Tower of Mud and Straw that came out 2021, and its follow-up, City of Spires, City of Seagulls, with a brief intermission, The Man with All the Gifts, between them that gives the reader insight into the actions of one of the characters in the first book. I read and reviewed the first book in 2021 and liked it very much. You can read the full review here.

In the first novella, Shea Ashcroft, an aristocrat and politician, is sent to a remote town to supervise the construction of an enormous tower. It’s a punishment, and he takes it as such, but he’s willing to do his job as instructed. But when he learns that the tower will lead to a destruction of the world by opening a portal to another world, he has no choice but to destroy the tower.

The first novella ends there, with the reader convinced that Shea has plunged to his death with the tower. But he’s saved, in a manner that fits the world and doesn’t come across as a deus ex machina solution. But now that Shea is alive, he has to face the consequences of his actions. Everyone knows he’s the one who destroyed the tower. The queen herself comes to his trial to make sure he’s executed for treason.

Shea isn’t willing to wait for that. With the help of an enemy spy, he flees to her country, only to end up in even more trouble than before. Now he’s the captive of their prince who wants him for his information about the tower. Because the tower Shea destroyed isn’t the only one. It’s about arms-race, and the enemy isn’t willing to be left out, no matter what they say about destroying their weapon too.

Meanwhile Brielle, the engineer of the tower who was stranded in the alien world in the first novella, struggles to find her way out before she dies of thirst or is killed by a giant baby throwing a tantrum. But what happens when the two worlds collide?

In the end, there’s only one choice for the other tower too, and Shea knows it. Reality has changed already though, even if there are only two people who know about it. Or maybe it has always been like that...

Second novella is slightly more action driven than the first, but equally compelling and the narrative tone remains similarly pensive as in the first, as Shea now has new deaths on his conscience. Both Lenas feature too, even after death; Shea’s sister in his memories, and the alien woman in the pages of her diary Shea is reading for clues about the tower. The second novella ends in a better place for Shea, but the ending is open enough that the reader can’t be quite sure how he’ll fare from now on. Hopefully he’ll get what he wished for.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo

The City in Glass is a story of a city, a demon who loves it, and an angel who loves the demon. It’s set in an imaginary world close enough of ours to be recognisable in some parts, though not immediately identifiable as a particular culture or specific time. A distant past, maybe.

Vitrine is a demon, an immortal being of high emotions and capricious nature, but not evil. She’s arrived to Azril centuries ago when it was still a shanty-town of pirates. With love to its people and the town itself, she helps it to grow to a bright jewel, watching its fortunes ebb and flow through time. And then, out of the blue, four angels arrive and destroy the place and the people.

Only ruins, ghosts, and Vitrine’s rage remain. In her anger, she curses one of the angels, planting a part of her essence in his heart. Unable to return to his own plane of existence with other angels, he stays in Azril, watching as she begins to clear the destruction to make way for the town to reborn again.

The two don’t like or understand each other. Her anger doesn’t ease, but he offers no explanations to the angels’ actions. Years and decades go by as Vitrine clings to her grief, reminiscing the people she’s known. The two barely interact, but they are each other’s only company. Until she drives him away. She would want it to be forever, but in the end, she sets a limit of fifty years.

When the angel returns, he wants to bring refugees of a war to Azril to repopulate it. She demands a huge sacrifice of him to let them come. He agrees, and so the city comes alive again, and the cycle of watching it grow starts anew. It’s not the Azril she’s known before, but it’s her city and her people and she loves them. But it’s now his city too, much to her upset.

This was such a wonderful read. It doesn’t really have a plot that would advance from point to point. Instead, we walk the streets of Azril remembering the past with Vitrine, so named because of a glass cabinet in her heart where she holds a book with names of all the people of Azril—and the angel’s sacrifice. Years, decades and then centuries flow past, and the city grows under Vitrine’s supervision. Not that humans really know she’s there.

The angel comes and goes. He doesn’t speak much, but the reader sees him change from a cold vessel of judgement and destruction to a person who cares about the people of Azril as much as Vitrine does. Her anger eases eventually, and his love for her grows, though we have no indication of it other than that he keeps returning to her. He’s never named, and even at the end she refuses to ask his name or add it to her book. Instead, as a show of her love, she gives him her city—or gives him to the city.

Even without a traditional plot, this was a compelling read. The tone is pensive, but the pace is good, the language is rich, and Vitrine is ever changing like her city. The ending was a bit of a surprise, and while it made an impact, it’s sort of disappointing in the way it was handled. (MINOR SPOILER AHEAD)

I would’ve liked for her to set him free, like she did to everyone she loved, something he struggled with. She does ask if he wants it, but he doesn’t want her to ask. For me, it meant he wanted her to give it voluntarily as an act of love, but she takes it to mean he doesn’t want it. And although he goes to his fate voluntarily, I would’ve found it more meaningful if he’d done it free of the curse too. It’s a small mar though and doesn’t in anyway lessen my enjoyment of the story.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 2 by Tang Jiu Qing: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Ballad of Sword and Wine by Tang Jiu Quing

The second volume picks up where the previous left, i.e. right after the bedroom scene. The book description says the men part as enemies, but that’s not the case. Shen Zechuan simply leaves as if nothing has happened. He’s not affected by what took place between him and Xiao Chiye at all, which irks the latter greatly, prompting him to tempt the first at every opportunity.

But things have changed between them and the men find themselves scheming together. It doesn’t show outward though, and Shen Zechuan even manages to manipulate matters so that Xiao Chiye is suspected of a wrongdoing, with the full knowledge and co-operation of the latter. Shen Zechuan even makes sure that Xiao Chiye doesn’t come to a permanent harm.

There’s abundant of court intrigue going on too. Someone is making several attempts at the emperor’s life, and the heroics of Shen Zechuan in saving him help his star to rise in the court. He can’t become complaisant though, and has to work relentlessly to keep his scheming going.

Both men are busy and it keeps them apart. Whenever they come together, heat begins to build, leading to some of the most erotic non-sex scenes I’ve read in a while. The indifference Shen Zechuan affects is only a show and Xiao Chiye can melt him in moments. The two are brilliant together, in and out of bed, matching each other in scheming and passion.

The story is much more compact than in the first book, taking place during a couple of months. A lot happens during it, and at the end, the men are better off than after the first. And like the first book, this ends in a middle of what promises to be a good bedroom scene. It’s as well written and logical with all the complicated court issues as the first, keeping me entertained throughout. I’ll definitely read more.

There are adaptations and then there’s this

Have you ever watched a TV adaptation of a book that you like, which has changed the entire premise, much of the plot and some of the characters, has a completely different ending and a lousy sound quality, and still somehow manages to be better than the original? I hadn’t either, until I watched a Chinese TV series Guardian - Zhen Hun (2018). Some spoilers ahead, especially about the ending.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

Guardian by Priest is a Chinese boylove web novel from 2012 that’s recently been published in English for the first time. It was in three volumes, and I review them here, here and here. It tells the story of two gods who meet at the creation of the world. One is a soulless creature of the underworld, Ghost King, accidentally created by the god of mountain, Kunlun, with other gui. Kunlun ends up sacrificing himself to keep Chaos, Ghost King’s twin, from getting free from the underworld. Distraught, Ghost King makes a deal with gods: Kunlun gets to reincarnate endlessly while he guards the seal on Chaos and the two will never meet.

Promo banner for Guardian by Priest.

Ten thousand years later in present day China, the two meet. Kunlun is now Zhao Yunlan, director of a Special Investigation Department that investigates supernatural crimes, with no knowledge of his past. Ghost King is Shen Wei, a mild-mannered professor of mythology, who knows who Zhao Yunlan truly is and has met him often in his true form as a Soul-Executing Emissary from the underworld. Romance ensues. But Chaos is about to get free again, and another sacrifice is needed to stop it from happening. This time Ghost King is determined to make sure he’s the one who dies to protect the man he loves.

The TV series has none of that. I can only presume that government censorship and rules about what can be shown on Chinese TV had a huge role in changing the premise. Instead of a fantasy about gods and mythological creatures, it’s sort of sci-fi, at least on the surface. All the gods and supernatural entities are now aliens with psychic powers who came to earth ten thousand years ago. Science is emphasised instead of magic and supernatural. Shen Wei, who is an alien called Black Caped Envoy, battled with his twin, Night King, and sealed all aliens to a subterranean world where they’ve been ten thousand years. In present day, Zhao Yunlan is a head of a department that investigates crimes by escaped subterraneans. Shen Wei is a professor of physics. And Night King is about to get free and challenge humans once again.

Promo photo of Guardian with full cast.

For the same reason, the TV series couldn’t openly be a gay romance either. In the book, Zhao Yunlan pursues Shen Wei relentlessly from the start. There are kisses and bedroom scenes, though behind the doors. Bonus chapters show the two living their normal lives as a couple. Everyone is very accepting, and those who aren’t are communicated with until they are.

Nevertheless, the romance is the backbone of the series as well. And it works perfectly. The director had taken a leaf out of the playbooks of Jane Austen adaptations. Passionate emotions are supressed with ruthless determination and only surface in the characters’ struggle to contain them, perfectly portrayed by the expressive faces of the actors. Fleeting touches get a greater meaning than they would otherwise have.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

In forty episodes, there’s a lot of room for the relationship to develop. We are shown how the men constantly put the other’s safety and wellbeing before their own, often to a detriment of their own health. 

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

But instead of declarations of love and happily ever after, we get the only way the two have for expressing their love: self-sacrifice for the other and for the mankind. It only works in fiction (don’t try it in real world), and even though it’s not what I would’ve wanted for them, it’s an amazingly satisfying ending.

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

There is also more room for character development. In the book, the side characters weren’t given enough time for their own stories and relationships to develop. In the series all the side characters were given ample screen time and good personal stories that were only hinted at in the book. Zhu Hong, the main woman character who was sidelined in the book, had a good arc from a woman besotted with Zhao Yunlan to a leader of her people, and I was especially happy with how the friendship/relationship of Guo Changcheng and Chu Shuzhi played out. It was portrayed as a found family and brotherhood, but it was the secondary romance in the series that was only hinted at in the book.

Promo photo of Guardian with Xing Peng and Jiang Mingyang.

All of this was done on rather cheap looking sets, with fairly simple CGI and truly bad sound editing where the voices of the actors were dubbed by different people in post-production. Those knowledgeable of the production informed me that the company ran out of money before the series was finished, and it showed. All the money probably went into the clothing of Shen Wei who looked stylish throughout the series, although other characters’ wardrobes improved towards the end too.

Promo photo of Guardian with Gao Yuer.

Nevertheless, the sum grew beyond its parts. A lot of it is thanks to the excellent actors portraying Zhao Yunlan (Bai Yu) and Shen Wei (Zhu Yilong, who portrayed four different characters, even if three were basically the same person), but it’s also because the story was given time to grow. The publishing format of web novels tends to make the stories a tad confusing at times, because there’s no returning to earlier chapters for editing after publishing. Much of the book is taken by Chinese creation mythologies and other stories, which were fine but didn’t really advance the story.

Compilation of Zhu Yilong as Black Caped Envoy, Shen Wei, young Black Caped Envoy and Night King.

The book began as an urban fantasy about supernatural investigations and turned to an epic fantasy, after which the spooky atmosphere of the first book disappeared. The TV series kept the investigations going throughout, even if they were never as scary as in the first book. The chainsmoking of Zhao Yunlan was replaced by constant munching of lollypops, which they managed to turn into a mildly erotic moment at one point. 

Promo photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

The romance was slightly forceful in the book, whereas the stolen touches and fleeting moments of intimacy in the series truly made an impact. The contrived way the series tried to keep from mentioning anything supernatural got a bit comical at times, but it didn’t lessen the enjoyment. The ending was a bit hasty in both, but both were good. A kiss on screen would’ve been perfect, but it wasn’t to be. And so, in the end, I liked the TV series more. Both are good, but one is better.

Photo of Guardian with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu.

Books are available through Seven Seas Entertainment and on most retail sites. The TV series is on Youku streaming service with (badly translated) English subtitles.

Here’s a bonus video on YouTube someone has compiled of the best moments between the men.

And for those who are still on X, one of my favourite scenes I couldn’t find anywhere else.

You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post Vol. 1 by Blackegg: review

4/5 stars on Goodreads

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post by Blackegg

There’s been some upset among fandom of Chinese danmei novels for the publication of this book due to negative comments about gays by the author, and many will skip it. I considered the same, even though I haven’t personally read the comments so that I could judge myself, but the premise of the book is so bizarre that I had to read it anyway. And for what it’s worth, there’s no negative attitude to gays in the book itself.

If you’re considering reading, know that this isn’t a typical BL romance heavy on angst, pining, secondary plots and anything else but the romance. This is straight up erotica, or porn even. It goes immediately to business and stays on it the whole book. It’s good porn though, so if you’re looking for that, you won’t be disappointed.

For those of you who like to skip spicy scenes, there’s an actual story too. It’s a melancholy one that makes you want to wrap your arms around the main character and squeeze him until he’s happy. Wu Xingzi lives in a remote village far from the empire’s capital, making a meagre living as a magisterial advisor, which is mainly a secretarial job. He has no family, no property, and no one who he would care for or who would care for him back. And as he’s gay—which is allowed in the empire—there haven’t been any opportunities for him for romance in his small village either. At 39, he’s lost his will to live and has bought a burial plot and has decided to end his life the day he turns 40 in a way that is least inconvenient for the villagers.

Fate intervenes in the form of a young man to whom Wu Xingzi decides to confess his feelings before he dies. The young man tells him about a society for gay men who seek life partners through pigeon post system, and since Wu Xingzi has nothing to lose, he decides to try it. To his bewilderment, when he sends introductory letters for men that he deems suitable for him, he receives pictures of their dicks in return.

For someone who’s been deprived of human contact for all his life, it’s a stunning and energising event. He immediately abandons plans for finding a life partner, or killing himself for that matter. Who would want him anyway, as he’s plain, shy, old, and has no prospects. Instead, he writes to every single member of the society to collect all their dick pictures. But one day, when he goes to collect the latest haul, one of the men shows up in person.

Guan Shanjin is a young general and a hero of the empire after pacifying the southern border. He’s beautiful beyond belief and feared by all for his bad temper. He’s also the owner of Wu Xingzi’s favourite dick. Guan Shanjin spots Wu Xingzi by chance and is stunned by how much he resembles the only person he loves, his teacher Mr. Lu. His teacher is a clever man who keeps Guan Shanjin in a leash but who has no intention of ever starting a relationship with him, not that Guan Shanjin understands it.

All the relationships Guan Shanjin has ever had are with men who look like Mr. Lu. So he takes Wu Xingzi to bed, much to the older man’s bewilderment and delight. Come morning, Wu Xingzi leaves, so as not to bother the important man he’s not worthy of, something that has never happened to Guan Shanjin before. It triggers a need in him to possess the older man, and before they know, they’ve been in a relationship for a month.

But the whole time, Wu Xingzi expects Guan Shanjin to leave, and has no intention of getting attached to the younger man, which Guan Shanjin cannot fathom, as he’s never been rejected. But when Mr. Lu calls, Guan Shanjin rushes off. Wu Xingzi thinks his life will turn back to normal, and he can return to his dick pictures, but Guan Shanjin has other ideas.

This was a good start to the story. It’s straightforward, with no secondary plots or side characters, but sad at times. Wu Xingzi is a delightful MC with his insecurities, single-minded devotion to his dick pictures, and inability to notice the powerplays of the important people around him. Guan Shanjin is brash and selfish, but his devotion to Mr. Lu, and the nice way he treats Wu Xingzi redeem him. For his part, Mr. Lu is reprehensible and I absolutely must see him get his just deserts.

I don’t often mind the translations of these books, but I raised my brows every time a part of human anatomy was described by its Latin name. Maybe it was the author’s choice too, but I found it odd, considering the book takes place in ancient China.

The ending is a bit abrupt, but it’s not a cliffhanger, just more of the same, with Mr. Lu ruining things for Wu Xingzi, not that the latter understands he’s in a fight over a man, because he doesn’t really want the man. I’m rooting for Wu Xingzi to find happiness and lord over everyone who look down at him, and I hope it’ll be with Guan Shanjin. So I may have to continue with the series, regardless of the author’s behaviour. But you won’t miss a life-changing series if you decide to skip it.

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun Vol. 6 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Husky and His White Cat Shizun vol 6 by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou

Volume 6 finally brought Mo Ran and Chu Wanning where they’ve been heading all this time: in the bedroom. There was plenty of hot and heavy action, and it was very good, even if Mo Ran managed to keep himself in tight rein and didn’t go all the way. Chu Wanning didn’t immediately turn into a wanton, and even managed to subdue a lust demon even though he wasn’t pure anymore. His forays into seduction were delightful.

The relationship remained slightly uneven outside bedroom. Chu Wanning is the more senior cultivator and Mo Ran’s teacher, and the two never forget that, even though Mo Ran tries his best to seduce his Shizun in compromising places. And Mo Ran is still torn by guilt about what he did in his previous life, and can’t quite be himself with Chu Wanning.

Outside the romance, the hunt for the enemy intensifies. As he reveals more of himself, Mo Ran recognises some of his own dark spells and makes a stunning revelation. Someone else has reincarnated too. But do they know about Mo Ran, and will they come after him specifically, revealing all his horrible deeds to the world. And what will then happen to his relationship with Chu Wanning?

This was an excellent volume, fairly tight and uncomplicated. Much of it was told from Chu Wanning’s point of view, which was a nice change. Knowing there will be several volumes, I didn’t expect a fast solution here, although I can’t see how much longer the author can drag this storyline. There were also scenes of the previous life about Mo Ran’s first steps towards becoming the evil emperor. His treatment of Chu Wanning felt uncomfortably bad, contrasted with their happiness in this lifetime. He almost confesses everything to Chu Wanning too, only to chicken out at the last moment. At this point of the story, I can’t even predict how Chu Wanning will react when he eventually learns the truth—and where his vivid dreams come from.

Guardian: Zhen Hun Vol. 3 by Priest: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

Guardian: Zhen Hun vol. 3 by Priest

Guardian: Zhen Hun comes to a close in this third volume, which is a refreshing change to other Chinese danmei serialisations with their endless lengths. It picks up where the previous volume left, with Zhao Yunlan having learned about his past as the mountain god, and he and Shen Wei, the Ghost King and Soul-Executing Emissary, having become an item.

But it turns out, Zhao Yunlan—and the reader—is in for a surprise. What took place inside the Merit Tree might not have been true; annoying, if you waded through the long chapters memorising everything in case it mattered later. Someone is lying to Zhao Yunlan, but who and why.

His relationship with Shen Wei hits a bad bump almost immediately too. First, his father keeps avoiding Shen Wei when Zhao Yunlan wants to introduce them, which leads to a revelation about the elder Zhao. Then Zhao Yunlan falls ill and Shen Wei takes care of him, but the medicine he uses horrifies Zhao Yunlan. Instead of explaining, Shen Wei disappears.

Zhao Yunlan spends the first half of the book searching for him. When he finally finds Shen Wei, it’s time for the truth to come out. It’s nothing he—or the reader—had expected, and it threatens their relationship. But unlike Shen Wei, Zhao Yunlan has a solution.

But before the men can even take a breather, things turn to worse again. The Great Seal that keeps the gui locked up, starts to break with horrifying consequences. It takes the ingenuity of Zhao Yunlan, Shen Wei, and the entire Special Investigation Department to put things right again. The solution, however, isn’t what Zhao Yunlan would’ve hoped for.

This was a great conclusion. Things weren’t easy for the pair, but they were constantly there for one another and their romance was wonderful. Action was good and exciting, and the members of SID finally became their own persons here, in good and bad. Zhu Hong was suddenly obsessed with Zhao Yunlan, making bad decisions because of it. And Guo Changcheng, who began the story, finally got to shine. His story was nothing I would’ve expected.

There were several extra stories too. Mostly, they continue where the main story left things, giving the members of SID their moments, as well as showing the life after of Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. There’s also one story set in the men’s past, where we learn how Shen Wei got his family name.

All in all, this was a good, balanced ending for the series. It was the perfect length for the story, but even so, I could’ve read more. The members of SID deserved more page time than they got here, especially Guo Changcheng, and we didn’t get even remotely enough of Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei. I could read at least a volume more.

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish vol. 2 by Xue Shan Fei Hu: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish by Xue Shan Fei Hu

Volume 2 of The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish is even cuter than the first. Prince Jing is such a simp while Li Yu believes he’s only helping the prince in order to fulfil the tasks of the computer program, aka ‘the fish scamming system’, in charge of his transmigration journey back to human.

The volume starts where the previous one ended, with Prince Jing realising that Li Yu, the young man who mysteriously appears and disappears in his quarters, is in fact his beloved pet fish Xiaoyu. But instead of being shocked, he concludes Li Yu must be a yao, an animal spirit that can take a human form, on a personal trial. And since Li Yu doesn’t reveal his true identity, he concludes the spirit wants to keep it a secret, so he won’t bring up that he knows the young man and the fish are the same. It causes many silly moments as Li Yu struggles to hide before he transforms back to a fish, believing his identity is still a secret.

Li Yu has no idea he’s supposed to be a yao. He has his hands full with increasingly bizarre demands of the fish scamming system, like indulging with the prince. His rewards include a transformation into a proper koi fish, much to the astonishment of everyone, and learning Prince Jing’s secrets that raise more questions than they solve. But he’s still limited to only two hours as a human every day.

Prince Jing has his own ideas of what it means that the fish is a yao: he must share essence with the young man in order for him to grow. And that means intimate contact. But when he tries to kiss Li Yu, everything goes sideways. Li Yu has no idea what’s come over the prince and finds the whole incident frightening. It leads to maybe the best scenes in the book where the prince tries to make up to the fish who keeps moping. But Li Yu figures out his own feelings in the end and making out with the prince doesn’t sound so bad after all. If only he could stay as a human longer for them to take matters further.

There isn’t as much court intrigue as in the first book, but the other princes fighting to become the crown prince still cause Prince Jing constant trouble. Prince Jing deals with them with the help of his fish. And he’s starting to think that he should try for the crown himself too. But even though he manages to please his father the emperor, there’s no reward. Instead, there’s a great change for Jing and his fish. The book ends there.

This was such a bowl of cotton candy, silly and cute, with occasional darker moments to balance things out. Prince Jing’s amusement with his lover trying to hide his fishness, and secretly helping him, and Li Yu’s obliviousness is fun to follow. There are many silly moments when Li Yu earnestly tries to please the prince, only to make a mess. They are so much fun together. It seems Li Yu will be successful in his overall mission of preventing Prince Jing from becoming a tyrant, but there’s still a lot to come. We’ll see how things go in the next book.