壞道 [The Way of Evil]

by Priest

这是一部充满了各种行为异常者和心理变态者的破案故事，许许多多光怪陆离的案件和许许多多有爱的帅哥美女穿插其中。

强势闷骚攻VS天然呆腹黑属性不明受
穿插一对副cp：死缠烂打攻vs花花公子受

一连串神秘失踪的孩子，下水道里的尸体，死而复生的杀手，公交车上连续投弹的爆破狂，灭门惨案墙上的血字……
总之，想看看罪恶本质的，都进来吧

This is a story filled with all sorts of strange and perverted characters solving crimes.

Genres: China, LGBT, Fiction

815 pages, Unknown Binding

About the author

Associated Names:
* Priest
* พีต้า (Thai Profile)

Reviews

[Zita Azlina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Walking hunchbacked past all the neverending thicket of monsters alone, I’ve met you—only then did I know that the heavens did not treat me any worse."

- - -. •. - - -

There is so many things i wanted to talk about when i'm reading this book. Starting from the characters to even the smallest details like wording, there are so many thing i wanted to make a comment on. I actually have a rather bad memory and it's not like i could write the exact same thing i previously thought before i finished this, but i'd try to gather my thoughts as good as i can.

DISCLAIMER : honestly, i personally think that giving this 5 stars is a little too high, but i can't bear myself to give this 4 stars at the same time. So just make do with whatever decision i made in the last. Just to let you know that this book giving me something around 4-4.5

Because i dont know where to start my review, let's start with the beginning of my journey (um i mean, my journey of reading this book). It's a very disappointing journey when i first started this book. There is a lot of thing that could've involved in this kind of judgement.

1. I probably expecting a book more like mo du, with one arc for a book long, longer investigation and cooler motive from the villains. it's actually my fault, though. why would i expecting a book published 6 years earlier to have the same quality as one published 6 years later?
2. the main characters, which are shen yexi and jiang hu, aren't really likeable. shen yexi is plain, so boring and dull, with no inner layer that i could deeply attached to. jiang hu is a dimensional character, but i kinda feel it as a little forced and vanilla. their dynamics are weird. i kinda didn't like how they treat each other. i also want to beat the shit out of jiang hu; why did you talk very slowly.
3. the fucking first case in the first arc is so very very anti-climax please 😂 the villain isn't interesting. He is mentally ill with weird obsession. oh look, he was caught. that's all. there are so many coincidences ("oh! there is a woman with cocaine!" and jiang hu being "oh i infer from nothing at all that this will happen"). it's too short, too fast, to bare, not terrifying nor emphatizing, just a basic case mainstream in media and everything.

Basically my first journey is an entire meh that almost turned me off.

and of course i did not. Even though the entire thing is a little disappointing, i kinda have this gut feeling that I'd grown attached to the characters at the end of the day. I also curious on what other mental disorder Priest would force to shove in this book. Not like i criticize her choice on deliberately picking famous mental disorder to paint the villains or something, it's just too obvious to be missed.

Thus i continued and i actually find it surprising that there are "more to the story". The second arc is still dull, and forced, but at least i could understand the character of Sheng Yao more (AND ACTUALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM. THIS MENACE, I TRULY REALLY LOVE HIM RIGHT NOW SOS). But the third arc is actually fine. The "experiment" in the bus, it's unique. the DID, uhm cool. the villain is also not so much of a dull character. (AT LEAST SHE IS INTERESTING). Moreover in here i could see the rapid growth of Jiang Hu and Sheng Yexi; how they are very attached to each other. WORRIED SHEN YEXI!!! HIS ACT OF SERVICE!!! SHEN YEXI LOVE IT RUFFLING JIANG HU'S POODLE HAIR!! yeah it kinda adding up 10 years to my lifespan.

I started to grow in love with the characters and their relationships, and i started to see the case as interesting. So yeah, be it.

Although there is also something i wanted to point out:
1. If the main character is Sheng Yao and Shu Jiu, i think it would be even more interesting
2. Or if the main character is Yang Man, she could be bi or sumn.
3. If only the arc is much longer, not very anti-climatics. That would be better.

Anyway of course afterwards i continue to read this.

ANYWAY i wanted to also point out that when i read this book, i really read this with a full focus. It's true i sometimes put it down to stay on Twitter, but OH MY GOD it's not even 5 minutes and i already cant stand to leave this book like that. I really wanted to keep reading it, can't stand putting it down, subconsciously keep opening the chapters, really really wanted to know what's going on next.

I guess this was the major factor why i can't just let myself to give this book 4 stars.

Anyway, oh my fucking God, the last few arcs are the best thing I've ever read. Although it kinda inconsistent, too fast, and doesn't make sense, THE CHARACTERS ARE GROWINGLY VERY LOVABLE. besides Yang Man and Sheng Yao which i already love since the beginning, even i grow fond of Shen Yexi that i first hated the most. They are cute, a natural comedian, is a very good cop and very skilled individual. Also the relationships between Shen Yexi and Jiang Hu, An Yining and Di Xiangyan, Yang Man and Dr. Huang, Su Junzi and his wife, AND ESPECIALLY SHENG YAO AND SHU JIU, ALL OF THEM ARE VERY HEALTHY AND CUTE.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF QUESTION THAT MAKE ME GO FERAL? when shen yexi asked his now boyfriend Jiang Hu "can i kiss you?" LIKE HOW MANY MEN LEFT IN THE WORLD WHO HAD THE BRAIN TO ASK THIS? ALSO THE SEX SCENE OF SHEN YEXI AND JIANG HU. I'M SCREAMINGG even jiang hu described shen yexi's action as slowly and cautious, describing it as his awakening of how much he was loved. SHEN YEXI REALLY DID TREAT JIANG HU SO GOOD, HE IS REALLY REALLY THE BEST. IM CRYING TO MY FUCKIN GUTS. THIS IS INSANE.

I'm also happy with the fact that Jiang Hu stopped having nightmare when he was asleep with Shen Yexi. Dayum, i cried if not loud then SUPER LOUD.

Talk about the cases, it's A VERY FUCKING PLOT TWIST when it was revealed that the previous cases had something to do with Ke Ruhui. Indeed it's a little..."what?" Because
1. There is no hint of such person at all at the beginning
2. It kinda look forced
3. it's not predictable but it's not not predictable too at the same time

It's indeed a little underwhelming, but it's succeeded at making jaw hanging open. Ke Ruhui is a very good villain. He is dimensional, mysterious, creepy, and unshakeable. A typical villain that if he won I'd believe it more too. He is a very great demon, very deep with his character and is basically topping the best character tier among the others (below Yang Man and Sheng Yao though (this is biased loll)). But anyway with his appearance, all the cases are growing interesting, it makes me can't stop reading, and the growth in their relationship really did winning me over.

The pacing is good, it's okay. But as i said before, it's too fast, and kinda making everything feel like an anti-climax. The wording is very easy, there are so many idioms but that doesn't hard to understand. (Thanks to the translator who worked hard to adjust those into an english wording). I also thought that there are not much of a dizzying facts and theories behind, probably because this is also one of the earliest novel priest wrote at the first of her career as an author. So it's really really easy to go through, especially compared to Zhen Hun.

Anyway, I don't know what else i wanted to talk about. So i'd just wrap this up with the conclusion and my final thoughts.
1. The characters aren't likeable at first, but they grow better as the time goes by even though it's a little forced and inconsistent. Their relationship kind advancing too fast, but they are very cute and heartwarming. Wrong main character and wrong main pair, but it's okay, their screentime are shared in the fair amount anyway. It's probably irk you at first, but i promise their relationship will heal every disappointment you felt.
2. The cases in the first few arcs is a meh. It's indeed uninteresting, but the last few arcs are very very good, tension and twist and all. The plot twist is very good even though it's feel a little forced, and the villain is very dimensional and charming, you will love it imagining to beat him up.
3. Besides everything, wording and language features aren't so hard even for non-native.
4. Pacing is too fast so it probably won't serve you good climax, bear with it
5. I forget to add this but the hints and clues and details are a little forced and there are too many coincidences. jiang hu is also too smart to be true. Just bear with it too lol. It's indeed a little bit unrealistic but anyway.
6. There are so many references to the previous book, Ni Lv Lai Gui, i also haven't read this, so you are either annoyed or curious about this book everytime this food is served. Just bear with this too.

Anyway i think that's all what i'm trying to say about this book. Mayhaps or mayhaps not you will give up on the first few chapters because it really did give you so many turn offs, but i swear, it's getting better in the last few chapters.

Anyway i can't wait to get my hand on Ni Lv Lai Gui LOLL

That's all for today. I'll comeback to revise or add something tomorrow or the other next day.

Thank you for writing this, Priest, and also the translator, Cai and Cao.

Have a good day! Happy reading!

4.0-4.5/5

p.s. as expected from priest's book, the joke is very on point
p.s.s. there are so many things i'd want Priest to explore about the characters. it's too short, really. It's not enough. PLEASE WRITE MORE EXTRA FOR THIS BOOK.
p.s.s.s. Sheng Yao, i really love you.
p.s.s.s.s my fingers are seriously getting numb writing this loll ㅠㅡㅠ
p.s.s.s.s.s. don't y'all think that ke ruhui would have the appearance of sheng lingyuan? am i the only one who imagine him as syl? 😂 LOLL
p.s.s.s.s.s.s. Can't wait to get my hand on Ni Lv Lai Gui tho fr

[Sneha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Priest is one of my favorite author so needless to say this novel was another good read.

Filled with mystery and crimes, although I had little apprehension the way mental health was portrayed, overall it was nice read.

[vria · Rating 3 out of 5]

WEEEY no me pueden dar ese final tan tenso y luego tirarme un extra PERO DE LA PAREJA SECUNDARIA, ELLOS NI ME IMPORTAAAN

Hace mucho que no estaba tan tensa leyendo un final, fue muy divertido.

Dejando eso de lado, la trama es buena, no representa muy bien algunos trastornos o conceptos de psicología pero fue escrita en 2010, así que es entendible.
Los casos fueron entretenidos y esa confesión... amé esa confesión, alguien me dice eso a mi y me caso.
De lo más entretenido que he leído este año.

No es ni de lejos la mejor novela de Priest pero pensé que sería peor por las reseñas de la gente (dos personas)

Me sigue gustando mucho las historias de Priest, creo que Modu fue lo que ella quería que fuera esta novela, es del mismo género y se ve demasiado la mejora que tuvo la escritura de la autora, si quieren leer más casos detectivescos de esta autora lean Modu.

No encontré fanart en ningún lado, ¿soy yo la única quien leyó esta novela? Tal parece. El fandom seremos el fantasma de mi cuarto y yo, por desgracia, ninguno sabe dibujar.

Sigo enojada porque el extra no fue de la pareja principal pero bueno, seguro la Priest ya ni se acuerda de que escribió la novela y ni modo, bye.

[ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[надежда · Rating 2 out of 5]

questionable portrayal of mental illness+dry, bland characters, so sadly this wasn’t a great experience

[فاطمه · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very beautiful and wonderful novel

[Ralique · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good, this novel gave me Silent Reading vibes.