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天涯客
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April 30, 2022
Priest is my new fav online author. I am in love with her and her characters. I don't know why she isn't like CRAZY FAMOUS. SHE DESERVES IT.
-just me randomly deciding to read a 1000 pages book since the series is already out.
💕❤️
// Buddy read with this cutie💕//(which I ruined coz I couldn't control my curiosity.)
-just me randomly deciding to read a 1000 pages book since the series is already out.
💕❤️
March 19, 2021
Two gay mass murderers accidentally become football dads ("COME ON, CHENGLING, WE CAN GO HOME AFTER YOU KILL THIS GUY, TRY YOUR BEST") and do a better job than anyone else AROUND because the rest of society is so messed up. The stuff that fanfiction is made of...
Rated five stars because they're more reliable babysitters than Hualian, who I would not trust with an ant farm, let alone a small child.
Rated five stars because they're more reliable babysitters than Hualian, who I would not trust with an ant farm, let alone a small child.
August 23, 2022
I've become obsessed with Chinese dramas or c-dramas on Netflix. I have three that I keep on constant rotation now: 'Untamed', 'Who Rules the World', and 'Word of Honor'. I have seen the whole 36 episode show 3 times now.
I have been reading books by MXTX, but Priest, the author, hasn't got anything translated in English yet at this point. I still wanted to read this book. I searched online for an unofficial translation a fan had done. On Wattpad, I found a translation of the book called 'Faraway Wanderers' and I began to read the story.
I know the story of the show very well by now, so all the differences in the book were easy to spot. I do have to say that the show completely gets the spirit of the story and the characters are true to themselves and many lines are still ripped from the book.
I will say this about Priest's writing. She takes a mix of salt, itching powder, hot spices and ground up glass, makes some slashes on your skin and then proceeds to rub in all that pain, in a good way. I was surprised, as the show is so beauty based, at how ground in reality the book is. Priest brings up farting a whole lot in this and other things not in the show.
I think the whole thing works because of Wen Kexing and Zhou ZiShu, throw in some Gu Xiang and Chengling and it works. KeXing comes off as a predator, but only to a point. I have to say from experience, that I was young and went to clubs and guys can be very aggressive to woman and as long as it doesn't go to far, people take that as okay. KeXing is that kind of guy. He just has an eye out of ZiShu. Once he latches on, he doesn't leave his side.
The best part of the novel is to read the shameless flirting KeXing gives ZiShu and how ZiShu will make fun or him, or simply ignore it. There was one scene where KeXing is joking about cuddling with ZiShu and ZiShu says something like, I would rather cuddle a box springs as flat as your chest is, all bones and no cushion.
This is an adventure tale and a revenge tale. No one has a happy past really and everyone is trying to free themselves from their past and start fresh with happiness. ZiShu comes from what is essentially the elite CIA. The only way to get out of that is to put nail into your body that will kill you in 3 years. Chengling is a child whose whole family is murdered by a raid and he is now an orphan and he clings to ZiShu like a master/new dad. KeXing has a hidden past and he figures out he wants a life with ZiShu. Gu Xiang grew up as KeXing's apprentice and she decides she wants a normal life and maybe love. Will any of them get it with the glazed amour that will open a treasure trove of martial arts secrets out there to be won by all the people. It's a dangerous time.
There are so many differences in the material, but it is mostly the same story. Some characters are doing different stuff and the events order is different, but it's a good book.
I will say that the translation I read was mostly good, but there were a few chapters that were very rough and I didn't know if I could keep going. I do hope they will put out an official English translation at some time.
The book does not go into details, but it also doesn't shy away from sex, especially sex between 2 men. It's discussed and sort of glossed over. We do get kissing in the book which there isn't any in the show. Chinese censorship be damned.
If you're a big fan of the show, it might be worth your time to check this translation out. I am going to read more by Priest. I'm impressed. She is a gifted author with a strong voice.
I have been reading books by MXTX, but Priest, the author, hasn't got anything translated in English yet at this point. I still wanted to read this book. I searched online for an unofficial translation a fan had done. On Wattpad, I found a translation of the book called 'Faraway Wanderers' and I began to read the story.
I know the story of the show very well by now, so all the differences in the book were easy to spot. I do have to say that the show completely gets the spirit of the story and the characters are true to themselves and many lines are still ripped from the book.
I will say this about Priest's writing. She takes a mix of salt, itching powder, hot spices and ground up glass, makes some slashes on your skin and then proceeds to rub in all that pain, in a good way. I was surprised, as the show is so beauty based, at how ground in reality the book is. Priest brings up farting a whole lot in this and other things not in the show.
I think the whole thing works because of Wen Kexing and Zhou ZiShu, throw in some Gu Xiang and Chengling and it works. KeXing comes off as a predator, but only to a point. I have to say from experience, that I was young and went to clubs and guys can be very aggressive to woman and as long as it doesn't go to far, people take that as okay. KeXing is that kind of guy. He just has an eye out of ZiShu. Once he latches on, he doesn't leave his side.
The best part of the novel is to read the shameless flirting KeXing gives ZiShu and how ZiShu will make fun or him, or simply ignore it. There was one scene where KeXing is joking about cuddling with ZiShu and ZiShu says something like, I would rather cuddle a box springs as flat as your chest is, all bones and no cushion.
This is an adventure tale and a revenge tale. No one has a happy past really and everyone is trying to free themselves from their past and start fresh with happiness. ZiShu comes from what is essentially the elite CIA. The only way to get out of that is to put nail into your body that will kill you in 3 years. Chengling is a child whose whole family is murdered by a raid and he is now an orphan and he clings to ZiShu like a master/new dad. KeXing has a hidden past and he figures out he wants a life with ZiShu. Gu Xiang grew up as KeXing's apprentice and she decides she wants a normal life and maybe love. Will any of them get it with the glazed amour that will open a treasure trove of martial arts secrets out there to be won by all the people. It's a dangerous time.
There are so many differences in the material, but it is mostly the same story. Some characters are doing different stuff and the events order is different, but it's a good book.
I will say that the translation I read was mostly good, but there were a few chapters that were very rough and I didn't know if I could keep going. I do hope they will put out an official English translation at some time.
The book does not go into details, but it also doesn't shy away from sex, especially sex between 2 men. It's discussed and sort of glossed over. We do get kissing in the book which there isn't any in the show. Chinese censorship be damned.
If you're a big fan of the show, it might be worth your time to check this translation out. I am going to read more by Priest. I'm impressed. She is a gifted author with a strong voice.
November 3, 2021
Reread review…. Why am I writing this again you ask?? Because I just love it ♥️♥️ Also upping it to 5 star this time 🤩
To be honest, I don’t know why I decided to reread it. A reading slump is definitely one reason, but I guess I was also missing ZZH and reading the book is definitely less painful than watching my favorite drama Word of Honor.
I think I really loved and appreciated this book more this time around. When I first read it few months ago, it was during the broadcast of the show and my goal was to just rush through the book because I needed to know what was gonna happen. Despite the many differences between the source material and the adaptation, one major event towards the end of the book remained the same and it probably helped reduce my anxiety as well as tears when the relevant episode aired. Now however, I knew everything that was gonna happen, so it was time to just enjoy the dialogue and banter and get throughly entertained.
Because I’m reading this now after having read Qiye, I think I really got to understand Zhou ZiShu’s character better. He is someone who doesn’t really regret the actions he has taken for what he thought was the betterment of the country, but is tired of it all because the people he cared about are all gone. The author really captures this loneliness, exacerbated by his condition, and while we might consider his past questionable, it’s also easy to sympathize with him now.
Wen Kexing on the other hand is so over the top that I couldn’t help but giggle at his antics, and sympathized even more with ZZS because who could really handle WKX without feeling like hitting him a little. But it’s the small moments of vulnerability that made me love him more, when he shows his sincere feelings or when he feels distraught at seeing ZZS suffer and his impending death.
Chengling, Gu Xiang and Cao Weining are all equal parts brave and sweet and their stories will never not make me feel bittersweet. While we did get to see more of ZCL’s thoughts and grief here, I thought my beloved side couple didn’t get enough page time here - atleast not as much as in the drama. On the opposite side, Beiyuan and WuXi had more of a presence in the book and it was such a delight from the moment they appeared. Their plotline in the book and ZZS’s reaction to Beiyuan are much different here and I think I had forgotten that. But Beiyuan’s calculating but sweet nature, and WuXi’s jealous but extremely competent personality make this book even better.
I definitely enjoyed the drama much more the first time around but this book is brilliant in its own way and I have to say hats off to Priest for creating many memorable character moments that will always be etched in my heart. This reread only made me wish more and more for a Qiye adaptation but I know that will never happen after the recent crackdown, which is just unfortunate. But I’ll keep this wish in a small corner of my heart.
First Read
I ofcourse discovered the cdrama Word of Honor because I saw so many on my Twitter timeline gushing about it. I was completely hooked within just a couple episodes, and decided to read the novel as well. I’ve heard so much about the author Priest but having never read any of her works and only seen one other adaptation of hers, I was very excited to dive into this one.
I’ve heard quite a few people mention that Tian Ya Ke is an older and not very popular work of hers, but I think I really liked that it was straightforward and relatively simpler. The characters of Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Kexing are very memorable and I loved how the author starts them off being flawed and having done regrettable things in the past, but trying to be better. The banter between them is super fun, the relationship development is slow and sweet and I also adored their found family bond with Zhang Chengling and Gu Xiang. I ofcourse kept picturing the actors while reading, as well as recollecting some of the cool action sequences, which made for a very fun reading experience. There were some twists which I did not see coming at all and considering how emotional I felt while reading, I’ll probably be a sobbing mess if they happen in the show.
In the end, this was a cool wuxia adventure but I definitely loved it more because of the wonderful characters. The translation on novelupdates was also extremely well done and I could follow along very easily. Now I just want to enjoy the drama and see all my favorite scenes on the screen, but the episode schedule is horrible and I hate waiting for every episode. Thankfully, it’s all worth the wait.
To be honest, I don’t know why I decided to reread it. A reading slump is definitely one reason, but I guess I was also missing ZZH and reading the book is definitely less painful than watching my favorite drama Word of Honor.
I think I really loved and appreciated this book more this time around. When I first read it few months ago, it was during the broadcast of the show and my goal was to just rush through the book because I needed to know what was gonna happen. Despite the many differences between the source material and the adaptation, one major event towards the end of the book remained the same and it probably helped reduce my anxiety as well as tears when the relevant episode aired. Now however, I knew everything that was gonna happen, so it was time to just enjoy the dialogue and banter and get throughly entertained.
Because I’m reading this now after having read Qiye, I think I really got to understand Zhou ZiShu’s character better. He is someone who doesn’t really regret the actions he has taken for what he thought was the betterment of the country, but is tired of it all because the people he cared about are all gone. The author really captures this loneliness, exacerbated by his condition, and while we might consider his past questionable, it’s also easy to sympathize with him now.
Wen Kexing on the other hand is so over the top that I couldn’t help but giggle at his antics, and sympathized even more with ZZS because who could really handle WKX without feeling like hitting him a little. But it’s the small moments of vulnerability that made me love him more, when he shows his sincere feelings or when he feels distraught at seeing ZZS suffer and his impending death.
Chengling, Gu Xiang and Cao Weining are all equal parts brave and sweet and their stories will never not make me feel bittersweet. While we did get to see more of ZCL’s thoughts and grief here, I thought my beloved side couple didn’t get enough page time here - atleast not as much as in the drama. On the opposite side, Beiyuan and WuXi had more of a presence in the book and it was such a delight from the moment they appeared. Their plotline in the book and ZZS’s reaction to Beiyuan are much different here and I think I had forgotten that. But Beiyuan’s calculating but sweet nature, and WuXi’s jealous but extremely competent personality make this book even better.
I definitely enjoyed the drama much more the first time around but this book is brilliant in its own way and I have to say hats off to Priest for creating many memorable character moments that will always be etched in my heart. This reread only made me wish more and more for a Qiye adaptation but I know that will never happen after the recent crackdown, which is just unfortunate. But I’ll keep this wish in a small corner of my heart.
First Read
I ofcourse discovered the cdrama Word of Honor because I saw so many on my Twitter timeline gushing about it. I was completely hooked within just a couple episodes, and decided to read the novel as well. I’ve heard so much about the author Priest but having never read any of her works and only seen one other adaptation of hers, I was very excited to dive into this one.
I’ve heard quite a few people mention that Tian Ya Ke is an older and not very popular work of hers, but I think I really liked that it was straightforward and relatively simpler. The characters of Zhou Zi Shu and Wen Kexing are very memorable and I loved how the author starts them off being flawed and having done regrettable things in the past, but trying to be better. The banter between them is super fun, the relationship development is slow and sweet and I also adored their found family bond with Zhang Chengling and Gu Xiang. I ofcourse kept picturing the actors while reading, as well as recollecting some of the cool action sequences, which made for a very fun reading experience. There were some twists which I did not see coming at all and considering how emotional I felt while reading, I’ll probably be a sobbing mess if they happen in the show.
In the end, this was a cool wuxia adventure but I definitely loved it more because of the wonderful characters. The translation on novelupdates was also extremely well done and I could follow along very easily. Now I just want to enjoy the drama and see all my favorite scenes on the screen, but the episode schedule is horrible and I hate waiting for every episode. Thankfully, it’s all worth the wait.
April 16, 2022
4,5 'wenzhou' stars
I just noticed I never did a review for this. What a crime! Anyway, I want to write something epic for this book but don't have time right now. So, in the meantime, have some pics and gifs 😉
Wangxian and Hualian might have invented love but Wenzhou said 'fuck the world, we're in love and everything else can burn' and that's romantic in a way too ❤️🔥❤️🔥
I just noticed I never did a review for this. What a crime! Anyway, I want to write something epic for this book but don't have time right now. So, in the meantime, have some pics and gifs 😉
Wangxian and Hualian might have invented love but Wenzhou said 'fuck the world, we're in love and everything else can burn' and that's romantic in a way too ❤️🔥❤️🔥
April 22, 2021
(head in my hands) WENZHOU
Damn maybe 4.5 stars just to be picky but absolutely rounded up for the fun I've had
Damn maybe 4.5 stars just to be picky but absolutely rounded up for the fun I've had
April 6, 2021
Priest for me is the Danmei version of MBFB for me. I love both their works immensely. It's not that their novels are soul-moving or something that leaves you with something to ponder on life but rather it's all in the way they write their novels and how they manage to capture the audience. I also want to take a few words to thank Hoju, one of the best translators out there who unfortunately bowed out of the translation field after 7 years. You are going to be missed by your die-hard fans such as me.
Now back to the novel, as always Priest has a way of writing Danmei novels that are not necessarily BL but rather a story with the romance aspect being towards the LGBTQ+ community. In a way that is the beauty of her books. You really do not see any difference. I have yet to read a book like Saye which really made me look at the LGBTQ+ novels in another light but that is not saying that I am criticizing this novel in any way. As I mentioned, I am in simple terms a 'crazy fan' of Priest. Although this is only the third book of hers that I am reading and there are many more out of hers out there I have to explore.
If anyone reads my previous reviews, they would know that I am someone who likes to broaden my horizons when it comes to reading. Rather than sticking to one genre or one language, I like to read many different types of books around the world (ones which have translation available), to enjoy them. If there is one super power I could ask for it would be to read any language in this world and yes as anyone would guess, it is so I could read anything written in any language. Screw time travel or reading minds.
Wuxia novels are a certain genre you need to slowly immerse yourself into. If one rushes into Wuxia novels they would generally be utterly confused. There are many terms and scenarios that would leave newbie reader scratching their head. This may be my personal opinion but many Asian novels needs to be read with an open mind. This is a whole different culture you'd be tipping your toes in and one where shouldn't enter by thinking 'Asians are conservative and Asian parents are so strict'. Yes in a certain manner there is some truth to it but that also is coincidental with our culture. Asian culture (or any culture stemming from the past) is a beautiful and colorful one. It has richness in it that should be delved into. Honestly I feel like I'm straying slightly out of topic but what I really wanted to say was, if you're going to start a wuxia, historical novel, please do check some background before hand. It's best not to go in blindly.
Warning aside let me talk about the novel. As I've mentioned before Priest has an innate talent to weave the simplest story into something beautiful and intricate. And that is exactly what she has done here. In the core, this is a very simple storyline that flows so smoothly that you forget that there is nothing major or complex in here. The characters are written in manner that you ultimately fall in love with and sympathize with. For me Priest's characters are not as strong as MBFB's but yet you can't help but root for them. Comparatively we have a shorter novel to her other novels but it won't hinder the story at all. Personally I feel as if it really was much better as it allows the author to beautifully wrap up the story without any unnecessary drama. I will admit there were certain deaths that left me saddened but it's only natural in the course of such a novel.
I know I am late to the Word-of-Honor band wagon but I really hope that the fans of the drama adaptation takes time to read the original source material and see the important parts that the director unfortunately had to cut off. Kudos for him though, he really did push the boundaries he were stuck in to the ultimate point.
Now I am off to read another one of Priest's novel as I know there are many that I should be catching up as I've seen almost 10 of her novels are being geared up for drama adaptations.
Now back to the novel, as always Priest has a way of writing Danmei novels that are not necessarily BL but rather a story with the romance aspect being towards the LGBTQ+ community. In a way that is the beauty of her books. You really do not see any difference. I have yet to read a book like Saye which really made me look at the LGBTQ+ novels in another light but that is not saying that I am criticizing this novel in any way. As I mentioned, I am in simple terms a 'crazy fan' of Priest. Although this is only the third book of hers that I am reading and there are many more out of hers out there I have to explore.
If anyone reads my previous reviews, they would know that I am someone who likes to broaden my horizons when it comes to reading. Rather than sticking to one genre or one language, I like to read many different types of books around the world (ones which have translation available), to enjoy them. If there is one super power I could ask for it would be to read any language in this world and yes as anyone would guess, it is so I could read anything written in any language. Screw time travel or reading minds.
Wuxia novels are a certain genre you need to slowly immerse yourself into. If one rushes into Wuxia novels they would generally be utterly confused. There are many terms and scenarios that would leave newbie reader scratching their head. This may be my personal opinion but many Asian novels needs to be read with an open mind. This is a whole different culture you'd be tipping your toes in and one where shouldn't enter by thinking 'Asians are conservative and Asian parents are so strict'. Yes in a certain manner there is some truth to it but that also is coincidental with our culture. Asian culture (or any culture stemming from the past) is a beautiful and colorful one. It has richness in it that should be delved into. Honestly I feel like I'm straying slightly out of topic but what I really wanted to say was, if you're going to start a wuxia, historical novel, please do check some background before hand. It's best not to go in blindly.
Warning aside let me talk about the novel. As I've mentioned before Priest has an innate talent to weave the simplest story into something beautiful and intricate. And that is exactly what she has done here. In the core, this is a very simple storyline that flows so smoothly that you forget that there is nothing major or complex in here. The characters are written in manner that you ultimately fall in love with and sympathize with. For me Priest's characters are not as strong as MBFB's but yet you can't help but root for them. Comparatively we have a shorter novel to her other novels but it won't hinder the story at all. Personally I feel as if it really was much better as it allows the author to beautifully wrap up the story without any unnecessary drama. I will admit there were certain deaths that left me saddened but it's only natural in the course of such a novel.
I know I am late to the Word-of-Honor band wagon but I really hope that the fans of the drama adaptation takes time to read the original source material and see the important parts that the director unfortunately had to cut off. Kudos for him though, he really did push the boundaries he were stuck in to the ultimate point.
Now I am off to read another one of Priest's novel as I know there are many that I should be catching up as I've seen almost 10 of her novels are being geared up for drama adaptations.
June 16, 2021
you just gotta love an unrepentant morally grey couple of mass murderers/soulmates who are also in love
March 18, 2021
“你身上……有光，我抓来看看。” - Priest
I must confess that I picked up this novel because I started watching its drama 《山河令》(Word of Honor). As of today, the drama has aired 28/36 episodes and I am completely enthralled. Impatient for the ending, I sought out the novel the drama was adapted from and read it whilst watching the drama. And yes, this is a BL martial arts (武侠) novel and it’s available on 晋江文学城 (JJWXC).
Set in ancient China,《天涯客》or “Faraway Wanderers” tells the story of Zhou Zishu (周子舒), the leader of a top-secret, elite special ops organisation, Window of Heaven (天窗), that serves the Emperor. Having lost all his family and friends, Zhou Zishu decided he’s had enough and wants to quit, but there’s no turning back once one has entered the Window of Heaven. The price to pay for quitting is to suffer 7 poison nails that will slowly rob away one’s 5 senses, eventually succumbing to death in 3 years’ time (七窍三秋钉). With these grave injuries, skills impaired, but a newfound freedom, Zhou Zishu left the service of the Emperor and decided to spend his remaining 3 years wandering about and doing whatever he felt like doing. Along the way, he meets Wen Kexing (温客行), a highly skilled individual whose identity is as mysterious as his agenda. After rescuing an orphaned child from a prominent sect, they get embroiled in the politics of the pugilistic world.
This is my first Priest novel and one of her earlier works written from 2010 to 2011. She is a well-known Chinese author who has written quite a number of web novels that have gotten published and also made into (or are in the process of being made into) TV dramas. Her writing is beautiful but also difficult to read (for my standard of Chinese, that is). I think all historical Chinese novels are difficult to read to some extent because of the language style. The words are often truncated and a lot of meaning are expressed in very little characters, with lots of idioms, ancient euphemisms, and poetry being used as well. I spent quite a bit of time consulting the dictionary and googling lines of poetry and still I’m probably only able to appreciate about 80% of the novel. Like you know, you get what it means overall, but to really appreciate the words in its finer details, that’s a little tough. But when you DO get it, wow, you just get bowled over by the beauty of those expressions.
The themes of this story are rather typical of the wuxia (martial arts) genre - upping one’s skills for a myriad of reasons although usually to seek revenge for loved ones, hunger for power and status, etc.
This is supposed to be a book review but I’m finding it a bit difficult to focus on just the novel because the drama pretty much BLEW my mind, making the novel seem a little blander in comparison, although it is still good. There are notable differences between the novel and the drama and I felt that the drama script writer enhanced quite a bit of the original story, especially in giving life to the characters’ backstories, including minor characters. I must admit that this is one of those rare instances where I favoured the drama over the novel, but this by no means meant that the novel was not good. I still enjoyed it a lot :D
Reviewed on 17 Mar 2021.
I must confess that I picked up this novel because I started watching its drama 《山河令》(Word of Honor). As of today, the drama has aired 28/36 episodes and I am completely enthralled. Impatient for the ending, I sought out the novel the drama was adapted from and read it whilst watching the drama. And yes, this is a BL martial arts (武侠) novel and it’s available on 晋江文学城 (JJWXC).
Set in ancient China,《天涯客》or “Faraway Wanderers” tells the story of Zhou Zishu (周子舒), the leader of a top-secret, elite special ops organisation, Window of Heaven (天窗), that serves the Emperor. Having lost all his family and friends, Zhou Zishu decided he’s had enough and wants to quit, but there’s no turning back once one has entered the Window of Heaven. The price to pay for quitting is to suffer 7 poison nails that will slowly rob away one’s 5 senses, eventually succumbing to death in 3 years’ time (七窍三秋钉). With these grave injuries, skills impaired, but a newfound freedom, Zhou Zishu left the service of the Emperor and decided to spend his remaining 3 years wandering about and doing whatever he felt like doing. Along the way, he meets Wen Kexing (温客行), a highly skilled individual whose identity is as mysterious as his agenda. After rescuing an orphaned child from a prominent sect, they get embroiled in the politics of the pugilistic world.
This is my first Priest novel and one of her earlier works written from 2010 to 2011. She is a well-known Chinese author who has written quite a number of web novels that have gotten published and also made into (or are in the process of being made into) TV dramas. Her writing is beautiful but also difficult to read (for my standard of Chinese, that is). I think all historical Chinese novels are difficult to read to some extent because of the language style. The words are often truncated and a lot of meaning are expressed in very little characters, with lots of idioms, ancient euphemisms, and poetry being used as well. I spent quite a bit of time consulting the dictionary and googling lines of poetry and still I’m probably only able to appreciate about 80% of the novel. Like you know, you get what it means overall, but to really appreciate the words in its finer details, that’s a little tough. But when you DO get it, wow, you just get bowled over by the beauty of those expressions.
The themes of this story are rather typical of the wuxia (martial arts) genre - upping one’s skills for a myriad of reasons although usually to seek revenge for loved ones, hunger for power and status, etc.
This is supposed to be a book review but I’m finding it a bit difficult to focus on just the novel because the drama pretty much BLEW my mind, making the novel seem a little blander in comparison, although it is still good. There are notable differences between the novel and the drama and I felt that the drama script writer enhanced quite a bit of the original story, especially in giving life to the characters’ backstories, including minor characters. I must admit that this is one of those rare instances where I favoured the drama over the novel, but this by no means meant that the novel was not good. I still enjoyed it a lot :D
Reviewed on 17 Mar 2021.
March 31, 2025
"They conflicted, contested, schemed to exhaustion, and risked their lives.
Just like an abyss, some jumped over and got out, while some didn’t make it, falling to their deaths.
And, that abyss had a name. It was… jianghu."
IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I was kinda getting lazy trying this out because I was busy with uni. But I wanted to read from time to time so I tried this, and IT'S AWESOME. I laughed, and cried. Man, it hurt. What the fuck. Cao Weining and Gu Xiang's demise; Ye Baiyi's unrequited love; Wen Kexing's and Zhou Zishu's wanting to be free, and other characters' own abyss. Man, it was so fucking hurtful that it's really beautiful.
CWN and GX deserves that red string of fate. Best couple!
Ye Baiyi's have lived and never minded things be he remembered every thing about his Changqing, even the man's toddler walks. SO SAD.
And I loved how WKX was so ready to give up everything but as soon as he sees ZZS to his aid, he was willing to throw everything to spend all of the minutes of his life together with his Ah-Xu.
SO GOOD. ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ Yes, I cried. I even delayed doing my report to finish this, ehe.
Just like an abyss, some jumped over and got out, while some didn’t make it, falling to their deaths.
And, that abyss had a name. It was… jianghu."
IT'S BEAUTIFUL. I was kinda getting lazy trying this out because I was busy with uni. But I wanted to read from time to time so I tried this, and IT'S AWESOME. I laughed, and cried. Man, it hurt. What the fuck. Cao Weining and Gu Xiang's demise; Ye Baiyi's unrequited love; Wen Kexing's and Zhou Zishu's wanting to be free, and other characters' own abyss. Man, it was so fucking hurtful that it's really beautiful.
CWN and GX deserves that red string of fate. Best couple!
Ye Baiyi's have lived and never minded things be he remembered every thing about his Changqing, even the man's toddler walks. SO SAD.
And I loved how WKX was so ready to give up everything but as soon as he sees ZZS to his aid, he was willing to throw everything to spend all of the minutes of his life together with his Ah-Xu.
SO GOOD. ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ Yes, I cried. I even delayed doing my report to finish this, ehe.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2022
Quedé super soft, no me hablen. Luego escribo la reseña, pero es que quedé lo más soft de lo soft. Que pedo, priest, qué autora. YA QUE LA TRADUZCAN.
https://www.neapoulain.com/2022/06/fa...
La sinopsis dice que este libro trata de una historia sobre el ex líder de una organización especial servida bajo la realeza, que ahora deja atrás su vida pasada e involuntariamente se involucra con el mundo marcial. De verdad que hacen unas sinopsis terribles en esto del danmei, a ver si a mí me sale un poquito mejor. Es cierto que el protagonista, Zhou Zishu, es el ex líder de una organización especial que sirve a la realeza que un día dice ya me cansé, voy a dejar esta vida, me voy en mis propios términos, renuncio, adiós y acaba muy involucrado con las conspiraciones del mundo marcial (le encargan a un huérfano, Zhang Chengling, cuyos padres murieron en extrañas circunstancias, y un tipo guapo llamado Wen Kexing, misterioso y con los mismos principios morales que él, o sea, básicamente ninguno, lo sigue a todos lados).
Es una novela de aventuras, algo así como dúo desastroso adopta a un niño por accidente. Al niño se le acaban de morir sus papás porque el mundo marcial es, de por sí, un desastre de conspiraciones. Así que allá va el dúo desastroso con todo y hermana menor que acaba de conseguirse marido y niño triste recién adoptado a vivir aventuras. La novela es wuxia (que ya hablamos de qué es en la reseña de Mo Dao Zu Shi o The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) y tiene muchas influencias poéticas (estoy super convencida de que a priest le fascina la poesía), taoístas y budistas. Ya he hablado de las influencias del wuxia en otras ocasiones, pero siempre me gusta remarcarlas, porque creo que son muy importantes para la manera en que estas historias se refieren a la vida, la muerte, la reencarnación, el duelo, la redención, el bien y el mal e incluso la venganza o en dejar el pasado atrás.
Para empezar es una novela traducida de manera amateur, la autora usa el pseudónimo de priest para publicar en china y no sé sabe más de ella; publica desde el 2007 y tiene bastantes títulos; además es muy versátil en cuanto a géneros y ambientaciones, lo cual siempre es interesante. En inglés la traducción de chichilations está a punto de concluir y es la que les recomiendo en ese idioma (traduce muy bien), en español leí la de DarKitty, que está muy bien, muy cuidada, me gustó mucho, subrayé muchísimas cosas y guardé muchísimas citas. Ahí les puse los links para que las encuentren.
Zhou Zishu empieza el libro dejado su trabajo al mando de Tianchuang, una organización de asesinos al mando del emperador (y para dejarlo se mete unos clavos que lo van a matar como en tres años al cuerpo, pero bueno, nadie dijo que renunciar fuera fácil). No porque se arrepienta de todos sus actos o quiera reformarse, sino que se atisba una sensación de cansancio en ser un títere en la corte, ese mundo lleno de conspiraciones. Parece que ansía libertad y ha pasado demasiado tiempo en un mundo donde la sinceridad es escasa y las apariencias lo son casi todo (que se nota, porque en cuanto a romance, le cuesta identificar cuando la gente va en serio o sólo está jugando). Wen Kexing, en cambio, no conoce la vergüenza, lo mueve la venganza, es extremadamente directo en cuanto a sus afectos y, con la moral torcida que carga al ser el Jefe del Valle de los fantasmas, entiende bastante bien a Zhou Zishu. Y esos son los protagonistas.
Los acompañan Zhang Chengling, un niño medio torpe, mal alumno en general porque no es muy ducho para las artes marciales y además está triste porque se acaba de quedar huérfano; Gu Xiang, que sirve a Wen Kexing pero que todos sabemos que es la hermana menor que adoptó en el Valle de los fantasmas, y Cao Weining, que pertenece a una de las sectas reconocidas en el mundo marcial y decide, no más, al ver al dúo de asesinos caóticos, que le caen bien y los va a ayudar en lo que necesiten. Quiero hablar un poco de este grupo caótico porque, además del romance (tema que ya tocaremos), la familia encontrada es uno de los temas recurrentes en Faraway Wanderers.
La familia que encuentras en el camino
Algo que me parece muy interesante de priest es la sutilidad de su prosa; hace que sus historias sean muy hermosas por la manera en la que entiendes a los personajes y vas entendiendo el mundo en el que se desarrollan. Gran parte de los primeros capítulos contienen la perspectiva de Zhou Zishu (aunque priest usa un narrador completamente omnisciente, que usualmente no está limitado a una sola perspectiva pero que parece elegir muy cuidadosamente qué contar, desde qué punto y qué omitir) y hay un aura de soledad al rededor de su personaje que no puede ignorarse. Pasa un poco lo mismo con Wen Kexing tras algunos capítulos (se menciona que tiene amantes, siempre hombres; pero él siempre parece misterioso, lejano y poco dado a ser visto vulnerable y la única que es lo suficientemente cercana a él como para tener más insight es Gu Xiang).
No tarda en decidir que quiere pasar el resto de sus días con Zhou Zishu si este se lo permita (y decididamente va a intentar que se lo permita de todas las maneras posibles, porque Wen Kexing no conoce la vergüenza, el pudor y su forma de ligar es molestar a Zhou Zishu de todas las maneras que se le ocurren). Y alrededor de ellos se empieza a formar un pequeño grupo que acaba actuando como una familia, donde nadie es particularmente excepcional (y esto me encanta de los personajes de priest) y Zhou Zishu y Wen Kexing, además, tienen tanta cola que les pisen que nunca hacen juicios sobre el bien y el mal en todo el embrollo en el que están metidos por accidente.
Wen Kexing deja claro un par de veces que le parece que le mundo marcial está lleno de hipocresía, con la manera en que se manejan las sectas y como definen el bien y el mal. Zhou Zishu nada más se mete porque adoptó a un niño accidentalmente al morir sus padres y quieren saber qué pasó y quién lo provocó. Me parecen personajes muy interesantes por lo que construyen a su alrededor sin darse ni cuenta (cierta sensación familiar) y cómo muy pronto se descubren iguales ante los ojos del otro y se tratan como iguales. priest es muy cuidadosa en cómo va construyendo su relación y digo cuidadosa cuando quiero decir que es sutil; la manera en la que Zhou Zishu es sincero acerca de lo que puede ofrecer y lo que no puede corresponder y cómo Wen Kexing va descubriendo que no sólo quiere cometer actos atroces, sino que también quiere y puede cuidar de otros. (Otros: Zhou Zishu, Gu Xiang y a veces un par de personas más, tampoco anda tan magnánimo).
El maestro Wen del Valle había pensado que el día en que tuviera que cocinar personalmente la cena de Nochevieja nunca llegaría en su vida. Zhang Chengling solía ser un joven maestro, y aunque deseaba exhibir su piedad filial, desafortunadamente era torpe y no podía cumplir con estos deberes como deseaba. En cuanto a Zhou Zishu, solía ser un Lord, y todavía seguía holgazaneando como uno ahora.
Se explora su relación con Gu Xiang, a quien adoptó en el Valle y justo una de las partes que más me gustan de la historia es cuando por fin habla de manera sincera con Cao Weining sobre lo que Gu Xiang significa para él y por qué quiere que tenga una buena vida (tanto como para prometerle una dote que equivalga a dos calles). En general, creo que si buscan un libro que aborde justamente el tema de la familia que haces en el camino y a la que eliges cuidar en el camino, este libro es un gran libro para ello. Sí, se centra mucho en el romance también porque es una novela romántica ante todo, pero la atención que priest le pone a sus protagonistas es muy bella.
A cambio de no ponerle tanta atención a los secundarios (y la entiendo: los personajes son, al fin y al cabo, herramientas; como escritor usas sus vidas para contar algo o transmitir una parte de una historia, los usas en manera que te sean útiles para la historia, en que creas que tienen algo que contar o en que quieras expandir las perspectivas sobre ellos), se centra muy cuidadosamente en la pequeña familia (o bueno, círculo) que forma (y en la cual acaban por hacer cameos personajes de una novela anterior, Qi Ye, Beiyuan y Wu Xi) y en su manera de ver y enfrentarse a la vida.
La persecución del poder
En muchas novelas, especialmente en fantasía, la lucha por el poder es central, pero poco se habla de mantenerlo y lo que significa. Poco se analiza por qué se quiere y cuáles son las consecuencias de ese deseo (al menos, cuando es explícito). Muchas obras son muy engañosas al hablar del bien y el mal como términos absolutos y, al pararse uno a verlas un momento, descubre que en toda la violencia que presentan, la única diferencia entre el bien y el mal es que la narración pretende convencerte de que una parte de los personajes son los buenos por... razones. Venganza, justicia (qué mal servicio le hacemos a lo que sea que creamos que es La Justicia con mayúsculas cuando no pensamos en quienes sufren cuando la buscamos y cuáles son nuestras responsabilidades allí), rebelión. Muchas veces parecen razones válidas, pero nunca se habla de lo que ocurre después, del camino recorrido, de mantener el poder siendo fiel a los principios (creo que, aunque no me gusta su desenlace en todos los sentidos, El rey que fue y será de TH White, al menos hasta el cuarto libro, habla de manera muy interesante de los vicios y las omisiones que se hacen desde el poder).
Los buenos ganan, los malos pierden, los absolutos continúan y las historias sufren ante tales reduccionismos. Algo que me ha gustado mucho del danmei es que aborda mucho como las personas no son buenas ni malas como absolutos, sino que todos pueden hacer buenas y malas acciones y todos pueden arrepentirse, no arrepentirse, hacerse responsables o escoger otra vida.
Faraway Wanderers empieza, como ya dije, con Zhou Zishu renunciando a su trabajo o, quizá, también un poco, huyendo del poder. Representa una antítesis parta muchos protagonistas de su mismo género que inician desde abajo y van escalando poco a poco, buscando hacerse un lugar, tener influencia, lograr sus objetivos (salvar a alguien, salvar al mundo y todo lo que podemos encontrar allí). Fue un Lord y tuvo a su mando a una organización muy poderosa, de la que nadie puede escapar indemne y ahora es tan sólo un vagabundo solitario que va por el mundo escondiendo su verdadero rostro, tomando licor y disfrutando sus últimos días (y, sinceramente, parece más feliz de esa manera).
Wen Kexing quizá está en la cúspide de su propio mundo, el Valle, pero aquel lugar es tan solo una herramienta más para llevar a cabo su venganza y, cuando habla abiertamente de su posición, reconoce que la tiene porque otros no pueden hacer nada al respecto y arrebatársela. Nos recuerda que quienes suben al poder quizá no lo hacen por ser los mejores, los más buenos o ni siquiera los más malos o los mejores conspiradores. Lo hacen porque otros no pueden hacer nada al respecto. En cierto modo, algo entre Zhou Zishu y Wen Kexing es una huída del poder. Al fondo de la novela, sin demasiada importancia, otros se deshacen y se matan por él y los protagonistas sólo ven y oyen de las piezas caer, una a una, mientras se plantean la idea de construir algo entre ambos.
Y, finalmente, WenZhou
No encontré que otro título ponerle a mis conclusiones. Quería hablar de ellos al final, de por qué recomiendo la historia. Si buscan romance, van a encontrar a una pareja de iguales que están bromeando con el otro todo el tiempo y que no tardan en entender lo que sienten. Aquí no van a encontrar una relación de slow burn en la que una de las partes nunca se da cuenta o malentiende todo. Quizá su desarrollo sí es más lento de lo que esperan, pero es también porque son personajes que se dan el tiempo para definir su relación. Y una vez que lo hacen son muy divertidos.
También adoro cosas de cómo priest maneja que mutuamente se digan esposa (mis partes favoritas son cuando Wen Kexing hace cosas para Zhou Zishu porque el ex lord es medio inútil, lo molesta y luego procede a decirse esposa a sí mismo). Me gusta ver ese tropo reinterpretado de muchas maneras, sobre todo porque detesto verlo con nada disimulada misoginia (eso de que a quien llaman "la esposa" es siempre cualidades que asociamos a lo femenino porque también asociamos lo femenino con lo débil, como la sumisión), pero es muy divertido jugar con él cuando vemos un romance entre iguales (especialmente iguales que se molestan mutuamente, que se dicen esposa mutuamente y que amenazan con dejarse viudos todos los días).
Sí les recomiendo mucho Faraway Wanderers; si la leen ahí me cuentan. Como dato, diré que es el danmei más corto que he leído. Mi documento contabilizó el equivalente a 650 páginas si fuera un libro impreso. Por si eso anima a alguien, porque el danmei siempre es enorme. Y ya nada más nos quedan esperar a ver si la licencian en algún idioma.
https://www.neapoulain.com/2022/06/fa...
La sinopsis dice que este libro trata de una historia sobre el ex líder de una organización especial servida bajo la realeza, que ahora deja atrás su vida pasada e involuntariamente se involucra con el mundo marcial. De verdad que hacen unas sinopsis terribles en esto del danmei, a ver si a mí me sale un poquito mejor. Es cierto que el protagonista, Zhou Zishu, es el ex líder de una organización especial que sirve a la realeza que un día dice ya me cansé, voy a dejar esta vida, me voy en mis propios términos, renuncio, adiós y acaba muy involucrado con las conspiraciones del mundo marcial (le encargan a un huérfano, Zhang Chengling, cuyos padres murieron en extrañas circunstancias, y un tipo guapo llamado Wen Kexing, misterioso y con los mismos principios morales que él, o sea, básicamente ninguno, lo sigue a todos lados).
Es una novela de aventuras, algo así como dúo desastroso adopta a un niño por accidente. Al niño se le acaban de morir sus papás porque el mundo marcial es, de por sí, un desastre de conspiraciones. Así que allá va el dúo desastroso con todo y hermana menor que acaba de conseguirse marido y niño triste recién adoptado a vivir aventuras. La novela es wuxia (que ya hablamos de qué es en la reseña de Mo Dao Zu Shi o The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation) y tiene muchas influencias poéticas (estoy super convencida de que a priest le fascina la poesía), taoístas y budistas. Ya he hablado de las influencias del wuxia en otras ocasiones, pero siempre me gusta remarcarlas, porque creo que son muy importantes para la manera en que estas historias se refieren a la vida, la muerte, la reencarnación, el duelo, la redención, el bien y el mal e incluso la venganza o en dejar el pasado atrás.
Para empezar es una novela traducida de manera amateur, la autora usa el pseudónimo de priest para publicar en china y no sé sabe más de ella; publica desde el 2007 y tiene bastantes títulos; además es muy versátil en cuanto a géneros y ambientaciones, lo cual siempre es interesante. En inglés la traducción de chichilations está a punto de concluir y es la que les recomiendo en ese idioma (traduce muy bien), en español leí la de DarKitty, que está muy bien, muy cuidada, me gustó mucho, subrayé muchísimas cosas y guardé muchísimas citas. Ahí les puse los links para que las encuentren.
Zhou Zishu empieza el libro dejado su trabajo al mando de Tianchuang, una organización de asesinos al mando del emperador (y para dejarlo se mete unos clavos que lo van a matar como en tres años al cuerpo, pero bueno, nadie dijo que renunciar fuera fácil). No porque se arrepienta de todos sus actos o quiera reformarse, sino que se atisba una sensación de cansancio en ser un títere en la corte, ese mundo lleno de conspiraciones. Parece que ansía libertad y ha pasado demasiado tiempo en un mundo donde la sinceridad es escasa y las apariencias lo son casi todo (que se nota, porque en cuanto a romance, le cuesta identificar cuando la gente va en serio o sólo está jugando). Wen Kexing, en cambio, no conoce la vergüenza, lo mueve la venganza, es extremadamente directo en cuanto a sus afectos y, con la moral torcida que carga al ser el Jefe del Valle de los fantasmas, entiende bastante bien a Zhou Zishu. Y esos son los protagonistas.
Los acompañan Zhang Chengling, un niño medio torpe, mal alumno en general porque no es muy ducho para las artes marciales y además está triste porque se acaba de quedar huérfano; Gu Xiang, que sirve a Wen Kexing pero que todos sabemos que es la hermana menor que adoptó en el Valle de los fantasmas, y Cao Weining, que pertenece a una de las sectas reconocidas en el mundo marcial y decide, no más, al ver al dúo de asesinos caóticos, que le caen bien y los va a ayudar en lo que necesiten. Quiero hablar un poco de este grupo caótico porque, además del romance (tema que ya tocaremos), la familia encontrada es uno de los temas recurrentes en Faraway Wanderers.
La familia que encuentras en el camino
En ese momento, ambos estaban despiertos, pero guardaban silencio. Mientras la noche interminable se deslizaba por la ventana, el tiempo y el dolor parecían incomparablemente prolongados, tan prolongados que exigían ser tallados profundamente en los huesos como un recuerdo.
[...] Durante el día, deliberadamente se ponían trampas y hacían bromas para molestarse; pero por la noche, eran así, como si sólo se tuvieran el uno al otro. ¿No era esto muy errático?
Algo que me parece muy interesante de priest es la sutilidad de su prosa; hace que sus historias sean muy hermosas por la manera en la que entiendes a los personajes y vas entendiendo el mundo en el que se desarrollan. Gran parte de los primeros capítulos contienen la perspectiva de Zhou Zishu (aunque priest usa un narrador completamente omnisciente, que usualmente no está limitado a una sola perspectiva pero que parece elegir muy cuidadosamente qué contar, desde qué punto y qué omitir) y hay un aura de soledad al rededor de su personaje que no puede ignorarse. Pasa un poco lo mismo con Wen Kexing tras algunos capítulos (se menciona que tiene amantes, siempre hombres; pero él siempre parece misterioso, lejano y poco dado a ser visto vulnerable y la única que es lo suficientemente cercana a él como para tener más insight es Gu Xiang).
No tarda en decidir que quiere pasar el resto de sus días con Zhou Zishu si este se lo permita (y decididamente va a intentar que se lo permita de todas las maneras posibles, porque Wen Kexing no conoce la vergüenza, el pudor y su forma de ligar es molestar a Zhou Zishu de todas las maneras que se le ocurren). Y alrededor de ellos se empieza a formar un pequeño grupo que acaba actuando como una familia, donde nadie es particularmente excepcional (y esto me encanta de los personajes de priest) y Zhou Zishu y Wen Kexing, además, tienen tanta cola que les pisen que nunca hacen juicios sobre el bien y el mal en todo el embrollo en el que están metidos por accidente.
Wen Kexing deja claro un par de veces que le parece que le mundo marcial está lleno de hipocresía, con la manera en que se manejan las sectas y como definen el bien y el mal. Zhou Zishu nada más se mete porque adoptó a un niño accidentalmente al morir sus padres y quieren saber qué pasó y quién lo provocó. Me parecen personajes muy interesantes por lo que construyen a su alrededor sin darse ni cuenta (cierta sensación familiar) y cómo muy pronto se descubren iguales ante los ojos del otro y se tratan como iguales. priest es muy cuidadosa en cómo va construyendo su relación y digo cuidadosa cuando quiero decir que es sutil; la manera en la que Zhou Zishu es sincero acerca de lo que puede ofrecer y lo que no puede corresponder y cómo Wen Kexing va descubriendo que no sólo quiere cometer actos atroces, sino que también quiere y puede cuidar de otros. (Otros: Zhou Zishu, Gu Xiang y a veces un par de personas más, tampoco anda tan magnánimo).
El maestro Wen del Valle había pensado que el día en que tuviera que cocinar personalmente la cena de Nochevieja nunca llegaría en su vida. Zhang Chengling solía ser un joven maestro, y aunque deseaba exhibir su piedad filial, desafortunadamente era torpe y no podía cumplir con estos deberes como deseaba. En cuanto a Zhou Zishu, solía ser un Lord, y todavía seguía holgazaneando como uno ahora.
Se explora su relación con Gu Xiang, a quien adoptó en el Valle y justo una de las partes que más me gustan de la historia es cuando por fin habla de manera sincera con Cao Weining sobre lo que Gu Xiang significa para él y por qué quiere que tenga una buena vida (tanto como para prometerle una dote que equivalga a dos calles). En general, creo que si buscan un libro que aborde justamente el tema de la familia que haces en el camino y a la que eliges cuidar en el camino, este libro es un gran libro para ello. Sí, se centra mucho en el romance también porque es una novela romántica ante todo, pero la atención que priest le pone a sus protagonistas es muy bella.
A cambio de no ponerle tanta atención a los secundarios (y la entiendo: los personajes son, al fin y al cabo, herramientas; como escritor usas sus vidas para contar algo o transmitir una parte de una historia, los usas en manera que te sean útiles para la historia, en que creas que tienen algo que contar o en que quieras expandir las perspectivas sobre ellos), se centra muy cuidadosamente en la pequeña familia (o bueno, círculo) que forma (y en la cual acaban por hacer cameos personajes de una novela anterior, Qi Ye, Beiyuan y Wu Xi) y en su manera de ver y enfrentarse a la vida.
―En realidad, ella no es mi criada... aunque nos dirigimos uno al otro como amo y sirvienta, nunca he tratado a esa chica como una extraña, es como mi propia hermana menor. [...] Si tuviera que aparentar algo de edad... la vi crecer, así que es casi como mi hija. El lugar en el que nos alojamos cuando éramos más jóvenes no es un lugar destinado para que vivan los humanos. Yo también era un niño y tropecé muchas veces durante el proceso de criarla. Le quemé la boca la primera vez que la alimenté con congee; que A-Xiang sobrevivierá hasta ahora no fue fácil para mí, pero a decir verdad... tampoco fue fácil para ella.
La persecución del poder
En muchas novelas, especialmente en fantasía, la lucha por el poder es central, pero poco se habla de mantenerlo y lo que significa. Poco se analiza por qué se quiere y cuáles son las consecuencias de ese deseo (al menos, cuando es explícito). Muchas obras son muy engañosas al hablar del bien y el mal como términos absolutos y, al pararse uno a verlas un momento, descubre que en toda la violencia que presentan, la única diferencia entre el bien y el mal es que la narración pretende convencerte de que una parte de los personajes son los buenos por... razones. Venganza, justicia (qué mal servicio le hacemos a lo que sea que creamos que es La Justicia con mayúsculas cuando no pensamos en quienes sufren cuando la buscamos y cuáles son nuestras responsabilidades allí), rebelión. Muchas veces parecen razones válidas, pero nunca se habla de lo que ocurre después, del camino recorrido, de mantener el poder siendo fiel a los principios (creo que, aunque no me gusta su desenlace en todos los sentidos, El rey que fue y será de TH White, al menos hasta el cuarto libro, habla de manera muy interesante de los vicios y las omisiones que se hacen desde el poder).
―¿Por qué crees que soy Maestro del Valle?
Zhou Zishu le lanzó una mirada y dijo con indiferencia: ―Porque eres infinitamente capaz.
Wen Kexing sonrió levemente. Esa sonrisa suya era un poco forzada y, sorprendentemente, tenía algo demente vagamente acechando en ella.
Dijo: ―Soy el Maestro del Valle porque no pueden hacer nada al respecto. [...] Al pie de la montaña Fengya no hay moralidad ni justicia. O devoras a los demás o eres devorado. Nadie puede hacer nada respecto a mí. Puedo matar a quienquiera que desee matar, y por eso soy el Maestro del Valle Fantasma. Por el momento, no tienen la capacidad de matarme [...]. Aún así, esto no significa que no quieran matarme.
Los buenos ganan, los malos pierden, los absolutos continúan y las historias sufren ante tales reduccionismos. Algo que me ha gustado mucho del danmei es que aborda mucho como las personas no son buenas ni malas como absolutos, sino que todos pueden hacer buenas y malas acciones y todos pueden arrepentirse, no arrepentirse, hacerse responsables o escoger otra vida.
Faraway Wanderers empieza, como ya dije, con Zhou Zishu renunciando a su trabajo o, quizá, también un poco, huyendo del poder. Representa una antítesis parta muchos protagonistas de su mismo género que inician desde abajo y van escalando poco a poco, buscando hacerse un lugar, tener influencia, lograr sus objetivos (salvar a alguien, salvar al mundo y todo lo que podemos encontrar allí). Fue un Lord y tuvo a su mando a una organización muy poderosa, de la que nadie puede escapar indemne y ahora es tan sólo un vagabundo solitario que va por el mundo escondiendo su verdadero rostro, tomando licor y disfrutando sus últimos días (y, sinceramente, parece más feliz de esa manera).
Wen Kexing quizá está en la cúspide de su propio mundo, el Valle, pero aquel lugar es tan solo una herramienta más para llevar a cabo su venganza y, cuando habla abiertamente de su posición, reconoce que la tiene porque otros no pueden hacer nada al respecto y arrebatársela. Nos recuerda que quienes suben al poder quizá no lo hacen por ser los mejores, los más buenos o ni siquiera los más malos o los mejores conspiradores. Lo hacen porque otros no pueden hacer nada al respecto. En cierto modo, algo entre Zhou Zishu y Wen Kexing es una huída del poder. Al fondo de la novela, sin demasiada importancia, otros se deshacen y se matan por él y los protagonistas sólo ven y oyen de las piezas caer, una a una, mientras se plantean la idea de construir algo entre ambos.
Y, finalmente, WenZhou
―¿Dijiste que quieres mantenerme contigo?
Zhou Zishu se rió y dijo: ―No importa en qué sitio estés. Una vez que uno ha sido atrapado por un lugar en específico, cualquier otro lugar se siente incómodo. Este sentimiento...
No encontré que otro título ponerle a mis conclusiones. Quería hablar de ellos al final, de por qué recomiendo la historia. Si buscan romance, van a encontrar a una pareja de iguales que están bromeando con el otro todo el tiempo y que no tardan en entender lo que sienten. Aquí no van a encontrar una relación de slow burn en la que una de las partes nunca se da cuenta o malentiende todo. Quizá su desarrollo sí es más lento de lo que esperan, pero es también porque son personajes que se dan el tiempo para definir su relación. Y una vez que lo hacen son muy divertidos.
También adoro cosas de cómo priest maneja que mutuamente se digan esposa (mis partes favoritas son cuando Wen Kexing hace cosas para Zhou Zishu porque el ex lord es medio inútil, lo molesta y luego procede a decirse esposa a sí mismo). Me gusta ver ese tropo reinterpretado de muchas maneras, sobre todo porque detesto verlo con nada disimulada misoginia (eso de que a quien llaman "la esposa" es siempre cualidades que asociamos a lo femenino porque también asociamos lo femenino con lo débil, como la sumisión), pero es muy divertido jugar con él cuando vemos un romance entre iguales (especialmente iguales que se molestan mutuamente, que se dicen esposa mutuamente y que amenazan con dejarse viudos todos los días).
Sí les recomiendo mucho Faraway Wanderers; si la leen ahí me cuentan. Como dato, diré que es el danmei más corto que he leído. Mi documento contabilizó el equivalente a 650 páginas si fuera un libro impreso. Por si eso anima a alguien, porque el danmei siempre es enorme. Y ya nada más nos quedan esperar a ver si la licencian en algún idioma.
April 28, 2024
This book saved me from the reading slump...AND OMG WENZHOU!!! I'm never moving on from these 2 😭❤️The extra for Gu Xiang and Cao Weining helped me feel better after reading and watching the drama...they deserved that good ending🥹💕(My heart still breaks for WKX losing GX tho😭)
Even though the drama and novel differ a bit plotwise, both have their perks... watching the drama before reading helped me understand WenZhou's motives and relationship dynamic with eo... ngl the novel WKX had me a bit creeped out...Do I still adore him? OFC I DO!!!
Also is it just me or did ZZS seem softer in the drama?😂
All the characters from the novel and their stories stuck with me... especially Zhang Chengling
I am proud of both the drama and novel versions of him... boy went through so much😭😂
YBY's story in the extra is something I am still processing... but I LOVE watching him get on everybody's nerves, HE IS A MOOD🤣
Thanks to Word of Honor, I could finish another book from my want-to-read list and add something new to my obsessions list...WenZhou ❤️
Even though the drama and novel differ a bit plotwise, both have their perks... watching the drama before reading helped me understand WenZhou's motives and relationship dynamic with eo... ngl the novel WKX had me a bit creeped out...Do I still adore him? OFC I DO!!!
Also is it just me or did ZZS seem softer in the drama?😂
All the characters from the novel and their stories stuck with me... especially Zhang Chengling
I am proud of both the drama and novel versions of him... boy went through so much😭😂
YBY's story in the extra is something I am still processing... but I LOVE watching him get on everybody's nerves, HE IS A MOOD🤣
Thanks to Word of Honor, I could finish another book from my want-to-read list and add something new to my obsessions list...WenZhou ❤️
December 9, 2020
EDIT 24/12/19: in retrospect, it seems that this, alongside Qiye, was one of her earlier books. it has none of the complexity and nuance and confidence that her later books gain.
Much shorter than Sha Po Lang and Guardian but still very enjoyable. I love Priest's complex plot, characterization and world building. She's so creative and her character analysis is always realistic.
Much shorter than Sha Po Lang and Guardian but still very enjoyable. I love Priest's complex plot, characterization and world building. She's so creative and her character analysis is always realistic.
May 22, 2021
i can’t believe i’m done 😭😭😭😭😭 UWU OH MY GOD THEM!!!!!!! that last line got me cryinggggggg
it’s so different from the show but both the book and the show are SO GOOD in their similarities and differences, i’m so impressed!!!!!! ANYWAY WEN KEXING AND ZHOU ZISHU FOR LIFE
ps. i have to read qi ye now. i HAVE TO
it’s so different from the show but both the book and the show are SO GOOD in their similarities and differences, i’m so impressed!!!!!! ANYWAY WEN KEXING AND ZHOU ZISHU FOR LIFE
ps. i have to read qi ye now. i HAVE TO
May 27, 2021
I didn't expect to finish this as fast as I did but the writing is so much different from the one in Qiye, I literally flew through the pages.
I absolutely loved this book, a lot of my love also comes from the drama. I started reading Faraway Wanderers after I had already watched and loved Word of Honor. I've been obsessed with Wen Kexing since episode 1 and when i started reading, I already loved the characters.
The book, ofc, is very different from the show but what I love is that the drama has more or less managed to preserve 100% of the characters' personalities and the overall vibe of the plot. I love both the book and the drama for their different takes on this story.
I'm very biased when it comes to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing. Some of my favourite moments from the book are just WKX flirting with ZZS. I loved seeing the emotional scenes in both the drama and the book. I also loved seeing all the differences.
At the end, I thoroughly enjoyed Faraway Wanderers and will miss this. I can't wait to rewatch Word of Honor and maybe even reread this at some point.
I absolutely loved this book, a lot of my love also comes from the drama. I started reading Faraway Wanderers after I had already watched and loved Word of Honor. I've been obsessed with Wen Kexing since episode 1 and when i started reading, I already loved the characters.
The book, ofc, is very different from the show but what I love is that the drama has more or less managed to preserve 100% of the characters' personalities and the overall vibe of the plot. I love both the book and the drama for their different takes on this story.
I'm very biased when it comes to Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing. Some of my favourite moments from the book are just WKX flirting with ZZS. I loved seeing the emotional scenes in both the drama and the book. I also loved seeing all the differences.
At the end, I thoroughly enjoyed Faraway Wanderers and will miss this. I can't wait to rewatch Word of Honor and maybe even reread this at some point.
April 7, 2021
"the years that had passed were for nothing other than awaiting someone like this, who could stay with him both morning and night, holding his hand."
3.5/5
what I loved:
- grumpy retired assassin x bratty evil clan master dynamics done to perfection.
- bickering found family who grudgingly adore each other.
- wen kexing!! and his insane backstory.
![Profile Image for julia ☆ [owls reads].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1636739475i%2F5520447._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 2, 2021
I know this is Wenzhou's love story, but I'm still crying about Extra 3.
October 31, 2021
wenzhou <3
March 18, 2022
"you and i shared a love that burned like fire:
two lumps of clay in the shape of desire
molded into twin figures. we two.
me and you.
in life we slept beneath a single quilt,
so in death, why any guilt?
let the skeptics keep scoffing:
it’s best to share a single coffin."
— the song of you and me, guan daosheng
all right!!! i didn't WANT to write a review for this one because it's a highly uh. personal book to me but i'd forgotten that its live action (if you're an animanga fan, you must realize what volume of ire i say this with) got popular-popular which has. led to more people reading it and er. me getting blasted with other people's opinions whether i want to see them or not!!! full disclosure you should have read 七爷 Qiye Lord Seventh before you read Faraway Wanderers - 天涯客 as the books are part of a duology. with all of these things (and my aggravation) out of the way, here are my two cents.
first off, qiye & tianya ke are both ABOUT subverting their genres (palace politics & wuxia respectively). if you've read qiye you'll have noticed that it doesn't give a rat's ass about the reincarnation plot for 70-80% of its run and its take on scheming to put your preferred ruler on the throne is a depressingly bloody one. qiye turns its focal point, its soulmates trope, over its head. i have so many problems with it & it's a really badly written historical drama (and perhaps priest's most melancholic book) if you take into account Priest's later works but both of these books share a singular theme, and it's emancipation from genre. the biggest act of rebellion in these books is your main characters striving to erase themselves from the narrative, and ruminating over how much they succeed (or don't) in their pursuit.
tianya ke's jianghu subplot is secondary (really it will point out a particular hypocrisy and move on. it does not CARE. the one which does is qiye tbh) to the themes it really wants to explore, which are asking:
♦ is sincerity between people & human connection more important than your traditional villain redemption arc?
♦ is power worth it if you are made miserable in its pursuit? how does your relationship with wanting/not having wanted it but acquiring it all the same/thirsting for it but not getting it/rejecting it come into contact with how you treat people? how does your fate get affected by your relationship with it?
♦ how much of you is caged by the notion of freedom that you're lusting after? you can change the chessboard, change the rules of the game you inhabit, but can you change your heart? and what of the people you've grown to unwittingly care for in your journey toward that freedom, how much of the bond that you share with them is a shackle? and is it a shackle you are glad to bear, regardless of the tragedies that beckon in its conjunction?
♦ are you a weapon of mass destruction wholly utilized or are you the one who chooses to not bring it into the world (or better yet, gets domesticated by the power of community as they do it)? are you someone who needs to tell their truth in order to be saved from the destruction of their vengeance or are you someone who will ask for permission from others before they choose to save them?
all of this is to say: tianya ke is under no illusion of being righteous. the vengeance quest (as apropos of a trademark wuxia story) is never glorified. it takes characters (dearest criminals!!) who would traditionally be measly SIDE CHARACTERS of a tertiary subplot and then puts them on the foreground of its own story. tianya ke (and its characters) could not care less about its trad wuxia plot, and it sort of. mocks you if you did. one of the things i love about it is that it never asks you to forgive any of the aforementioned heinous criminals, instead it asks how one should live with the crimes. it asks how having had a choice in committing yours factors into loving people who did not, and are both types worthy of the same grace, the same compassion? how does your affection for each other, your shared guardianship of kids you dearly love, kids who are AFFECTED by your ties to said crimes, come into play?
truly. it asks that you try to live with whatever it is that haunts you, and live well.
tianya ke is a deeply cynical book, sure, but it values love and the people entrenched in its wiles above everything, and it's. very dear to my heart.
now, i KNOW you're thinking this: why not a higher rating?
it's one of priest's earlier works, and so it doesn't have the same level of execution skill that i'm normally accustomed to seeing from her as someone who's read a LOT of her later works. there are loads of character parallels in tianya ke that aren't obvious to you on your first reading of it, and i think it's a flaw because of how SMOOTHLY her later works use it as a narrative device. the book's thematic culmination hinges on its protagonists becoming complete narrative foils, and for wen kexing's part it happens in speed run. i'm accustomed to seeing her do this while allowing the writing to BREATHE, and this doesn't happen for tianya ke. but i am inclined to give her a lot of leeway here, since once again, it's one of her earlier works.
and characters! in short: i was of the opinion that zhou zishu should have gotten violently murdered by the time i was done with qiye, but after tianya ke i think i like him all right. he should definitely be in a maximum security prison but i also love him loads so i'm glad that he isn't. the world is unfair, at times cruelly so, but in tianya ke it's KIND in its simultaneous rejection of quid pro quo and indulgence of sincerity. this is the one instance where i actually WANTED it to be unfair (and surprisingly, it was, and the kindness of it sure screwed me up). there's a found family of orphans brought together by the treachery & cruelty of the jianghu at the heart of it that steals YOUR heart whether you're inclined to give it or not, which says all that needs to be said, in my opinion.
“some people reflect light, some deflect it, you by some miracle, seem to collect it.”
— Mark Daniel Dawidziak, House of Leaves
tl;dr, i for one think that Faraway Wanderers - 天涯客 is Priest's most romantic book to date, and its way of grasping at kindness broke something in me while i was reading it. it's also a deviation in that most of priest's protagonists have a shared past/have known each other for ages, but everything in Faraway Wanderers - 天涯客 is fleeting and not to its detriment. think the way Pride and Prejudice was a deviation from Jane Austen's preferred romance frameworks, if you will. it's not a book i'd recommend if you want to be impressed with her writing chops (and they sure are. something) but if you'd like her to restore your faith in humanity, i think Faraway Wanderers - 天涯客 is a great starting point.
read it (or LISTEN TO IT!! the audio drama is a gorgeous production!) over here
July 23, 2025
I really loved this!! It felt really comforting and cute, but….the last 10%….it just felt kind of rushed?
Especially a certain two character’s deaths, and even the aftermath when I was waiting for another character to break when they realized. And I was really looking forward to a dramatic confession with the mc and the love interest, but it felt more gradual which was sweet in its own way but….confession scene :(
Especially a certain two character’s deaths, and even the aftermath when I was waiting for another character to break when they realized. And I was really looking forward to a dramatic confession with the mc and the love interest, but it felt more gradual which was sweet in its own way but….confession scene :(
January 9, 2022
Wen Kexing is my spirit animal :'3
It was mostly fun, with some heartbreak towards the end. The story left me a bit... frowning... I liked parts of it, but overall it wasn't terribly impressive. The main duo was great, though it was WKX who truly carried this novel through.
Not the best danmei I've read (apart from the first one, even the extras were whatever) but I'm glad I read it. 3.5*
It was mostly fun, with some heartbreak towards the end. The story left me a bit... frowning... I liked parts of it, but overall it wasn't terribly impressive. The main duo was great, though it was WKX who truly carried this novel through.
Not the best danmei I've read (apart from the first one, even the extras were whatever) but I'm glad I read it. 3.5*
September 15, 2024
Disclaimers:
I haven't watched the c-drama before reading this.
I tend to find Priest's stories very hit or miss.
Length: 77 chapters + 4 extras
Third Person POV
Pros:
-Liked the characters. I found Zhou Zishu (MC) our retired executioner and spy master really interesting. Wen Kexing (ML) his flirty, morally grey love interest and his sassy female disciple Gu Xiang were also fun to follow.
-Found family trope. Loved how the MC and ML cared for Zhang Chengling.
-Great opening. I didn't know what was going to happen next.
Cons:
-Confusing plot. I honestly stopped caring about it. I only carried on reading for the characters.
-Poor pacing - the middle dragged for me.
- Romance was poorly developed. Apart from some flirty banter in the beginning it just didn't have a satisfying conclusion. I find it hard to believe Zhou Zishu developed real feelings for Wen Kexing from his words and actions later in the story.
If you want to read a short, character driven wuxia story then this would be one I'd recommend for you. Personally, I'm a plot driven reader so ultimately found this to be disappointing. Always happy to try other works from Priest though simply because she writes great characters.
I haven't watched the c-drama before reading this.
I tend to find Priest's stories very hit or miss.
Length: 77 chapters + 4 extras
Third Person POV
Pros:
-Liked the characters. I found Zhou Zishu (MC) our retired executioner and spy master really interesting. Wen Kexing (ML) his flirty, morally grey love interest and his sassy female disciple Gu Xiang were also fun to follow.
-Found family trope. Loved how the MC and ML cared for Zhang Chengling.
-Great opening. I didn't know what was going to happen next.
Cons:
-Confusing plot. I honestly stopped caring about it. I only carried on reading for the characters.
-Poor pacing - the middle dragged for me.
- Romance was poorly developed. Apart from some flirty banter in the beginning it just didn't have a satisfying conclusion. I find it hard to believe Zhou Zishu developed real feelings for Wen Kexing from his words and actions later in the story.
If you want to read a short, character driven wuxia story then this would be one I'd recommend for you. Personally, I'm a plot driven reader so ultimately found this to be disappointing. Always happy to try other works from Priest though simply because she writes great characters.
April 8, 2021
Rating: 3/5
"With my incurable illness, I won’t live on for much longer; what good will it do to bind yourself to this slowly dying soul?"
Disclaimer: I have not watched the drama Word of Honor before reading this book, so therefore this review is not influenced by how good the show is said to be.
First of all, with fan translations, I usually try to detach the actual novel from the translation when rating it and I am going to do my best for this one too. But I will have to let everyone know that the translation of the first 30 chapters is... Let me phrase this nicely, difficult to comprehend and filled with glaring grammar errors. I respect all the translators that offer their work for free but would also like potential readers to know that I seriously struggled at the start.
However, I'm glad I pushed through because after those first chapters it does get a lot better.
It's important to point out that while I guess you could still class this as Xianxia, Faraway Travellers has more of a Wuxia character. Meaning: martial arts are a major aspect of the plot. The fight scenes are elaborate and while not as long as with some Wuxia novels, certainly longer and more frequent than any Danmei I have read before. We get a bit of detail on techniques used and moves made that bring the fight scenes very much alive.
Coming back to the specifics concerning Faraway Wanderers, I will divide my review into three main parts, plot, characters and world.
The plot: Pacing wise, this book suffers a lot from uneven pacing. The start as well as the ending was absolutely gripping. Especially at the start, there is so much going on, which pulled me straight into the story and world, setting the stakes extremely high. And while I thought I predicted the main ending of the book pretty well, this turned out to be rather minor. The book manages to keep the stakes high until the very end. However, on the way there, the side tangents occasionally seem excessive, confusing and at times lost me completely. What kept me going in the middle was certainly not the plot but the characters. If you like the relationship between the main cast there is still a lot to get out of, which brings me to the next point.
The characters: Now this is where the strength of this novel lies. While not every character is memorable, I am looking at those side characters whose names I could barely remember by the end of the novel but our main cast. Firstly, we have, of course, our two main guys, our massive flirt Wen KeXing and the one constantly annoyed by him Zhou ZiShu. It took me a long time to feel the spark between them but that was a good thing, I really grew to like them slowly. What I also really enjoyed is that NEITHER of these two is a clueless virgin or ever too flustered by anything. In fact, their relationship feels very mature and, joking and fooling around aside, surprisingly mature. I liked that A LOT. Zhang ChengLing is an absolute cutie and probably one of the best-developed characters in this book. He definitely has the most character development going on since we see him grow up from a sheltered child into someone, to put it in words I could imagine Zhou ZiShu saying, less useless. I am going to leave it here.
The world: The world is dark and quite brutal and this is established from the very start. I really enjoyed that we got to follow our MCs as they mostly are on the road, travelling various places. If you do not enjoy travelling stories, maybe skip this one, there is a lot of walking around going on. Despite being very Wuxian in character, we do get a lot of cool fantastical creatures and maybe not so human human-like people.
Overall, I just really wish the plot wouldn’t have lost me so frequently otherwise I would have enjoyed this a lot more. I will certainly try some of the author’s newer works since I have heard that those are a lot better. I could see this working perfectly on screen though, which is exactly why I will now be starting to watch the adaptation Word of Honor.
"With my incurable illness, I won’t live on for much longer; what good will it do to bind yourself to this slowly dying soul?"
Disclaimer: I have not watched the drama Word of Honor before reading this book, so therefore this review is not influenced by how good the show is said to be.
First of all, with fan translations, I usually try to detach the actual novel from the translation when rating it and I am going to do my best for this one too. But I will have to let everyone know that the translation of the first 30 chapters is... Let me phrase this nicely, difficult to comprehend and filled with glaring grammar errors. I respect all the translators that offer their work for free but would also like potential readers to know that I seriously struggled at the start.
However, I'm glad I pushed through because after those first chapters it does get a lot better.
It's important to point out that while I guess you could still class this as Xianxia, Faraway Travellers has more of a Wuxia character. Meaning: martial arts are a major aspect of the plot. The fight scenes are elaborate and while not as long as with some Wuxia novels, certainly longer and more frequent than any Danmei I have read before. We get a bit of detail on techniques used and moves made that bring the fight scenes very much alive.
Coming back to the specifics concerning Faraway Wanderers, I will divide my review into three main parts, plot, characters and world.
The plot: Pacing wise, this book suffers a lot from uneven pacing. The start as well as the ending was absolutely gripping. Especially at the start, there is so much going on, which pulled me straight into the story and world, setting the stakes extremely high. And while I thought I predicted the main ending of the book pretty well, this turned out to be rather minor. The book manages to keep the stakes high until the very end. However, on the way there, the side tangents occasionally seem excessive, confusing and at times lost me completely. What kept me going in the middle was certainly not the plot but the characters. If you like the relationship between the main cast there is still a lot to get out of, which brings me to the next point.
The characters: Now this is where the strength of this novel lies. While not every character is memorable, I am looking at those side characters whose names I could barely remember by the end of the novel but our main cast. Firstly, we have, of course, our two main guys, our massive flirt Wen KeXing and the one constantly annoyed by him Zhou ZiShu. It took me a long time to feel the spark between them but that was a good thing, I really grew to like them slowly. What I also really enjoyed is that NEITHER of these two is a clueless virgin or ever too flustered by anything. In fact, their relationship feels very mature and, joking and fooling around aside, surprisingly mature. I liked that A LOT. Zhang ChengLing is an absolute cutie and probably one of the best-developed characters in this book. He definitely has the most character development going on since we see him grow up from a sheltered child into someone, to put it in words I could imagine Zhou ZiShu saying, less useless. I am going to leave it here.
The world: The world is dark and quite brutal and this is established from the very start. I really enjoyed that we got to follow our MCs as they mostly are on the road, travelling various places. If you do not enjoy travelling stories, maybe skip this one, there is a lot of walking around going on. Despite being very Wuxian in character, we do get a lot of cool fantastical creatures and maybe not so human human-like people.
Overall, I just really wish the plot wouldn’t have lost me so frequently otherwise I would have enjoyed this a lot more. I will certainly try some of the author’s newer works since I have heard that those are a lot better. I could see this working perfectly on screen though, which is exactly why I will now be starting to watch the adaptation Word of Honor.
April 13, 2022
My first novel by Priest and I must say, this was really good! I watched Word of Honor before reading, and while they do differ greatly, I found both charming in their own ways! But onto the novel, I LOVE how flirtatious WKX was throughout literally the whole read. It was hilarious, so many laugh out loud moments, and seeing ZZS react to it was even more amusing, lol! I adored all the main characters, and while I wish we got to see more of the Ghost Valley characters in the novel, I really like how the novel was more focused on ZZS and WKX relationship, aka all the bits that were censored in the show, lol! Both our boys went through a lot which tugged at my heart strings. A really entertaining plot imo! This gets a high 4.5 from me. (Btw the chapter Last Life, This Life is still my absolute FAVORITE, so many heartwarming tears!) ♡
March 25, 2022
GAH SO MUCH LOVEEE. WenZhou supremacy ✊🏼😌.
So glad I finally read this. The cdrama was wondrous, and this book was like the cherry on top.
So glad I finally read this. The cdrama was wondrous, and this book was like the cherry on top.
December 10, 2022
ون کشینگ و آ شوی عزیز،
ممنونم که قلبم رو گرم کردین و بهم یه خونهی شاد هدیه دادین تا چند روزی رو توش مهمونتون باشم.
هرچند بخاطر سرنوشت گو شیانگ قشنگم و وی نینگ غمگینم اما بازم لذت بردم.
ممنونم که قلبم رو گرم کردین و بهم یه خونهی شاد هدیه دادین تا چند روزی رو توش مهمونتون باشم.
هرچند بخاطر سرنوشت گو شیانگ قشنگم و وی نینگ غمگینم اما بازم لذت بردم.
October 4, 2021
Incluso en esta tierra gélida había hilos de calidez. Se escapaban desde las cortinas de la cama y se extendían hacia fuera, como si cargaran con la calidez suficiente para hacer brotar las flores de primavera, aún durante el más frío invierno.
[ 5 / 5 ☆ ]
Bonito, bonito y b-o-n-i-t-o.
Soy un poco imparcial en cuanto a las novelas de Priest, pero esta es sencillamente maravillosa. Admito que no me ha tenido tan enganchada como me tuvo Guardian pero ha sido una lectura que he tenido diariamente presente, de la que he aprendido mucho y de la que he confirmado que la prosa de la autora es maravillosa, da igual en la época en la que se encuentre su trama. Histórica o contemporánea, Priest es capaz de conseguir personajes llamativos y que no se olvidan con facilidad, de crear historias interesantes llenas de giros (con sus toques sangrientos de ser necesarios), sin dejar a un lado el género que es. Es la reafirmación de que una historia con protagonistas LGBT no tiene que centrarse en los tres conocidos actos: búsqueda de la sexualidad, negación y posterior aceptación con el a priori antagonista de la historia.
En ese momento, no pudo expresar con palabras lo que estaba sintiendo y sólo atinó, como si se estuviera burlando de sí mismo, a sonreír con amargura.
Y como soy una ansias, voy a leerme la precuela justo después, postergando una nueva vez las lecturas que tengo empezadas desde hace más de un mes. En realidad, este pequeño espacio es para dar tiempo a poder incluir una cita más, hehe.
Wen Kexing sintió como si algo se le hubiera clavado en el corazón en el momento en que lo vio, como si hubiera presenciado el surgimiento de la paz en un bando y al mismo tiempo la tristeza de una derrota en el otro.
Puntuación de los cuatro arcos y los cuatro extras de la novela (como hice con la otra):
Arco I: ★★★★☆
Arco II: ★★★★★
Arco III: ★★★★★
Arco IV: ★★★★☆
Extra I: ★★★★★
Extra II: ★★★★☆
Extra III: ★★★★☆
Extra IV: ★★★★★
May 29, 2021
3.5 stars
for the book.
Super 5 stars for the series.
I've decided to start reading this after watching a few episodes of Word of Honor. I mean, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to know the storyline ahead of the episodes, impatient to explore further into the world and the characters, I'm so hooked onto the series!
I must confess the series did way better than the book. I felt the plot and storyline in the book was way too rushed overall and we did not get into the deeper insight and discovery of the plot and backstories of the characters.
The highlight in the story was definitely the main characters, Zhou and Wen. The bond and friendship these two characters possessed is pure and sincere, they are connected on an intimate soul-mate level, always watching each others' back, willing to sacrifice for each other. I cry over these precious friendship.
I was told that this was one of the earlier books from Priest, so yeah not gonna be picky about it because the series definitely COMPENSATE everything that was missing.
Not going to lie, I usually am very picky about movie/drama adaptation but this time the series definitely won me over. It was way more satisfying and heart wrenching watching the series, it just pushed my feelings all over the place, leaving me craving for more. Now that the series has ended, I'm lapping up bits of behind the scene short clips here and there just to fill up the lingering emptiness I felt deep down.
A BIG thank you to the author, the cast and the production team for making this happened. Thank you for brighten up my days during these sad pandemic time.
Super 5 stars for the series.
"山河不足重，重在遇知己"
I've decided to start reading this after watching a few episodes of Word of Honor. I mean, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to know the storyline ahead of the episodes, impatient to explore further into the world and the characters, I'm so hooked onto the series!
I must confess the series did way better than the book. I felt the plot and storyline in the book was way too rushed overall and we did not get into the deeper insight and discovery of the plot and backstories of the characters.
The highlight in the story was definitely the main characters, Zhou and Wen. The bond and friendship these two characters possessed is pure and sincere, they are connected on an intimate soul-mate level, always watching each others' back, willing to sacrifice for each other. I cry over these precious friendship.
I was told that this was one of the earlier books from Priest, so yeah not gonna be picky about it because the series definitely COMPENSATE everything that was missing.
Not going to lie, I usually am very picky about movie/drama adaptation but this time the series definitely won me over. It was way more satisfying and heart wrenching watching the series, it just pushed my feelings all over the place, leaving me craving for more. Now that the series has ended, I'm lapping up bits of behind the scene short clips here and there just to fill up the lingering emptiness I felt deep down.
A BIG thank you to the author, the cast and the production team for making this happened. Thank you for brighten up my days during these sad pandemic time.
August 18, 2022
Definitely way worse than the show. The show was longer and added a lot more details, which cleared up exactly what was going on in the plot (it was really convoluted in the book) and gave more space for character development. If not for Chengling and Weining (who are both wonderful characters), I don’t know if I would have finished this. My reasons why:
1) The main couple wasn’t believable. Their characterizations (especially that of Wen Kexing) were very inconsistent, which I’d accept if there was reasoning / character motivations behind acting inconsistently, but there weren’t. Their romance wasn’t convincing either, unfortunately.
2) So many jokes about SA. Like, literal one-liners about it. Why? I really wasn’t a fan of how the issue of consent was handled in this book. In the show, Wen Kexing is a bit annoying (due to his persistence) but in the book he straight up tries to assault Zhou Zishu multiple times and it’s just treated as if that kind of behavior is acceptable. In the novel, Wen Kexing’s behavior is treated as if it’s annoying at worst and endearing at best. I take a lot of issue with that.
3) The plot?? Maybe I just have high expectations because I just finished rereading TGCF but I was expecting a lot more. It was convoluted and hard to follow and there really wasn’t much foreshadowing.
4) Don’t say that disabled people are inhuman. Thanks <3
1) The main couple wasn’t believable. Their characterizations (especially that of Wen Kexing) were very inconsistent, which I’d accept if there was reasoning / character motivations behind acting inconsistently, but there weren’t. Their romance wasn’t convincing either, unfortunately.
2) So many jokes about SA. Like, literal one-liners about it. Why? I really wasn’t a fan of how the issue of consent was handled in this book. In the show, Wen Kexing is a bit annoying (due to his persistence) but in the book he straight up tries to assault Zhou Zishu multiple times and it’s just treated as if that kind of behavior is acceptable. In the novel, Wen Kexing’s behavior is treated as if it’s annoying at worst and endearing at best. I take a lot of issue with that.
3) The plot?? Maybe I just have high expectations because I just finished rereading TGCF but I was expecting a lot more. It was convoluted and hard to follow and there really wasn’t much foreshadowing.
4) Don’t say that disabled people are inhuman. Thanks <3
Read
October 20, 2024Wen Kexing’s shamelessness is off the rails in this book 🤣 I really loved the banter between Zhou Zishu and WK and how fun their relationship was. Gu Xiang is delightful (in her own way) and has now become one of my favorite female characters in danmei. I watched Word of Honor first and reading this certainly helped me understand the overall story better. However, I read the entire novel wondering if/when certain things were going to happen and got confused a few times when things didn’t line up. The live action is quite different from the novel but both are very good!
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