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苍兰诀 [Cang Lan Jue] #1
Love Between Fairy and Devil, Vol. 1
The novels that inspired the hit Chinese live-action drama on Netflix! A powerful demon lord finds his life linked to a seemingly weak fairy in this epic fantasy romance.
Years after his defeat, Dongfang Qingcang—the ancient and powerful Demon Lord—has been resurrected. Hell-bent on settling the score, he nabs the first scapegoat unfortunate enough to cross his path: the bubbly orchid fairy Xiao Lanhua. As if becoming the Demon Lord’s accomplice wasn’t shocking enough, Xiao Lanhua has her soul ripped from her body and loses her physical form to a lethal self-inflicted slap. Forced to share a vessel with the Demon Lord himself, Xiao Lanhua is horrified by her luck. What’s a fairy to do?!
Still, for a former flower, Xiao Lanhua isn’t faring so bad; she now has the power of the Demon Lord at her disposal. Yet as the unlikely duo wrestle for control over their body, will they be able to find Xiao Lanhua a new vessel? Or will they be forever bound together?
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2015
About the author
Jiu Lu Fei Xiang
70 books138 followersAssociated Names:
* Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (English)
* 九鹭非香 (Chinese)
* จิ่วลู่เฟยเซียง (Thai)
* Jiu Lu Fei Xiang (English)
* 九鹭非香 (Chinese)
* จิ่วลู่เฟยเซียง (Thai)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 18, 2025
This was a really fun but too short read (only 256 kindle pages). The novel is quite different from the drama so it’s best to completely separate them. The relationship dynamic between the CP reminds me so much of Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao 😂
Xiao Lanhua: orchid fairy from the heavenly realm, naive but not quite as innocent and childlike as the drama, more mischievous and brave
Dongfang Qingcang: Demon Lord, I’m not convinced he’s “evil”, basically just acts according to his nature like Yan Wushi
🪷Xianxia
🪷Slow burn
🪷 Enemies to lovers
🪷 Good amount of humor
🪷 Small cast of characters (at least in this book)
🪷 Fairly easy to understand the mythology/folklore,especially if you already read a lot of danmei
I watched *most* of the drama but ended up skipping a lot because Orchid’s personality and voice just was not something I enjoyed. I liked book Xiao Lanhua so much more. Personally, I’ve forgotten a lot of the drama so this almost feels like a brand new story 🙄
His face was a study in cruelty. “No one here wants to do anything good to you.”
^ Feels like something Yan Wushi would say to Shen Qiao lol
I don’t know if this would truly be considered a 5* read but I enjoyed it!
Xiao Lanhua: orchid fairy from the heavenly realm, naive but not quite as innocent and childlike as the drama, more mischievous and brave
Dongfang Qingcang: Demon Lord, I’m not convinced he’s “evil”, basically just acts according to his nature like Yan Wushi
🪷Xianxia
🪷Slow burn
🪷 Enemies to lovers
🪷 Good amount of humor
🪷 Small cast of characters (at least in this book)
🪷 Fairly easy to understand the mythology/folklore,especially if you already read a lot of danmei
I watched *most* of the drama but ended up skipping a lot because Orchid’s personality and voice just was not something I enjoyed. I liked book Xiao Lanhua so much more. Personally, I’ve forgotten a lot of the drama so this almost feels like a brand new story 🙄
His face was a study in cruelty. “No one here wants to do anything good to you.”
^ Feels like something Yan Wushi would say to Shen Qiao lol
I don’t know if this would truly be considered a 5* read but I enjoyed it!
October 6, 2025
this was so silly and goofy and weird but in a good way
lbfad is still one of my favorite cdramas—the book version is just as charming. just as entertaining even though the book is absolutely nothing like the drama. that isn’t a bad thing to me especially since the characters felt the same. the whole time i was just imagining dylan wang & esther yu as dongfang qingcang and xiao lanhua, as the moon supreme and fairy orchid.
lbfad is still one of my favorite cdramas—the book version is just as charming. just as entertaining even though the book is absolutely nothing like the drama. that isn’t a bad thing to me especially since the characters felt the same. the whole time i was just imagining dylan wang & esther yu as dongfang qingcang and xiao lanhua, as the moon supreme and fairy orchid.
May 30, 2025
I know this is gonna be different than the Netflix show, but if we can get this translated into English, just think of what else we can get from Seven Seas!
I love the show. It's what got me into Chinese dramas. I've been waiting for someone to adapt this since I heard that the novel is different and besides from some character names, locations and little things it's a whole new story. There is also an anime on Crunchyroll too which adapts the book.
This is a story about a very power driven dark lord who crosses paths with a flower spirit. Upon switching bodies with her to get himself out of his entrapment, he inadvertently kills her. Leaving him to be a spirit and her to hang out in his body while he works on getting her a new one, and learn to love her.
In this he doesn't really change his personality, he learns to make room for her and in his own way care for her. By the cut off point of this book you start seeing the seeds of love / care for her.
Some people find her annoying, but she's a flower spirit. It's not like she has tons of knowledge or power herself.
So all in all, I enjoyed this. I can't wait for part two.
I love the show. It's what got me into Chinese dramas. I've been waiting for someone to adapt this since I heard that the novel is different and besides from some character names, locations and little things it's a whole new story. There is also an anime on Crunchyroll too which adapts the book.
This is a story about a very power driven dark lord who crosses paths with a flower spirit. Upon switching bodies with her to get himself out of his entrapment, he inadvertently kills her. Leaving him to be a spirit and her to hang out in his body while he works on getting her a new one, and learn to love her.
In this he doesn't really change his personality, he learns to make room for her and in his own way care for her. By the cut off point of this book you start seeing the seeds of love / care for her.
Some people find her annoying, but she's a flower spirit. It's not like she has tons of knowledge or power herself.
So all in all, I enjoyed this. I can't wait for part two.
October 24, 2025
Many thanks to Bunny for joining me for this buddy read!
Ok, so far this is a very tricky one to rate! On one hand, I am extremely grateful that Sevenseas has taken a step to publishing non danmei Chinese novels - for that alone I am very glad I had the chance to pick this one up and please keep them coming. I also had the chance to watch the drama adaptation this year so the English release of the novel came at just the right moment. That being said, I knew going into this that the novel and drama are very different, and yet I was still unprepared for just how different they were. With the exception of familiar names and some of the most basic plot elements, these might as well be viewed as entirely different works. Despite their extreme differences, I do believe that both are entertaining in their own right and my only true word of caution would be to not expect them to be similar at all.
Very broadly speaking, I believe the drama is the more accessible one for those new to Chinese storytelling. The novel on the other hand makes use of a few tropes which, while not unheard of, feel a lot more common for other Asian media such as anime - the almost over the top bickering and occasional sexual jokes felt very reminiscent of 90s anime.
In the novel, the flower sprite Xiao Lanhua finds herself in a body swap scenario with the ancient Demon Lord Dongfang Qingcang. Those familiar with the drama won't be too surprised by this in and of itself, but the novel really throws you in at the deep end, and I must say that my biggest disappointment with this novel was just that. We don't receive any explanation as to why Xiao Lanhua was in the same place as Dongfang Qingcang (namely a prison) nor do we learn how their body swap happened. The drama is so vastly different that one can't even say, oh well, let's just imagine it happened like in the drama. I imagine this starting point might be even more confusing/unsatisfying for those unfamiliar with the drama.
Nevertheless, their body swap ultimately led to the Demon Lord breaking out of his prison and the odd pair, very much more enemies than reluctant allies, get mixed up in various situation that has Xiao Lanhua's soul moving in and out of various bodies including having to share Dongfang Qingcang's - it's these elements that make the novel lean a lot more into the comedy than the drama did (mind you, the drama also had me laughing out loud). It's the kind of humour that feels rather nostalgic due to my saying it's reminiscent of 90s anime, but I also think it is very much an acquired taste. The scenes where they are forced to share a body were ridiculously funny though.
Book Xiao Lanhua is a lot more feisty than the drama version and I definitely prefer this version of her - it actually took me a wee while to warm up to her drama variant. Similarly, it seems Dongfang Qingcang is more villainous by nature compared to his drama counterpart who was ultimately not all that bad. This in a way makes the enemies to lovers aspect feel more pronounced, although this first volume truly only shows the bare minimum of romance.
Many of the beloved drama characters either don't exist in the novel or are entirely sidelined and are little more than a familiar name. There are a few new characters and of course, Dongfang Qingcang's nemesis, the God of War has a role to play. Her role also seems quite altered and there are still many questions left open which I look forward to exploring in the next and final volume.
As a whole, I think this one is a lot more of a comedy romp and it's perfectly entertaining. It does, at least for this first instalment, not have the more intricate world building and fate shattering stakes. It's a bit silly, it's fun, a little confusing but definitely worth being given a chance.
Read
August 12, 2025"Si as in Seek"....?? 7seas do u even hire chinese speakers to create ur glossaries and pronunciation guides girl because what
Anyways peak (it's a bit too short but that's also a 7s issue)
Anyways peak (it's a bit too short but that's also a 7s issue)
May 15, 2026
this was so funny and cute i found it so entertaining im in love with the characters🫶 this was the chaotic fl x calm ml book i needed
i absolutely love xiao lanhua i need to have even just a fraction of her self preservation instincts. every time she did something so unexpected to dongfang qingcang that he just stood there shocked unable to react it killed me😭😭 like only she can surprise an ancient demon lord
the first part of this book was sooo funny, i loved watching xiao lanhua and all her antics. also watching dongfang cingcang slowly warming up to her and caring for her was totally worth all the times she was convinced he was gonna kill her🙂↕️
reading this made me wanna watch the show and needless to say it pretty different than the novel. while i was reading this i was actually picturing xiao lanhua as esther yu since she reminded me of another character she played, so imagine my surprise when i watched the first episode!!
safe to say im obsessed now and ill read the next novel asap🤞
i absolutely love xiao lanhua i need to have even just a fraction of her self preservation instincts. every time she did something so unexpected to dongfang qingcang that he just stood there shocked unable to react it killed me😭😭 like only she can surprise an ancient demon lord
the first part of this book was sooo funny, i loved watching xiao lanhua and all her antics. also watching dongfang cingcang slowly warming up to her and caring for her was totally worth all the times she was convinced he was gonna kill her🙂↕️
reading this made me wanna watch the show and needless to say it pretty different than the novel. while i was reading this i was actually picturing xiao lanhua as esther yu since she reminded me of another character she played, so imagine my surprise when i watched the first episode!!
safe to say im obsessed now and ill read the next novel asap🤞
September 25, 2025
When I say I love this, I really mean I absolutely loved this!! Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang are the most hilarious and entertaining characters I’ve read, the banter and interactions between them are so funny and it’s so sweet to see the developments of their relationship! The story and plot are very interesting and I’m so invested on how this is going to turn out, I’m definitely getting the second volume and continuing this story, absolutely recommend!!
May 21, 2025
This is the original novel on which the TV series of the same name is based. However, as becomes clear already from the description, the original and adaptation share the premise and that’s about it. The two stories are completely different. So, if you’re looking for something that deepens the story of the TV adaptation, this isn’t it. The two are so different that there’s no point in trying to compare them either. (There's also an animated version that appears to follow the plot of the book more faithfully, but I haven’t watched it myself.)
The start of the book is maybe the weakest point of the story and very vague about how events have unfolded before the opening scene. Demon Lord Dongfang Qingcang has resurrected after a hundred thousand years, having been bested by Lady of the Scarlet Wastes, the god of war, and immediately captured by the officials of the heavenly realm. But he has had time to take a hostage, an orchid fairy Xiao Lanhua, and forced her to switch souls with him, so that he occupies her body and vice versa. He then uses her mouth to convince the troops that she’ll spend the rest of eternity imprisoned with him to make sure he never escapes.
He escapes, of course, and there’s nothing Xiao Lanhua can do, as she’s behind bars inside Dongfang Qingcang’s body. But as she tries to prevent him from leaving, she accidentally destroys her own body. Now the Demon Lord’s soul has escaped and she’s trapped inside his body with no body of her own to return to. So, out of options, she heads to the ghost realm to find his soul. She finds it, but when he tries to take his body back, she refuses to leave until he provides her with a new body.
The first volume is about the two of them travelling mostly in the mortal realm looking for a suitable body for her. But she soon realises he has an agenda of his own and he’s only helping her because it temporarily aligns with his interests. They get into hairy situations, and despite his better judgement, he finds himself saving her time and again. But he betrays her equally often, and by the time the first volume ends, the two are still together only because she’s managed to force his hand to keep her alive.
The first volume isn’t much of a romance, but it’s a good start to that direction. Dongfang Qingcang starts—and continues—as a truly evil character, but the presence of Xiao Lanhua, first inside his body and later with her own, starts changing him, and he occasionally finds himself doing things to please her—in his own fashion. She has no romantic feelings about him either, and the volume ends with her wholly disillusioned about him.
I liked this story very much. It didn’t matter that it didn’t match the adaptation. It’s fast-paced, funny, and well-written. The stakes are high from the start and they don’t lessen by the end of the volume. I didn’t miss the side-plots and other characters that filled the adaptation. The two were enough to carry the story. I liked Xiao Lanhua especially. She was strong and resourceful and not a clueless, wide-eyed creature wholly at the mercy of Dongfang Qingcang like in the adaptation, even when she was at his mercy. And he was truly evil and selfish, not just posturing.
The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger as such, but it doesn’t conclude anything either. The story has only begun and I really have to find out how this original version continues from here.
The start of the book is maybe the weakest point of the story and very vague about how events have unfolded before the opening scene. Demon Lord Dongfang Qingcang has resurrected after a hundred thousand years, having been bested by Lady of the Scarlet Wastes, the god of war, and immediately captured by the officials of the heavenly realm. But he has had time to take a hostage, an orchid fairy Xiao Lanhua, and forced her to switch souls with him, so that he occupies her body and vice versa. He then uses her mouth to convince the troops that she’ll spend the rest of eternity imprisoned with him to make sure he never escapes.
He escapes, of course, and there’s nothing Xiao Lanhua can do, as she’s behind bars inside Dongfang Qingcang’s body. But as she tries to prevent him from leaving, she accidentally destroys her own body. Now the Demon Lord’s soul has escaped and she’s trapped inside his body with no body of her own to return to. So, out of options, she heads to the ghost realm to find his soul. She finds it, but when he tries to take his body back, she refuses to leave until he provides her with a new body.
The first volume is about the two of them travelling mostly in the mortal realm looking for a suitable body for her. But she soon realises he has an agenda of his own and he’s only helping her because it temporarily aligns with his interests. They get into hairy situations, and despite his better judgement, he finds himself saving her time and again. But he betrays her equally often, and by the time the first volume ends, the two are still together only because she’s managed to force his hand to keep her alive.
The first volume isn’t much of a romance, but it’s a good start to that direction. Dongfang Qingcang starts—and continues—as a truly evil character, but the presence of Xiao Lanhua, first inside his body and later with her own, starts changing him, and he occasionally finds himself doing things to please her—in his own fashion. She has no romantic feelings about him either, and the volume ends with her wholly disillusioned about him.
I liked this story very much. It didn’t matter that it didn’t match the adaptation. It’s fast-paced, funny, and well-written. The stakes are high from the start and they don’t lessen by the end of the volume. I didn’t miss the side-plots and other characters that filled the adaptation. The two were enough to carry the story. I liked Xiao Lanhua especially. She was strong and resourceful and not a clueless, wide-eyed creature wholly at the mercy of Dongfang Qingcang like in the adaptation, even when she was at his mercy. And he was truly evil and selfish, not just posturing.
The ending wasn’t a cliffhanger as such, but it doesn’t conclude anything either. The story has only begun and I really have to find out how this original version continues from here.
February 10, 2026
Ok this story is miles apart from the drama but I still really enjoyed it! The personalities of the characters in the drama and the novel are spot on. One major difference is Xiao Lanhua loses her body completely and was sharing Dongfang Qingcang's body. That was one of my favorite parts of the drama when they switched bodies. Watching Dylan Wang act like Ester Yu, peak entertainment. But having one body competing with the actions of two polar opposites was great too. Cannot wait to start the second volume. I will say I would have loved to have one gorgeous hard cover volume instead of two paperbacks but I'm just happy to have them period.
September 6, 2025
Nov 8 2024: I am SO freaking excited to have this in my hands!!! I already know I’m going to love it as much as I did the drama when it watched it two years ago on this same month. I adore Xiao Lan Hua and DongFang QingCang sm 🥹💗🫶🏻 Can’t wait to see the final cover and in-page artworks ahhh!! I’m already in love with how DFQC is holding a little orchid flower in his hand ahhhg 😩💗
I will come back to this once this English translation by Seven Seas is released next year May!! 🖤✨
———————————————————————————
May 8th: IT’S HERE, IT’S HERE IN MY HANDS!!!
I’m only a little disappointed that this light novels features no in-page artwork :( I wonder why :(
05/08/2025 Marked as started reading
I will come back to this once this English translation by Seven Seas is released next year May!! 🖤✨
———————————————————————————
May 8th: IT’S HERE, IT’S HERE IN MY HANDS!!!
I’m only a little disappointed that this light novels features no in-page artwork :( I wonder why :(
05/08/2025 Marked as started reading
August 4, 2025
i spent the whole time laughing as i read the adventures both xiao linhua and dongfang qingcang went through together omg i love them !
May 15, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
This was HILARIOUS and I love DFQC he is so unserious
This was HILARIOUS and I love DFQC he is so unserious
April 14, 2026
Final rating: 4/5
It was a really cute, and very funny book, engaging and captivating.
The beginning throws the reader straight into the fray, but you quickly realise what's going on the moment the two main characters start bickering.
I mean, who doesn't like body swap stories? Especially when there are reputations to uphold? Reputations to ruin?
It's all fun and games until these two keep dragging each other into even bigger messes.
Very fun and amusing book. Can't wait to see if the second and final book concludes this well.
It was a really cute, and very funny book, engaging and captivating.
The beginning throws the reader straight into the fray, but you quickly realise what's going on the moment the two main characters start bickering.
I mean, who doesn't like body swap stories? Especially when there are reputations to uphold? Reputations to ruin?
It's all fun and games until these two keep dragging each other into even bigger messes.
Very fun and amusing book. Can't wait to see if the second and final book concludes this well.
February 8, 2026
In the beginning it was kinda difficult for me to get into it as someone who has watched the C-Drama before reading the novel. Since most of the characters of the drama don't exist in the novel, it made me feel like something was missing... 🤔
However, once you stop comparing it to the C-Drama, it's clear that the story and characters are very unique and entertaining in their own ways. Besides, Dongfang Qingcang and Xiao Lanhua's personalities actually match their ones in the drama perfectly. 😆
It's much more light-hearted and on the comedic side in the novel, which made the reading really easy! I really love their dynamic, although their relationship remains complicated until the end. I hope both of them can find their happiness and realise their love for each other in the next volume. 😌
However, once you stop comparing it to the C-Drama, it's clear that the story and characters are very unique and entertaining in their own ways. Besides, Dongfang Qingcang and Xiao Lanhua's personalities actually match their ones in the drama perfectly. 😆
It's much more light-hearted and on the comedic side in the novel, which made the reading really easy! I really love their dynamic, although their relationship remains complicated until the end. I hope both of them can find their happiness and realise their love for each other in the next volume. 😌
September 12, 2025
Very different from the cdrama adaptation, but still a fun little ride!
November 18, 2025
I must say that it's almost imperative you read the book before watching the show. I watched the show before the book release but I am convinced it prevented me from fully connecting with the story.
The show is powerful in its character portrayal and world building but it must be treated as an entirely different story. It took me a good while to shift from show remnants.
I do love Xiao Lanhua's silliness/sly tongue and Dongfang Qingcang's ruthlessness. The story is comedic and very episodic. Each chapter is its own adventure following the fairy's self-slap mistake and the Demon Lord's ulterior motive quests.
It does feel like the translation is lacking as I keep being pulled out of the story trying to cling to the prose, but again, it might just be me attempting to get a grip on the alternative universe I'm rediscovering.
The show is powerful in its character portrayal and world building but it must be treated as an entirely different story. It took me a good while to shift from show remnants.
I do love Xiao Lanhua's silliness/sly tongue and Dongfang Qingcang's ruthlessness. The story is comedic and very episodic. Each chapter is its own adventure following the fairy's self-slap mistake and the Demon Lord's ulterior motive quests.
It does feel like the translation is lacking as I keep being pulled out of the story trying to cling to the prose, but again, it might just be me attempting to get a grip on the alternative universe I'm rediscovering.
May 16, 2025
Xiao Lanhua, an orchid fairy has found herself sharing a body with Dongfang Qingcang the most feared Demon Lord in history! As the two of them fight over everything from whether or not to murder people in cold blood to how to walk correctly they find themselves in an odd sort of symbiotic relationship that may just blossom into more. Or they may just kill each other first!
I have wanted to read this since I first watched the Netflix show and while I had expected this review to end up being just a comparison of the show to the book I have to say that would be completely unfair to both of them as they are almost two separate stories. At least with this first book. So while there will be some comparisons it's not going to take up most of this.
I do have to start though with Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang because I mean there's just no story without them and while Xiao Lanhua especially is not different than her character in the show she is dare I say it marginally better? I do dare because she is. And do not get me wrong I still adore her Netflix counterpart but in the book, she is just simply more. She's not as naive, she certainly is more mature, and she is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. Oh and a raging smart ass which y'all know means I loved her. Dongfang Qingcang is essentially the same, he throws the "This venerable one" thing around a lot more but I mean it fits him, he's an arrogant Demon Lord so of course he does. What I think is really important to point out here though is if you have watched the show I can not stress enough how perfectly cast Wang and Yu were for these characters. Just absolutely fit them to a T and that's a huge plus for me.
What I absolutely loved about this though is it more focuses on Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang's adventures as they figure out how to get Xiao Lanhua a new body. And no I'm not spoiling why that's a thing you'll just have to read it but it's a thing and it's hilarious. Especially when both their souls are stuck in Dongfang Qingcang's body, it takes enemies to lovers to a whole new level! It's not like they just happen to be two souls in one body; one soul controls the right side of his body and the other the left which allows Xiao Lanhua to interfere in his nefarious plots much more effectively and adds some hilarious scenes where the entirety of the Demon Realm chalks up Dongfang Qingcang arguing with himself to him being an "eccentric" immortal demon. Because of course if you've lived for millennia you'd be arguing with yourself. Duh.
The fact that so far there is *no* love triangle was amazing as well. That's the one thing I wasn't a fan of from the Netflix version. And while I have a feeling some sort of love triangle is going to pop up at some point I don't feel like it'll be the whole focus of the series.
Highly recommend this whether you've watched the show or not, but if you have I can not recommend it enough. Like I said instead of doing a ton of comparing between the two by chapter two I was done with that. I'd say that the show is a wonderful companion to the book series and you can't really fully appreciate one without the other.
I have wanted to read this since I first watched the Netflix show and while I had expected this review to end up being just a comparison of the show to the book I have to say that would be completely unfair to both of them as they are almost two separate stories. At least with this first book. So while there will be some comparisons it's not going to take up most of this.
I do have to start though with Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang because I mean there's just no story without them and while Xiao Lanhua especially is not different than her character in the show she is dare I say it marginally better? I do dare because she is. And do not get me wrong I still adore her Netflix counterpart but in the book, she is just simply more. She's not as naive, she certainly is more mature, and she is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. Oh and a raging smart ass which y'all know means I loved her. Dongfang Qingcang is essentially the same, he throws the "This venerable one" thing around a lot more but I mean it fits him, he's an arrogant Demon Lord so of course he does. What I think is really important to point out here though is if you have watched the show I can not stress enough how perfectly cast Wang and Yu were for these characters. Just absolutely fit them to a T and that's a huge plus for me.
What I absolutely loved about this though is it more focuses on Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang's adventures as they figure out how to get Xiao Lanhua a new body. And no I'm not spoiling why that's a thing you'll just have to read it but it's a thing and it's hilarious. Especially when both their souls are stuck in Dongfang Qingcang's body, it takes enemies to lovers to a whole new level! It's not like they just happen to be two souls in one body; one soul controls the right side of his body and the other the left which allows Xiao Lanhua to interfere in his nefarious plots much more effectively and adds some hilarious scenes where the entirety of the Demon Realm chalks up Dongfang Qingcang arguing with himself to him being an "eccentric" immortal demon. Because of course if you've lived for millennia you'd be arguing with yourself. Duh.
The fact that so far there is *no* love triangle was amazing as well. That's the one thing I wasn't a fan of from the Netflix version. And while I have a feeling some sort of love triangle is going to pop up at some point I don't feel like it'll be the whole focus of the series.
Highly recommend this whether you've watched the show or not, but if you have I can not recommend it enough. Like I said instead of doing a ton of comparing between the two by chapter two I was done with that. I'd say that the show is a wonderful companion to the book series and you can't really fully appreciate one without the other.
April 29, 2026
I originally watched Love Between Fairy and Devil on Netflix, so when the English version of the book Love Between Fairy and Devil came out, I knew I had to read it. The story follows Xiao Lanhua, a fairy who frees the powerful demon lord Dongfang Qingcang, and their relationship slowly develops.
I knew the book would be different from the show, but I didn’t expect how different, it took me a while to stop comparing them and just enjoy it as its own story. The book focuses much more on the characters and their interactions, while the plot itself feels slower and more like an introduction to the world and relationships.
It’s definitely a slow burn with not much romance yet, but there were several genuinely funny moments that made me enjoy it. One downside is that you’re thrown straight into the story without much explanation, which can be a bit confusing at times.
Overall, I enjoyed it, though I might be biased because I love the drama and I’m curious to see how the story develops in the second part.
4,5*
I knew the book would be different from the show, but I didn’t expect how different, it took me a while to stop comparing them and just enjoy it as its own story. The book focuses much more on the characters and their interactions, while the plot itself feels slower and more like an introduction to the world and relationships.
It’s definitely a slow burn with not much romance yet, but there were several genuinely funny moments that made me enjoy it. One downside is that you’re thrown straight into the story without much explanation, which can be a bit confusing at times.
Overall, I enjoyed it, though I might be biased because I love the drama and I’m curious to see how the story develops in the second part.
4,5*
May 8, 2025
Loved the cdrama series loving the book.
Loving many things from the Orient books are my favorite. The authors are brilliant when it comes to fantasy and Jiu Lu Fei Xiang is no exception. The Fairy and Devil will keep you guessing. Does Devil love Fairy or does he just not care? One moment yes he does care next moment it's 'What the heck?' Fairy keeps trying to find anything good in the most evil, most powerful, most handsome man she has ever met. The series is going to be a slow burn for sure. I don't want to wait for the next volume. I will preorder as soon as it is available.
Loving many things from the Orient books are my favorite. The authors are brilliant when it comes to fantasy and Jiu Lu Fei Xiang is no exception. The Fairy and Devil will keep you guessing. Does Devil love Fairy or does he just not care? One moment yes he does care next moment it's 'What the heck?' Fairy keeps trying to find anything good in the most evil, most powerful, most handsome man she has ever met. The series is going to be a slow burn for sure. I don't want to wait for the next volume. I will preorder as soon as it is available.
May 20, 2025
The overall feel of this book was very different than expected, much more lighthearted and humorous. I knew going in that a major part of the story was the two characters needing to share a body, but I didn't realize how that would manifest; they each control one half of the body. This naturally provides plenty of set-ups for comedy. Both characters are quite likable, with equally strong personalities. I didn't sense any real romance between them until closer towards the end, but I really am enjoying where this is going and am eager to read more.
December 19, 2025
This is genuinely such a great novel. I have many things to say about it!
I first saw Love Between Fairy and Devil as the cdrama, but I hope people know that this is pretty much nothing like the show. My assumption for this is because of all the body switching this novel has to offer. There's a lot of this, and it would be hard for the actors/actresses, so if you're hoping this is the same as the cdrama, here's your warning that it's not.
That doesn't mean it's bad, but I favor the novel over the cdrama. While I like both, this one is definitely more toward my liking, but maybe that's because I prefer reading over watching.
Xiao Lanhua has gotten herself into the biggest worst situation of her life. Her body is split from her own as she is stuck in the mortal realm as a flower spirit. The big kicker is: she's stuck with the strongest demon--scratch that, she's stuck with quite literally the strongest person of the whole series, Dongfang Qingcang, who is probably the most coldhearted, ruthless, mu*dering demon in all of history. Ever. He's cold, mean, rude, and only cares about himself and what could benefit him in the long run.
Throughout the coarse of the book, Xiao Lanhua is simply trying to return home to the heavenly realm to her master Siming. But she needs a body and more importantly, she needs to survive getting away from Dongfang Qingcang before he deems her useless and kills her.
Their journey together is filled with bickering and fun (seemingly) nonsense. They jump from realm to market, from empty wastelands to dreams, but they do it together whether they're at each other's throats or on the same team.
This novel is filled with lying, betrayal, and death, but it's also filled with emotions, funny moments, and doing the things for the person that you love. There are plot twists, new things I haven't read in other novels before, and the heartbreaking agony of two people who want to be in love but can't trust each other no matter how hard they want to. It was genuinely a very cute, fun, and exciting read, but also very intense to get you on the edge of your seat. Once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down.
Jiu Lu Fei Xiang has a beautiful and clean writing style. Her writing is smooth and easy to read. She doesn't throw a bunch of big words at you, but she explains everything so beautifully that's not too overwhelming and enough to understand everything. In the sevenseas publication, there are some slight errors, but this is obviously completely on the publishing company and should not reflect the book at all!
The story of Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang is definitely one to read. Especially if you like the trope of big, mean demon guy who hates everybody but only loves his wife. However, do keep in mind that he is a demon. He's still not a good person, but at least, with his wife, he straightens out a bit.
I first saw Love Between Fairy and Devil as the cdrama, but I hope people know that this is pretty much nothing like the show. My assumption for this is because of all the body switching this novel has to offer. There's a lot of this, and it would be hard for the actors/actresses, so if you're hoping this is the same as the cdrama, here's your warning that it's not.
That doesn't mean it's bad, but I favor the novel over the cdrama. While I like both, this one is definitely more toward my liking, but maybe that's because I prefer reading over watching.
Xiao Lanhua has gotten herself into the biggest worst situation of her life. Her body is split from her own as she is stuck in the mortal realm as a flower spirit. The big kicker is: she's stuck with the strongest demon--scratch that, she's stuck with quite literally the strongest person of the whole series, Dongfang Qingcang, who is probably the most coldhearted, ruthless, mu*dering demon in all of history. Ever. He's cold, mean, rude, and only cares about himself and what could benefit him in the long run.
Throughout the coarse of the book, Xiao Lanhua is simply trying to return home to the heavenly realm to her master Siming. But she needs a body and more importantly, she needs to survive getting away from Dongfang Qingcang before he deems her useless and kills her.
Their journey together is filled with bickering and fun (seemingly) nonsense. They jump from realm to market, from empty wastelands to dreams, but they do it together whether they're at each other's throats or on the same team.
This novel is filled with lying, betrayal, and death, but it's also filled with emotions, funny moments, and doing the things for the person that you love. There are plot twists, new things I haven't read in other novels before, and the heartbreaking agony of two people who want to be in love but can't trust each other no matter how hard they want to. It was genuinely a very cute, fun, and exciting read, but also very intense to get you on the edge of your seat. Once I picked this up, I couldn't put it down.
Jiu Lu Fei Xiang has a beautiful and clean writing style. Her writing is smooth and easy to read. She doesn't throw a bunch of big words at you, but she explains everything so beautifully that's not too overwhelming and enough to understand everything. In the sevenseas publication, there are some slight errors, but this is obviously completely on the publishing company and should not reflect the book at all!
The story of Xiao Lanhua and Dongfang Qingcang is definitely one to read. Especially if you like the trope of big, mean demon guy who hates everybody but only loves his wife. However, do keep in mind that he is a demon. He's still not a good person, but at least, with his wife, he straightens out a bit.
April 13, 2026
I got so annoyed with danmei being literally all men that I thought I'd get into some cross between danmei and baihe, where the relationship is m/f, or something weird like that... In Love Between Fairy and Devil volume 1, Xiao Lanhua is a young and sheltered flower spirit who's spent her whole life with her master in Heaven. In a freak accident, she's trapped in the body of the notorious demon emperor Dongfang Qingcang, recently returned from the dead and about to start his rampage...
Love Between Fairy and Devil is light and entertaining, even if it falls into the usual straight romance cliches. Xiao Lanhua is very young and silly, and also bit self-centered and absolutely determined to survive at any cost. Meanwhile, Dongfang Qingcang is the usual icy emotionless force of destruction cliche. It's a tiresome setup for a romance, but a fun one for situations and scenarios, and luckily this volume focuses much more on the action plot than on the romance. As a sheltered flower spirit, Xiao Lanhua is absolutely dreadful at driving the body of a fearsome demon lord. It's very entertaining watching her slowly explode Dongfang Qingcang's reputation through her shenanigans, from stopping to look at women's underwear in the market to refusing to kill people. She's going to twist the shape of the narrative simply by being SO annoying and SO hard to kill. It's fun stuff, even if I'm less enthusiastic about the making the demon lord fall in love in her through sheer force of annoyingness plot.
I see why this was a hit as a TV show—the actors must have been having the time of their lives with all of this bodyswapping stuff. As a book, I'm a bit cooler on it. I like the plot, but the threatened romance arc is decidedly not to my taste. I'll probably still read the next volume, but not anytime soon.
Love Between Fairy and Devil is light and entertaining, even if it falls into the usual straight romance cliches. Xiao Lanhua is very young and silly, and also bit self-centered and absolutely determined to survive at any cost. Meanwhile, Dongfang Qingcang is the usual icy emotionless force of destruction cliche. It's a tiresome setup for a romance, but a fun one for situations and scenarios, and luckily this volume focuses much more on the action plot than on the romance. As a sheltered flower spirit, Xiao Lanhua is absolutely dreadful at driving the body of a fearsome demon lord. It's very entertaining watching her slowly explode Dongfang Qingcang's reputation through her shenanigans, from stopping to look at women's underwear in the market to refusing to kill people. She's going to twist the shape of the narrative simply by being SO annoying and SO hard to kill. It's fun stuff, even if I'm less enthusiastic about the making the demon lord fall in love in her through sheer force of annoyingness plot.
I see why this was a hit as a TV show—the actors must have been having the time of their lives with all of this bodyswapping stuff. As a book, I'm a bit cooler on it. I like the plot, but the threatened romance arc is decidedly not to my taste. I'll probably still read the next volume, but not anytime soon.
September 10, 2025
Amo el drama chino, pero cuando supe que el mismo era totalmente diferente al libro, tuve mis reticencias, ya me había visto el donghua y no me había gustado tanto, pero este libro... wao, es super adictivo y gracioso!
Llevaba rato sin reírme tanto con un libro, fue sumamente divertido. Dongfang Qincang era el epítome de maldad pero se veía como cedía sin que fuera tan obvio a la Orquídea. Y ella super exasperante e ingenua, aunque también muy divertida.
La interacción de ellos dos es lo que hizo que le diera 5 estrellas.
Super recomendado. Uno de mis xianxia favoritos!
Llevaba rato sin reírme tanto con un libro, fue sumamente divertido. Dongfang Qincang era el epítome de maldad pero se veía como cedía sin que fuera tan obvio a la Orquídea. Y ella super exasperante e ingenua, aunque también muy divertida.
La interacción de ellos dos es lo que hizo que le diera 5 estrellas.
Super recomendado. Uno de mis xianxia favoritos!
June 3, 2026
A short read that is very cute and funny, which I did not expect! I laughed out loud at multiple points. It’s pretty light on the cast of characters and the world, but I found it to be captivating nonetheless and the hints of romance charming. It seems like the two volumes read more like one novel, so queuing that up as I’m curious to what happens.
May 27, 2025
3,75/5⭐
June 1, 2025
This was fun! I watched about half of the drama adaptation, but the original novel’s plot is entirely different. The main characters are the only details that stayed pretty much the same.
January 24, 2026
Very low stakes and fun. Very fast and enjoyable read!
February 25, 2026
I think Demon Lord Dongfang Qingcang has a cruuuuuuush 🤭
May 25, 2026
4.5 stars, I wish someone would have said read the back of the book first. Like reading game of thrones, I was so mad when I finished the story and found all the language support and glossary at the end.
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