What do you think?
Rate this book
Painting the Mists #1
Clear Sky
Du Cha Ming was a normal person. Going with the flow, never making any real decisions. But then as Cha Ming begins to question his place in the universe, a fateful encounter gives him another chance at life. A chance that takes him to a place where he can make his own destiny.
Reborn in an ancient land filled with demons, devils, and angels, Cha Ming finds himself facing challenges he never imagined. He soon discovers that only the powerful get to make choices, and the rest don’t get a say at all.
Prior to his mysterious rebirth, he was left with a riddle, one that will change his life, for better or for worse. But who left this riddle? And why was he sent here?
Cha Ming sets out to find the answers, because if he doesn’t, he may lose himself and everything he holds dear.
This novel is an Eastern fantasy novel, which means it contains a lot of martial arts, asian mythical creatures, and many references to Budhism and Daoism. Cultivators fight to pursue immortality, fight demons and devils, and engage in ancient crafts like alchemy and weapon forging. If you've never tried an Eastern fantasy novel before, give it a try. You'll like it!
Reborn in an ancient land filled with demons, devils, and angels, Cha Ming finds himself facing challenges he never imagined. He soon discovers that only the powerful get to make choices, and the rest don’t get a say at all.
Prior to his mysterious rebirth, he was left with a riddle, one that will change his life, for better or for worse. But who left this riddle? And why was he sent here?
Cha Ming sets out to find the answers, because if he doesn’t, he may lose himself and everything he holds dear.
This novel is an Eastern fantasy novel, which means it contains a lot of martial arts, asian mythical creatures, and many references to Budhism and Daoism. Cultivators fight to pursue immortality, fight demons and devils, and engage in ancient crafts like alchemy and weapon forging. If you've never tried an Eastern fantasy novel before, give it a try. You'll like it!
358 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2018
734 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Patrick G. Laplante
37 books72 followersPatrick Georges Laplante was born in a small town in the Canadian prairies in 1987. He began publishing Painting the Mists online under the pseudonym RedMirage in January 2018.
An engineer by trade, he graduated from the University of Alberta in 2009 and completed his master's degree in 2011. While writing and engineering have little in common, he actively utilizes his experiences and attention to detail in fleshing out a vivid world and answering the "whys," which are often left unanswered in Xianxia fiction.
As an avid vegan, he aims to prompt internal reflection in his readers through various themes like non-violence, choice, and begging the question: Is personhood restricted to humanity? And what is proper conduct, morality, and love?
His work is inspired by a combination of Western fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Chinese web novels, and various Japanese, Korean, and Chinese comics and illustrated novels.
Patrick's hobbies include: reading, board games, and taekwondo.
An engineer by trade, he graduated from the University of Alberta in 2009 and completed his master's degree in 2011. While writing and engineering have little in common, he actively utilizes his experiences and attention to detail in fleshing out a vivid world and answering the "whys," which are often left unanswered in Xianxia fiction.
As an avid vegan, he aims to prompt internal reflection in his readers through various themes like non-violence, choice, and begging the question: Is personhood restricted to humanity? And what is proper conduct, morality, and love?
His work is inspired by a combination of Western fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Chinese web novels, and various Japanese, Korean, and Chinese comics and illustrated novels.
Patrick's hobbies include: reading, board games, and taekwondo.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
March 23, 2019
1 Star - Did Not Finish
I bought this because I liked the cover art and I consider myself a dabbler in xianxia, if not exactly a fan. I expected that since this book was written by a native English speaker and had a pretty good rating on this site, it would be an easier read than the competition.
It turned out to be a poorly written slog. As I was reading, I kept sharing snippets with one of my friends: a freelance editor. She told me the writing was horrible, and then was kind enough to walk me through the return process for Kindle books.
Clear Sky has the distinction of being the first Kindle book I've ever returned in the eight or so years I've been using them. I made it through the Prologue and some of Chapter 1.
I bought this because I liked the cover art and I consider myself a dabbler in xianxia, if not exactly a fan. I expected that since this book was written by a native English speaker and had a pretty good rating on this site, it would be an easier read than the competition.
It turned out to be a poorly written slog. As I was reading, I kept sharing snippets with one of my friends: a freelance editor. She told me the writing was horrible, and then was kind enough to walk me through the return process for Kindle books.
Clear Sky has the distinction of being the first Kindle book I've ever returned in the eight or so years I've been using them. I made it through the Prologue and some of Chapter 1.
July 24, 2019
DNF
I just had a very hard time pushing through the book. I only hit the 13% mark and had to put it down. I like wuxia, but I think the target market for this book is maybe 10-15yo. At the very least that’s where the writing level is at.
I just had a very hard time pushing through the book. I only hit the 13% mark and had to put it down. I like wuxia, but I think the target market for this book is maybe 10-15yo. At the very least that’s where the writing level is at.
September 6, 2020
3.25 Stars
This is an uneven book. The premise seems good but is under-utilized. What's the point of remembering your prior life if it rarely impacts your choices? The language is frustrating... overuse of the modifier "very," repetitive phrasing, and messy gramma.
The central character is likable and his story is interesting enough, although he lacks a central motivation. It seems a shame that a protagonist with several inherent advantages would still need to rely so heavily on plot armor to survive.
Regardless, there is enough to enjoy that I'm diving into book two.
This is an uneven book. The premise seems good but is under-utilized. What's the point of remembering your prior life if it rarely impacts your choices? The language is frustrating... overuse of the modifier "very," repetitive phrasing, and messy gramma.
The central character is likable and his story is interesting enough, although he lacks a central motivation. It seems a shame that a protagonist with several inherent advantages would still need to rely so heavily on plot armor to survive.
Regardless, there is enough to enjoy that I'm diving into book two.
February 29, 2020
It's not terrible but... Well Between the actual interesting story parts... Its just powerful people giving him stuff. Powerful stuff. It gets a little exasperating.
March 11, 2020
A series of unbelievable events
DNF @ 18%
This novel surmises what I find infuriating with a lot of the Wuxia comics out there. It expects the reader to simply swallow logical inconsistencies, be that through world building (e.g. Qi, city structure) or character development (e.g. 1-D characters that serve no plot purpose), so that the story can take place.
That just doesn't fly with me. I need the author to do the legwork and build the vision they have properly.
DNF @ 18%
This novel surmises what I find infuriating with a lot of the Wuxia comics out there. It expects the reader to simply swallow logical inconsistencies, be that through world building (e.g. Qi, city structure) or character development (e.g. 1-D characters that serve no plot purpose), so that the story can take place.
That just doesn't fly with me. I need the author to do the legwork and build the vision they have properly.
Read
February 28, 2024Not for me. I hope it picks up for those who stick with it.
March 25, 2020
I think the author is trying too hard to appeal to "certain" readers, with his mention of sharks with laser beams on their heads, and "Chinese web novels". I can just see someone reading this book and they laugh and exclaim how the author is "just like them".
I finished the novel and there was nothing that got me too excited. This was another "reincarnated into a younger body with full memories of your previous life" trope.
Certain things happened too fast, or the protagonist grasped the understanding a little too fluently. Usually the reader and the protagonist has to struggle to understand or grasp the means on how to elevate one's self. There is enormous amounts of time spent on cultivating, but the how of doing it is like a given. Maybe it is purposefully left unclear for the reader.
I will pick up the sequel someday. The novel was entertaining enough.
2.5/5 Stars
I finished the novel and there was nothing that got me too excited. This was another "reincarnated into a younger body with full memories of your previous life" trope.
Certain things happened too fast, or the protagonist grasped the understanding a little too fluently. Usually the reader and the protagonist has to struggle to understand or grasp the means on how to elevate one's self. There is enormous amounts of time spent on cultivating, but the how of doing it is like a given. Maybe it is purposefully left unclear for the reader.
I will pick up the sequel someday. The novel was entertaining enough.
2.5/5 Stars
December 12, 2020
Not bad but not good
There is no real narrative force, no goal or threat motivating the MC. No near term time limit that forces action. It makes for a sluggish book.
Also, the MC is ‘gifted’ with advantages repeatedly. Approaching MarySue levels.
Finally, time passes randomly. At one point, he is planning a trip in two weeks. He then goes to train/cultivate and notes days and weeks passing before he leaves the training room, enough that he should have missed the trip. Then their trip into the woods lasts for weeks, with no real definition.
This needs editing.
There is no real narrative force, no goal or threat motivating the MC. No near term time limit that forces action. It makes for a sluggish book.
Also, the MC is ‘gifted’ with advantages repeatedly. Approaching MarySue levels.
Finally, time passes randomly. At one point, he is planning a trip in two weeks. He then goes to train/cultivate and notes days and weeks passing before he leaves the training room, enough that he should have missed the trip. Then their trip into the woods lasts for weeks, with no real definition.
This needs editing.
August 29, 2019
A book that entertains me.
I enjoyed reading this book but I wanted more depth to the MC hopefully we will see that in the rest of the series. Overall it was good but nothing spectacular I will read the next book.I give it a 3.5out of 5rounded up.
I enjoyed reading this book but I wanted more depth to the MC hopefully we will see that in the rest of the series. Overall it was good but nothing spectacular I will read the next book.I give it a 3.5out of 5rounded up.
March 12, 2022
4.25⭐
It was a good book there was some issue with pacing in the middle but otherwise it was really enjoyable
It was a good book there was some issue with pacing in the middle but otherwise it was really enjoyable
January 13, 2024
01/13/2024 Notes:
**Not for me.
Currently on Audible Plus
Premise seemed interesting, but flawed execution from the start. In the past few years, I have read over a hundred translated LNs. It takes a different mindset to enjoy reading them. Kind of like reading fansubbed anime and international shows.
I can read thousands of pages of translated LNs and only made it about 15min of the audiobook for Clear Sky. My take from the blurb, cover and 15min:
- Fun Concepts
- Potentially Rich World
- Awkward intro to Asian inspired characters and setting.
- Putting aside the badly spoken Asian names, the word choices and phrasing were awkward. I spent more time thinking about how to edit the story than the story.
The elements I expect in a story written by someone who understands English is different from someone who is writing in a foreign language.
I hoped for an adventure to follow and had to give up cause I didn't get a chance to dive into the story. I got stuck in edit mode and ended up listening to 15min over and over again.
**Not for me.
Currently on Audible Plus
Premise seemed interesting, but flawed execution from the start. In the past few years, I have read over a hundred translated LNs. It takes a different mindset to enjoy reading them. Kind of like reading fansubbed anime and international shows.
I can read thousands of pages of translated LNs and only made it about 15min of the audiobook for Clear Sky. My take from the blurb, cover and 15min:
- Fun Concepts
- Potentially Rich World
- Awkward intro to Asian inspired characters and setting.
- Putting aside the badly spoken Asian names, the word choices and phrasing were awkward. I spent more time thinking about how to edit the story than the story.
The elements I expect in a story written by someone who understands English is different from someone who is writing in a foreign language.
I hoped for an adventure to follow and had to give up cause I didn't get a chance to dive into the story. I got stuck in edit mode and ended up listening to 15min over and over again.
December 7, 2021
Allow me to warn you that this entire series goes around in circles and while some of it is decent most of it is mediocre at best.. Interesting enough for me to continue. However it wasn't really all that exciting and seems to have a very slow buildup. Time will tell how good the series is. Also there is 0 world building. Idk why some authors insist on weird Chinese names in Cultivation stories. Don't you understand how confusing they are?
February 22, 2021
12.12.2020 - 4*
13.12.2018 - 5*
13.12.2018 - 5*
July 16, 2023
Page turning
Lead character gets powerful quickly and fortune is on his side. I liked it. Will read the rest of the series.
Lead character gets powerful quickly and fortune is on his side. I liked it. Will read the rest of the series.
August 30, 2021
Very, very bad book. The Author has no idea what "plot" is, since there isn't one in this book. All the characters are half assed and stupid. Especially the MC.
The Author starts the book with a huge emphasis on free will, gods, destiny and so on, and promises that the journey will be about the free will of the MC. The name of the book "Clear Sky" is also explained in the beginning and it means that our character will draw a new picture in the sky. And then, all this goes to the toilet. In the whole book, the MC has no free will at all. Everything happens to him and he is led in all kinds of directions by others. The book is all about giving free stuff to the MC.
There is no effort. Just some small passages explaining how he learned 4 battle skills for 5 days. Reading a scroll for a day, and start evading all attacks and getting first place in a tournament. Right. And also this no name idiotic MC (transmigrator for 3 years have no money for food and such... what a loser) uses the cheapest possible evading skill to evade the skills of evasion focused students from a clan with a lot of history and power. Why ? Because the Author has no idea and no imagination and no sense.
Imagine a boxing Mach in which a stupid child with no skill and one day of training attacks a professional and hits him because the Autor says so. And wins again and again. WTF?!
All the battles and all the learning is like that. Nor even a drop of realism.
The book is full of nonsense. For example - 46 years old transmigrator, reader of "Chinese Xianxia Novels" doesn't know that the talismans are worth money ?! And he is super talented a talisman master that goes on dangerous adventures with almost no talismans and such.
Who gives 4-5 star ratings to those books ?!
The Author starts the book with a huge emphasis on free will, gods, destiny and so on, and promises that the journey will be about the free will of the MC. The name of the book "Clear Sky" is also explained in the beginning and it means that our character will draw a new picture in the sky. And then, all this goes to the toilet. In the whole book, the MC has no free will at all. Everything happens to him and he is led in all kinds of directions by others. The book is all about giving free stuff to the MC.
There is no effort. Just some small passages explaining how he learned 4 battle skills for 5 days. Reading a scroll for a day, and start evading all attacks and getting first place in a tournament. Right. And also this no name idiotic MC (transmigrator for 3 years have no money for food and such... what a loser) uses the cheapest possible evading skill to evade the skills of evasion focused students from a clan with a lot of history and power. Why ? Because the Author has no idea and no imagination and no sense.
Imagine a boxing Mach in which a stupid child with no skill and one day of training attacks a professional and hits him because the Autor says so. And wins again and again. WTF?!
All the battles and all the learning is like that. Nor even a drop of realism.
The book is full of nonsense. For example - 46 years old transmigrator, reader of "Chinese Xianxia Novels" doesn't know that the talismans are worth money ?! And he is super talented a talisman master that goes on dangerous adventures with almost no talismans and such.
Who gives 4-5 star ratings to those books ?!
December 23, 2021
To be honest this an average book, but I gave it a higher rating because even finding average quality books in wuxia / xianxia genre is rarer than a blue moon. The writing is awkward as the author is obviously new to it. That itself doesn't put me off too much though, as books in this genre are nearly always translated and have dodgy quality.
Characters are thankfully quite normal, and there is less of every single person in the world being a dickhead out just find a reason to antagonize the MC (and the reader). Unfortunately the awkward writing makes for very shallow characters. In eventual sequels, we see the author attempting a character development, but it comes of more like a total re-write.
Apart from this the author has also a habit of going on a sudden tangent describing is great detail a certain facet of the world's system. Like creating talismans, smithing, alchemy etc. I generally like seeing authors create detailed systems for their world, but thats only when those details are tangible and can be grasped by the reader thereby enabling him/her to understand the rules and constraints of that system. Just writing pages after pages of completely abstract and intangible details is pointless and boring.
The final negative mark I'd mention is lack of a real driving story. I often hear people talk about how sometimes the first volumes are just to build the foundation and introduce the reader to the world, and that is bull crap. The world building needs to be woven into a story, and not the other way round. You can't have story / stories start of at some random distant point in the series.
Characters are thankfully quite normal, and there is less of every single person in the world being a dickhead out just find a reason to antagonize the MC (and the reader). Unfortunately the awkward writing makes for very shallow characters. In eventual sequels, we see the author attempting a character development, but it comes of more like a total re-write.
Apart from this the author has also a habit of going on a sudden tangent describing is great detail a certain facet of the world's system. Like creating talismans, smithing, alchemy etc. I generally like seeing authors create detailed systems for their world, but thats only when those details are tangible and can be grasped by the reader thereby enabling him/her to understand the rules and constraints of that system. Just writing pages after pages of completely abstract and intangible details is pointless and boring.
The final negative mark I'd mention is lack of a real driving story. I often hear people talk about how sometimes the first volumes are just to build the foundation and introduce the reader to the world, and that is bull crap. The world building needs to be woven into a story, and not the other way round. You can't have story / stories start of at some random distant point in the series.
April 14, 2021
This was... a struggle. I really like the premise, since I like the world and since most western cultivation stories focus on alchemy as the side profession, which makes talismans intriguing and refreshing.
On the other hand, it was just so hard to slog through the book because the writing was lacking something to draw me in. There was a weird mix of formal language (every name was written out as a full name, which got annoying), with slang mixed in, which was kinda jarring. Also, some things that weren’t that important were in minute detail, while some other things that should have been important were just mentioned in passing (i.e. this vegetarian kid starts giving off a bloody red aura as he’s fighting and its just mentioned in passing and no one in the group says anything about it). Also, there was generally a lot of telling (‘they walked down the path and talked about leaves’) and less dialogue and description.
Finally... the MC (main character) doesn’t act like a real person emotionally. Normal people question things. This guy dies, gets reincarnated with his memories, and doesn’t really question it or have it affect his decisions in pretty much any way. And that’s just the most obvious example.
So basically there was high potential, but it fell flat on execution.
On the other hand, it was just so hard to slog through the book because the writing was lacking something to draw me in. There was a weird mix of formal language (every name was written out as a full name, which got annoying), with slang mixed in, which was kinda jarring. Also, some things that weren’t that important were in minute detail, while some other things that should have been important were just mentioned in passing (i.e. this vegetarian kid starts giving off a bloody red aura as he’s fighting and its just mentioned in passing and no one in the group says anything about it). Also, there was generally a lot of telling (‘they walked down the path and talked about leaves’) and less dialogue and description.
Finally... the MC (main character) doesn’t act like a real person emotionally. Normal people question things. This guy dies, gets reincarnated with his memories, and doesn’t really question it or have it affect his decisions in pretty much any way. And that’s just the most obvious example.
So basically there was high potential, but it fell flat on execution.
November 11, 2018
Not bad
I enjoyed the book. It wasn't anywhere close to as epic as King of Gods or The Coiling Dragon saga. The MC is not someone I feel like rooting for really. In a world where violence is the only language, he tried not to speak. Fighting is the only way to survive. It's frankly the only reason I read these cultivation novels. You want the protagonist to get stronger and protect those he (it's usually a he) wants to protect. Yet with all the MC's talk of choice, it seems hollow. He wants to be non violent in a violent world. It doesn't work out almost immediately. I have no interest in seeing the MC have an existential crisis after every fight. So I won't be continuing the series. Still that's not to say that this isn't one of the best written novels of its type out there. It just is. The themes the author is going for just wasn't what I was looking for after the truly epic cultivation novels think like King of Gods or Unsouled. Long story short, I want to see the MC struggle with cultivation, not his conscience.
I enjoyed the book. It wasn't anywhere close to as epic as King of Gods or The Coiling Dragon saga. The MC is not someone I feel like rooting for really. In a world where violence is the only language, he tried not to speak. Fighting is the only way to survive. It's frankly the only reason I read these cultivation novels. You want the protagonist to get stronger and protect those he (it's usually a he) wants to protect. Yet with all the MC's talk of choice, it seems hollow. He wants to be non violent in a violent world. It doesn't work out almost immediately. I have no interest in seeing the MC have an existential crisis after every fight. So I won't be continuing the series. Still that's not to say that this isn't one of the best written novels of its type out there. It just is. The themes the author is going for just wasn't what I was looking for after the truly epic cultivation novels think like King of Gods or Unsouled. Long story short, I want to see the MC struggle with cultivation, not his conscience.
Read
May 23, 2021This book suffers from many issues of Western authors dabbling in the Wuxia genre. One of the most persistent incongruities is that the MC acts like a 21the century westerner in thought and outlook in life. I grew up in East Asia in a traditional family so can't help but notice the dichotomy of a all the characters having East Asian names, but do not behave in the nuanced cultural framework of a even a modern East Asian Confucian based society. The author give lips service to it, but he doesn't understand it and it shows.
Another issue is the progression system is uninteresting. Wuxia novels are known for their outlandish progression systems where characters are often die, get burned, electrocuted, drowned, all types extremities to gain enlightenment and understanding about the nature of things and techniques. It is all nonsensical, but the point of it is to show the character has to suffer or do something extraordinary to progress, building their character and distinguishing them from others.
In this novel, the MC is just given all his abilities on a silver platter b/c he was a "good" person in his previous life. At the same time he makes sure to remind the reader that that his previous life was uneventful so I am not sure even now what karmic deeds he performed to warrant such overbearing advantages. Goes against tenets of Karma and another example of the author giving lip service, but not understanding what it truly means.
Those are my personnel pet peeves, but just put that aside. Wuxia novels need decent action. The genre doesn't work if the action is not done competently. You have people flying, shooting fire and lighting, move like wind etc and the book absolutely failed in the action department. No excitement, no stakes, no anything, the most basic stuff I have read in a Wuxia story, no exaggeration. So yeah, this series is not for me.
Another issue is the progression system is uninteresting. Wuxia novels are known for their outlandish progression systems where characters are often die, get burned, electrocuted, drowned, all types extremities to gain enlightenment and understanding about the nature of things and techniques. It is all nonsensical, but the point of it is to show the character has to suffer or do something extraordinary to progress, building their character and distinguishing them from others.
In this novel, the MC is just given all his abilities on a silver platter b/c he was a "good" person in his previous life. At the same time he makes sure to remind the reader that that his previous life was uneventful so I am not sure even now what karmic deeds he performed to warrant such overbearing advantages. Goes against tenets of Karma and another example of the author giving lip service, but not understanding what it truly means.
Those are my personnel pet peeves, but just put that aside. Wuxia novels need decent action. The genre doesn't work if the action is not done competently. You have people flying, shooting fire and lighting, move like wind etc and the book absolutely failed in the action department. No excitement, no stakes, no anything, the most basic stuff I have read in a Wuxia story, no exaggeration. So yeah, this series is not for me.
November 16, 2021
I definitely understand some of the reviews and opinions out for this one, we start off with a quick intro on our MC to be, before we are doused head first into a very classical take on a xian xia universe.. We get a little breather, before an insanely unlikely deliverance and then the drowning of info.. so.. so much exposition from the teacher explaining, to the parental figure explaining, to classmates explaining... it quickly becomes a slog and difficult to listen to while working (which is the main way I tend to digest audio books), this is also exacerbated by the quick introduction and dismissal of numerous multi-tiered classical Chinese style names..
Found it a bit hard to follow at that point, but with a general knowledge of how cultivation usually works in this style of novel, it wasn't an insurmountable hurdle. There are a number of books in this series though, so perhaps getting through this initial tutorial we will hit the 'real game' as it were..
Found it a bit hard to follow at that point, but with a general knowledge of how cultivation usually works in this style of novel, it wasn't an insurmountable hurdle. There are a number of books in this series though, so perhaps getting through this initial tutorial we will hit the 'real game' as it were..
March 12, 2021
I know this series has a dedicated cult following and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't great. I understand the use of dues ex machina to get the story started, but this just kept on happening over and over. Literally every good thing that happened to the MC was because some astronomically divine good fortune comes down and gives him an amazing opportunity or technique or item or friend with unlimited money, influence, and connections. It doesn't matter if you start the story by saying the MC has average talent if you then pile on unbelievable luck and divine blessings one after another. It feels like it's more about the people supporting and guiding the MC than it is actually about him at this point.
June 27, 2019
Good read
I rate it a 4.5, but I am unwilling to shortchange the author by putting a 4 star. It starts out a little slow, but picks up about half way and ends up being a good story. The MC is not overpowered (yet), but rather relies on luck and friendships a little bit more than skill. While this may change in future books, it is refreshing to find a MC in this genre that does not start out as more skillful than his contemporaries even though he has trained to a far lesser degree. Looking forward to book #2, which is amazingly already in my queue. I love being able to step right into the next installment (which accounts for that bump to 5.)
I rate it a 4.5, but I am unwilling to shortchange the author by putting a 4 star. It starts out a little slow, but picks up about half way and ends up being a good story. The MC is not overpowered (yet), but rather relies on luck and friendships a little bit more than skill. While this may change in future books, it is refreshing to find a MC in this genre that does not start out as more skillful than his contemporaries even though he has trained to a far lesser degree. Looking forward to book #2, which is amazingly already in my queue. I love being able to step right into the next installment (which accounts for that bump to 5.)
March 16, 2021
Will not be continuing
The plot is standard, but bot bad. The reason i wont be continuing is because of the god-awful writing. This book was nothing but exposition and is a classic case of "Telling instead of showing". Giant blocks of exposition, and the MC foesnt even have conversations, just giant blocks of speeches from the supporting cast. I have no idea what any of the characters look like, nor their motivations. IE, why is Gong Lan friends with the mc? Or Wang? It feels more like a 80k word book report than an actual novel.
The plot is standard, but bot bad. The reason i wont be continuing is because of the god-awful writing. This book was nothing but exposition and is a classic case of "Telling instead of showing". Giant blocks of exposition, and the MC foesnt even have conversations, just giant blocks of speeches from the supporting cast. I have no idea what any of the characters look like, nor their motivations. IE, why is Gong Lan friends with the mc? Or Wang? It feels more like a 80k word book report than an actual novel.
April 21, 2022
Okay, I've read many fantasy novels in the last 30+ years of my reading life. Clear Sky had a different style to it that took a little getting used to. I felt like I was watching someone play a RPG, a very good one, but one nonetheless. I was going to get it 3 stars, at first, but he finally started building the main/supporting characters better, and the book improved. One thing I really enjoyed was the explanation of certain Chinese terms (at least in the Kindle version). I like Clear Sky enough, that I will be continuing the series.
May 23, 2022
A vegetarian pacifist MC with a beta complex
The book suffers from the same issues that are so common with this genre. Misogyny disguised as chivalry, every character is a super villain or saintly, females are paper cutouts, all explaining and very little showing, chapter long expositions that add zero value, extreme black and white viewpoints. I mean aside from decent grammar, this is just cheap wuxia. The quest part is the loser mc that is supposedly an adult, but after like a child raised by sheltered yogi parents. Pass
The book suffers from the same issues that are so common with this genre. Misogyny disguised as chivalry, every character is a super villain or saintly, females are paper cutouts, all explaining and very little showing, chapter long expositions that add zero value, extreme black and white viewpoints. I mean aside from decent grammar, this is just cheap wuxia. The quest part is the loser mc that is supposedly an adult, but after like a child raised by sheltered yogi parents. Pass
December 9, 2023
I just couldn't finish it. I tried (got almost 20% into the book) but it's just not well written. There are way too many data dumps with the narrator telling you unnecessary information about the world. And there are way too few characters who are developed at all--including the main character. We meet him at age 15 and we never get any info on his family or his life until then. We are told he left home and that's the last we hear of it.
It was just boring to read. It was more like reading the world building notes for a book than an actual book.
It was just boring to read. It was more like reading the world building notes for a book than an actual book.
November 19, 2021
This is lacking any direction.
The transitions are very badly defined making it a burden to read. The lack of any clearly set goals or conflict leaves it without any real direction. The idea was fun and the initial start had merit, it just never went anywhere. The character descriptions are shallow and pointless. Having finished the first book, I do not feel that there was ever a story presented.
The transitions are very badly defined making it a burden to read. The lack of any clearly set goals or conflict leaves it without any real direction. The idea was fun and the initial start had merit, it just never went anywhere. The character descriptions are shallow and pointless. Having finished the first book, I do not feel that there was ever a story presented.
April 23, 2022
solid story and character development
This is a very engaging story full of interesting characters with complex subplots. The book is light to read in a few hours and the pace is fast enough that you would want to keep at it.
The story is colored with small details of Chinese culture and references that will help o oleré a pairing on your mind.
Warning: contains mildly misogynistic comments probably part of the setting of the story.
This is a very engaging story full of interesting characters with complex subplots. The book is light to read in a few hours and the pace is fast enough that you would want to keep at it.
The story is colored with small details of Chinese culture and references that will help o oleré a pairing on your mind.
Warning: contains mildly misogynistic comments probably part of the setting of the story.
March 20, 2018
Good story
Fun read, and the characters were all likable. The book kind of reminded me of the Blue Phoenix series, or at least that is what popped into my head, it was validated in the acknowledgement section. The only downside was the vegetarianism overly expressed in the book. A bit over the top, especially for a xianxia fantasy
Fun read, and the characters were all likable. The book kind of reminded me of the Blue Phoenix series, or at least that is what popped into my head, it was validated in the acknowledgement section. The only downside was the vegetarianism overly expressed in the book. A bit over the top, especially for a xianxia fantasy
June 16, 2019
I enjoyed this adventure
The main character is special and gets some good breaks. He's not all powerful yet. I like the attention paid to giving these characters depth. I had a great time. I had to force myself to take the time to review instead of jumping straight into the next book.
The main character is special and gets some good breaks. He's not all powerful yet. I like the attention paid to giving these characters depth. I had a great time. I had to force myself to take the time to review instead of jumping straight into the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews