I feel like Goodreads needs to start integrating web novels and light novels, like they do comics. This novel was worth at least 20 books, just from the page content alone. It’s an epic novel with great characters and a better storyline. The twists and turns the Feng family makes for the sake of “face” adds the spice to the never ending battle for control of the country and the position of Crown Prince.
At first, I enjoyed it but as the plot progressed, the mc kept bringing down people left and right. Mind you, the girls in the feng family are no more than 14 years old. She is a 29 year old in a 12 year olds body, yet she is constantly fighting with children, thinking she is brilliant whenever she wins. Like of course you'd win, YOURE FIGHTING WITH LITERAL CHILDREN.
There is constantly some sort of drama and hate from all these side characters that just want to end the mc for no reason and the only one who was unproblematic was the third sis and her mom and that's only bc they're docile and don't bother the mc. I understand like yes, if you try to harm her then you'll be dealt with but literally, the children who are scheming are childish with their logic so I don't understand why a 29 year old would want to drag them through the mud without a second thought. I don't mean to justify their actions by saying they are children so let them go, but there were so many better ways to deal with them but she always chose the most harmful ones. Never letting go a single person.
Another gripe I have with this novel is that the girls are all children no more than 16 years old yet they are so devious and conniving. The fourth sister is literally 10 years old yet she is plotting and scheming in ways a 10 year old would not think of. I do understand that this is a historical novel, so the mentality back in the day as a 10 year old is different than a 10 year old in modern day, it still is mind boggling that the fourth sister is written the way she is.
Also the fact that mc is literally a Mary sue?? She is afterall from modern world so given in historical context she is more adept in certain things however, everything she does always come out with a good outcome. Her physicality does NOT make sense. How is she able to move sneakily and perform certain actions so well without any training in the 12 year old body? They only mention she's tired after fighting for a while but the people she fights with physically are men and they always seemed shocked with how strong she yes but the thing IS SHES SCRAWNY AF LITERALLY THE ML SAID SHE WAS SKINNIER THAN THE FIRST TIME HE SAW HER so that means she's lacking nutrition so there is no way she can be able to fight off the men but ya know she's mc so heh whatever right, she's strong op female who cares if it doesn't makes sense. It was also mentioned a few times that she was only eating scraps from the main kitchen so it's just ridiculous that she can fight off the attackers easily and only feel the exhaustion when the fight is almost finished.
The fact that all the nonsensical drama is always with women only and the men are always presented as either perverted rapists or useless men who only come out to take action when the the women from their house has gone overboard and the only way the men retaliate is to literally BEAT THEM. Like hello???? This is your fault as well, why are you calling them "treacherous women" when you turned a blind eye to their actions many times until you have to face the consequences.
I seriously thought they were going to do a time jump bc the mc is 12 years old and the ml is 20, but I was wrong. The mc is 29 years old mentally so ofc she would act as such and it makes me forget she's in a 12 year olds body so whenever they ml interacts with the mc in a romantic way, it's such a turn off. Like bro, you mentioned she's behaving like a child yet youre still into a freaking 12 year old when you are 20. The mc liking the ml is fair as she is an adult mentally but the ml liking the mc who does NOT know she is 29 years old mentally is just a no for me. Romanticizing age gap sure when they're at an appropriate age, but not when one is 12 and the other is 20 regardless of the context bc it still is not acceptable. "ThiS is A hiStOriCaL nOveL, yOunG giRlS GeT mArRied to oLd mEN hApPeNed oFteN." Okay and what is your point? This is a fictional book, if she has the ability to get medicinal materials from some void then the author can most definitely have aged up the mc or do a time jump. Instead, the author decided to write some surface level romance scenes (from what I've read so far) between a 12 year old and 20 year old. I do admit it was cute until I remember she is in a child's body and the man is an adult knowing she is a child still continues to show fondness and dotes on her. I wish they were similar in age bc the whole relationship is just so wrong.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.