This book was recently adapted into a 68-episode Chinese TV series starring Zhang Ziyi as the female lead. The show is a train wreck from the writing perspective. Scenes are broken up and intercut among each other, which I suppose is an attempt to create tension but only ruins each respective scene's pacing. Key plot points are so trope-y that I wondered if I was watching a 90's soap. And the way certain characters' treachery was revealed so early on seemed like the show was spoiling itself. So when I heard that the show was based on a book, I wanted to know just how different it would be.
In terms of character consistency, pacing, and plotting, the book is infinitely better than the show. In terms of writing style, I'm still not a fan. The language is a bit simple. Certain terms are overused, and often reused in the same paragraph. For a book that's written in "old Chinese", the prose isn't as rich as I'd like it to be.
My biggest qualm with the book is that it TOLD me everything about the characters instead of characterizing them through their actions. The male lead is lauded as a "God of War" countless times, but I can't say I truly felt it in his actions.
What sets the book apart from other books of its genre is that the female and male leads have a partnership in their quest for power. Not your typical "palace" story where all the concubines are plotting against each other. The main character toes a line between being weak as shit (..seriously, how many times does she almost fall over from fatigue?) and being iron-fisted and cold-hearted. Like a badass damsel-in-distress. Which I suppose is better than being solely a damsel-in-distress. But I'd rather a flawed badass with weaknesses that don't fall so squarely into frail female tropes.