Thiên Quan Tứ Phúc - Tập 1

天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú] #1

by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù, 墨香铜臭, Mặc Hương Đồng Khứu

Chuyện bắt đầu từ tám trăm năm trước...

Một thái tử điện hạ được vạn người ngưỡng vọng, phi thăng thành tiên. Những tưởng thế là mỹ mãn, nào ngờ y phi thăng hai lần thì hai lần bị đánh xuống trần, từ thần tướng tay hoa tay kiếm muôn dân thờ phụng trở thành tiên nhân đồng nát lang thang khắp ngõ hẻm hang cùng, không có lấy một ngôi miếu thờ, từ giai thoại thành trò cười của tam giới. Đến lần này, sau tám trăm năm, y rốt cuộc cũng phi thăng lần thứ ba, một lần nữa trở lại Thiên đình.

Gặp lại bao người xưa, những chuyện cũ cũng lần lượt được vén lên.

Tám trăm năm qua lưu lạc hồng trần, y đã trải qua những khổ nạn gì? Rốt cuộc là ai đã đẩy y đến thảm cảnh ấy?

Đôi nét tác giả

Mặc Hương Đồng Khứu, tác giả của trang văn học mạng Tấn Giang, được rất nhiều độc giả biết tới qua cuốn tiểu thuyết Ma đạo tổ sư. Hai tiểu thuyết khác là Hệ thống tự cứu của nhân vật phản diện và Thiên quan tứ phúc cũng đánh giá cao trên các trang văn học.
Các tác phẩm của Mặc Hương Đồng Khứu được bạn đọc yêu thích bởi tình tiết chặt chẽ, câu chuyện mới lạ và mang giá trị nhân văn sâu sắc, cùng phong cách hài hước đặc trưng.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT, Queer, Historical, Fiction, Historical Fiction

456 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

Associated Names:
* 墨香铜臭 (Chinese)
* Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù
* โม่เซียงถงซิ่ว (Thai)
* 묵향동후 (Korean)
* Мосян Тунсю (Russian)

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I promise, you won’t find another person more sincere than me in this world,” Hua Cheng replied.
Xie Lian didn’t want to talk anymore and flipped over, his back facing Hua Cheng. “Forget it, time to sleep. Don’t talk.”
Hua Cheng chuckled again, then said, “Next time.”
Even though he was determined to sleep, hearing Hua Cheng speak, Xie Lian couldn’t resist replying, “What’s next time?”
Hua Cheng whispered, “The next time we meet, I will use my true appearance to greet you.”



These official translations are ideal for re-reading the entire series. Though translators did a good job back then, there were some things they missed, so it's worth revisiting the entire thing.



I binge-read the entire book last night when I should have been sleeping or preparing for my exams, but I realised there is only one thing I am good at and that brings me happiness, and that is reading. My pep talk inspired me, and I devoured the entire book last night, not to mention that I am currently reading SVSSS.



MXTX give me life, her characters are my therapy.

[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, sí me sirvió ver el anime, me lo acabé en DOS DÍAS. ESTOY AMANDO.

[may ➹ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the slowburn is SLOW……. just the way I like it

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

I think I should start lowering my expectations even for highly rated books on Goodreads, because was it the life-changing reading experience I somewhat assumed it would be based on the rating and reviews where people praised this novel? Well, not for me. Listen, it's not that it wasn't interesting and I was dying of boredom, but at some point I realized that it was simply not for me, as I completely lost interest in whatever was going on here. Unfortunately, this feeling was influenced by a few things, so without further ado, I'll just get to them.

one The first thing that made this story even unreadable for me at times was the translation. It felt like someone had put the entire original novel into Google Translate and expected the result to be perfect — or at least good enough for this book to be published in English. As a person who translated enough Korean and Chinese e-books in Google Translate because I couldn't wait any longer for translations.. this book made me feel like I had gone back in time to a period in my life when I still had the strength to read like that. Constant repetition of certain phrases, such as "I didn't know whether to laugh or cry" or fragments like here

"A son in your prayers
Nan Yang delivers.
Aha ha, aha ha, aha ha ha ha ha ha…”

"This face, with its bulging eyes, was staring straight at him. “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
The one who screamed wasn’t Xie Lian or Nan Feng, but that stiff face.

"He said as he coughed, “Cough cough, everyone, this shrine doesn’t bless you with wealth, really, cough, please stop wishing for wealth! The result is unpredictable…"

I just couldn’t take this story seriously because of that.

two Even though I liked Xie Lian's character, he somehow felt flat to me. He was a sweetheart and seeing the story from his point of view was fun and entertaining at times, but I couldn't really connect with him. I mentioned that he was a sweet person, but he also had moments when I started to dislike him

"While he hadn’t interacted much with this girl Xiao-Ying, hadn’t even spoken with her much, Xie Lian still knew that she was a kindhearted girl despite her ugly appearance. Such an ending for her truly made the heart heavy."

Xiao-Ying — the village girl who was treated in the most misogynistic way, constantly called ugly or "too ugly", was dying in the above quote, and Xie Lian, who despite being nice to her, still kept adding that she was ugly. Was it really necessary? Before him lay a girl on her deathbed, a girl who only wanted to help, and he still kept adding about her "ugly appearance".

“Too ugly!” Fu Yao exclaimed.
Xie Lian choked for a moment, then chided, “Fu Yao, you can’t talk about girls like that.”
If he had to be honest, what Fu Yao said was true. That girl’s face was incomparably flat, looking exactly like someone had leveled it with a slap. It would almost be an insult to say her features were plain; if they must be described, then only “crooked nose and slanted eyes” could be used."

I genuinely thought that Xie Lian would be an exception to this girl who was insulted and called ugly all around, but I was wrong. The fact that she was ugly or pretty wasn't even important, so why talk about it?

three The romance part of the book, or rather the slow build up to it, was honestly the only thing I enjoyed here. A romance between a fearsome ghost god who is protective and even flirty, I would say, and Xie Lian, who is a sweet and helpful god? It seemed like something I would definitely enjoy, and I was right.

“All right,” Xie Lian responded but also prompted him, “San Lang, why don’t you put me down? I’ll be in your way like this.”
“You’re not in the way. Don’t get down,” San Lang said.
“Why can’t I get down?” Xie Lian asked in spite of himself. This guy couldn’t possibly enjoy fighting while carrying someone, could he? He didn’t need to go that far to look down on his opponent, did he?
San Lang’s answer was only two words: “It’s dirty.”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

"Just then, a powerful gust whipped by, blowing off Xie Lian’s bamboo hat. If it flew off, it would disappear into the desert forever! But San Lang reacted immediately and grabbed the hat just in time with an abnormally fast hand. He returned the bamboo hat to Xie Lian once more, and Xie Lian thanked him."

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

They had some truly swoon-worthy moments, which may be the only reason I might — maybe, one day continue this series.

three The plot, focusing mainly on Xie Lian being sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt ghosts and troublesome spirits, unfortunately turned out to be less interesting for me. It was quite fun to read about some of his adventures with San Lang and his "helpers", but most of the time I was just bored. The whole reveal about one person at the end wasn't shocking either, as the moment that character appeared in the story, I just knew who that person would turn out to be. The art, the facts that the side characters said about him and some of the specific things he did just made it even obvious to me. It was still great to know you were right, but nothing really in this book was shocking or spectacular for me.


As I already said, it's not that it was bad, but it just wasn't for me. I don't know if it's the translation or the fact that I just wasn't having much fun, but for now I don't see myself continuing it — at least in the form in which I read it, because maybe one day I will try the manhua and I will even like it. We'll see. I hope so.

[Maddy ✨ ~The Verse Vixen {AFK brb} · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Crown Prince, A Ghost King, and the Glory in Ruin🕊️🥀

“One may fall from grace, but not from compassion.”

Some stories ask for your attention.
This one devours your soul.

There’s something sacred about stories that begin with ruin. Heaven Official’s Blessing is not just a story — it’s a soul-deep odyssey.. Through love and despair, fall and rise, sword and flower — it holds your hand through paradise and drops you into the abyss… and you thank it for the fall. This was pain dressed as poetry. This was love dressed as legend.

When the heavens turn their backs and the mortals turn to dust, what remains of a god who has nothing left to offer but kindness? Heaven Official’s Blessing opens not with the thunderous triumph of divinity, but with the quiet, tragic resilience of a once-revered crown prince—Xie Lian, who has ascended to the heavens for the third time, not with reverence but ridicule trailing behind him like tattered robes. The tale begins with laughter at his expense. But what follows is a slow, tender reclaiming of dignity—woven with ghosts, betrayals, vanished brides, and a crimson-eyed stranger who may very well be the most dangerous being in all the realms. - In Heaven Official’s Blessing, pain becomes poetry. Ruin becomes sacred. And love—love becomes a quiet defiance against fate itself.

This isn’t a story you walk away from. It lingers. It loops in your mind like a prayer, a verse, a forgotten name.
Because here, in these pages, every fall is holy.
And every rise is a reminder: some hearts never stay broken. . 🕊️ Xie Lian: The God Who Fell and Still Knelt to Help Others

Crowned as god, yet cursed by fate,
Still he bows low — never filled with hate.

Xie Lian is not your typical hero. His power is muted, his temples in ruins, his name a joke on heavenly lips. Yet, he wears humility like armor and carries the weight of past lives with a smile that does not hide the cracks. Stripped of glory, shackled by divine punishment, he chooses, again and again, to protect, to believe, and to love. I have never read a protagonist quite like him—gentle in despair, dignified in disgrace. He’s fallen from grace so many times, and yet he still smiles. Still helps. Still cares. He’s the kind of character who’s so gentle and tragic that you want to wrap him in a blanket and protect him from the world — but you also know he’d just smile and walk right back into the storm if it meant saving one more soul.

"If I like you, you could be a beggar and I'd still like you. If I dislike you, you could be the emperor and I'd still dislike you. Shouldn't it be like that? It's simple logic, so whether you're human or not is irrelevant."

🌹 Hua cheng: The Youth with Blood on His Boots and Butterflies in His Wake

In crimson robes, he grins and schemes,
But holds his god like fragile dreams.

Then enters San Lang. Or should I say—Hua Cheng. The Ghost King. Crimson Rain Sought Flower. His silver butterflies flicker in and out of scenes, graceful and lethal, much like the ghost himself. He’s charming, infuriatingly clever, and almost too enigmatic to trust. But oh, the way he looks at Xie Lian. With worship. With longing. With a promise unspoken.

"I told them, ‘If you don’t know how to live on anymore, then live for me! If you don’t know the meaning of your life, then make me that meaning and use me as your reason to live."

“He is the prayer that was never answered — so he became one.” I screamed. Not even lying. This powerful, terrifying ghost, feared across realms, has been following Xie Lian for centuries with the softest devotion. Fixing his roof. Catching him mid-fall. Shielding him from arrows. Carrying him across sand dunes like it’s nothing.

How does a man with this much power choose to serve someone with so little? That’s love. That’s obsession. That’s devotion. . . Their dynamic- hums with unsaid things. A tease of what was and what could be. Every glance, every small gesture, every shared silence—it all builds to something heartbreakingly inevitable. And when Hua Cheng said, “One day, I’ll show you my true face”??? Yeah. That line ended me.

This volume felt like the quiet before a storm. It sets the foundation so beautifully — the politics of the heavens, the bitterness of past betrayals, the tenderness of bonds just beginning to form. I’m not just here for the plot anymore. I’m here for the emotional destruction. The aching loyalty. The yearning. The slow-burn devastation.

"Just then, a powerful gust whipped by, blowing off Xie Lian’s bamboo hat. If it flew off, it would disappear into the desert forever! But San Lang reacted immediately and grabbed the hat just in time with an abnormally fast hand. He returned the bamboo hat to Xie Lian once more, and Xie Lian thanked him."

. I already know I’ll be rereading Hua Cheng’s butterfly scenes when I can’t sleep at 2 a.m. - 📚 Status: Ruined. Healed. Obsessed. Rinse and repeat. 👰 The Ghost Bride Mystery Mission & The Forgotten Kingdom of Banyue-
What begins as a lighthearted ghost hunting mission soon unravels into something deeper. The disappearances of brides in the mountains and the haunted whispers of a traitor-preceptor in Banyue bring Xie Lian face-to-face with grief-stricken spirits and past regrets. This world—lush in folklore, eerie in atmosphere—is bursting with moral ambiguity. Even the villains bleed. Even the monsters mourn.

Xuan Ji’s haunting smile, Banyue’s tear-soaked silence, Kemo’s unrelenting fury—every ghost tells a story. And Xie Lian listens, not as a god, but as someone who has suffered, too.

📖 Plot: The Ghost King, The Fallen Prince, and a Love That Waited
Xie Lian, the once-beloved Crown Prince of Xianle, ascends to the heavens for the third time — now a heavenly joke, a god with no temples and zero worshippers. But this story? It’s not about glory. It’s about grace. About falling hard and rising anyway. When brides begin vanishing, Xie Lian is sent to investigate — and that’s where fate starts twisting. From ghost brides to forgotten kingdoms, from quiet shrines to chaotic heavens, he walks through it all with relentless kindness. Along the way, he meets San Lang — a witty, all-knowing boy who stays by his side through it all. Only… he’s not just anyone. He’s Hua Cheng, the most feared Ghost King, and he’s been waiting for Xie Lian for centuries. And maybe — just maybe — this isn’t a story about gods. It’s about love that remembers, even when the world forgets. . 🌸The Art: A Prayer Made Visible:

Every panel is a breath. Every brushstroke a heartbeat. STARember’s illustrations don’t just draw—they summon. The fabric of Hua Cheng’s robes glides like silk through shadows; Xie Lian’s smile is a soft, tragic curve that feels like forgiveness.

There are moments here that feel cinematic—the red umbrella in the rain, the silver butterflies dancing like promises, the quiet stillness of shared tea. It is gentle and haunting, bright and sorrowful. It is divine. - 🦋 Themes Etched in Silver:
Redemption is not a straight road. Sometimes it’s circular, paved with bones and broken hearts.

Power doesn’t lie in divinity, but in compassion.

Love can be vengeful. And it can be unwavering.

Trust is a silver butterfly landing on your palm—you hold your breath, hoping it stays.

🌬️ And Then There’s the Wind Master… Just when you think the story can’t become more layered, the Wind Master arrives—a reminder of the divine politics brewing above and the game Xie Lian has been unwillingly thrust back into. The gods aren’t omniscient. Some are petty, others compassionate, all walking that fragile line between reverence and irrelevance.

🌹 What Works:
-Art Style: STUNNING. Every panel is a painting, full of rich textures, elegant character designs, and emotionally charged expressions. Xie Lian's grace and Hua Cheng's smirks are brought to life with incredible detail.

-Faithful Adaptation: It stays true to the novel while enhancing key emotional beats visually. Scenes like the iconic umbrella moment? Chef’s kiss.

-Characters: Xie Lian is one of the most lovable tragic figures you’ll ever meet—humble, kind, but carrying centuries of pain with a smile. Hua Cheng? The blueprint for loyal, patient, unshakeable love.

-Humor and Heart: Despite the heavy themes, there’s great banter and moments of lightness. Plus, San Lang (Hua Cheng’s alias) being lowkey flirty while Xie Lian is obliviously polite is endlessly entertaining.

👻 What Might Not Work for Everyone:
Slow Burn: If you're impatient for romance, this story will test you. But oh, the payoff.

Cultural Elements: Some nuances tied to Chinese mythology, heaven rankings, and historical references may need a bit of context if you’re new to xianxia/danmei, but it’s totally worth the effort. - .
✍🏼 MXTX’s Prose: Lyrical, Witty, and Wounding:
Reading this felt like walking through misted mountains lit by lanterns, hearing laughter echo in an abandoned temple. It’s beautiful and aching. There’s slapstick humor, too—Xie Lian dragging trash, misunderstandings galore—but just beneath it all, an unshakable loneliness that left me breathless.

To have beauty exist in this world is already in itself something to be grateful for.

- . 📜🥀Notable Quotes That Live in My Head Rent-Free-

“It certainly is painful to think about, to have given everything for love and lose everything in return.”

“If I don't die but have nothing, then that's truly a fate worse than death.”

“To me the one basking in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is 'you' and not the state of you.”

“To Ascend is Human, to Fall is Also Human.”

“The Flower-Crowned Martial God; Sword in One Hand, Flower in the Other. Shi Qingxuan had only remembered the flower. He had forgotten that Xie Lian ascended because of his sword.”

“Body in the abyss, heart in paradise-f the crown prince were to see the remnants of those words, he would probably be the first one to rush to destroy what was left. The person who had said those words had personally proven that when the body is in the abyss, the heart could not be in paradise. He ascended to the heavens quickly, but his fall from grace was even faster.”

“Aren’t gods called gods because they can save the people?”

“I don’t care if anyone else is disappointed. But to some, the very existence of a certain person in this world is in itself, hope.”

. 🖋️ Final Thoughts:
If ethereal art, divine romance, and ghostly drama are your thing, Heaven Official's Blessing (manhua) is nothing short of a masterpiece. Heaven Official’s Blessing is not just a xianxia fantasy. It’s a meditation on grief, endurance, and the strange grace that comes from falling and choosing to rise, again and again.

It’s the story of a god who has nothing left to give but love—and the ghost king who has waited centuries to be loved by him.

This volume doesn’t rush. It gives you lore, mystery, aching backstory, and characters who carry centuries of hurt in their hearts. It builds a world that feels haunted and holy at once. I came for the fantasy. I stayed for the yearning. And I’ll keep reading because Hua Cheng’s devotion is the kind of thing you don’t see every day. If this is just Volume 1, I am terrified and thrilled to see what kind of emotional destruction the rest will bring. If you’ve ever longed for a tale that’s equal parts poetic and profound, whimsical and weighty—this is the blessing you’ve been waiting for.If you are someone curious about why everyone’s crying over a ghost king and a disgraced god—read it. And then reread it, because you’ll catch a new detail every time. 💔🦋

[Ling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a CN/ENG bilingual native and I'm writing this in comparison to the original CN version.

Firstly, on a good note, there are less atrocious mistranslations as compared to MDZS. I've done a cursory sweep and I haven't seen gross MTL level mistakes. Though that's not to say that the translation is entirely accurate either. For example, Chapter 3: "that long, slender, fair hand, it looked like a bright and colorful affinity knot." Uh firstly, in what depiction does Hua Cheng wear a colourful affinity knot? lol The chinese text reads "仿佛一缕明艳的缘结" (as though there was a radiant (明艳) knot). He’s clearly not wearing a colourful ring. Or in Chapter 1 " cultivator passed by and happened to see him sprinkle a handful of dirt to consecrate the grave". The chinese text reads "撒下一抔黄土", when directly translated it means "sprinkle a handful of yellow dust". This phrase just means a grave. There's no act of consecration here.

There are also strange choices of using pinyin/localisations. The locations are have been translated to English. Yet, festivals like Shangyuan has been kept in Pinyin. However, Shangyuan is a widely celebrated festival till this very day and has always been translated to the Lantern Festival worldwide in English text. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantern...). Did the translation team know this festival exists? There's actually no need to leave it in pinyin.

Secondly, I do feel that most of the vibe has been lost in this translation. The chinese text, particularly the prologue and Chapter 1, is written in a humorous manner. It has a "Let me tell you the story of this weird ass crown prince. He did etc etc etc, can you believe it? And when his teachers told him that he needs to be punished, he said ‘nope lol'. And wtf he's coming up here again?!" I'm really doubtful if anyone would catch all this if they read this translation. Also, the prose in this translation still feels very strange (though slightly smoother than their MDZS translation), but I'd leave that to other reviews to elaborate on it.

There are also parts that seemed to be omitted from the original text. For example, the team seemed to have missed a deliberate mirroring by MXTX. In Chapter 1 there are two lines that read "And thus, the crown prince replied with his now-famous line: “Body in the abyss, heart in paradise.” and "The Emperor answered, “This child’s future is infinite.”. The original text reads "太子就说了著名的八个字" 'The Prince says the famous 8 characters,' and '帝君也答了八个字' The Emperor replied with 8 characters'." This is vital to the story. Also, to be accurate, 无间 should be translated as Avici (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Av%C4%ABci) instead of abyss and 桃源 as Peach Blossom Spring/Taoyuan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pea....) Taoyuan also carries the idea of a temporary utopia whereby people within are oblivious to the outside world. It implies that this state doesn’t last long)

TLDR, I still think this is a poor representation of the original chinese text. For the record, the original TGCF is better written than MDZS language wise. (MXTX has polished up her writing quite a bit). Maybe I'll give it 2.5 for less MTL errors. Unfortunately, the one and only fan translator did the official translation, so I guess non cn natives in this fandom will never know what the original book was supposed to sound like.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'silver butterflies' stars





Hualian invented love, you can't change my mind!! ❤️🤍

"I told them, 'If you don't know how to live on anymore, then live for me! If you don't know the meaning of your life, then make me the meaning, and use me as your reason to live.'"

Fanart by jingchuuuriki

Xie Lian felt even more deflated at those words. "You're so insincere..."
"I promise, you won't find another person more sincere than me in this world," Hua Cheng replied.

My favourite song from donghua 🦋

5 'silver butterflies' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 'Chengzhu and his Dianxia' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4,5 'flowers and lanterns' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐
5 '😭😢🥺' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 'The calm before the storm' stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
currently reading
tbr
tbr

[Melanie (meltotheany)]

❤️

Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch

[anmol · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st read : 30/11/2022
2nd read: 12/3/2023

～⁠♡～⁠♡～⁠♡～⁠♡～⁠♡～⁠♡～⁠♡


In my defense- I really wanted to savour this book this time thats a lie bcs i was only catching up on my other books heheh and savour I did 🫶🏼 HuaLian just get better with each read. Words aren't enough to describe my love for them and although WangXian are my one true love, HuaLian are very special to me bcs TGCF is the book which led me into this abyss called danmei and HUA CHENG IS FUCKING HOT iykyk 😌

～～～

BAHAHAHAHH ITS THE FIFTH BOOK IM STARTING BUT IVE FINALLY CONVINCED LILA AND MAYA TO READ THIS *sobs* HUALIAN IM COMINGG TO YOUU

SO EXCITED TO BUDDY READ IT WITH BOTH OF THEM YALL BETTER LOVE THIS 😃🔪

________________


“If you don’t know how to live on anymore, then live for me! If you don’t know the meaning of your life, then make me that meaning, and use me as your reason to live.”

I already knew what was going to happen in this volume since I had watched the donghua beforehand and absolutely loved it.

BUT THE BOOK WAS SO MUCH BETTER. And it has only just started. 😭

A ghost king falling in love with a god? SIGN ME THE FUCK UP.

Xie Lian is the cutest, sweetest and most relatable MC I've ever seen. And anyone who believes otherwise is obviously blind and have no taste bcs hello?? A literal ghost king is in love with him and literally helps him in all his missions just because. He is so adorable please I get why Hua Cheng simps so hard.

“San Lang, why don’t you put me down? I’ll be in your way like this.”
“You’re not in the way. Don’t get down.”
“Why can’t I get down?”
“It’s dirty.”

THIS SCENE- I SCREAMEDDD

And Hua Cheng? THAT BASTARD IS SO HOT. I WAS A GONER THE MINUTE I SAW HIM SMIRK IN THE FIRST EPISODE. The way he's with Xie Lian it gave me all the feels ohmygod its been so long since I've actually been so invested in a ship.

Even the side characters are so goooooooood. There honestly isn't anything I didn't like in this one and I really can't wait for more of HuaLian. 😩❤️

[maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I told them, ‘If you don’t know how to live on anymore, then live for me! If you don’t know the meaning of your life, then make me that meaning and use me as your reason to live.'

NO BECAUSE I'M SO MAD AT MYSELF FOR PUTTING THIS ON HOLD FOR TWO BLOODY YEARS!



i know i'm probably super biased in this review, but i couldn't care less. i loved everything. i knew i was going to enjoy this going in, and so i did 🤭

the story had me super invested, i could imagine all the scenes in 1080p, and it was everything! the plot twists, all the revelations, and the unfolding of the mystery was all done super tactfully, and i enjoyed every page of the book!

but most of all what hooked me was



✨HUALIAN✨ OF COURSE! 🤭🦋🍁💘



Xie Lian and Hua Cheng San Lang are my babies! i loved all their interactions SO MUCH, their chemistry is off the charts, and this is just the start of their relationship, and the slow burn is probably going to kill me! they had me giggling, kicking my feet in the air. i had hearts in my eyes while i read about them - whether it be xie lian examining his hands under the pretense of reading them, or them sharing the same mat, or san lang going bat shit crazy at the thought of anything harming him, or san lang carrying him around because "the ground is dirty" 😂 I love them both so much already it's scary! my number 1 will always be wangxian but they're a very very very close second for sure!

“I promise, you won’t find another person more sincere than me in this world,” Hua Cheng replied.

i think what intrigued me the most was the mystery around san lang, like that man had a chokehold on me right from the beginning, and i know it's only about to get worse. by the end of this, i will be ready to do unspeakable things for him - that's for sure.



i unapologetically am one lol 😌

“The next time we meet, I will use my true appearance to greet you.”

that's me on my way to grab the second volume, and drown myself in it! 🤭

bottom line: if you've read the review till here, pls do yourself a favor and go read the book!
--

my final year project work can wait, let me just start reading a whole ass series with all my other ongoing books 😌

buddy reading with lila, and muskaan 💘 cannot wait to become obsessed with yet another one of mxtx's novel!

[nark · Rating 4 out of 5]

i absolutely love hualian already. they are so sweet to each other. 🥺💗

[jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

i can only assume that 99% of the goodreads community is fluent in chinese and read this in its original version - which must be godly or else i can't explain the high ratings this has.
the english translation can only be described as unreadable and the atrocities masquerading as prose are probably a violation of the geneva convention.

i really can't excuse awful writing and i can stomach it even less when the plot is that boring. let me be clear that this is not about the slow burn - which is the only valid romance - but literally everything else. i am still waiting for this to get better, as i was assured multiple times that it will, but i fear that when you said "70% in" you meant 70% into the whole *series* and not, as i foolishly believed, 70% into the book - which tbh would also be about 70% too much.


as i don't think i can become fluent in chinese any time soon and experience the "good" version of this book, i will have to end my journey now lest i risk another headache (or worse) from this writing style.



read as part of 202-Queer 🌈✨

april reading: 1/26

[Lois Bujold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also read volume 2; this is one continuous story in several volumes, not yet complete in English translation, not a story and sequels. Its original publication history as a serialized web novel affects its structure in interesting ways, as commerce always does art. My own serialized novels back in the days of paper magazines had to be completely finished before the editor would/could purchase them, and had length and cut-point constraints; they had to be under 100,000 words, and divide into monthly chunks sensibly.

Web novels, I understand (I haven't seen one on the hoof yet) are published like manga, in ongoing chapters composed on the fly, with understandable challenges to later continuity issues. In manga, this was always with the threat of being abruptly cut off mid-story if the popularity fell, as the paper magazines had tight "shelf space" for which other works were always competing. I don't know how the far more fungible length consideration of pixels affects this, but Asian web novels appear to descend from this magazine culture rather than from book publishing.

Again, I came to this work backwards; the animation first, then the novel/s. I found them somewhat complementary. The 13-episode animation (found on Netflix) gave visuals, but no explanations. The novel, written in a blunt, breezy omniscient, supplies welcome loads of explanations, but not much description, immersion, or interiority. As in the prior work I've read in translation from this author, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... the end notes and glossary in the back are worth the price of admission for someone new to what it teaches one is the xianxia genre, a well-developed Chinese fantasy tradition devoted to tales of Daoist magicians, gods, demonology, etc.

"Danmei" is its further subcategory, what Japanese media dubs "boy's love", romantic but not explicit m/m tales. Somehow, when all those early highbrow preceptors were urging Americans to read more foreign fiction in translation to improve our cultural parochialism, I don't think danmei was what they had in mind... Though I have to admit it's working.

The romance in this one is the apparently universal classic of Beauty & the Beast (the other one is Cinderella), cranked up to 11. In this case, between the good-girlboy minor god Xie Lan, with 800 years of angsty backstory behind him, and bad-boy demon Hua Cheng, ditto. Not to be mapped directly onto Western conceptions of demons as fallen angels, though the ascending of humans to gods reminds me a bit of what was done with deceased Roman emperors. Heaven in Daoist mythology is imagined as an imperial bureaucracy, pretty exactly parallel to how heaven is imagined as a kingdom in Western myths; as below, so above. Xie Lan's struggles with his own fantastical bureaucracy are quite human. (And familiar -- the gods' magical Zoom meetings are a stitch.)

Together, the heroes fight magical crime, paced in manga-style (manhua-style, in the proper Chinese vocabulary) on-flowing story arcs. With zombies. This author seems rather big on zombies, tho' that's likely a standard genre trope. I can see the appeal -- lots of bad guys available on demand for the good guys to dramatically shred, without the moral complexity of massacring humans, although in these tales the body count among live, well, briefly live, humans is also high. And gruesome. Definitely horror elements. (But there's an afterlife, so it's... kinda ok?) The story so far is getting around to the romance rather gradually.

The first volume was a slog for me, as the anime (donghua, properly) version already in my head competed with the prose on the page. The second volume, where I did not know what was going to happen, worked much better. The translation style continues to make my inner copy editor twitch. So many word echoes. So much tin ear -- at one point a character exclaims "Jeeze!", which made me wonder if the Jesuits had been there by that time... (And was that in the original, and if it wasn't, what was that word-choice representing?) So many startling punctuation shortcuts imported from manga custom, such as the "..." for a nonplussed pause, about which I have mixed feelings. (Amusingly, the recently read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... touches on this evolutionary process.)

Whatever. I will certainly be reading the third volume to find out what happens next, so I will call this a successful read.

Ta, L.

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Beautiful Silver Butterflies & Maple Leaves (aka Stars)!!

In the briefest summary I can give, this is a story of a prince, Xie Lian, who ascends and falls from godhood many times and becomes a laughing stock. He continues to strive forward with a heart for others to repay his debts. During his journey he meets new and former friends and foes. One of his newer friends is San Lang who brings back memories of a familiar someone who he had recently (and literally) stumbled into and took the hand of. What are the secrets these two keep from each other? What feelings are these arising between one another? And what trouble lies ahead?

Thoughts:
I would like to apologize in advance for who I will become as I continue these volumes! You are warned that there will be a lot of screaming in updates for I have a new ship that may consume most of my daily thoughts! The chokehold this slowburn between Xie Lian and “San Lang” has on me now is suffocating me in the best way!

It’s the ‘hello stranger I know we just met but I have one bed that’ll happily share with your gorgeous face’ for me! It’s the ‘pretend palm reading to be close to you’ for me! It’s the ‘I’m building you a door’ for me! It’s the ‘his water bottle that we are sharing tastes better’ for me! It’s the ‘let me suck the venom out and blow up snakes that try to attack you again’ for me! It’s the ‘I’m going to carry you because the ground is dirty with corpses’ for me! (I was squealingggggg in delight, but reminding myself that I will forever be alone as another book raises my standards yet again.)

Reason 1 of a million to love Xie Lian in a quote:
‘“Much ashamed, but I’ve never heard of them,” Xie Lian said. “Who are the Four Calamities?”
Mu Qing responded coolly, “ Your Highness walked the Mortal Realm for hundreds of years, and yet you are still so ill-informed. I’m really curious to know what you’ve been doing all this time.”
Eating, sleeping, busking, collecting junk, duh?
LIKE DUHHH - WHAT A RELATABLE CINNAMON ROLL!

I cannot even give you all the reasons (or even just one example) to love San Lang (or you know who) because it’s basically every time he appears or opens his mouth!

The storytelling is gorgeous in this translation and leaves me in awe. The only reason this volume has a star deduction is because from the start to middle the story did drag a little before the plot picked up and swept me away!

Guess who needs to binge the Netflix series asap?? Me as I run to Netflix! BRB!

P.S. Was I crazy enough to purchase the next 4 volumes on the same night I finished this volume? The world may never know. (the answer is yes!)

Would I recommend this and to who:
YES! YES! YES! For those who want a good slowburn and rainbows in their delicious fantasy cereal each morning!
Paperback/Hardcover/Audiobook/E-book:
Paperback
How did I discover this:
GR book besties are to blame!! Muskaan primarily, but Lila and Maya joined in on the fun and I didn’t want to miss out!! lol
Pace:
Medium
Cover thoughts:
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! LOOK AT THIS WORK OF ART! 1000/10
POV:
Single - Xie Lian (however the prologue is not!)

Quotes:
“If I like you, you could be a beggar and I'd still like you. If I dislike you, you could be the emperor and I'd still dislike you. Shouldn't it be like that? It's simple logic, so whether you're human or not is irrelevant.”

“If no one worships me, I’ll worship myself!”

‘He was still letting San Lang carry him. And the scary thing was he had gotten used to being in this position without realizing it! This was going to be the death of him.’

“You’re so insincere…” “I promise, you won’t find another person more sincere than me in this world”

“If we like each other, then we shall continue to meet; if we don’t, then we shall part. At the end of the day, there’s no banquet in the world that doesn’t come to an end.”

Triggers:
Violence, Gore, Blood, Injury, Body Horror, Death, Abuse, Murder, Grief, Swearing, War/Battles, Illness, Bullying, Toxic Relationships, etc.

[. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not have anticipated this rating since I enjoyed the show. Somehow I ended up less attached to the characters than when I started.

The misogyny in this book is insane. There's an entire chapter dedicated to depicting a woman, Xuan Ji, as "hysterical" because she rightfully got angry that a man used her and then threw her away. I thought this scene was misogynistic in the show, but the book made it worse through Xie Lian's inner commentary. He literally thinks of Xuan Ji as “overdramatic,” and just the way Xuan Ji was written reeks of misogyny.

"As a bystander, Xie Lian didn't want to comment on who was right or wrong, but in his opinion, he really couldn't help but think, If you wanted to see him, could you not have used a saner method? In any case, if someone did all this because they wanted to see me, I would have zero desire to show up."

It’s already bad to depict one of the only female characters as so obsessed with a man that she gave away her entire life for him, but it’s another level of misogyny to then blame her entirely for the events while the man gets no repercussions.

And then there's the situation with how Xiao-Ying is treated. She faces misogyny from the men in her village, and although Xie Lian is sympathetic towards her, he constantly mentions how “ugly” she is in his mind. Why does a woman’s worth revolve around her perceived beauty? I got very tired of him mentioning this, he even does it as Xiao-Ying was lying on her deathbed.

"Her jumbled words certainly did sound a little odd. With a bent nose and slanted eyes and an appearance so ugly it was silly, her bloodied, tear-streaked face was almost funny to behold."

As this girl is bleeding out on the ground, Xie Lian is still commenting on how "ugly" she is. This perspective does not treat the female characters as humans; if the male characters see them as ugly, they will be mocked and dehumanized even in their final moments. (That’s not even to comment on the terrible beauty standards that declare a “bent nose and slanted eyes” to be ugly).

Also, the way the Banyue people were depicted as savage warriors, then had their language described as “ghastly, guttural and heavy with tongue-rolling” and their appearance described as “dark-skinned” was so fucking weird.

There were also characters who tried to justify war crimes, stating how it was “logical” to follow orders and kill civilians in war. I was hoping for some direct call-outs of this from the narrative, especially because Xie Lian himself tries to save lives, but it was just left at that.

Overall, this book spent too much time describing the arguments that random characters got into. It was tiring and tedious, and I only got hints of the romance I thought I would enjoy. Maybe the story gets better, but damn it should not take that long. It's truly a feat that I became less invested in the story after reading. Highly disappointing, as I was hoping to love this book as much as everyone else does.

[Ash🍉]

AN OFFICIAL ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF TGCF IM SO HAPPY!!
I cannot wait to buy the entire collection and cry over it.

[Nellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

crying gagging driving off a cliff

[Baby Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to hold one of my favorite novels in my hands. I love the art, even if it’s not the official cover. I feel like they really respected our wishes with all the choices they made.

I hope all the fans who can afford it will buy the volumes to show their gratitude and their support to the author, the artists, the translators, and the publishing house who took a risk granting our wishes.

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perdón, pero acabo de leer una reseña que dice que en este libro no pasa mucho. Procedo a desmentirlo.

Podríamos decir que La bendición del oficial del cielo (Tian Guan Ci Fu) es una novela de fantasía épica con raíces en la espiritualidad china, y no estaría mal. Es una historia, hasta cierto punto, de héroes, dioses y guerreros. Pero yo no diría que ese es el centro de la trama. En todo caso, TGCF trata de la humanidad de un dios caído —y vuelto a ascender.

Quedé tan enamorada del mundo de cultivadores, espíritus, dioses y demonios que quiero hacer una investigación exhaustiva sobre el taoísmo, el budismo y el folklore chino. Porque en esta casa no andamos con medias tintas. Rezo para tener una materia sobre la literatura china en general y xianxia en particular.

Primero, un poco de contexto:

El universo de TGCF se basa en la cosmología del taoísmo, donde los humanos pueden cultivar su espíritu (estos son llamados cultivadores) para alcanzar la inmortalidad y ascender al Cielo como deidades. El reino celestial tiene un sistema burocrático sumamente organizado y jerarquizado, lleno de rangos, normas y disputas de poder. Tienen hasta una sala para comunicarse telepáticamente, amusing.

Y en este mundo también conviven los personajes típicos del folklore chino: fantasmas, demonios y dioses locales con sus templos y ofrendas. Estoy encantada.

Algo interesante es que los dioses, aunque se supone que llegaron al Cielo por su virtud y cultivación espiritual, no representan esa pureza para nada. Son (casi) todos una banda de corruptos y vanidosos.

💕 Xie Lian💕 es la excepción. Ocho siglos antes, era el amado príncipe heredero del reino de Xianle: valiente, justo, compasivo y bondadoso. Alcanzó el ascenso celestial a los diecisiete años. Y también era el tipo de persona que, cuando alguien le dijo que no quería vivir más, respondió: “Si no tienes nada por lo que vivir, hazlo por mí. Si no sabes cuál es el sentido de tu vida, entonces, por favor, tómame a mí como tal. Haz que yo sea el pilar que te sostiene.” No sé, yo lo amo en todas sus versiones.

Sin embargo, su deseo de salvar a todos lo llevó a intervenir en guerras y asuntos mortales, desafiando el equilibrio del Cielo. Esto tiene sentido porque, en el taoísmo, el Dao es el orden natural del universo, que representa la armonía y el equilibrio de todas las cosas. La idea principal es vivir en sintonía con ese orden a través del wu-wei (la no acción), dejando que las cosas fluyan naturalmente en lugar de forzarlas… y nuestro querido Xie Lian se negó a no intervenir en la guerra. Por eso su reino cayó, sus seguidores lo abandonaron y fue expulsado del reino celestial, reducido a la pobreza y la soledad.

Y es genial, porque en ese sentido Xie Lian encarna tanto el ideal budista de la compasión infinita como el desequilibrio al que se opone el taoísmo. Su caída no es un castigo divino per se, sino el resultado de su exceso de virtud. Y OJO, PARECE CHAMUYO, PERO ESTUVE LEYENDO Y NO ES INVENTO MÍO.

Cientos de años después, tras un segundo ascenso y otra caída, Xie Lian vuelve al reino celestial. Nada más llegar, logra ganarse enemigos. Nadie lo respeta, nadie cree en él Es “el hazmerreír de los tres reinos”, desprestigiado por haber sido desterrado dos veces —algo inaudito— y porque, además, se ganó la vida como recolector de chatarra en el mundo terrenal.

Ahora, Xie Lian no tiene el mismo orgullo desbordado que lo llevó a desafiar el orden por salvar a su pueblo, pero todavía quiere hacer las cosas bien. Quiere ayudar a la gente. Conserva su humildad y sentido del humor. Soporta las humillaciones, cuando cualquier otro los habría molido a palos por forros. Xie Lian es EL ejemplo de armonía💫. Y ojo a ese aspecto suyo, porque también si entendemos los ascensos y descensos como etapas de caer y volver a levantarse, encajan perfectamente con la idea de la cultivación espiritual. La segunda vez que Xie Lian ascendió, estaba enojadísimo —al punto de atacar a los otros dioses— y lo volvieron a expulsar, pero cuando asciende por tercera vez, ya no parece enojado, ni siquiera cuando tendría motivos.

((Y Xie Lian llega a ese estado rechazando su pasado, pero… ¿qué va a pasar cuando se de cuenta de que, en realidad, no hizo nada verdaderamente malo? Que solo quiso actuar por el bien de su corazón, mientras los demás dioses son más corruptos y egoístas de lo que aparentan… just saying)).

Pero bueno. Más allá de todo, Xie Lian sabe que tiene que arreglar las cosas. Para eso, vuelve a bajar al reino terrenal —esta vez como inmortal— y lo hace con toda la valentía del mundo. Ahí, nuestro honorable príncipe heredero investiga unas desapariciones atribuidas al “novio fantasma” del Monte Yushi. Y no solo va a enfrentarse a este, sino también a trece cadáveres poseídos, una canción infantil perturbadora que solo puede escuchar él, un tornado de arena, soldados fantasmas, una lluvia de serpientes con cola de escorpión 🦂 y mucho más.

Entre tanto, conoce a alguien… interesante: una persona misteriosa, amable (solo con él), que parece saber muchas cosas y de quien todos están absolutamente aterrorizados… pero que, a su manera, es el único que cree en Xie Lian. (🥺).

Nada bueno puede salir de ahí, pero hay que disfrutar el momento.

No hay mucho crecimiento personal en este primer libro, tengo que admitirlo. Pensé que el desarrollo iba a ser más en clave budista —sí, mientras lo leía me puse a investigar sobre budismo para entrar en sintonía✨— con eso de “el sufrimiento como camino hacia la sabiduría”. (Y me acordé de Esquilo y Sófocles; mom, I’m obsessed with Literatura Clásica). Pero aunque Xie Lian claramente sufre más de lo que deja entrever, apenas empieza a abrirse con su nuevo compañero.

No vamos a ser serios con eso, es solo el primer libro de una saga de ocho. Y tengo muchas ganas de leer cada uno.

No amé la traducción, pero sí quedé encantada con las descripciones, los personajes y esas escenas de terror que no me esperaba para nada. A veces es épico, otras espiritual y a veces hermoso, tierno y muy humano.

Fue mi primer contacto con el mundo xianxia y quiero más.

[Lau ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When people call you a god, you are a god. If they call you crap, you are crap. You are whatever they say you are. It had always been thus.


Eighteen hundred years ago, when he was only a little boy, the Xie Lian dream was to save the common people. From crown prince he ascended to a God, beloved and admired by everyone. Then everything went wrong and he started failing, and failing, and failing… Until he became the Misfortune God, the one you only pray to if you want everything to go wrong.


Xie Lian might have ascended for the third time, but he can use no magic, has no believers, no temples, no merits to pay for the damages his last ascension caused. All he owns is the same good heart that had caused him so much trouble. Aided by two junior officials who can’t stop bantering, Xie Lian is sent to a little town where brides are disappearing. But brides won’t be the only thing Xie Lian will find there…



I started this volume knowing they are actually the first chapters of a huge book, and that’s exactly how it felt like: a promising glimpse of what’s yet to come. What I learned was that, to enjoy this, you must be prepared to suspense realistic thoughts, roll your eyes and let yourself laugh. If your heart is able to melt at your fav character being spoiled and cherished in the OTT way, ignoring your brain screaming ‘what the hell are you doing? that doesn’t work like that, then you are in for a ride :)


Xie Lian thought he was going to crash and flatten like a pancake as he had many times before, when suddenly in the darkness there was a flash of silver.
The next moment, a pair of hands caught him lightly.
Whoever it was caught him perfectly, as if they were waiting there at the bottom just to catch him. 🥺🥺


I’m ashamed not really to admit I eat all the cheesiness like the hopeless romantic I am: how Xie Lian redid San Lang’s ponytail only to leave it crooked again; how San Lang left it crooked; how Xie Lian’s magic bandage grabbed San Lang when he asked it to grab something solid… I will stop now to not spoil all the diabetic details, but you get the idea.


“There is nothing wrong with saving people. Why would the heavens condemn me for doing the right thing?”
“Uh… but what if the heavens do condemn you’”
“Then it is the heavens who are wrong. Why would I apologize to those who are wrong?”


Xie Lian is a sweetheart, 99% of the time too nice to make a joke, but not good enough to not laugh when San Lang teases other people. Lian has the worst luck and the best heart, which is a bad combination in a world where even the gods are flawed. Thankfully, he has finally met someone ready to cherish and protect him as he deserves.


“San Lang, why don’t you put me down?”
San Lang’s answer was only two words. “It’s dirty.” 💔


Unapologetic about his sharp tongue and with a wicked laugh that makes people wonder whether he’s making a joke or they are the joke, San Lang is a mysterious young man who knows much more than he says and, for some reason, has decided to stick to Lian’s side. Xie Lian is instantly aware that there is something about Lang that it’s not quite human, but he’s so used to people mistreating him that decides to look the other way and let himself enjoy his company. It’s been so long since he was able to laugh along with someone…


I had a hard time at the beginning/middle because of the lack of inner thoughts. It’s difficult to connect with a main character that’s nice with everyone and shows nothing of his true feelings. Being a translation from Chinese, it also felt like we were losing a big part of the story, but that's a price I'm willing to pay to be able to witness it. However, once San Lang appeared I didn’t mind neither of them that much because I was too busy fangirling. I adored with all my heart that, from the first second, Lang’s single purpose in life seemed to be taking care of Xie Lian, defending him against any kind of emotional or physical attack. I have a feeling there is a lot of history I’m not grasping because as it was, it seemed like Lang was in love with Xie Lian before they even interacted. Not that I could blame him; if someone deserves to be loved in an instant is Xie Lian with his beautiful, beautiful heart.


Overall, I liked this introduction to the series. I’m more than ready to suspend all my common sense, suffer a heart attack due to the cheesiness and witness every single moment between San Lang and Xie Lian. If you are looking for a slow burn for hopeless romantics like me, I truly recommend getting on board!





PS: when San Lang gives Xie Lian his ashes I’m going to happily die.


“There’s a custom in the Ghost Realm where if a ghost has a special someone, they entrust their ashes to that person.”
That was akin to handing over one’s life to another person. Such passion, what a charming tale that would be.


PS2: I watched the donghua (Chinese anime) as soon as I finished this and it was everything . I’m obsessed. I never thought Xie Lian could be even cuter and Hua Cheng, he’s so hot I can’t he’s perfect. Since the translation from Chinese to English makes the writing artificial at times, I highly recommend watching the donghua :)

Thank you Moni so so much for convincing me to try this wonderful universe, having the patience to solve all my doubts and letting me fangirling along with you 💛 I owe you a big one!! 😌


*Rating: 3.5/5

[Linh · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about Heavenly Official’s Blessing/Tian Guan Ci Fu… Hmmmmm…..

*Takes a few deep self-centering breathes…*

*Makes some hot tea…*

*Bring said tea to a cozy blanketed corner…*

*Spends 7 hours fantasizing about this book world and Hua Cheng…*

*Refills hot water into tea pot…*

*Spends the rest of the day browsing fanarts…*


Credit: https://www.patreon.com/Butchinelle

Oops, sorry, I completely forgot about the point of this review. Which is kind of my point. Heaven Official’s Blessing has a very languid and meandering pace. It feels very ‘slice-of-life’, and there are many chapters where you might feel like the story really isn’t progressing anywhere, in terms of the overarching plot. But I think that’s the beauty and vibe of this series. Which is not to say there isn’t anything happening, in fact there are lots of moving parts that are easy to miss in your first read. Which makes it very re-readable.

Prior to the official English translation from Seven Seas, I had DNF’ed this series many times when reading fan translations. However, I read this book straight through without any issues. So I think my biggest problem with this series before was the lack of high-quality translations. Now I have Seven Seas to thank for resolving that problem.

I would recommend this series to anyone who can handle a slow burn romance. Be prepared for intricate world-building, cultivation settings, 3-Realm concept (the heavens, the human world, and the ghost realm), and lots poignant characters and stories.

[SL · Rating 4 out of 5]

i will not apologize for the person i will become come december

[Booked and Busy]

This was so much fun!

[Sans Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Xie Lian te costó todo un libro enterarte que un rey de los demonios (y el peor de todos) está a la pata de ti. Pero AÚN PEOR, todavía no entiendes por qué te corretea

(Claramente está obsesionado contigo)

[literarylesbian · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5)

While exceedingly confusing, I did overall enjoy this book and will probably read the next one.

[tig :3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

dropping xie lian into a little jar of moss and tapping on the glass as if he were a bug i found in the garden <33

[Lyra (Cardan's tail's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Anmol<3
(Please don’t murder me)

—3 stars—

“I can't give up until I've tried, you know.”

————about the book————

Age: NA
Genres: fantasy, fantasy romance, action and drama,
Writing (technically translation): 5/10
Quotes: 6/10
World building: 7/10
Characters: 6/10
Romance: 6/10
My rating: 6.5/10

———my thoughts———

Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian’s years of noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood.
But whose who rise can also fall, and so he does—cast from the heavens and banished to the world below.
Ascending to godhood for the third time, he is sent to repay his debts in the Mortal Realm, where he meets a fascinating young man named San Lang.
But San Lang has secrets, and who knows what hides under his carefree smile?

This is one of those books that need to be read in one sitting, or in large chunks.
It took me so long to get through the first 150 pages because I kept getting distracted, but when I just sat down and read? I enjoyed it far more.
The writing—the translation—is majorly what I found difficult. I’ve never really read very many translations before, just a couple here and there.
But this is my first in a while.
The writing jumped between being extremely formal to informal!
We went from “a terrible occurrence” to “yeah, I guess” and it was quite jarring at the beginning.
It also felt like there was so much world building that I was getting lost...maybe I’m just not smart enough, but I struggled to keep track of everything at the beginning.
And then I discovered the glossary.
Good god, that thing saved my life.
I understand (mostly) everything now, and I think I enjoyed it more because of it.
Plot-wise, there was a lot going on...but also nothing happened?
(Although I did feel very smart seeing through a couple plot points)
But one thing that really bothered me was how everyone treated Xiao-Ying. Everyone called her ugly, and nobody but Xie Lian cared when she died.
Like what the fuck? There are barely any female characters in this anyway, but treating one of them like that? No.
But I would say that the sort-of-budding romance is pretty cute!
It made me smile a couple times, and the cover is drop dead GORGEOUS.
I’ll be coming back for the other books...but not immediately.

————quotes————

“That infamous weirdo, the laughingstock of the three realms, the legendary Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he…he…he…he fucking ascended again!”

“Was that little silver butterfly really that scary? Xie Lian wondered. It wasn’t that bad… It was kind of cute.”

“I’ve got a bit of a situation here right now, kind of urgent,” Xie Lian said. “Not gonna lie, there are about a dozen dead people chasing me right now.”

———random extra thoughts———

I was today years old when I discovered that this series is actually called Heaven Official’s Blessing instead of what I thought—Heaven’s Official Blessing.

Thanks for reading!❤️

[give me books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bardzo nie moja książka. W sumie nwm do końca co się w niej działo. Za dużo osób i za dużo miejsc akcji.

Ale żeby nie było, rozumiem dlaczego tak dużej ilości osób ta książka się podoba. Po prostu nie jest moja

[Silvia]

I can't believe I'm finally able to shelve it as owned.....dreams do come true

[Lavi · Rating 5 out of 5]

can't wait to get the first volume in december and be stuck in the sinner's pit again for the fifth time.

girlfriEND
boyfriEND
best friEND
you know what doesn’t have an 'end'?
Ban yue arc.

Did I still preorder though? Abso-freaking-lutely🥰