ranwan_hualian's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I did not want to put this book down, and, when I finished it, I immediately wanted to pick up the next one (so much so that it kind of ruined part of the reading experience of the next book I attempted to read)! The one drawback to this book is that we spend a significant time in other characters' heads (A Qing and Nie Mingjue), so that means this sort of has second book syndrome (it does a lot a setting up and moving forward with the plot, though! It's just large chunks of either someone else's story or information dump in between). Both the stories are good in each, but I love being in Wei Wuxian's head so much that I missed it. Xiao Xingchen's story will likely stay with me for a long time, and I wish the best for A Qing; their bond was so sweet.
Absolutely fuck Xue Yang; he is an absolute psychopath. I mean, cutting out people's tongues and then having Xiao Xingchen, who is BLIND, slaughter them, making him an unwitting murderer is absolutely deplorable. I will also never forgive him for what he did to Song Lan (forcing him to be his puppet along with making Xiao Xingchen, his sworn brother, unwittingly kill him. It broke my heart that when he found out that he slit his throat. I don't give a single fuck that he was bullied for being poor as a child and came to somewhat care for Xiao Xingchen during his years of deceit. This does not justify his actions in the slightest!
I also wished we had more content of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji working together, side by side!
We did get to see drunk Lan Zhan again, which was super cute, and as a result, we got their first kiss of the series! It was slightly dub-con because of how drunk Lan Zhan was, but it was still cute. Lan Zhan tying Wei Ying up with his forehead ribbon, then we get to see the junior's reactions as well as Wei Ying discovering the significance of the ribbon was absolutely priceless! Wei Ying, please get a clue about your feelings!
Wei Wuxian with the juniors was, of course, adorable and amazing, though. Wei Wuxian showing off his skills was super fun. He really suits the teacher role so well!
We got a reveal that the body parts Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were collecting was actually Nie Mingjue, and that the culprit was Jin Guangyao. Also, Wei Wuxian's identity was revealed to the rest of the cultivation world because Jin Guangyao is a clever little bitch. Him convincing his wife to commit suicide after she finds out what he did, enough that she started violently throwing up??? Diabolical, but I am looking forward to seeing more of how fucked up he is. I love a clever villain, though while reading you will get the vibes of "oh, how convenient you reveal this information now when it is profitable for you" like when he reveals Suibian sealed itself after Wei Wuxian's death and that he taught Mo Xuanyu about the soul sacrificing ritual, but of course this is intentional and all part of the fun.
We got to see a good amount of character growth from Jin Ling, and it is done so well!
Even though he ends up stabbing Wei Wuxian at the end of the book, you could really feel his internal struggle about it.
I really got to know him much better, and he is becoming a very interesting and enjoyable character, which I was not fully expecting based on the first book
he's still a bit homophobic though, so fuck that
. I'm excited to see how everything plays out!
Also, Lan Sizhui's statement about how safe he feels with Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian was SO PRECIOUS!!!!!

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onthesamepage's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I thought this volume would focus more on the relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, but it's actually pretty plot-heavy. I was really invested in the story, however, and ended up not minding so much. There are still a lot of characters, and I don't think I'm grasping some of the connections, but it's not so bad that it's detracting from my overall enjoyment.

Plus that entire scene with Lan Wangji drunk was chef's kiss.

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noah_dongsaeng's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book had a lot of grief, but it was totally worth it. I loved learning more about the world and the supporting characters.
Can't wait to see where their journey leads to in the next book!

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aelin_morgenstern's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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books4eva99's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Yi City: 4⭐️
The flashback dragged on for so long and Xue Yang felt underwritten but at least he made Xiao Xingchen & A-Qing (the mvp!) interesting. 

Golden Carp Tower: 5⭐️
The flashback scene here was also long but because Jin Guangyao is a fascinating character, it was enjoyable.
What he says can be considered normal to anyone else besides Nie Mingjue & Qin Su who knew him well enough to see the underlying meanings.
I love this quote which sums him up quite well…
“ As well as the new wound from the fall, he sported an older, bandaged injury that had been concealed by the black gauze cap he was wearing. Wounds both old and new had been torn open, so Jin Guangyao tugged off the bandage and dabbed it against his head, wiping away the fresh blood, so it would not stain his clothes.”

Also I love the trust Wangxian have in each other. Lan Wangji must’ve missed Wei Wuxian so much that he was willing to risk his reputation multiple times to be by his side 😭 And it was so cute to see how excited Wei Wuxian was when he saw Lan Wangji in the flashback hehe. 

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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

5.0

“Who was right, who was wrong, was there more gratitude or more grievance - is that something an outsider can determine?” 

I'm loving this series so much and we got some great scenes in this book! Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan end up in Yi City and encounter the juniors of the Lan Clan and Jin Ling who have been struggling with some strange occurrences. I loved that group dynamic, especially as Wei Wuxian dotes on them and seems to have a big soft spot for children. That was so sweet to see! Lan Jingyi (who's more outspoken and honest) and Lan Sizuhui (who is kind and mature) are two great characters and I loved their banter with Jin Ling. All the characters are just so lovable and stand out to me! Jin Ling especially is an interesting character, as he grew up an orphan, but was spoiled out of pity by his caretakers. Now he's arrogant and quick to anger, but still doesn't seem to be all bad. There are so many layers to the story, such as Wei Wuxian's guilt over how he was involved in his parents' deaths.

I was surprised by how much I got invested in the secondary characters of this Arc! There's a long flashback scene about A-Qing, a young beggar girl who pretends to be blind because she was born with unnatural white eyes. Her paths cross with Xiao Xingchen, a famous travelling cultivator with a tragic past we learned about in the last book. He's actually blind and takes her under his wing. However, when a mysterious, sinister man turns up, things take a turn for the worst. I liked A-Qing, as she's brash and outspoken, but also street-smart from spending so much time on her own. She doesn't like this newcomer but has no idea how to get rid of him. The tension that was building was so good and everything tied into the main story as well!

There were some other highlights such as the infamous Drunk Forehead Ribbon Scene! I love the balance between tragic, heartbreaking moments and hilarious scenes where Wei Wuxian does something outrageous again. The dynamic between Wei Wuxian and Lan Zhan is just SO good, I get why everyone is obsessed about them. The pining, the miscommunication and the opposites attract dynamic are just top-tier! While everyone is quick to demonize Wei Wuxian, Lan Zhan protects him and stands by his side, which becomes even clearer by the end of the book!

“Only in the presence of your fated person, in the presence of the one your heart belongs to, can you allow yourself to be free of restraint.” 

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moonlitreading_'s review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


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itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I definitely enjoyed this volume a lot more than the last because this is where the ball really gets rolling to me. Also I think the bulk of what I remember from MDZS as a whole came from this volume and a few things from the start of the next volume (which I started reading immediately after finishing this one). This book also has one of my favourite illustrations of the entire series of
Nie Mingjue kicking Jin Guanyao down the stairs. There's just something about how beautifully it's illustrated that gets me every time.


Some of my complaints are still the same as last time, however. Particularly in the case of one party that was properly introduced in this volume felt like they suddenly appeared in the story, which I think could have been alleviated with a list of the all the clans and their leaders. 

Also a lot of the female characters end up getting the short end of the stick, which is an ongoing problem in this and some of MXTX's other works. And I also thought it was kind of comical that, as a paper doll, Wei Wuxian had plenty of time to experience Nie Mingjue's entire backstory when it was established if he didn't return to his body within a set amount of time there would be consequences.

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97reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0


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