Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Novel) Vol. 3 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

27 reviews

onthesamepage's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I wasn't expecting this volume to be mostly flashbacks, but I loved everything about this. Finally getting to see how Wei Wuxian got into the demonic arts was so good, and the scenes where he was putting that to use were appropriately chilling. 

Now that I'm 3 volumes in, I'm starting to really appreciate how the author set the story up, and how the layers of both the story and the characters are slowly getting peeled back. There's a maturity to the characters and the way they act that really appeals to me. There is still only a whiff of romance, but that doesn't mean that there isn't depth to the emotions between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, and I'm really enjoying the subtlety. 

I think this will be a very rewarding series to reread, because I'm sure I missed a lot of minor details in the first two volumes. I can't wait to read the rest, and then come back and reread it all.
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hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

4.0

We got a lot more insight into Jiang Cheng through Wei Ying's adolescence with the Jiangs (it was weird, but also interesting to see Jiang Cheng getting along with Wei Ying; it was nice to get a bit more of an insight into his character.
seeing him both in the cave with the Xuanwu beast as well as the whole fallout with the Lotus Pier and him losing his golden core to Wei Ying taking care of him (they really made Wei Ying feel like he had a debt to pay the Jiangs for basic human decency, which is trash, during that point, not to mention everything with Madam Yu (yes, she is iconic--her DEMOLISHING Wang Lingjiao was SO SATISFYING, but I do NOT condone the abuse and her resentment towards Wei Ying; I understand to a certain point in a political sense, but no more))
). We also got to see the backstory with the Wens, in regards to the war, as well as the origins of Wen Ning (our precious boy!). As a consequence of both, we finally got to see Wei Ying as the Yiling Patriarch (and wow...he definitely goes far;
I mean, skinning Wen Chao alive and then making him eat his own skin, though he was horrible indeed, was a bit too far and I see why some people are afraid of him...he's still my precious boy and I will protect him forever
). The adventure of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian defeating the Xuanwu beast was epic (we love a protective Wei Ying). We see the progression of the relationship between Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian in present day, all of which was super solid and definitely my favorite parts of the book (I honestly wish it occurred earlier in the book; more than half the book occurred until we picked up where we left off from the last book...something that is a bit of a trend in this series). I love Lan Zhan and Wei Ying working together as a team, and they do it so well! The farm house scene was also super cute (
"Lan-er-gege"
)! We end the book on a bit of a bittersweet note because of non-consensual content (
Wei Wuxian has his first kiss ever, with Lan Zhan and it is while he is blindfolded and held against the tree...is it too much to ask for them to have a romantic moment with physical intimacy that isn't at least dub-con? I couldn't even be happy that they had a moment together because the commentary inside Wei Ying's head made me feel slightly uncomfortable
. I love all the characters--all of who are really fleshing out so well!--and the story, so I am so hyped for the next book!
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aelin_morgenstern's review against another edition

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

4.25

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debthebookworm's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-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

5.0

I don't really need to keep gushing over this series... but I'm going to keep gushing over this series! As I expected from the end of Book 2, we made it to one of my favorite scenes in Book 3, and it came with an illustration!

The Untamed pulled from this book almost scene for scene with a few moments left out that pleasantly surprised me. I'm actually shocked that the show added more to the Lotus Pier battle, because that scene on screen made me cry. I'm actually glad they added it, though. 

And oddly enough, it took me this book to understand why Wangji said he wanted to bring a man back to Cloud Recesses and hide him there. Somehow, I missed the context in the story about his parents. I'll have to rewatch the show to see if Lan Xichen went as in-depth with telling Wei Wuxian about it. Woe is me. 

Again, brilliantly translated, wonderful storytelling, and by the way it ended, I know heartbreak is coming for me in Book 4. I can't wait!
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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious

5.0

“But … Wei Wuxian looked slightly to the side. He saw Lan Wangji, who stood beside him, without any hint of hesitation, any thought of withdrawing … this time, he wasn’t alone anymore.”

➽ After the shocking ending of the previous book, we're left a bit in suspense! The majority of the third volume is dedicated to flashbacks and the only thing I wish was that they were more evenly spaced. I love the dual timeline, but some of these flashbacks are very long. Nevertheless, it was interesting to finally learn more about the war with the Wen Clan and how they started out oppressing the other main clans. Consumed with their own arrogance and power, they've become such a big entity in the cultivation world that no one dares defy them. There were so many heartbreaking scenes that showcased the cruelty of the Wen Clan and the hopelessness of everyone else who had to go along with it. It provides us with some more background on this dark part of history and how it shaped Lan Zhan and Wei Wuxian!

➽ Back in the present, Wei Wuxian has made it out alive from the Golden Karp Tower. The cat is now literally out of the bag as everyone knows he isn't Mo Xuanyu! Lan Zhan managed to help him escape and is now hiding him in the Cloud Recesses, but they won't be able to keep doing that. I loved seeing how Lan Zhan stood by his side and risked his own reputation to defend Wei Wuxian when everyone was determined to get rid of him once more. They've uncovered some of Jin Guangyao's secrets, but need to find a way to prove his treachery, as he's a respected clan leader now. When news of corpses travelling to Yiling reaches them, they set out for the place where it all ended for Wei Wuxian: the Yiling Burial Grounds. After the big flashback, I was happy to be back in the present and excited to see where everything goes, especially since we're still missing some information on Wei Wuxian's downfall!

“Boys always bully the ones they’re sweet on. They just want their undivided attention.”
Wei Wuxian’s smile froze at those words.
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itsnotalakeitsanocean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.0

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97reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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

3.5

jiang cheng 🖕🏼🤬🤬🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼
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cosmicaeon's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

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siobhanward's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-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

3.0

These books continue to get weirder, but having followed my friend's obsession with the books and series over the past few years, it's always fun to read about things I've heard her mention. In this case it was the Xuanwu of Slaughter's turn to make an appearance, so that was cool to see. I'm still deeply confused about what's happening at all times and sometimes I find myself trying to figure out how something ties into the rest of the plot only to find out that it doesn't. That being said, I'm excited to read more of the series. 
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