Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This volume was my companion to my three urgent care visits related to my hand injury, and I could have hardly asked for something better. The perfect blend of absorbing and familiar (I first watched The Untamed, then read all eight million pages of unofficial fan translations, then approximately twelve billion words of fan-fiction.) I have been snapping these official translations up (despite the rather unfortunate decisions and policies made by the publisher). I don't reread often, but I am at that lovely point where I smile ahead of time because I recognize a good scene coming, and even the traumas are somehow comforting because I've seen them healed dozens of times (either in canon or fanfic or both).

There are a lot of things I love about the work, but one I was recently discussing it with friends in the fandom is how you can choose nearly any character across the sprawling story, and examining the events from their viewpoint, come to the conclusion that their actions were entirely justified. With one or two notable exceptions.) It's a quality that makes this story ripe for fanfic, but I think it is also a wonderful point in and of itself.

I don't tend to think of any reading as a "guilty pleasure," but I do sometimes feel like these books are "cheating" somehow -- especially when counting them toward something "serious" like a #WomenInTranslation challenge. Yet what other books in recent years have occupied so much space in my mind? Have inspired so many big thoughts about serious topics? Or caused me to learn so much about a different culture?

It's the joy and the gay yearning and the Lawful Good meets Chaotic Good and healing intergenerational trauma and the Very Good Boys and the grouchy boys and the diversity of motivations and the competence kink and the Big Gay Happy Ending for me.

I will be yelling about these books forever.… (més)

Xie Lian, accompanied by Lord Wind Master, is sent to Ghost City by Jun Wu, to look into the whereabouts of a missing heavenly official who put out a distress signal in the area. This puts Xie Lian in Hua Cheng's domain and gives him a chance to finally see Hua Cheng's true form. In the process of protecting another heavenly official, Xie Lian accidentally reveals a dark secret he never intended anyone to learn about.

However, things are not what they seem, and in order to ensure that the truth is revealed, Hua Cheng steps in. After that, we get a lengthy flashback to Xie Lian's younger days, before his first ascension, when he was loved by everyone and rescued a street urchin from falling to his death.

Storywise, this felt more scattered than the first volume - this is very much the next entry in a serial story. For me, it worked because I adored the characters who got the most on-page time. I'll happily read any scene involving Xie Lian and Hua Cheng just spending time together, and this particular volume had some great moments between the two of them - Hua Cheng teaching Xie Lian to roll dice, Hua Cheng gifting Xie Lian a whole armory, Eming being adorable around Xie Lian. Then there was Shi Qingxuan, the Wind Master, who was delightful and a great new friend for Xie Lian.

I had completely forgotten about the accusations against Xie Lian and was initially shocked when he confessed - but of course Xie Lian would never, certainly not for the reason he stated, so I applauded when Hua Cheng stepped in to put things right, even against Xie Lian's wishes. This particular volume introduced Qi Rong, the Night-Touring Green Lantern, who I'd also forgotten a lot about, aside from the fact that he was just plain awful. He easily earned himself the title of "most punchable face in the volume."

I'm never as wild about MXTX's flashback scenes as I am the scenes in the present, although the flashback in this particular volume at least wasn't of the deeply depressing variety (yet). It was interesting seeing how Feng Xin and Mu Qing interacted with Xie Lian back when they were his servants and he was a prince. And of course there was Honghong-er, who might not make quite the same impression on a brand-new reader of this series but who made my heart clench.

I can't remember what comes next in the series, but I'm looking forward to reading it all the same.

Extras:

Character and name guide, glossary, black-and-white illustrations throughout, and two full-color illustrations at the start (one the cover image, and the other completely new).

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)… (més)