![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
flamebyrdThis is the first novel by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, the author of Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, which I talked about last week.
I really need to start compiling these thoughts as I go, so that I'm not trying to cobble it together from chat logs and the vague memories of feelings.
Spoilers ahead
General thoughts (vague spoilers):
- The first ~1/3 of this book is extremely funny. Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu's deep anger and constant running commentary on how much he hates this plot and this situation was A+.
- Although I could have done with fewer loving, graphic descriptions of the original Shen Qingqiu's death. And any of the other graphic depictions of torture and dismemberment, of course.
- I was expecting to enjoy it less once things turned and the plot really kicked in, but MXTX has a real knack for writing a compelling narrative that keeps you reading.
- I feel like reading it in translation definitely lost some of the humour in the original author's terrible naming conventions, but oh well.
- So. Many. Q-names. Unlike MDZS, it was almost easier to focus on the surnames than the given names when reading quickly.
Reactions (large spoilers):
- I love that one of the reasons Shen Yuan finds Shen Qingqiu so incomprehensible as a villain is because SY has no ambition. #relatable
- Kudos to the author for making a thoroughly-telegraphed plot-mandatory fall into the Eternal Abyss still heartbreaking. Shen Qingqiu screwed it up so badly that even the computer system thought so.
- All the moments when Shen Qingqiu got to be a BAMF and pull the rug out from underneath people triumphantly because he knows the original canon like the back of his hand were a) very gratifying, and b) extremely telling. How many times did you reread this novel while it was being posted, SQQ?
- So it's definitely a plot built on misunderstandings, but the source of these is so great! Shen Qingqiu just cannot let go of his belief that Luo Binghe hates him and is going to kill him (to the point of almost making that happen) and hasn't realised that he's fundamentally changing the plot of the novels. And you can't really blame him for that, because he already knows that some events are fixed!
- And it's very funny to think that Luo Binghe probably thinks Shen Qingqiu stays silent because he is stoic and composed, when the truth is that Shen Qingqiu is panicking and hasn't realised what's going on.
- This book went even harder on the internalised homophobia than MDZS did. Shen Qingqiu's constant denial was equal parts painful and grimly hilarious.
- I actually felt bad for Luo Binghe after Shen Qingqiu "self-destructs", with all Shen Qingqiu's friends and disciples standing up for Shen Qingqiu and yelling at Luo Binghe for how Shen Qingqiu had acted after Luo Binghe's disappearance ;_;
- But it's interesting to realise that Luo Binghe hasn't really changed all that much from the original novel, he's still quick to anger, capable of committing brutal and horrifying acts of torture for revenge, and doesn't really care about anyone else... He's just expanded his circle of Things I Care About to include Shen Qingqiu now. His plaintive despair that nobody would ever choose him would sit better with me if he ever did anything to deserve it. (And arguably this is not even his fault! But he definitely needs to learn how to relate to people.)
- Related to the previous two points, I hope Luo Binghe will let Shen Qingqiu have friends again soon...
- Also, the climax (groan) had some seriously dubious consent, wow.
- Nice twist with Luo Binghe's parents! I honestly didn't see that coming.
- I cannot believe this novel made me sad about Gongyi Xiao's death and then sad again about his murderer!
- The whole situation between Yue Qingyuan and (original) Shen Qingqiu is so painful, and I feel genuinely sad that they have no chance to reconcile any more (even though I don't think they ever did in the original canon), and YQY doesn't even know that so he just gets to live with SQQ being standoffish with him. ;_;
- I honestly shipped Liu Qingge/Shen Qingqiu more than I did the canon ship, which is unfortunate but it didn't ruin the book for me. There was just something about their growth from bitter rivals to allies and then friends the really worked for me (plus LQG's tsundere denials, perfect).
In summary:
I enjoyed it a lot! All in all, the humour, characters, premise and winding plot made up for my lack of investment in the endgame ship.
I really need to start compiling these thoughts as I go, so that I'm not trying to cobble it together from chat logs and the vague memories of feelings.
Spoilers ahead
General thoughts (vague spoilers):
- The first ~1/3 of this book is extremely funny. Shen Yuan/Shen Qingqiu's deep anger and constant running commentary on how much he hates this plot and this situation was A+.
- Although I could have done with fewer loving, graphic descriptions of the original Shen Qingqiu's death. And any of the other graphic depictions of torture and dismemberment, of course.
- I was expecting to enjoy it less once things turned and the plot really kicked in, but MXTX has a real knack for writing a compelling narrative that keeps you reading.
- I feel like reading it in translation definitely lost some of the humour in the original author's terrible naming conventions, but oh well.
- So. Many. Q-names. Unlike MDZS, it was almost easier to focus on the surnames than the given names when reading quickly.
Reactions (large spoilers):
- I love that one of the reasons Shen Yuan finds Shen Qingqiu so incomprehensible as a villain is because SY has no ambition. #relatable
- Kudos to the author for making a thoroughly-telegraphed plot-mandatory fall into the Eternal Abyss still heartbreaking. Shen Qingqiu screwed it up so badly that even the computer system thought so.
- All the moments when Shen Qingqiu got to be a BAMF and pull the rug out from underneath people triumphantly because he knows the original canon like the back of his hand were a) very gratifying, and b) extremely telling. How many times did you reread this novel while it was being posted, SQQ?
- So it's definitely a plot built on misunderstandings, but the source of these is so great! Shen Qingqiu just cannot let go of his belief that Luo Binghe hates him and is going to kill him (to the point of almost making that happen) and hasn't realised that he's fundamentally changing the plot of the novels. And you can't really blame him for that, because he already knows that some events are fixed!
- And it's very funny to think that Luo Binghe probably thinks Shen Qingqiu stays silent because he is stoic and composed, when the truth is that Shen Qingqiu is panicking and hasn't realised what's going on.
- This book went even harder on the internalised homophobia than MDZS did. Shen Qingqiu's constant denial was equal parts painful and grimly hilarious.
- I actually felt bad for Luo Binghe after Shen Qingqiu "self-destructs", with all Shen Qingqiu's friends and disciples standing up for Shen Qingqiu and yelling at Luo Binghe for how Shen Qingqiu had acted after Luo Binghe's disappearance ;_;
- But it's interesting to realise that Luo Binghe hasn't really changed all that much from the original novel, he's still quick to anger, capable of committing brutal and horrifying acts of torture for revenge, and doesn't really care about anyone else... He's just expanded his circle of Things I Care About to include Shen Qingqiu now. His plaintive despair that nobody would ever choose him would sit better with me if he ever did anything to deserve it. (And arguably this is not even his fault! But he definitely needs to learn how to relate to people.)
- Related to the previous two points, I hope Luo Binghe will let Shen Qingqiu have friends again soon...
- Also, the climax (groan) had some seriously dubious consent, wow.
- Nice twist with Luo Binghe's parents! I honestly didn't see that coming.
- I cannot believe this novel made me sad about Gongyi Xiao's death and then sad again about his murderer!
- The whole situation between Yue Qingyuan and (original) Shen Qingqiu is so painful, and I feel genuinely sad that they have no chance to reconcile any more (even though I don't think they ever did in the original canon), and YQY doesn't even know that so he just gets to live with SQQ being standoffish with him. ;_;
- I honestly shipped Liu Qingge/Shen Qingqiu more than I did the canon ship, which is unfortunate but it didn't ruin the book for me. There was just something about their growth from bitter rivals to allies and then friends the really worked for me (plus LQG's tsundere denials, perfect).
In summary:
I enjoyed it a lot! All in all, the humour, characters, premise and winding plot made up for my lack of investment in the endgame ship.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-10 09:20 am (UTC)There's a few Yue Qingyuan and (original) Shen Qingqiu fixits out there, though I don't have any specific recs.
Something I also find fun in fic is stuff from the POV of anyone other than Shen Qingqiu (and...Airplane Bro whose name escapes me) who just sees him as the calm cool person he's pretending to be but we as readers know he's thinking "AHHHHHH".
You might like this AU fic, it felt a bit OOC every now and then but as I recall has cute Liu Qingge/Shen Qingqiu, and Luo Binghe making a friend: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17548013/chapters/41351501
no subject
Date: 2020-01-10 09:35 am (UTC)I almost think I don't even want Yue Qingyuan & Shen Qingqiu fixits, I like it because it's sad. How did I become one of these people? (Plus original SQQ was a pretty terrible person... but still...)
Thank you for the rec! I'll check it out.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-11 10:32 am (UTC)Yeah the way that fic does it is by having it happen before Lui Binghe goes into the abyss and becomes so violent, but he's definitely still thinking pretty dark thoughts. (Also I was inspired to reread and was reminded it's pretty meandering, but I still like it)
If you want original!SQQ/YQY suffering that is also a popular genre, afaict :)
Also, thinking about fic made me realise I'd forgotten to pin the one I illustrated! It did something I really wanted to see: Luo Binghe finding out about and reacting to the truth about where SQQ came from. It also has some interesting SQQ characterisation though it all gets pretty dark for him and is overall not necessarily something you'd like, I think? https://archiveofourown.org/works/20185837
no subject
Date: 2020-01-10 12:45 pm (UTC)I really enjoyed this book for all the reasons you said, but it read to me more as a parody of a romance than an actual romance, in part because Shen Qingqiu's attitude towards the whole thing is just a resigned "well, this might as well happen," and in part nobody else in the entire world actually ever learns much about Shen Qingqiu's real personality -- everyone is in love with the cool, collected exterior and as far as I can tell no one has a clue about the deep sarcasm and constant internal panic that makes him appealing as a character to me.
no subject
Date: 2020-01-10 11:30 pm (UTC)I don't know why it didn't occur to me to think of the romance as a parody when the rest of the book is already so satirical, but it makes total sense. Really neither of them understand who the other is, so that's going to be a fun for them as time goes on...
The thought that the only person with any knowledge of SY/SQQ's real personality is Shang Qinghua, who he hates, is both tragic and hilarious XD