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Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'
天官赐福 [Tiān Guān Cì Fú] (Heaven Official's Blessing) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
18 reviews
yushihuang's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicide, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide and Torture
fishflo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
5.0
This book is very long and the story picks up slowly but it's worth the time because it's a beautiful and moving love story with very lovable characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting
streetlights's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
What is this book about?
Tian Guan Ci Fu is an epic story about a disgraced and humiliated god twice banished from heaven. Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of Xianle, the darling of the heavens who rises into godhood. Yet, through a series of tragedies, his kingdom falls into oblivion, and with it, Xie Lian's reputation and godhood. Xie Lian falls as quickly as he has risen, earning the reputation of being the "laughingstock of the three realms."
800 years later, Xie Lian ascends to heaven for the third time, with no merits, no worshippers, and saddled with a huge debt. In order to repay heaven, he is tasked to hunt down troublemaking spirits in the mortal realm. But this time, he is not alone. By coincidence, Xie Lian finds himself being accompanied by the brilliant and carefree Ghost King, Hua Cheng. Talented, wealthy, greatly feared by the three realms... how did it come to be that one of the Four Great Calamities is utterly devoted to such a disgraced god?!
(Along the way, they also basically uncover all of heaven's dirty little secrets. It's a funny and dark adventure!)
Genre, Adaptations, Translations
TGCF is a (loose) xianxia danmei novel that started out as a serialized webnovel. If this is your first xianxia novel, I suggest doing a quick research on the tropes and themes common in the genre to facilitate a better appreciation of the themes.
This novel has been adapted into a manhua, a donghua, and (soon) a live action drama. As of this writing, all adaptations have been pretty faithful to the novel!
The fan translation by suika is excellent, and the they also worked on the official english translations. Please buy them when you can!
Review
There are two famous lines that sum up the themes of the novel. "To ascend is human; to fall is also human," and "To me, the one basking in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is you, not the state of you."
TGCF is a book that revolves around the concept of Devotion. It's an epic story about gods and humans that starts like a fairy tale and encompasses a romance of unwavering love. Beyond that, it is also a tale about lofty aspirations, sacrifice, and compassion.
Xie Lian's journey is about his struggle with compassion for humanity. When you are in a position of power and privilege, is it not your duty to save the people? But how do you have the heart to save the people who scorn you, humiliate you, and beat you down? Xie Lian in his childhood has a naive idea of compassion, colored by his own privilege. And through a terrible string of tragedies, he experiences the lowest of failures and the most terrible hurt and humiliation humanly possible.
It is easy to write off Xie Lian as a flat character, or a damsel in distress who is too kind for his own good, but make no mistake. Xie Lian is a martial god who can kill you off at any point. His greatest strength in character is that he rises above it all and chooses to be kind. Xie Lian's story is about how kindness is the hard path, a path that you must make boundaries for if you don't want the terrible consequences to swallow you up. But it is still the path he actively chooses everyday.
Just like MXTX's other books, TGCF also touches on themes such as: revenge, classism, and the power of narratives. Xie Lian himself is an unreliable narrator in that even though he's clever and smart, if he doesn't think something is worth mentioning, he will not let the reader know. Xie Lian is a narrator that hides information by omission. If you plan on reading this book, please try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, as many characters hide behind a secret identity.
The romance is for those who like loyalty and devotion tropes. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are utterly besotted to each other even before the confession, and they go through life together the moment they meet after Xie Lian's third ascension. Besides the romance, there are plenty of colorful characters with their own stories to fall in love with, and everyone's stories serve as foils to one another. Even heavenly officials have their own human struggles.
(Personally, I actually love Xie Lian's relationship with his former retainers even more than the romance. It is a compelling story of broken and miscommunicated friendships, and they spend more than 700k words building and repairing that friendship back into something where they can all forgive each other and stand as equals.)
Finally, a note on story structure. Just like MDZS, TGCF moves back and forth between the past and the present. Long flashback chapters might not be everyone's cup of tea, so be aware of it before diving into the book. The flashback chapters are very tragic, but they give so much context to the story. The writing transitions between the present and past timelines are something to behold.
Please also make sure to look up trigger warnings for this book! It's funny and lighthearted, but it deals with very heavy themes and graphic violence and body horror. I dare say that this is MXTX's heaviest book with the most to warn for.
Summary
It's a very long book and it might be intimidating at first. But the moment I started reading, I really couldn't put the book down! Despite its length, it is not a challenging read. It's a literary masterpiece and has MXTX's tightest and most refinied writing. If the themes and characters speak to you, please consider reading this book!
Tian Guan Ci Fu is an epic story about a disgraced and humiliated god twice banished from heaven. Xie Lian was the Crown Prince of Xianle, the darling of the heavens who rises into godhood. Yet, through a series of tragedies, his kingdom falls into oblivion, and with it, Xie Lian's reputation and godhood. Xie Lian falls as quickly as he has risen, earning the reputation of being the "laughingstock of the three realms."
800 years later, Xie Lian ascends to heaven for the third time, with no merits, no worshippers, and saddled with a huge debt. In order to repay heaven, he is tasked to hunt down troublemaking spirits in the mortal realm. But this time, he is not alone. By coincidence, Xie Lian finds himself being accompanied by the brilliant and carefree Ghost King, Hua Cheng. Talented, wealthy, greatly feared by the three realms... how did it come to be that one of the Four Great Calamities is utterly devoted to such a disgraced god?!
(Along the way, they also basically uncover all of heaven's dirty little secrets. It's a funny and dark adventure!)
Genre, Adaptations, Translations
TGCF is a (loose) xianxia danmei novel that started out as a serialized webnovel. If this is your first xianxia novel, I suggest doing a quick research on the tropes and themes common in the genre to facilitate a better appreciation of the themes.
This novel has been adapted into a manhua, a donghua, and (soon) a live action drama. As of this writing, all adaptations have been pretty faithful to the novel!
The fan translation by suika is excellent, and the they also worked on the official english translations. Please buy them when you can!
Review
There are two famous lines that sum up the themes of the novel. "To ascend is human; to fall is also human," and "To me, the one basking in infinite glory is you; the one fallen from grace is also you. What matters is you, not the state of you."
TGCF is a book that revolves around the concept of Devotion. It's an epic story about gods and humans that starts like a fairy tale and encompasses a romance of unwavering love. Beyond that, it is also a tale about lofty aspirations, sacrifice, and compassion.
Xie Lian's journey is about his struggle with compassion for humanity. When you are in a position of power and privilege, is it not your duty to save the people? But how do you have the heart to save the people who scorn you, humiliate you, and beat you down? Xie Lian in his childhood has a naive idea of compassion, colored by his own privilege. And through a terrible string of tragedies, he experiences the lowest of failures and the most terrible hurt and humiliation humanly possible.
It is easy to write off Xie Lian as a flat character, or a damsel in distress who is too kind for his own good, but make no mistake. Xie Lian is a martial god who can kill you off at any point. His greatest strength in character is that he rises above it all and chooses to be kind. Xie Lian's story is about how kindness is the hard path, a path that you must make boundaries for if you don't want the terrible consequences to swallow you up. But it is still the path he actively chooses everyday.
Just like MXTX's other books, TGCF also touches on themes such as: revenge, classism, and the power of narratives. Xie Lian himself is an unreliable narrator in that even though he's clever and smart, if he doesn't think something is worth mentioning, he will not let the reader know. Xie Lian is a narrator that hides information by omission. If you plan on reading this book, please try to avoid spoilers as much as possible, as many characters hide behind a secret identity.
The romance is for those who like loyalty and devotion tropes. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are utterly besotted to each other even before the confession, and they go through life together the moment they meet after Xie Lian's third ascension. Besides the romance, there are plenty of colorful characters with their own stories to fall in love with, and everyone's stories serve as foils to one another. Even heavenly officials have their own human struggles.
(Personally, I actually love Xie Lian's relationship with his former retainers even more than the romance. It is a compelling story of broken and miscommunicated friendships, and they spend more than 700k words building and repairing that friendship back into something where they can all forgive each other and stand as equals.)
Finally, a note on story structure. Just like MDZS, TGCF moves back and forth between the past and the present. Long flashback chapters might not be everyone's cup of tea, so be aware of it before diving into the book. The flashback chapters are very tragic, but they give so much context to the story. The writing transitions between the present and past timelines are something to behold.
Please also make sure to look up trigger warnings for this book! It's funny and lighthearted, but it deals with very heavy themes and graphic violence and body horror. I dare say that this is MXTX's heaviest book with the most to warn for.
Summary
It's a very long book and it might be intimidating at first. But the moment I started reading, I really couldn't put the book down! Despite its length, it is not a challenging read. It's a literary masterpiece and has MXTX's tightest and most refinied writing. If the themes and characters speak to you, please consider reading this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Torture
Moderate: Gore, Murder, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Suicide
Books 2 and 4 are straight up tragedies, with book 4 being the most brutal (especially chapter 190). Body horror is abound.sarahconnor89757's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting
ilayi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-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 have nothing else to say. this is my all time favorite book ever. i love the main character xie lian so so much. i love his relationship with hua cheng. i love side characters and how deep they also are. the world building is breathtaking. the story of the protagonist is so moving and emotional. i adore everything about this work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Cannibalism
weiwuxiann's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
god i loved this book so much. xie lian and hua cheng have my heart. i love them sm. them<3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Stalking, Abandonment, and Dysphoria
Minor: Chronic illness
dreamereternal's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
This was utterly delightful! I loved how tropey and fun it was but it also had really great considerations on faith and understanding, atonement healing and the messiness of morality when you are immortal. I'm also sure there were things lost in translation and considering this was a fan translation at that, while excellent I do want to come back and give this a more in depth review after I read the official version. I really loved how philosophical this novel often was when considering the actions/lives of immortals and honestly how human and messy they were for all their supposed superiority and power and the depths people will go to for survival all while wrapped in fun tropey BL romance with a sexy ghost king and kind hearted god. It was really fun and I'm excited to try the rest of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's collected works!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment
binniearcher's review
adventurous
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
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