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女将军和长公主 [Nǚ Jiāngjūn Hé Zhǎng Gōngzhǔ]
为了在乱世中活下去，为了给至亲复仇，为了给全村一百一十八口枉死的人讨回公道，林挽月拿了龙凤胎弟弟林飞星的户籍去参军，励志杀尽天下匈奴人。
宫廷中皇后仙逝，留下了十六岁的长公主和八岁的太子相依为命。
几位年长于太子的亲王对皇位虎视眈眈，姐弟俩的地位岌岌可危。
"Female General and Eldest Princess"
In order to survive in troubled times; in order to revenge for the dear; in order to claim justice for all 118 people, who died undeservedly, in the village. Lin WanYue took the residence registration of the younger brother Lin FeiXing to join the army, and was determined to kill the Huns all over the world.
The empress died in the court, leaving the 16-year-old princess and the eight-year-old crown prince to rely upon each other for life.Several princes older than the crown prince were greedy for the throne, and the two were in a precarious position.
宫廷中皇后仙逝，留下了十六岁的长公主和八岁的太子相依为命。
几位年长于太子的亲王对皇位虎视眈眈，姐弟俩的地位岌岌可危。
"Female General and Eldest Princess"
In order to survive in troubled times; in order to revenge for the dear; in order to claim justice for all 118 people, who died undeservedly, in the village. Lin WanYue took the residence registration of the younger brother Lin FeiXing to join the army, and was determined to kill the Huns all over the world.
The empress died in the court, leaving the 16-year-old princess and the eight-year-old crown prince to rely upon each other for life.Several princes older than the crown prince were greedy for the throne, and the two were in a precarious position.
1568 pages, Webnovel
First published April 22, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
August 12, 2021
➶ DAMN MY SAPPHIC HEART!!
July 8, 2020
edit: raising my rating to 5 stars because fuck it I think about Lin Wanyue and Li Xian every day and if that's not the definition of a 5 stars then I don't know what is
This book is a slow burn f/f romance between a female general and a princess (if the title didn't give that away lol). It includes juicy romantic tropes and a lot of palace scheming and military planning.
If you're into Chinese novels like MDZS and TGCF and you're coming from those fandoms I think you might like this, though it's very different from MXTX's style and the setting is historical instead of xianxia. While still having plenty of humor and lighthearted moments it also is generally less comical than a MXTX novel, so I think depending on what you're into as far as long novels go, this might not be the best novel to start if you've never read a fan-translated Chinese webnovel.
With about 170 chapters, this was a hell of a ride and the fact that I didn't give it 5 stars shouldn't discourage you. I merely couldn't be bothered with some of the plot and I kind of got lost with all the palace intrigue more than once, but there were enough points where a particular plot was explained further or expanded, so even if you missed some of it first, the book gives you plenty of ways to catch up.
And of course there's the romance. THE ROMANCE!!!! This was the fourth Chinese novel I read but the first GL one (girls love) so I didn't know what exactly to expect other than the fact that the main couple ends up happily together. And they do!!!!!!!! What I didn't expect is how honest everything about the characters' sexuality was. I didn't know that the author is a lesbian but she says so in the author notes and she was extremely adamant about Li Xian's sexuality. She doesn't like men, she can't like men because she's homosexual, so she can't fall in love with Lin Feixing. She can and does fall in love with Lin Wanyue.
The author notes were, I assume, response to some of the comments she got as she was publishing the novel chapter by chapter. But even in-text Li Xian's sexuality is treated so well and explicitly, unlike what I've seen in other Cnovels. It's really not something I was expecting from a crossdressing novel but it made me so happy and made me feel validated as a sapphic person myself.
Oh, and there's so many lesbians!!! There are a total of three canon f/f couples (if you read the extras, which are basically just an epilogue and are fully part of the novel) and at least one other sapphic character. Also one (two?) male gay character. This is to say, this book felt so similar to the average queer experience where you're usually never the only queer person you know. This, in a way, is where I felt the biggest difference was between a novel that, if published in our usual, western setting, we would call #ownvoices, and MXTX's novels (which as far as we know doesn't ID as queer).
Other than the romance I also really loved the element of friendship and the different types of friendships it portrayed. Of course it also hurt in several points (the romance did too) but it's so, so good and you should experience it for yourself so I'm not going to talk too much about it.
This book is far from perfect and it couldn't be otherwise, seen the pressure and rhythm imposed on Chinese webnovelists to post one chapter a day, but it completely captured me even after having to force myself through some of the more plot-heavy parts. If you don't mind some pacing issues and care both about interesting characters/relationships and about intriguing plots then it couldn't hurt to check this out. I promise if you get into it you will get so much out of it!
To read and support the original Chinese version go here. The English translation can be found here (the translator got permission from the author). There is also a manhua that can be read entirely on the weibo page (you'll just have to look at it if you can't read Chinese, but if you have read / are reading the novel it follows it pretty closely and it's understandable).
Content and trigger warnings: major crossdressing plot (comments that can come off as trans-erasure and not trans inclusive — think a Mulan-type story where the crossdressing goes on for the major part of the book), graphic violence, war, injury, decapitation, on and off page torture, death, grief, revenge, medical procedures, pregnancy, mention of miscarriage, childbirth, death by childbirth, drinking of human blood (on page), genocide, self harm, attempted suicide. NO public outing of the cross dressing character
This book is a slow burn f/f romance between a female general and a princess (if the title didn't give that away lol). It includes juicy romantic tropes and a lot of palace scheming and military planning.
If you're into Chinese novels like MDZS and TGCF and you're coming from those fandoms I think you might like this, though it's very different from MXTX's style and the setting is historical instead of xianxia. While still having plenty of humor and lighthearted moments it also is generally less comical than a MXTX novel, so I think depending on what you're into as far as long novels go, this might not be the best novel to start if you've never read a fan-translated Chinese webnovel.
With about 170 chapters, this was a hell of a ride and the fact that I didn't give it 5 stars shouldn't discourage you. I merely couldn't be bothered with some of the plot and I kind of got lost with all the palace intrigue more than once, but there were enough points where a particular plot was explained further or expanded, so even if you missed some of it first, the book gives you plenty of ways to catch up.
And of course there's the romance. THE ROMANCE!!!! This was the fourth Chinese novel I read but the first GL one (girls love) so I didn't know what exactly to expect other than the fact that the main couple ends up happily together. And they do!!!!!!!! What I didn't expect is how honest everything about the characters' sexuality was. I didn't know that the author is a lesbian but she says so in the author notes and she was extremely adamant about Li Xian's sexuality. She doesn't like men, she can't like men because she's homosexual, so she can't fall in love with Lin Feixing. She can and does fall in love with Lin Wanyue.
The author notes were, I assume, response to some of the comments she got as she was publishing the novel chapter by chapter. But even in-text Li Xian's sexuality is treated so well and explicitly, unlike what I've seen in other Cnovels. It's really not something I was expecting from a crossdressing novel but it made me so happy and made me feel validated as a sapphic person myself.
Oh, and there's so many lesbians!!! There are a total of three canon f/f couples (if you read the extras, which are basically just an epilogue and are fully part of the novel) and at least one other sapphic character. Also one (two?) male gay character. This is to say, this book felt so similar to the average queer experience where you're usually never the only queer person you know. This, in a way, is where I felt the biggest difference was between a novel that, if published in our usual, western setting, we would call #ownvoices, and MXTX's novels (which as far as we know doesn't ID as queer).
Other than the romance I also really loved the element of friendship and the different types of friendships it portrayed. Of course it also hurt in several points (the romance did too) but it's so, so good and you should experience it for yourself so I'm not going to talk too much about it.
This book is far from perfect and it couldn't be otherwise, seen the pressure and rhythm imposed on Chinese webnovelists to post one chapter a day, but it completely captured me even after having to force myself through some of the more plot-heavy parts. If you don't mind some pacing issues and care both about interesting characters/relationships and about intriguing plots then it couldn't hurt to check this out. I promise if you get into it you will get so much out of it!
To read and support the original Chinese version go here. The English translation can be found here (the translator got permission from the author). There is also a manhua that can be read entirely on the weibo page (you'll just have to look at it if you can't read Chinese, but if you have read / are reading the novel it follows it pretty closely and it's understandable).
Content and trigger warnings: major crossdressing plot (comments that can come off as trans-erasure and not trans inclusive — think a Mulan-type story where the crossdressing goes on for the major part of the book), graphic violence, war, injury, decapitation, on and off page torture, death, grief, revenge, medical procedures, pregnancy, mention of miscarriage, childbirth, death by childbirth, drinking of human blood (on page), genocide, self harm, attempted suicide. NO public outing of the cross dressing character
Want to read
July 13, 2020the way I started crying in sheer joy when I heard there was a translated web novel about ancient chinese sapphics where a princess falls in love with a girl pretending to be a male soldier BRB THIS IS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO ME EVER
1568 pages of sapphic slowburn . . . I have been blessed
You thought I was bad with MDZS? For anything sapphic, I literally go x 10 harder so will never be shutting up about this for the rest of my life.
and the fact that it's queer ownvoices too? *chefs kiss*
1568 pages of sapphic slowburn . . . I have been blessed
You thought I was bad with MDZS? For anything sapphic, I literally go x 10 harder so will never be shutting up about this for the rest of my life.
and the fact that it's queer ownvoices too? *chefs kiss*
Want to read
July 17, 2020
August 22, 2020
they’re wives!! they have a daughter!!! YELLS FOR DAYS!!
January 20, 2022
(EDIT 20/1/22: edited for clarity)
Not sure how to review this novel honestly. I've been putting it off for days because I had a lot of mixed feelings. This is a really long and slowburn f/f romance. It is one of the few good Chinese f/f novels out there and I wish I loved it. I have to say that my taste is entirely subjective but I had such a hard time with this book.
The pace is really REALLY slow. The protagonist, Lin Wanyue's moment of change and growth only really happens right near the end. The two main leads barely interacted until about 3/4s into the book. And Li Xian does not know Lin Wanyue's identity until even later which is a personal pet peeve because I value authenticity and honesty in a romance very much. I also found it hard to connect to Li Xian. She doesn't seem to have her own motivations and instead lives to achieve goals for others. This book also has a lot of chapters about politics and the war which I struggled to get through.
The extras were really good though. I wish the author included them in the main story because there were some really interesting characters in the side stories, e.g. Luo Yi.
The best thing about this novel is really the representation of the two queer characters. Their feelings, thoughts and reactions when in love with a woman really reflect the lived experiences of queer women. They feel like real people when it comes to this, unlike many of the bl. Also, the portrayal of mental illness was really realistic (Lin Wanyue and PTSD/depression, Li Xian and anxiety). And the physical desire scenes were so well-written because they felt: a) realistic but sweet, b) consensual!!!! The way they desired/loved each other was so real and so wholesome. Finally, no more dub/non-con.
Overall, this was a pain to get through although I appreciate the representation of queer women very much. I really hope the next novel gets better.
Not sure how to review this novel honestly. I've been putting it off for days because I had a lot of mixed feelings. This is a really long and slowburn f/f romance. It is one of the few good Chinese f/f novels out there and I wish I loved it. I have to say that my taste is entirely subjective but I had such a hard time with this book.
The pace is really REALLY slow. The protagonist, Lin Wanyue's moment of change and growth only really happens right near the end. The two main leads barely interacted until about 3/4s into the book. And Li Xian does not know Lin Wanyue's identity until even later which is a personal pet peeve because I value authenticity and honesty in a romance very much. I also found it hard to connect to Li Xian. She doesn't seem to have her own motivations and instead lives to achieve goals for others. This book also has a lot of chapters about politics and the war which I struggled to get through.
The extras were really good though. I wish the author included them in the main story because there were some really interesting characters in the side stories, e.g. Luo Yi.
The best thing about this novel is really the representation of the two queer characters. Their feelings, thoughts and reactions when in love with a woman really reflect the lived experiences of queer women. They feel like real people when it comes to this, unlike many of the bl. Also, the portrayal of mental illness was really realistic (Lin Wanyue and PTSD/depression, Li Xian and anxiety). And the physical desire scenes were so well-written because they felt: a) realistic but sweet, b) consensual!!!! The way they desired/loved each other was so real and so wholesome. Finally, no more dub/non-con.
Overall, this was a pain to get through although I appreciate the representation of queer women very much. I really hope the next novel gets better.
February 18, 2020
Me @ Lin Wanyue: call me old fashioned, but i was raised to serve my WIFE. clean up after her, take care of her. i cook her food every night. her needs come FIRST. i do whatever she says, because she is my WIFE and she makes the rules around the house. she owns me.
if she ever cheats, it’s because i was lacking & that’s on ME.
Lesbian Mulan x Scheming Princess, lots of fluff (and angst)
One of my absolute favourite novels. Very long with lots of political intrigue and scheming - I am a huge fan of intelligent and well-written female characters and this book is full of them.
Authentic wlw romance, the author notes are hilarious and really relatable. Author is a lesbian!! which is why the relationship development is so authentic and realistic, extremely sweet.
"Even if some people can't understand, it doesn't matter, love women, it's just loving women, I simply love women, women have never been a replacement for lacking men, women are women, I am a woman, I love women." - author
if she ever cheats, it’s because i was lacking & that’s on ME.
Lesbian Mulan x Scheming Princess, lots of fluff (and angst)
One of my absolute favourite novels. Very long with lots of political intrigue and scheming - I am a huge fan of intelligent and well-written female characters and this book is full of them.
Authentic wlw romance, the author notes are hilarious and really relatable. Author is a lesbian!! which is why the relationship development is so authentic and realistic, extremely sweet.
"Even if some people can't understand, it doesn't matter, love women, it's just loving women, I simply love women, women have never been a replacement for lacking men, women are women, I am a woman, I love women." - author
July 8, 2020
[audio drama review]
Must I understand Chinese? is it not enough to revel in the simple joy of listening to Lin Wanyue and Li Xian’s voices as they fall in love and overcome obstacle after obstacle?
anyway this audio drama is so fucking good wth, I literally could follow it well although I understand like ten Chinese words. 10/10
(this is just the first season because it's the only one that's free and idk how to buy the second one. rip)
Must I understand Chinese? is it not enough to revel in the simple joy of listening to Lin Wanyue and Li Xian’s voices as they fall in love and overcome obstacle after obstacle?
anyway this audio drama is so fucking good wth, I literally could follow it well although I understand like ten Chinese words. 10/10
(this is just the first season because it's the only one that's free and idk how to buy the second one. rip)
January 27, 2022
"in this life of mine, i'm so glad that i could have you as my wife"
bless this author for always delivering complex, ruthless, morally grey women in love with each other.
read this novel for:
- murderous lesbian x manipulative lesbian ship.
- intriguing palace politics.
- military strategies + battle scenes.
- lin wanyue - i loved how unflinchingly brutal she was when she needed to be but also soft, kind, and a bit naïve at the same time. the emotional depth of her journey was so well done - i was hooked on her from the start. one of my all time favorite characters.
admittedly, i wasn't as big a fan of li xian - her motivations weren't as compelling to me as lin wanyue's - but she did eventually grow on me (even if it took longer than i would've liked). i was also unsure about the romance for most of the book, mainly because it was too one-sided for way too long - but the last few chapters and the extras won me over.
i'm so glad this is getting an official physical publication, the author really deserves it.
April 15, 2024
4💫
Ship so good they invented romance !
Ship so good they invented romance !
January 11, 2020
I'm still reading this but I think I would rate this 5 in the end just because I'm gay for Lin Wanyue lmao
After full read: ok I didn't rate it 5, but I'm still gay for Lin Wanyue my bae
After full read: ok I didn't rate it 5, but I'm still gay for Lin Wanyue my bae
July 5, 2020
"Ah-Yue, you and I are both women. Do you wish to go against the laws of nature? Do you wish to hold my hand? Do you wish to grow old with me?"
Thoughts flying. Lin Wanyue = wife
Thoughts flying. Lin Wanyue = wife
March 12, 2022
okay... after reading this nonstop all week, I have finally reached the end. I didn't read the extras yet as I need time to process the several strong emotions I am currently feeling.
first off, I did enjoy the book. I'd probably rate the first half a solid 4 stars, while the second half (especially the last 50 chapters or so) is more like a solid 3. I felt that I was so intrigued by the plot in the first half, but after around chapter 115, everything started to blend together for me. sure there were interesting parts within the second half, but I felt myself losing my focus compared to earlier on.
this was the first baihe novel that I completed, and I love the pairing very much. that said, I do wish we had more scenes of the two of them after everything is revealed near the end of the novel. it felt like the angst kind of overwhelmed the good as the novel finished. I liked most of the side characters and I think the interactions between characters were consistently well-written throughout. I also really appreciated reading the author's notes and seeing that this novel was written authentically. I found myself relating to a lot of what the author said regarding wanyue and li xian's relationship. it was nice to see that and I'm glad the fan translation team included those notes for us.
this is a long review for me skakdjd BUT TLDR: I liked it! I enjoyed the pairing! I maybe didn't care for most of the second half, but overall I'd say this was all worth it! I'm gonna read the extras now!
first off, I did enjoy the book. I'd probably rate the first half a solid 4 stars, while the second half (especially the last 50 chapters or so) is more like a solid 3. I felt that I was so intrigued by the plot in the first half, but after around chapter 115, everything started to blend together for me. sure there were interesting parts within the second half, but I felt myself losing my focus compared to earlier on.
this was the first baihe novel that I completed, and I love the pairing very much. that said, I do wish we had more scenes of the two of them after everything is revealed near the end of the novel. it felt like the angst kind of overwhelmed the good as the novel finished. I liked most of the side characters and I think the interactions between characters were consistently well-written throughout. I also really appreciated reading the author's notes and seeing that this novel was written authentically. I found myself relating to a lot of what the author said regarding wanyue and li xian's relationship. it was nice to see that and I'm glad the fan translation team included those notes for us.
this is a long review for me skakdjd BUT TLDR: I liked it! I enjoyed the pairing! I maybe didn't care for most of the second half, but overall I'd say this was all worth it! I'm gonna read the extras now!
August 2, 2020
i still have to read the extras but im too overwhelmed right now jdjsjsj i have no words but i think the rating speaks for itself though
Want to read
November 9, 2021*screams into megaphone* DROP EVERYTHING BECAUSE THIS IS A SAPPHIC TRANSLATED CHINESE WEB NOVEL AND IT'S EVERYTHING I NEED IN MY LIFE !!!
My sapphic heart is so happy rn I can't.
The way I'm just crying of sheer happiness to have heard about this book ahhhhh brb crying! TGCF and MDZS are the best books I've read like ever but the fact that this is sapphic for that I'm even more excited. Also, this is queer own voices and that's wonderful.
My sapphic heart is so happy rn I can't.
The way I'm just crying of sheer happiness to have heard about this book ahhhhh brb crying! TGCF and MDZS are the best books I've read like ever but the fact that this is sapphic for that I'm even more excited. Also, this is queer own voices and that's wonderful.
September 18, 2020
Like a coral red bean inlaid in ivory dice, the wistful yearning for you deep into my bones.
I'M. IN LOVE.
I actually can believe how much I loved this book. With only the title, I was already loving it, but the execution was so much better than I could hope for! There were so many good tropes that I loved and three-dimensional characters all around. There were so! many! lgbt+! couples! But, if I'm being totally honest, I was captivated mostly for these two things:
First, Lin WanYue. My heart. I screamed every time she got close to a bow. Having Lin WanYue as a general was e v e r y t h i n g to me. I clapped and screamed in every fight. I was also so, so very gay for her. I'm just... *chef kiss* Female General Lin WanYue.
Second, all the political drama! I love stories about kings and queens and princesses and princes and... all of it. This was very well done and actually intriguing! I really, really enjoyed the dramas at the palace and how words were a fight by themselves. This was wonderfully done, and along with the fights, were what I most enjoyed reading.
The relationship between lwy and lx was so very beautiful and touching, and what I loved the most about it was how tender they were towards each other. I loved as well how respected lwy became A Mess every time lx was around. It was really sweet to read, and now I won't accept any love declaration if it doesn't involve an army rescue in a palace.
Also, I loved so, so much that lx is clearly a lesbian. How this was portrayed was superb and touching, especially knowing that the author herself is a lesbian. I'm just in awe of how much heart was put into developing lx's sexuality.
There are two reasons I'm not giving it full five stars. One, sometimes I felt like the definition of a woman was too limiting, some stereotypes here and there that were not fully challenged. Two, the ending. It was not bad, there was foreshadowing even, but , all of this is on me personally!
Anyway, I loved this book very, very much and I also blushed for the entirety of lwy and lx interactions, and that's how love should be I think. Also: fake dating, only one bed &
a little warning: I would have loved to read reviews by trans readers to know how was the cross-dressing handled, but I could not find any. But please take this into consideration if it might a trigger for you, because it's an important part of the plot. Please let me know if I should put more thought into this!
March 10, 2021
4.29 on CAWPILE | two stars.
(this is a spoiler-free review.)
i can't believe i finally finished this. what a mess. i'm so conflicted about this novel and you'll understand what i mean in a bit.
let's start with the synopsis.
in order to claim justice for the inhabitants of her small village who were all eliminated by the huns, lin wanyue took the residence registration of her older brother, lin feixing, and joined the army. meanwhile, the empress died leaving the crown prince and the eldest princess to rely upon each-other for life. will they survive the difficult challenges the future holds? will li xian's plans be successful? will lin wanyue's secret be discovered? and will she be able to forgive herself?
this novel deals with identity, the effects war has on humans, sexuality, and societal pressures. it also has lots of political intrigue and military strategy. it goes on for 176 chapters (plus extras) overcoming the 1500 pages mark so it is indeed long. it is also really really slow. i was not familiar with the author, 请君莫笑 (please don't laugh), prior to reading this. this was actually my first novel by them.
when i read that this novel had a han and tang dynasties inspired setting i felt the sudden urge to pick it up. after reading, i can say that the setting really helped some parts of this novel. the pacing was slow and the fact that the author managed to keep my interest (for the most part), even when nothing big was happening, is a big accomplishment in my opinion. i give all the credit for this to the setting, but also to the writing. if it wasn't for the great translation i found, i probably would have dropped this after a few chapters.
nevertheless, the setting is loosely inspired by these dynasties, so do not expect a novel that tries to recounter real life events because that is not what you will be getting. the inaccuracies are endless as the author themselves mentioned in the notes.
the places the characters visited on their adventures were alway described with extreme care. the author made me feel as if i was there with them. the gore of the battlefield scenes was perfectly balanced by the heartfelt moments between the main characters. you get the perfect amount of both.
i thoroughly enjoyed lin wanyue's arc. the whole novel can be seen as a character analysis of lin wanyue since its primary aim was to portray her difficult life and her ptsd. unfortunately, the other characters weren't as lucky in terms of characterization. li xian, the other main character, didn't get as much attention from the author. her thoughts were always hidden and it was almost impossible to guess what she was thinking. this made it impossible for me to truly connect with her character and understand her struggles. the same goes for the side characters. they were barely flashed out. whenever something bad happened to one of them, i would just keep reading as if nothing had happened. i didn't care about them and i barely could tell them apart. they all seemed identical to me.
the relationship between the two main characters was great, but i never got attached to them. i did like them together, but i didn't feel myself swooning over them.. i kept waiting and waiting to be won over by this novel and these characters, but it never happened.
two aspects that bothered me a lot were the gender expectations and the way the huns were portayed.
let's talk about the first point. i get that the author's main goal was to keep lin wanyue's real identity concealed, but most of the time they made the characters say and do things that didn't make any sense. for example, making lin wanyue constantly think that showing emotions would reveal that she was a woman. she must not be affectionate, she must not any emotion, she shouldn't even cry because that would reveal to everyone that she is a woman.
"everyone knew that men do not shed tears easily."
"for a man to reveal feminity (context: the author is talking about crying) under public view, some found it unacceptable.
so crying is something that only females do now??
even li xian kept thinking that lin wanyue couldn't be a female because no woman could be that physically strong (being able to draw a three-stone bow), ruthless, cruwl, and with an appetite that big..
"how could someone like this possibly be a woman?"
also li xian saying that lin wanyue was being difficult like a woman when she threw a tantrum.. and so on.
about the second point. turns out i hate the always chaotic evil trope (is that how it's called??). describing the enemy as someone who only exists to rape, slaughter, and torture everyone else just rubs me the wrong way. and it feels like the easiest way out. just because they are the "enemy" that doesn't mean that they shouldn't have any characterization. they are human beings.
"the huns were barbaric; fighting ferociously was part of their nature.
"the huns are wretched wolves that can't be domesticated"
i get that the novel doesn't have a contemporary setting and, as the author said, things were obviously different back then from what they are right now. still, i think that the author should have addressed these issues and condemned them in one way or another. they do deserve more than one line lol.
i'm very conflicted about the structure of this novel and the plot. i liked the fact that the author decided to focus their attention on the small moments the two main characters shared throughout their lives. but i couldn't helpt but notice how bored i was. the romance was slow, but that didn't bother too much. it's a slow burn afterall and i usually love those. however, the plot was so boring, slow, and confusing. to me, the political intrigue wasn't interesting at all. i couldn't care less about any of it. the same goes for the military jargon and life in the camp.
i was actually surprised at how well the author managed to describe things. the fan-translation was great as well. big thanks to the translators, they did a wonderful job. i can't even imagine how hard it must have been to translate this epopea from mandarin to english lol.
big thanks to alex as well. your review of this novel is what pushed me to pick it up. i'm glad you put this on my radar. even though i didn't end up loving, i do not completely regret reading it. this is such an important story wirtten by a lesbian author about two non-white women. i'm glad this story exists. i hope more will follow in the future.
ps: i didn't read the extras so my rating and my opinions are only based off the novel itself. i do not have the energy to go through the extras. reading this was enough. let's hope my next read will be better...
would recommend to anyone who: is a fan of political intrigue and hua mulan retellings (this isn't a retelling, but there are quite a few similarities between the two), loves slow burns (i mean sloooow), and stories that take a while to progress because they focus on the characters' growth rather than an actual plot. may you all like this more than i did!!
content warnings: animal cruelty, cross dressing, beheading, blood, blood drinking, death, death of a loved one, fire (light), gore (heavy), loss of child, self-mutilation, skinning, torture, violence.
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omg i finished it. FINALLYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a disappointment. rtc !
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i read twenty five chapters and then realized that i was reading a messy translation in which some parts of the novel were even missing.. so i went to look for another traslation and re-started the whole novel. i'm happy to say that it's going well. this translation is much better than the other one and i was finally able to understand some key points that i thought were really confusing at first so that's great!!
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just started reading this because
- han and tang dynasties loosely inspired setting
- slow burn (i read some reviews and apparently this is gonna be sloooow but i’m all for it lol)
- lesbian couple
- military jargon and political intrigue (we love not being able to understand anything 🥰🙈)
- own voices?? how cool is that?!
(this is a spoiler-free review.)
i can't believe i finally finished this. what a mess. i'm so conflicted about this novel and you'll understand what i mean in a bit.
let's start with the synopsis.
in order to claim justice for the inhabitants of her small village who were all eliminated by the huns, lin wanyue took the residence registration of her older brother, lin feixing, and joined the army. meanwhile, the empress died leaving the crown prince and the eldest princess to rely upon each-other for life. will they survive the difficult challenges the future holds? will li xian's plans be successful? will lin wanyue's secret be discovered? and will she be able to forgive herself?
this novel deals with identity, the effects war has on humans, sexuality, and societal pressures. it also has lots of political intrigue and military strategy. it goes on for 176 chapters (plus extras) overcoming the 1500 pages mark so it is indeed long. it is also really really slow. i was not familiar with the author, 请君莫笑 (please don't laugh), prior to reading this. this was actually my first novel by them.
when i read that this novel had a han and tang dynasties inspired setting i felt the sudden urge to pick it up. after reading, i can say that the setting really helped some parts of this novel. the pacing was slow and the fact that the author managed to keep my interest (for the most part), even when nothing big was happening, is a big accomplishment in my opinion. i give all the credit for this to the setting, but also to the writing. if it wasn't for the great translation i found, i probably would have dropped this after a few chapters.
nevertheless, the setting is loosely inspired by these dynasties, so do not expect a novel that tries to recounter real life events because that is not what you will be getting. the inaccuracies are endless as the author themselves mentioned in the notes.
the places the characters visited on their adventures were alway described with extreme care. the author made me feel as if i was there with them. the gore of the battlefield scenes was perfectly balanced by the heartfelt moments between the main characters. you get the perfect amount of both.
i thoroughly enjoyed lin wanyue's arc. the whole novel can be seen as a character analysis of lin wanyue since its primary aim was to portray her difficult life and her ptsd. unfortunately, the other characters weren't as lucky in terms of characterization. li xian, the other main character, didn't get as much attention from the author. her thoughts were always hidden and it was almost impossible to guess what she was thinking. this made it impossible for me to truly connect with her character and understand her struggles. the same goes for the side characters. they were barely flashed out. whenever something bad happened to one of them, i would just keep reading as if nothing had happened. i didn't care about them and i barely could tell them apart. they all seemed identical to me.
the relationship between the two main characters was great, but i never got attached to them. i did like them together, but i didn't feel myself swooning over them.. i kept waiting and waiting to be won over by this novel and these characters, but it never happened.
two aspects that bothered me a lot were the gender expectations and the way the huns were portayed.
let's talk about the first point. i get that the author's main goal was to keep lin wanyue's real identity concealed, but most of the time they made the characters say and do things that didn't make any sense. for example, making lin wanyue constantly think that showing emotions would reveal that she was a woman. she must not be affectionate, she must not any emotion, she shouldn't even cry because that would reveal to everyone that she is a woman.
"everyone knew that men do not shed tears easily."
"for a man to reveal feminity (context: the author is talking about crying) under public view, some found it unacceptable.
so crying is something that only females do now??
even li xian kept thinking that lin wanyue couldn't be a female because no woman could be that physically strong (being able to draw a three-stone bow), ruthless, cruwl, and with an appetite that big..
"how could someone like this possibly be a woman?"
also li xian saying that lin wanyue was being difficult like a woman when she threw a tantrum.. and so on.
about the second point. turns out i hate the always chaotic evil trope (is that how it's called??). describing the enemy as someone who only exists to rape, slaughter, and torture everyone else just rubs me the wrong way. and it feels like the easiest way out. just because they are the "enemy" that doesn't mean that they shouldn't have any characterization. they are human beings.
"the huns were barbaric; fighting ferociously was part of their nature.
"the huns are wretched wolves that can't be domesticated"
i get that the novel doesn't have a contemporary setting and, as the author said, things were obviously different back then from what they are right now. still, i think that the author should have addressed these issues and condemned them in one way or another. they do deserve more than one line lol.
i'm very conflicted about the structure of this novel and the plot. i liked the fact that the author decided to focus their attention on the small moments the two main characters shared throughout their lives. but i couldn't helpt but notice how bored i was. the romance was slow, but that didn't bother too much. it's a slow burn afterall and i usually love those. however, the plot was so boring, slow, and confusing. to me, the political intrigue wasn't interesting at all. i couldn't care less about any of it. the same goes for the military jargon and life in the camp.
i was actually surprised at how well the author managed to describe things. the fan-translation was great as well. big thanks to the translators, they did a wonderful job. i can't even imagine how hard it must have been to translate this epopea from mandarin to english lol.
big thanks to alex as well. your review of this novel is what pushed me to pick it up. i'm glad you put this on my radar. even though i didn't end up loving, i do not completely regret reading it. this is such an important story wirtten by a lesbian author about two non-white women. i'm glad this story exists. i hope more will follow in the future.
ps: i didn't read the extras so my rating and my opinions are only based off the novel itself. i do not have the energy to go through the extras. reading this was enough. let's hope my next read will be better...
would recommend to anyone who: is a fan of political intrigue and hua mulan retellings (this isn't a retelling, but there are quite a few similarities between the two), loves slow burns (i mean sloooow), and stories that take a while to progress because they focus on the characters' growth rather than an actual plot. may you all like this more than i did!!
content warnings: animal cruelty, cross dressing, beheading, blood, blood drinking, death, death of a loved one, fire (light), gore (heavy), loss of child, self-mutilation, skinning, torture, violence.
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omg i finished it. FINALLYYYY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a disappointment. rtc !
-------------------
i read twenty five chapters and then realized that i was reading a messy translation in which some parts of the novel were even missing.. so i went to look for another traslation and re-started the whole novel. i'm happy to say that it's going well. this translation is much better than the other one and i was finally able to understand some key points that i thought were really confusing at first so that's great!!
-------------------
just started reading this because
- han and tang dynasties loosely inspired setting
- slow burn (i read some reviews and apparently this is gonna be sloooow but i’m all for it lol)
- lesbian couple
- military jargon and political intrigue (we love not being able to understand anything 🥰🙈)
- own voices?? how cool is that?!
October 20, 2020
(أمس يلست أفكر ليش ما قدرت أعطي هالكتاب ٥ نجوم وأكتشفت إنه السبب كون عندي مشكل�� مع الفكشن التاريخي إللي بدون خيال.........وبعدين أكتشفت إنه هالكاتبة المذهلة أغلب كتبها كذيه... إحتمال أبدأ أغصب نفسي أحب هالنوع من الفكشن)
ايش بتحصلوا لو قريتوا هالكتاب:
ليزبيانز(ليزبيانز حقيقي)xسلو برن(اكثر سلو برن بطيء فالعالم إحتمال بتبديوا تترجوا على النهاية علشان تحصلوا بوسة وحدة)xضرابات سياسية ومعارك(بالتفصيل وشوي متعب خصيصاً لما تكون موجود علشان القيز بس😣)x"البنات أقوى شيء فالعالم🤪"xكل البنات ليزبيانز هنيه...تقريباً كلهم...مذهلx"لما تكون حبيبتك وايد شريرة وسيئة بس ما مهم لأنها تحبك وتحب بنتك💟👩❤️💋👩⭐️💓💗👩❤️👩"
مقدر اوقف افكر كيف الكاتبة عطتني شخصيات بنات دارك ومثاليين بهالشكل ...يمكن حقيقي أفضل شيء بالنسبة لي فالرواية هي كيف البطلتين-حتى شخصيات البنات الثنويين- كانوا كلشي أباه ...كانوا قاسيات وانانيات ومستعدات يسون الأسوء علشان يحققن إ��لي يريدنه..وكلذا بدون لا يفقدن إنسانيتهن فنفس الوقت...
ايش بتحصلوا لو قريتوا هالكتاب:
ليزبيانز(ليزبيانز حقيقي)xسلو برن(اكثر سلو برن بطيء فالعالم إحتمال بتبديوا تترجوا على النهاية علشان تحصلوا بوسة وحدة)xضرابات سياسية ومعارك(بالتفصيل وشوي متعب خصيصاً لما تكون موجود علشان القيز بس😣)x"البنات أقوى شيء فالعالم🤪"xكل البنات ليزبيانز هنيه...تقريباً كلهم...مذهلx"لما تكون حبيبتك وايد شريرة وسيئة بس ما مهم لأنها تحبك وتحب بنتك💟👩❤️💋👩⭐️💓💗👩❤️👩"
مقدر اوقف افكر كيف الكاتبة عطتني شخصيات بنات دارك ومثاليين بهالشكل ...يمكن حقيقي أفضل شيء بالنسبة لي فالرواية هي كيف البطلتين-حتى شخصيات البنات الثنويين- كانوا كلشي أباه ...كانوا قاسيات وانانيات ومستعدات يسون الأسوء علشان يحققن إ��لي يريدنه..وكلذا بدون لا يفقدن إنسانيتهن فنفس الوقت...
April 10, 2023
3.5 I honestly felt somewhat mid on this book while reading. I think it’s TOO slow a burn for me. I felt like the leads didn’t get nearly enough scenes together for the length, and wasn’t super into the plot. But for some reason, I remember it fondly. At least I liked it enough to give this authors other works a shot (i’m enjoying JWQS much more so far!) I’m honestly thinking of giving this a reread, for whatever reason. I think that’s a sign that it’s good overall, despite my mixed feelings.
February 1, 2022
[4.5] I really enjoyed it and I believe I would've given it 5 stars if some of the political stuff wasn't as confusing in the middle because even though a lot of it was explained by the end, I still felt a little lost. I thought that Li Xian's sexuality was written beautifully and the explanations done by the author in the author notes made me tear up at times, especially when I found out PDL herself is a lesbian. I adored Li Xian and Lin Wanyue as a couple, and loved that it wasn't just slow burn that ended randomly, their relationship evolved and grew so much together. I went back to reread some of the earlier chapters and the foreshadowing that was done all the way in the beginning for the way the novel would end really surprised me, I didn't pick up on any of it. The plot felt a little rushed towards the ending, which is understandable since there was a lot to wrap up, but I feel that if it was spread out a little it would have been more enjoyable and less confusing to follow. I think if the first half wasn't as slow it would have been easier to do that, but I understand that Lin Wanyue needed time to develop and Li Xian's political schemes needed to be set up. Even with all of that, I still really loved the book and how the relationship between Li Xian and Lin Wanyue was written, and how Lin Wanyue's character grew throughout the story.
February 14, 2020
Okay, maybe I should not make a hobby out of reviewing LONG books directly after finishing them because right now my opinion is a lot more favorable than it was 2 days ago.
This was.... not my cup of tea. I see what the author was going for - a deep hitting, serious story about the fates of two women. It just did not work for me.
I'm GAY. I LOVE women. I love women so much. But my experience just does not align with the one this author has - and that's okay. I hated, hated, hated the constant reminders of 'Lin Wanyue is a woman, so that's why her heart is so soft. DESPITE being a woman she can be cruel too, being a woman is like THIS'. In the author notes, she says that her personal experience of being a lesbian states that for any attraction to form the gender has to be clear first. Meanwhile, I am attracted to femininity, not the actual gender, so I think we just think of the concept of 'women' very differently and that's what bothered me all throughout the work.
It's a good book - the characters are round, there's hope and there's loss, grief, joy, it spans a whole lifetime. Lots of people will like this. But I'm just not into bittersweet stories like this. I still squealed when the two found each other finally. I was happy for them and I actually REALLY love LWY, I would marry her too. She's so smart but so dumb.
But death looms above everything, this is just a very serious story. It takes itself seriously and there's no comedy relief or a lot of sweetness inbetween to cushion it and that does not work for me very well. I'm spoiled and I want to be spoiled.
This was.... not my cup of tea. I see what the author was going for - a deep hitting, serious story about the fates of two women. It just did not work for me.
I'm GAY. I LOVE women. I love women so much. But my experience just does not align with the one this author has - and that's okay. I hated, hated, hated the constant reminders of 'Lin Wanyue is a woman, so that's why her heart is so soft. DESPITE being a woman she can be cruel too, being a woman is like THIS'. In the author notes, she says that her personal experience of being a lesbian states that for any attraction to form the gender has to be clear first. Meanwhile, I am attracted to femininity, not the actual gender, so I think we just think of the concept of 'women' very differently and that's what bothered me all throughout the work.
It's a good book - the characters are round, there's hope and there's loss, grief, joy, it spans a whole lifetime. Lots of people will like this. But I'm just not into bittersweet stories like this. I still squealed when the two found each other finally. I was happy for them and I actually REALLY love LWY, I would marry her too. She's so smart but so dumb.
But death looms above everything, this is just a very serious story. It takes itself seriously and there's no comedy relief or a lot of sweetness inbetween to cushion it and that does not work for me very well. I'm spoiled and I want to be spoiled.
July 3, 2021
i didn’t think any book would come close to jwqs, which has been my best read of this year, but the author has outdone herself. this was actually her first book but holy shit is it a masterpiece.
the political intrigue, the schemes, the plans, the depth of the main and side characters, the plot, just everything about this was gorgeous.
“in this life of mine, i’m so glad that i could have you as my wife.”
i cannot describe the love i have for lin wanyue and li xian. both were such good main characters. just them.
the second to last and last chapters (technically the extras) made me cry. i cry kinda easily at books but oh my god. i was sobbing.
okay now to try to make this somewhat of an actual review.
the amount of foreshadowing that was later revealed was amazing. it was so amazing i got mad i didn’t notice sooner. but just the amount of thinking and care that was put into the plot and characters was breathtaking. some of it i only comprehended after reading the author’s notes but once explained it was that much better. speaking of the author’s notes, they added so much to the story. i loved reading them.
now for the one thing i didn’t really like. the author did the same thing as jwqs. she tried to put too much plot in the last ten chapters or so (of the main story, not the extras). she just tried to do too much in 70 pages. it should’ve been fleshed out more. this also happened with jwqs, like i said. i do like how she ended both stories, though. with a happy ending and a peaceful, quiet life for both main characters. honestly she puts her characters through a lot.
but other than that this book was an absolute masterpiece. i would definitely reread all 1500 pages again just to experience the story once more and to catch the foreshadowing.
the political intrigue, the schemes, the plans, the depth of the main and side characters, the plot, just everything about this was gorgeous.
“in this life of mine, i’m so glad that i could have you as my wife.”
i cannot describe the love i have for lin wanyue and li xian. both were such good main characters. just them.
the second to last and last chapters (technically the extras) made me cry. i cry kinda easily at books but oh my god. i was sobbing.
okay now to try to make this somewhat of an actual review.
the amount of foreshadowing that was later revealed was amazing. it was so amazing i got mad i didn’t notice sooner. but just the amount of thinking and care that was put into the plot and characters was breathtaking. some of it i only comprehended after reading the author’s notes but once explained it was that much better. speaking of the author’s notes, they added so much to the story. i loved reading them.
now for the one thing i didn’t really like. the author did the same thing as jwqs. she tried to put too much plot in the last ten chapters or so (of the main story, not the extras). she just tried to do too much in 70 pages. it should’ve been fleshed out more. this also happened with jwqs, like i said. i do like how she ended both stories, though. with a happy ending and a peaceful, quiet life for both main characters. honestly she puts her characters through a lot.
but other than that this book was an absolute masterpiece. i would definitely reread all 1500 pages again just to experience the story once more and to catch the foreshadowing.
May 18, 2020
there are some people who were just meant to be together. no matter in life or death, from the edge of the world to the corners of the sea, they would find each other. after they had experienced all kinds of misery, they would never separate again. | i'm gonna say the s word y'all
i'm so emotional oh my god this was such a ride. the story was really good albeit a little bit confusing because some of the politics and war stuff flew over my head but enjoyable nevertheless. i did have some problems with li xian's character but i'm pretty satisfied with how it got tied up. i think luo yi is one of my favorites, she's so fascinating. i'm so so content with the end (plus the extras!) i love stories that leave me all fuzzy and warm. love, guys, love is the strongest force in the universe
i'm not gonna beg for a live action/donghua adaption, i will just ask 500 times and that's it.
(can someone please pick it up please)
i'm so emotional oh my god this was such a ride. the story was really good albeit a little bit confusing because some of the politics and war stuff flew over my head but enjoyable nevertheless. i did have some problems with li xian's character but i'm pretty satisfied with how it got tied up. i think luo yi is one of my favorites, she's so fascinating. i'm so so content with the end (plus the extras!) i love stories that leave me all fuzzy and warm. love, guys, love is the strongest force in the universe
i'm not gonna beg for a live action/donghua adaption, i will just ask 500 times and that's it.
(can someone please pick it up please)
November 16, 2020
5 / 5
this was SO INCREDIBLE. i loved the slow burn and the political intrigue and the military strategies. it was so complex and thought out, more than i thought it’d be. lin wanyue and li xian were excellent characters and i love them with all my heart. i also really liked how li xian didn’t fall for wanyue until her gender was revealed, even though it was building up a little bit before that point. wanyue is just so lovable, i just want to protect her. yes, she’s strong, but emotionally? i just want to hug :< this was like mulan but darker, more complicated, and very sapphic and it was lovely, but honestly, this was so great i don’t even know what to say beyond that. READ IT
this was SO INCREDIBLE. i loved the slow burn and the political intrigue and the military strategies. it was so complex and thought out, more than i thought it’d be. lin wanyue and li xian were excellent characters and i love them with all my heart. i also really liked how li xian didn’t fall for wanyue until her gender was revealed, even though it was building up a little bit before that point. wanyue is just so lovable, i just want to protect her. yes, she’s strong, but emotionally? i just want to hug :< this was like mulan but darker, more complicated, and very sapphic and it was lovely, but honestly, this was so great i don’t even know what to say beyond that. READ IT
March 30, 2020
some of the royal politics went over my head a little but the ending has moved me to tears )):
id love to give this 5 stars because it means so much to me to have a wlw romance like this but it wasn't ~perfect~ in all its aspects but god it was emotional and pretty clever
id love to give this 5 stars because it means so much to me to have a wlw romance like this but it wasn't ~perfect~ in all its aspects but god it was emotional and pretty clever
March 23, 2020
historical chinese lesbians very good very warm
May 8, 2020
It's 3am and I finished this and cried so much, WOW.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
September 17, 2024DNF @ 24%
Awesome protagonist, wonderful writing and everything but I hated our sweet mc getting manipulated by the princess. Cmon our girl does not deserve more pain
Might pick up again if I felt like giving it another go
Awesome protagonist, wonderful writing and everything but I hated our sweet mc getting manipulated by the princess. Cmon our girl does not deserve more pain
Might pick up again if I felt like giving it another go
September 23, 2023
Rep: Chinese cast & setting, lesbian mcs
CWs: gore, torture, violence
CWs: gore, torture, violence
May 4, 2024
cried myself to sleep after finishing it last night
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