Discussion For those who like or dislike Heaven officials blessings... Help

Discussion in 'Novel Discussion' started by yayamiho, Feb 11, 2020.

  1. yayamiho

    yayamiho Active Member

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    Heyyy

    There was something I wanted to talk about- I was talking to my teacher about reading hob for a script assignment. It had to do with reading a book until april in order to use it in a task (which he didn't tell us what was going to be about btw)

    Sooooo I asked him about hob. Since he isn't familiar with chinese novels, he asked me if it was similar to japanese light novel, something which he takes as poorly writen.

    So he asked me to email him about this book (so I kinda have to pitch it without knowing the true contents besides the sinopsis?)

    I, thus, wanted an opinion about HOB from those who truly know it about its writing style (if it is as good as MDZS or even between such and your opinon on it), the criticism it may have in it (like the mob mentality and other stuff in MDZS), the negative reviews on the book and character development, as well as the chars per se.

    If you disliked it, why not share it with us, then? Perhaps we can all talk about it too (in a civil manner from both sides tho, plz).

    Note: I chose to try this book due to liking mdzs for its characters, mystery development, climax and social criticism (mob mentality, how different upbringings can change people with similar starts, etc...). Plus, it was interesting to see the situation where either the reviews were super good or super bad.
     
  2. Anra7777

    Anra7777 All powerful magic grammar hamster queen pirate.

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    I’ve read only the first 29 chapters, but I liked them a lot. I found the sudden mass release a bit intimidating, which is why I haven’t finished reading it yet. I haven’t read MDZS, but I read quite a bit of Scum Villain, before I semi-dropped it for hating the ML too much. So far, I like all the characters of HOB.
     
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  3. yayamiho

    yayamiho Active Member

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    @Anra7777
    That is nice! Good you are enjoying it hehe~ what are your thoughts on the writing style per se so far?
     
  4. Anra7777

    Anra7777 All powerful magic grammar hamster queen pirate.

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    Writing style is good, although keeping track of the names can be a little hard.
     
  5. GDLiZy

    GDLiZy Wise Deepsea Mermaid

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    I don't know about the novel in question, but why don't you try some of the printed classic Chinese books on NU? They are guaranteed to be good because of their legacy-like quality, and most of them are in ancient china which is a realistic setting with already established world-building.

    By printing, I mean getting their story to publish on newspaper which is the only source of story reading in the old period.
     
  6. baka8roukanako

    baka8roukanako Well-Known Member

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  7. Loni4ever

    Loni4ever The Fluffy White Wolf

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    I read all of it and I really liked it :blob_grin:

    Well, how to talk about this without spoilering  :hmm:

    I've read only 30 sth chapters of MDZS, so I can't really compare them. So you have to pitch it without knowing much about it huh... do you take positive reviews too? xD

    It kinda feels like anything meaningful plot wise I could say would be a spoiler ._. xD

    Vague and not spoiling anything:
    This story is about Xie Lian, the crown prince of the long fallen and more or less forgotten kingdom of Xian Le. At the start, the reader only knows the most prominent events of his past: the brilliant crown prince ascended to godhood at the age of 17, then was banished, then ascended again and got banished again, having to live in the mortal realm and barely scraping by until his third ascension, which is when the story begins. The whys and hows of these happenings are slowly unearthed from then on. While dealing with missions assigned to him as part of his Heavenly Official duties, Xie Lian once again comes across people and places of his past. It's really interesting to discover what happened to him, be it concerning his ascensions/banishments or his following 800 years of living in the mortal realm.
    And of course, next to our MC god Xie Lian, there's our ML demon king Hua Cheng, who according to the synopsis "has been paying attention to him for a very, very long time". The why, when and how of that slowly gets unraveled as the plot progresses and we get to take several detailed looks at the past. And boy... it's quite the story.


    I think this is a great novel~ I definitely wouldn't call it just "reading a book" cause you'll have to binge this for a few days xD
    I really like the characters, particularly the MC and ML. Their interactions are so nice~~ this novel is the main reason "gentle" is now among my favourite words xD it's refreshing how you see the MC being a genuinely nice and caring person, even to random strangers, but then also knowing when to accept things and not to involve himself in others' matters. I really like his character. He's kind, smart, resourceful and persevering. The ML is smooth, knowledgeable, filthy rich *cough* I mean resourceful in a different way and really nice (to the MC lol).

    I'm not sure what to say... the leads' interactions are fluuuuufff and the things we find out about their past or in general are interesting af. At times I was like (°□° ) (°□° ) (°□° ) I would really recommend to read it but I'm not sure if it fits the criteria for what you need.

    If there's sth specific you wanna ask, feel free~ kinda doubting how useful this comment of mine is but well... better than nothing I guess xD

    I'll see myself out now (owo)
    |(owo)
    |owo)
    |wo)
    |o)...
    |==
     
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  8. WhiteMoonlight

    WhiteMoonlight Well-Known Member

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    it's really great. the story is complex and layered. xie lian's journey, all of the rises and falls are beautifully written. honestly i thought mxtx had reached peak with mdzs and its elegance would be unparalleled. i went in with super high hopes and she still managed to surprise me. simply reducing her novels to BL or romcom genre is def not right. her first novel might have been like that but she's been on a roll since.

    i especially love the theme of the novel. there is no one inherently 'evil' or a villain to be exact. the way mxtx treads on morality is crazy good. there are many truths to be uncovered and not a single one of those 700 something chapters are wasted.

    my fav part would probably be around chp 74 or smth in kingdom of xianle. it's a great segment for analyzing the economical and political implications. masterfully weaved. id love to break it down. but shouldnt give spoilers.

    the only complaint would probably be regarding hua cheng (ml) not getting enough character development. the romance is plentiful and stitched into the plot. but while hua cheng did get a lot of backstory, his character revolves around xie lian. not complaining tho. their relationship dynamics are one of my favs if not my topmost.

    if u go in simply for romance, youre going to be terribly disappointed. mxtx takes her time telling the story and revealing the plot bit by bit, clarifying everything. each character has their own motives and complex relations. i could go on all day but these are the few things that stuck out. ill probably never forget this novel lol

    really wanted to give myself to mxtx to take me in as her disciple after reading it. id love to know the way she thinks. her mind is wow
     
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  9. Hualian bae

    Hualian bae Active Member

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    Oh how to start!! I hope I am not late to answer this question❤️ if you are to take HOB for a script assignment you came to the right place! This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read in my life! It is a simple yet complex story and at the end of the day it all makes sense when we finish reading it
    And this book is more than just a romance novel...although it revolves around our beloved MC and ML. It is their story of discovering themselves and accepting and overcoming shadows of their past to move on! (It may sound boring but damn it is not) the way they support each other, their trust ahhhhhh you are gonna cry, squeal, be happy and become a protective mama bear for themthe book have the best side characters just like MDZS if you liked it then you are gonna love HOB...it got mystery it got awesome story arcs which intertwine with the main plot this is story telling at its best...the way MXTX materialize her imaginary world with words, that is like heaven!!t descriptive language and all the vivid scenery she writes are awesomee❤️ believe me I binge read the whole story without missing a word in 3 days!! Once you get to familiarise with the story then comes a thirst to know what happens next!! I still can't move on from this world of gods, demon and ghosts! SIMPLY WOW!! give it a try and it won't disappoint youu!! Hope it will impress your teacher I am a die hard fan of HOB so I maybe biased towards the story soo for me I don't have a ANY negative remarks
     
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  10. TaffyGirl13

    TaffyGirl13 just a casual translator~

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    In general, the author's writing is much more fleshed out in HOB, simply due to increased experience with it being her third series. There are clear similarities between the characters and certain themes that both HOB and MDZS share, so I think generally a reader that enjoyed one series would enjoy the other. I think in terms of overarching plotline, MDZS is more intriguing. The plot involves not just the main characters and supporting characters, but clearly the entire world as well. On the other hand, I think HOB is significantly stronger in character development (it helps that all the characters are immortal beings that have lived hundreds of years and have had varying tragic experiences) than in plot. In addition, I think the antagonist in HOB is much better crafted. HOB feels like the plot was just designed for the character development, while MDZS characters were designed for the plot. Both are great, but there is that subtle shift in focus.

    The other main difference is how the romance plays in. For MDZS, the plot and character development is not significantly dependent on the romance factor, especially obvious when the MC does not realise their feelings until the end, the confession is not until the end, and entire donghua and live-action series were well-executed even after eliminating romance. On the other hand, HOB plot is inseparable from the ML's feelings towards the MC. His many lives were all dedicated to his romantic obsession, which starts from literally the first few chapters of the story and carries through the entire series. The romantic dedication completely shapes who he is and his identity.
     
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  11. giyuuwu

    giyuuwu Well-Known Member

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    Since a part of the poetic value and metaphorical beauty of the language is bound to get lost in translation, I would recommend you research on these elements to showcase them when presenting your case.
    Writing vise, I really enjoyed the novel. it was splendid. When compared to MDZS hmmm not that much of a heart breaker? because MDZS is a GEM. And HOB did have great plot, writing, and characters but I personally prefer MDZS hehe
    And nope, don't worry, it's way better than your typical light novels. There's really good character development and plot progression.
     
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