Hi everyone, new member here brought over by my love for "Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage" I recently came across Malicious Empress as my first foray into reading translated novels. It is a 10/10 for me and now the extreme difficulty lies in finding the next good read which can match this one on terms of heart pounding romance and tightly written plot. Desperately want to know if anyone can recommend something similar! I just loved the way the romance played out in Malicious Empress, with a slow but exciting build. The MC/ML didn’t fall in love with first sight, but lived their own lives and had pursued their own plots and schemes. It was extremely thrilling and unpredictable every time they had interactions by chance (especially under cloak / dagger circumstances). So satisfying to read the development of the ML’s interest - suspicious and wary, then respectful of the MC’s abilities, gradually building to interest and friendship and care (with some cute possessive pettiness sprinkled in). Most importantly, loved how capable the MC was and hugely enjoyed all the well written plots / schemes / mysteries with cliffhangers galore. Despite being a sucker for romance, was more than content for romance to be slow and take a backseat to the rest of the story. TLDR, looking for a historical romance with: smart and scheming female MC slow romance with MC/ML doing their own thing before gradually being pulled together, hence every interaction counts. Bonus if there’s elements of danger / mystery +++ I tried starting to read some other highly rated series but just haven’t managed to get sucked in… (for instance, tried Eight Treasures Trousseau and found it terribly bland and thought it paled in comparison in terms of both romance and plot).
Try The Princess Wei Yang, many chapters translated already. The romance is slow and the MC is smart and scheming.
Thanks so much! Was a little hesitant to start this because some of the reviews said the plots were repetitive / unrealistic. But shall give it a try.
Two of my favorites at the moment are Poison Genius Consort and The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir. PGC is more action packed and the romance is as slow as it gets. Maybe you'll like it but just a heads up that the ML is the definition of an ice block. The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir is not action packed but it is more realistic and there are mysteries here and there to keep you reading.
Just like Chu Wang Fei or Chongfei Manual I couldn't find (until now) a story of rebirth that was as good as the Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. but if you want to try a new one like the MC who is a transmigrator, and ML is reborn. this is the new story I got and the English translation is still running (less than 50 chap now) but it's really worth reading because ML is a person who is quite cruel but really cares about MC. This story is tyrannical wang beloved wife
Update - have read up to the latest translations for Princess Wei Yang. For Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir, was so hooked I waded through the rest of the book in Chinese. For anyone else looking for the next read, definitely second these two, both of which were very enjoyable. However, would rate them as a bit less romantic vs. Malicious Empress (minor spoiler-y male lead impressions): Spoiler: Princess Wei Yang Princess Wei Yang - male lead still unclear as of latest chapter releases. I've gone ahead and read other people's spoilers, but even knowing who the male lead is, the hints are still rather mild and he hasn't quite been positioned as the male lead yet. Spoiler: Dreamer in Spring Boudoir Dreamer in Spring Boudoir - the beginning surprised me as the male lead was just awful, and I kept wondering OK so how will he ever redeem himself and win the MC (and us readers) over? IMO he does eventually, although the path to redemption is very long. Overall the romance is slow and for many parts, subtle.
Hii, I have read many Chinese novels of this type, and all the following ones have a woman as protagonist. Some of them stop at '' Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage '', others not so much but they are reincarnations and the kind of novel that you just mentioned that you want; and I can assure you they are great !! 1.Genius doctor:Black belly miss (of the best I've read) 2. The Anarchic Consort 3. The good for nothing seven young lady 4. Demon king pampered wife the ghostly doctor is... 5. Prodigiously amaizing weaponsmith 6. Mezmerizing ghost doctor (This is also in Manhwa, but I recommend the novel better) 7. Princess Medical Doctor (I do not know if you're going to like it, but give it a try) 8.JUN LAN (it also goes from an empress who dies and when reborn seeks revenge, as in 'Rebirth of the Malicious Empress...') 9.Ghost Emperor Wild Wife: dandly eldest miss 10. The demonic king chases his wife 11. Black bellied belle: demon lord, bite... Actually, so far I have read +40 novels and they all have the same kind of plot, that the woman dies and is reborn and goes from being nothing to the best, but among all of them those 11 are the best and I recommend them super. I hope you like them!!! (Sorry if I do not explain myself well or I have made spelling mistakes, I am not English and my English language level is not very high)
Def recommend Return of the Swallow! It's a slow, realistic romance with a very smart MC. “If it’s a barbarian you want, then it’s a barbarian you’ll get!” Reclaimed by her noble family after being swapped at birth, Qin Yining is bestowed a hellish family instead. Just as she turns her situation around and gains acceptance, her country is plunged into peril and the future bleak. Shades of gray color the world. No side is completely good, and no side is completely evil. Refusing to be a trophy won by men, Qin Yining carves her own path instead. In this absolutely riveting and spellbinding tale, what does our MC do when an entire dynasty is at stake?
Ive read a lot from this genre. All of them have their own pros and cons. But personally, i think it will be difficult to find another novel with a blend of revenge, politics, and romance building as great as Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage. Closest will be the other work of this author Rebirth of the Ill-Fated Consort. It shares a lot of elements as Malicious Empress that it feels like the prototype version of it. However, the translation speed is really slow right now, chapters are short, and The latest is only at chapter 48. Edit: You can also check out Golden Age Legitimate Fei, Divine Doctor: Daughter of First Wife, and Poison Genius Consort.