hidden_face

(reviewed at ch. 501 in the raws) Surprisingly good! Can't call it a great work but it's certainly refreshing in an oversaturated genre. Basically a sign-in novel crossed with 'My Senior Brother Is Too Steady'; the recent profusion of low-quality sign-in novels has rather muddied up the waters but I think this one deservedly stands a bit above the rest. The system is used but certainly not abused (a bit underused, really). The story isn't a power fantasy trying to ride a sign-in system up through the stratosphere (*cough*), which I quite appreciate. As for the characters, they're significantly better than other sign-ins, although ultimately they're not fleshed out to any extent that could really be said to be something exceptional. Also, the romance is very pure, which was nice! No Contrived Harem Plotline (TM) here, a wonderful change of pace. In terms of story, it's not bad, I suppose. Nothing to write home about. Better (you might notice this is becoming a much-repeated refrain in my mouth) than any other sign-in novel I've read. Actually *develops*, compared to most xianxias that sort of flail about on a power fantasy high. There's not a lot of tension or suspense, though. The romance subplot is actually sweet (I really hate the weird dependency fantasy shit that so many cultivation novels fall into), the MC doesn't get all angsty (even if his driving motivations aren't super well developed). Overall: If you're sick-bloody-tired of sign-in power fantasies, give this a try, it was a refreshing change (for me, at least). NOTE: A lot of reviewers don't like it for perceived slowness or unemotional MC; I can't disagree with the latter—I think it needs better justification, at least—but I'm willing to overlook that. As for the 'slowness': the novel doesn't seem to see itself as a cultivation power fantasy (obvs), but rather a cultivation intrigue, just that it doesn't really reach the 'great heights' of a really good intrigue so it comes out a bit closer to 'slice of life with progression in a cultivation world'. I liked it, some might not. NOTE (2): On another site (i.e. RR or SH), I'd probably rate this a star or two lower but due to the profusion of low-quality novels on this site I decided to give it a bit of a boost.

Funnily enough, this coincides with a quite markedly steep drop in the number of '!'s the author uses (can literally see the difference, 115 v. 116).

This is unequivocally the finest novel I have read on this site. Lin Lang is without a doubt the most interesting protagonist character I have met so far. Neither a bland, overly vengeful fool of a cultivation MC without the slightest conception of subtlety, nor a victim of the insipid purity and naïvete of the isekai, she acts intelligently with a brilliance and confidence perfectly natural and proper to her character. I also truly appreciated her flexibility, her ability to put the situation beyond herself and not to simply snap and act rigidly without consideration to circumstance as so many cultivation MCs do (if you have ever cringed when a novel begins with a freshly reincarnated/transmigrated fellow saying «I shall pay back every injury tenfold» then I believe you understand the particular dissatisfaction I am responding to here). What really stands out to me about the novel is its intelligence—I appreciate an MC who has the wherewithal to conceal herself and act sensibly in the face of a world with a complex and developed multiplicity of dangers and conflicting forces, a truly stand-out quality in comparison to works whose protagonists are possessed by an intractable Icarian compulsion to fame or the satisfaction of their pride or otherwise saddled with various species of incaution. Insofar as «Story Development» goes, I've found following Ling Lan to be properly riveting—the progression of the story maintains a wonderful tension between the setting and the level of power and influence the characters possess, and manages to sustain that pace brilliantly. The whole progression of child > student > cadet > commander is seamless, progressing along with Ling Lan's personal and organisational power. The plot is not ham-fistedly forced upon her, and the decisions that drive the narrative forward makes sense in context. As for the world background, I will admit that I found some of the political overtones to be troubling to various extents, especially the extremely caricatured Twilight Empire, although I will refrain from commenting on those particulars. I will also refrain also from commenting on issues such as gender and ***uality, as someone lacking any qualification of knowledge in those areas, other than to say that my impression of their treatment was more nuanced and equitable than in many other novels I've read on this site. In any case, this is certainly the novel I have most enjoyed on this site and I hope many others have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy this work as well. Em feir e fortùn vais, e on cem bej fais, autòr!

Fazeir eni plaij dei blanj? Cortaiz per leuar a caputo 77, tans elhateim (par iu) nin sperci... No basieiru 'ntreste per dal—podatai pablai re cui verci iu n'autre brau cu fazeira alat «cazát par mateire», morvès s'remusaic fec muleliac e sem consecin realan a protagonistu. Marci caratterin—pablacatai cui'scu dei'li s'efeirunoi mem nin par mei, sem cion a'o deosa (da rencarnac), s'cai n'pe deprort, considerc ma peit per la da heur d'paj la eiatenà. O protagonistu sant vanilat e «pushover» serbe, impradam n'pe rupa a narratif e sentai cui o protagonistu ait bascu e transparenten apeut cuit voyenaira motor da narratif, islace cui protagonistu progrucij. Cam par i caratterin sileit, li desaprace muit mac fortu, a plaijant paz a «cannon fodder», oc lart per alazzi sem detalie e o'nemegiu sem nin reconce plait—pacal falt da emoli pari ladi aliargi ei motivarci, s'pacal on pirsonalne, m'impradoi pui e'a fata razan cui impradoi oa deosa, on priava, percui m'parce saverci cui s'fazardieu la. Em per o fazdesiceit do protagonistu, salpacai iu a fi'autri superni e'bi malci, e ande solait cui parenci tans'em conserconcait sai, em on plai perci amanuci cercucacu mutu e lebu leuraitan, l'solazzi a leurot an mat, mejorain desicem savilem poicem. Par ot, aprexai iu n'ouvru da potence ma nom em cui oa lin narratif suporca torcal o mondu e'oi caratterin a cuint spercim meruit contruit.

To clarify—I did find it quite an enjoyable read, it's simply that my poor OCD heart can't take all of the missed chances he forgoes anymore, although one day I'll probably come back and take a second look.