#i especially want to do the wen clan at some point

[my-hyperfixation-hell]

assigning MDSZ characters TCGF gods (and one calamity) they'd worship

I think the BIGGEST disclaimer I need to put out before this post is that the MDSZ characters would not know these gods personally. Thus, the perspectives I am giving them on the gods are what I think someone unacquainted would think if they heard the myths and legends about the gods, not what they're actually like.

I gave most sects a major martial god to worship, because I think they would. Note that I was going purely off of vibes, but am aware that in canon martial gods are worshipped based off geographic location.

Some characters may get more than one god.

Wei Wuxian: Worships martial gods (Mu Qing in this case) alongside Lotus Pier once adopted into it but never really resonates. As the Yiling Laozu, he worships Crimson Rain Sought Flower, as some mortals canonically do, but never asks for anything from him. The worship is moreso a form of following comforting rituals he once did as a child, and he's well aware he has nothing good to offer a rich ghost king while running the Burial Mounds. He sees Crimson Rain as an outcast much like himself, considering Crimson Rain's relations with the Heavens. I think if he had to pick a martial god, he'd pick Quan Yizhen, because he respects Quan Yizhen's refusal of the status quo.

I get more into Lotus Pier as a whole worshipping Shi Wudu for Jiang Cheng's answer, but I do think Wei Wuxian once got in a lot of trouble for questioning what kind of god uses his own domain to extort mortals into worshipping him. He does not worship Shi Wudu on his own.

Jiang Cheng: Mu Qing is the obvious answer, and while I do agree, I also think if he ever learned of Xie Lian's story he would resonate a lot with it. Having his home destroyed and having to start over from scratch, I think he'd relate to the god of misfortune who lost his entire kingdom and re ascended multiple times, but he may keep that worship private because he's in far too vulnerable a place when he engages in it. I don't think Xie Lian would mind, I think Xie Lian would appreciate a quieter style of worship.

Additionally, Lotus Pier being on the water, they worship Shi Wudu out of necessity to not get their shit wrecked (part 2), but I think Jiang Cheng quietly resents the Water Master in his own heart because he was aware of how easy it would have been for the Water Master to intervene when Lotus Pier was first destroyed, and he simply did not.

Jin Zixuan: Pei Ming, and this represents his off-screen character growth. As a teenager he focused on Pei Ming as a flashy and well-liked martial god he wanted to emulate. As he grew older, and began to love Jiang Yanli very genuinely, he often prayed to Pei Ming for confidence and to help him woo her.

The Jin clan as a whole worships Pei Ming.

Jin Guangyao: Because the rest of the Jin clan does, Jin Guangyao worships Pei Ming for show. In private, he worships Ling Wen, because I view him both as someone who values education and the way she had to claw herself up in a society that did not respect her because she was a woman.

Being educated was part of what gave Jin Guangyao the social mobility he had, even when Jin Guangshan initially rejected him. He had to be well-spoken and persuasive as well as a physically powerful cultivator.

Nie Huaisang: Ling Wen, 100%. He is not aware of her crimes, as mortals wouldn't know all that, but if he did know he'd only support her even harder. To him, a literature god represents everything he wants to do with his life, but can't because he has vengeance to get and his attempts at dodging clan leader status have failed miserably.

I also think he looks up to her as a powerful figure who didn't need to rely on physical force and might to get to where she is. To him, she represents proof that intelligence and the arts are valuable, too.

As a whole, the Nie clan worships Quan Yizhen, because he shares their obsession with combat and their "no thoughts just fists" attitude towards it.

Nie Mingjue: Quan Yizhen, alongside the rest of the Nie clan, 100%. Mistakenly sees parallels in Yin Yu and Jin Guangyao, because he is not aware of the actual story behind the Brocade Immortal situation. All he knows is that there are a ton of stories about how Quan Yizhen's jealous fake martial brother secretly went behind his back and betrayed him.

I also think there are parallels to Quan Yizhen being controlled by the Brocade Immortal and Nie Mingjue by Jin Guangyao's music, even if the actual contexts are entirely different.

Lan Xichen: Alongside the rest of the Cloud Recesses, Lan Xichen would worship Mu Qing as a martial god who ascended out of cultivation above pure might.

I think a part of Lan Xichen would feel drawn towards the Windmaster, too. I think he admires and to some extent envies her free nature, but he doesn't want to abandon his duties like his father did.

Lan Wangji: Of course also Mu Qing, but he would join Wei Wuxian in his worship as well. I think for Lan Wangji, worship of the gods is heavily about routine. He's the kind of person to thrive off consistency, and worship of the gods is one of many parts of cultivation he's been raised with.

[fiftysevenacademics]

I thought the transition between the part where Wei Wuxian, freshly minted necromancer, is torturing Wen Chao and then suddenly the next chapter, post-resurrection Wei Wuxian is dreaming in Lan Wangji's bed at Cloud Recesses while recovering from Jin Ling's stab wound seemed abrupt until this:

"...Don't...don't be mad..."

Lan Wangji was slightly taken aback. In a gentle voice he replied, "I am not."

"...Oh," Wei Wuxian murmured. He seemed to be reassured by hearing that and loosened his grip.

Lan Wangji sat down by Wei Wuxian's side. When Wei Wuxian had stilled once more, he made to get up but was stopped by Wei Wuxian grabbing hold of him once again.

Wei Wuxian clung to his arm and pleaded urgently,"I'll return with you. Hurry up and take me back home with you."

And that totally devastated me.

Because what had just happened in the previous chapter was Wei Wuxian yelling:

"Lan Wangji! Must you come at me like this right now? You want me to go to Cloud Recesses and be confined by the Lan Clan as punishment? Who do you think you are? What do you think the Lan Clan is?! Do you really think I won't fight back?"

The thing that completely guts me about this story is the regret. The characters, most especially Wei Wuxian, embark on courses of action and make choices that seem right at the time. But though we're in control of our own actions and choices, we have no control over their consequences, and only for the very lucky few do things go exactly according to plan.

A well-lived life will inevitably be filled with regrets for most of us and as we climb higher and higher on the pile of choices we've made over time, we can look down on and see so many other routes we could have taken.

How can one be happy under the weight of accumulated regret?

Wei Wuxian has more to regret than most, and in his fever dream, he's probably back in that old moment, begging Lan Wangji's forgiveness and grabbing the lifeline he's throwing out. Perhaps if he had returned to Cloud Recesses, told Lan Wangji the truth about his golden core, and given up his demonic cultivation, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did.

That moment had been a turning point in his life, but he hadn't realized it at the time.

Now, it looks like Lan Wangji is saving him anyway, like his fate is always somehow in his hands, but Wei Wuxian is just beginning to understand this, after so many people have died, his family has rejected him, and he's died and returned in someone else's body. The dream shows that he recognizes he's being given a second chance and this time, he doesn't want to screw it up. But he will always have to live with the regret, and learn how to achieve some measure of happiness around it.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

(Submission) Why do people feel so sorry for JGY and NMJ again? I enjoy both of their characters but it’s so plain that they both made their bed (the coffin) and must lie in it.

---------

Hello there. I think because many prefer to approach works and characters less from an analytical and outward standpoint,and more of a "well this is what I would do if I were in this situation instead". Which then of course leads to where I can sympathize with these men, despite the surrounding context from the story that lessens that sympathy, very much on purpose.

Yes, Jin Guangyao had a very difficult childhood due to the cruelty of classism, yet he still had a mother that loved him and wanted the best for him, and tried within her means. His love of her though did not mean he had to torture older women still living in brothel life and killing them, he did not need to condemn an entire clan to death because they called him the same as Wen Ruohan and use them once again to claim they killed his son out of hate, when it had been his own hand because of his own obsession of appearing saintly kind and untouchable to the masses of gentry he wanted to be part of fully and idolized.

He is not a working class hero that his fans try to say he is. He didn't do a thing to help civilian life within text, that is actually still pointed to be something only the Lans participate in, and Lan Wangji's own students even more so. He wanted to erase everything about his beginnings because he was ashamed and thought lesser of them, he states that he is better than those he came of.

He also manipulated his own friendship with Lan Xichen to start poisoning Nie Mingjue into Qi deviation and on page confirmation of true demonic arts. Whatever prior to his rise to power, is not an excuse for his continued desperate hold for more even after he was on top especially when he very much tried to kill his nephew who he had raised from birth twice on page. And through all of this displays no remorse for these actions other than miming very weak reasons that even a very naive Lan Xichen can see with nothing but terror at this lack of taking claim for one's actions from malice and manipulations.

As for Nie Mingjue, there is another idolatry with the idea of a strict, but kind righteous brother. When he is not even that. His own traditionalism blinds him from the actions of sympathy and he condemns an entire group of people based on hate of people that have already died, while hypocritically he sits in the same room of those that once had it. While he is proud of his own name, he does not allow the surviving Wens even that because of his hate that has no place after the war he won. He is not even kind to his own brother who he doesn't understand and mocks for not wanting to be anything like Nie Mingjue, partially out of yes, love and worry, but also because his own way of life is the only way of life. That is not tolerance and he wouldn't be even if there was some change to the external plot details.

His hate is the reason he is a mindless dumb corpse unlike Song Lan and Wen Ning, who at their core were always kind people that were strong because of their faith in kindness. Nie Mingjue did not believe in kindness but righteous zealotry and when he thought one was not adhering to his form of righteous zealotry, they were unworthy of basic humanity.

He himself has no qualms with calling Jin Guangyao as he is due to being born from a whore as if that's why Jin Guangyao is evil and cruel. He is a hypocrite in his own words as he is offended that Jin Guangyao views himself as better than lesser class individuals, yet is quick to say it's the reason Jin Guangyao is what he is. That is classic classism in verbiage. It also isn't due to the cruelty that Jin Guangyao exhibits that he cares about, it's what he views as a disgrace to any sort of "righteous" tactics that should be employed instead.

Yes, these men are very nuanced and very deeply layered, but nuance does not mean they were well meaning, kind, tolerant in action, especially when the text implies they are like many many politicians that exist in the world, and even get these same long winded metas cooing over them and making up reasons as to why they're men to be admired, loved, and coddled. Ironic really, from a sociological look into the ways of fandom speech and underlying bias from world wide isms that permeate societies.

[atqh16]

Ok no seriously why does no one talk about the trauma Wei Wuxian dealt with at being forced to live in isolation for 3 whole months in the burial mounds? Not even talking about how its a place thats infested with resentful energy. Realistically speaking the effects of isolation is a very well documented issue and from the way Wei Wuxian acts when he comes back he displays very classic symptoms. Heightened irritability, poor impulse control, aggression, general struggles to reassimilate into society and a LOT more. Yeah Wei Wuxian has always been rather reckless and impulsive. As a teenager. But afterwards it's shown to be a lot worse. He drinks a lot more. He isolates himself and avoids his duties as Jiang Chengs second in command. He's much more hostile towards those he deems to have done wrong. He becomes more defensive. Easier to anger.

Some fans (especially Jiang Cheng stans) argue that Wei Wuxian should have said something but anyone who's ever dealt with trauma indirectly or not know how borderline impossible that is. Especially considering the type of relationship the brothers had before. Their rough and tumble was always done jokingly but afterwards Wei Weuxian would have seen his trauma as a point of shame. ESPECIALLY in the culture and childhood he was brought up in. Especially after being accused of triggering the Lotus Pier massacre (which was not his fault in the slightest. The fault of genocide will always lie solely on the perpetrators. No one else). He's been subconsciously told his whole that he owed the Jiangs everything. As close as he might have been to his siblings they still weren't related by blood. If his issue with Jiang Cheng was shame then his issue with Yan Li was that he wanted to protect her from his own pain. Him thinking Lan Zhan hated him and simply wanted him back in Gusu to be punished was a very understandable conclusion.

To say that Wei Wuxian was dealing with a trauma conga line would be an understatement and I hate how so many stans trying to defend their fav completely ignore that. I'm not frustrated with Jiang Cheng for being angry with his brother for the choices he made. I'm angry at him for not trying harder to understand his brother. I'm annoyed at how easily he decides to abandon him. I'm angry at how he insists that their childhood promise was worth more than the lives of the women, children and elderly living in destitute and surviving solely because Wei Ying stands as their defender. I'm frustrated that he doesn't try harder to give his brother the benefit of the doubt and is so easily swayed by the accusations against him. Even Mian Mian, someone who barely knows Wei Ying and is basically a nobody, had the strength and integrity to stand up for Wei Yings actions s and Jiang Cheng couldn't even do that? The fact that Lan Zhan is the only one who acknowledges and thanks Mian Mian for what she did says something.

Politics will NEVER be a good excuse to ignore the atrocities and wrong doings that are being done clear as day in front of you. Jiang Cheng saw with his very own eyes that the Wen Remnants were harmless and still insisted that Wei Ying abandon them. Wtf?

Even if you did want to go into the politics of it let's be real, Wei Ying was an incredibly powerful 'weapon' that was feared by all because of his reputation alone. If Jiang Cheng had stood by him no one would have dared to openly object to him. If you're talking about allies; Lan Xichen would have been reasonable enough to provide whatever aid and support he could and with the reputation the Lans had of their integrity it would have rooted the Jiang clans status even more.

The problem will always be that Jiang Cheng never even TRIED. Mxtx has always put emphasis on her details and there were none for this and that says something. I love Jiang Cheng as a character but I will forever hate him as a person.

As for culture don't even start. I'm Asian, living in an Asian countrh who grew up with Asian traditions. I vehemently disapprove of a the actions the rest of the characters made because culture might make it understandable but NEVER excusable.

If you're not one of the people who thinks these things then this post is very obviously not about you.

[lansplaining]

does jiang cheng have a choice?

antis hate Jiang Cheng for ‘abandoning’ Wei Wuxian, but did he realistically have any other options available? 

for my money, the non-negotiable goals for Jiang Cheng in this situation are

keep Wei Wuxian alive and not in the custody of another clan

ease the pressure from the other clans to take responsibility for/act against Wei Wuxian 

maintain the Jiang clan’s autonomy and standing amongst the clans

and the non-negotiable goals for Wei Wuxian in this situation are

keep Jiang Cheng and the Jiang clan safe, alive, and out of the direct control of other clans (especially the Jin) 

undermine Jiang Cheng’s authority as clan leader as little as possible 

keep the Wen safe, alive, and free (ish-- at least as free as they are now) 

continue trying to save Wen Ning/keep him ‘alive’ once he’s revived 

do not reveal to anyone that he has lost his golden core 

do not give anyone the Yin Tiger Tally 

Wei Wuxian returning to the Jiang is off the table because he won’t leave the Wen. Wei Wuxian AND the Wen somehow coming into the custody of the Jiang isn’t possible because Jiang Cheng doesn’t have that much clout, and it’s hard to believe that Wei Wuxian would accept a situation that would necessarily have to look a lot like imprisonment for the Wen if the other clans were going to accept it. so already, the only way for Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian to both achieve some of their key goals is for Wei Wuxian to stay in the Burial Mounds with the Wen somehow-- which means the only goals remaining to both of them are ensuring that the Jiang clan doesn’t get punished for that, or placed in a situation where they’re forced to act violently against Wei Wuxian/the Burial Mounds/the Wen (and yes, obviously it comes to that eventually anyway, but a lot changes first). and canon is explicitly clear that the other clans are absolutely not about to let the Jiang off the hook for what Wei Wuxian is doing. they want and need him to turn on Wei Wuxian, and if he won’t, they don’t really care about dragging this decimated, teenager-led clan down with Wei Wuxian. 

the Jiang clan has nothing at this point, barely even a home. even if the other clans were open to reaching a compromise in terms of the Wei Wuxian situation, who on earth is going to believe him if he says, I’ve got the Wei Wuxian situation handled, I’m going to leave him in the Burial Mounds and keep an eye on him, he’s my problem not yours? 

and that’s the final, essential element-- Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian are not in a fair fight. the other clans are actively pushing them towards conflict, and won’t accept any outcome besides a complete break, or a complete capitulation by Wei Wuxian. 

maybe I’m just not feeling creative today, but I genuinely can’t come up with a single other solution beyond the one that the two of them find and implement in canon-- a fake schism and staged fight. 

[weiwuxianismybae]

wei wuxian isn't sin-free either. that's the point. no one in mdzs is. the purity police mentality is why so many in the fandom turned their backs on wangxian. wei wuxian is not a perfect uwu little angel. he committed more atrocities than jin guangyao

???????????????????????????????

How to say you missed the point without saying you missed the point.

Anyway, sorry, I'll stop joking around. Let's take this bit by bit, shall we?

Not sure what you mean by "pure" and "sin". I don't know enough about Buddhism or Chinese culture in general, so I won't speek much on this matter. (Yet, I'm pretty sure the book wasn't written with Christianity in mind🙃). Anyway, making mistakes doesn't make you "bad". Making mistakes is what makes us human and it doesn't make you morally "grey" or "bad" and especially not when you regret them:

He was only stating a simple fact calmly, but the cultivator felt as if he was scorned, fuming, “What do you think we’re talking about here? How could there be bargaining for debts of blood?”

Wei WuXian, “It’s not that I want to bargain about such a thing, but that I don’t want my charges to be doubled just because of some words from another. I won’t shoulder what I didn’t do.”

ExR ch. 79

Note that he said that he won't shoulder what he didn't do, not that he won't shoulder anything at all.

Finally, Wei WuXian spoke up. He said, “Then what do you want me to do?”

Fang MengChen paused in surprise. Wei WuXian, “Then what do you want? Nothing but my miserable death to soothe your own hatred?” He pointed at Yi WeiChun, who lay passed out among the crowd, “He’s missing a leg, while I was cut into pieces; you lost your parents, while my family had long since been gone. I’m a dog who was chased out of its home. I’ve never even seen the ashes of my parents.”

Wei WuXian, “Or do you hate the Wen Sect’s remnants? The Wen Sect remnants that you speak of already died once, thirteen years ago. And right now, just then, for my sake, for your sake, they died once again. This time, they’ve all become ashes.” He continued, “Let me ask you—just what else do you want me to do?”

[...]

Wei WuXian, “Nobody told you to forgive me. The things I did, not only do you remember them, I remember them too. You won’t forget them, and they’ll stay even longer in my mind!”

ExR ch. 82

Wei Wuxian's goodness shouldn't be debated. All his actions were justified. He was never the initiator. Let me repeat myself: Who attacked whom first? Who massacred Wei Wuxian's home? Who send the Wen remnants, who lived peacefully on a small piece of land that was given to them by the winners, to the work camps where they were tortured?

As for the remnants of the Wen Sect, they were herded into a small corner of Qishan, not even a thousandth the territory it onced owned. They were crammed into the place and struggled to live.

ExR ch. 72

Who ambushed whom on Qiongqi path? Who went on offensive because he grew up with his cousin and didn't like Wei Wuxian anyway? Who promised to let the matter go if Wen Qing and Wen Ning turned themselves over? Who went back on that promise? Who gathered 3000 cultivators to kill 50 innocent people? Who killed those innocents?

"He committed more atrocities than Jin Guangyao"

...

...

I recommend you to read the extra Villainous Friends. It's a real eye-opener.

Just then, two disciples from the Jin Clan of Lanling dragged over a cultivator with disheveled hair.

"Weren't you going to refine a new set of fierce corpses?" Jin Guangyao said. "As it happens, I've brought materials for you."

[...]

A young girl and boy, both trussed with rope, kneeled on the ground and shouted miserably to He Su.

"Ge!"

He Su was stunned. His face blanched white as paper. "Jin Guangyao! What do you mean by this?! You can just kill me. Why implicate my entire clan?!"

[...]

Jin Guangyao shot him a glance, then turned back around and said in an even-tempered tone, "You can't say that. The He Clan of Tingshan used the full force of its power to start an uprising and plot to assassinate Sect Leader Jin. All of you were caught red-handed. How can you call this 'no reason'?"

A number of the captives cried out, "Ge! He's lying! We didn't. We really didn't!"

"What a crock of shit!" He Su spat. "Open your damn eyes and take a good look around! There's a nine-year-old child here, and elders who can't even walk! What uprising could they start?! And why would they assassinate your father out of the blue?!"

[...]

However, no one here would listen to his defense. Sitting before him were two vicious villains who already considered him a dead man and were enjoying the sight of his last-ditch struggle. Jin Guangyao leaned back with a smile and waved.

"Gag him. Go on, gag him."

Wei Wuxian never killed his father, brother, son, wife and then pretended that he had no choice. Wei Wuxian didn't slaughter a whole clan just because they were standing in his way and he saw them as annoyance. Wei Wuxian was never besties with other mass murderers (Xue Yang).

I wanted to argue that the only thing that made Jin Guangyao better than Jin Guangshan was that he had never forced himself on women... but then I remembered how Jin Guangshan died...

SiSi, “The middle-aged man wanted to shout and struggle, but his body was weak. The boy who led us inside opened the door again, grinning as he dragged him onto the bed again and tied him up with a rope, stepping on his head. He told us, carry on, don’t stop even when he’s dead. Have any of us been through such a situation before? We were scared half-dead, but we didn’t dare disobey. We had to continue. At the twelfth or eleventh round, that sister suddenly screamed, saying that he really was dead. I went over and checked. He’d indeed kicked the bucket, but the person behind the curtain said, didn’t you hear me? Don’t stop even when he’s dead!”

ExR ch. 85

Don't spoil Wei Wuxian's good name by comparing him to the likes of Jin Guangyao!

+ bonus:

"You little hooligan," Jin Guangyao said with a laugh. "Wreck stalls if that's what you want. You can burn down the entire street, for all I care, as long as you mind two things—don't wear the Sparks Amidst Snow uniform, and keep your face hidden. Don't let anyone find the culprit and put me on the spot."

Btw, the excerpts from Villainous Friends were taken from Seven Seas translation.

[fierrochase-falafel]

Censorship and CQL: Overanalysing how The Untamed adapted the 'Dafan Wen'

I don't think I've seen people talk about this a lot, and I really do love CQL a lot, so I'm not going out of my way to hate on it and I certainly don't think of myself as claiming truths out here; this is just my own view of a concept in CQL. That being said, hot take! I don't like the 'Dafan' Wen. It's just that something irks me about having a whole community of people that conveniently did nothing wrong in the series, and have only ever healed others. A lot of CQL or (some) CQL fanfictions seem to hinge on the Dafan Wen being completely innocent; not like those other Qishan Wen who are evil! Which ties in to a broader point about CQL's censorship. And I know MDZS and CQL are both different media but I want to try to justify while I feel this way (in chapters ;)).

1: Wen Qing adapted

Where do I start? I think this is best started with Wen Qing, their leader, and a character I love no matter what media she's in. Wen Qing is already changed up a lot in CQL. Her circumstances involving Wen Ruohan are forced upon her due to his power. Her brother's safety is being actively held over her head by 1 villain, the ultimate evil villain. She is designed to be a much more sympathetic character, someone who doesn't have a choice because of Wen Ruohan specifically. There is 1 piece of leverage and 1 villain, meaning that her motivations are a bit less nuanced. She wants to protect Wen Ning and that's that, but when not bound by Wen Ruohan's orders or risk to Wen Ning's life, she helps Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng practically as much as she can for someone who barely knows them (especially in the dancing statue episodes). What CQL is trying to show is that she is a good person, and committed to what the show recognises as good regardless of her circumstances.

Contrasting her with novel Wen Qing though, I think the latter shows a less dramatised but more conflicting dilemma as to whether or not she can be considered 'good', particularly by the other cultivators. Wen Qing is Wen Ruohan's favourite niece, who respects her deeply for her vast knowledge and skills. Unlike CQL Wen Qing, she is privileged in her position prior to the Sunshot Campaign and is arguably complicit in the Wen clan's wrongdoings because she never spoke out against them, which is what the Jin clan argued. This argument being used against her makes more sense here because of the benefits she recieved because of the Wen clan's abuse of power- even if she personally did nothing (which she calmly and clearly states to Wei Wuxian) and her branch "doesn’t have much blood on their hands", she benefitted from not being attacked or hit by the effects of war like all the other clans. When this was used against CQL Wen Qing though, the argument can automatically be dismissed as untrue. She was even locked in a DUNGEON for helping the Yunmeng siblings! And that's the conflict I want to draw attention to: where in CQL something is outright false or unreasonable, MDZS has a point that can be argued for and against with no real black-or-white conclusion.

If you were Wen Qing and you could either retain a comfortable position of privilege or lose everything to be tortured by your uncle, it's obviously more favourable to choose the former regardless of how you feel about the war! Especially if both your AND your brother's lives hinge on it! It's not a matter of the greater good: the fact is, Wen Qing's main priorities were being fulfilled in her position, and it's not like anyone was going to greet her with open arms on the other side, so did she really do anything wrong? I'd say she didn't, but that doesn't mean she wasn't voluntarily standing by as the other clans suffered as opposed to being threatened or locked up.

2: Considering some possible implications of Wei Wuxian saving the 'Dafan Wen'

CQL Wen Qing is absolved of any potential blame by making her initially morally grey actions explained away by being threatened and thus controlled by the villain. Similarly, CQL sets her family apart from the rest of the Wens by having them live on a different mountain and be treated poorly by the main Qishan Wen under Wen Ruohan. There is now a whole group of Wens who are 'special', effectively, for also suffering under the hand of the main Wen clan as much as the other clans- arguably more. This makes the treatment of the Dafan Wen one that is misunderstood, one that shows their allies (who saved them from Wen Ruohan's rule) becoming their enemies SOLELY by virtue of the Wen family name, and that is why Wei Wuxian protecting them is so important in CQL. Which isn't necessarily bad for a message, but one that is way less nuanced.

Wei Wuxian's complexity suffers from this- in the novel, I would argue a much more prominent reason he saves Wen Qing and the others are because Wen Qing and Wen Ning helped him in the past and he both wants to and feels obligated to help them particularly. Furthermore, he is angry that his personal wartime allies are having to go through this. Running off to the Burial Mounds was not on his radar exactly until he met Wen Qing again. It was partly due to his moral compass but partly due to his personal ties. However, if the Dafan Wen as a whole are fully victims and were never villains, then protecting them becomes a matter of righteousness at its core. Anyone complaining about it is being completely unfair to them and Wei Wuxian, and are just straight-up wrong. There's a difference between being ignorant and being wrong- where in MDZS the other clans show ignorance (definitely misguided but you see why argue what they do), in CQL the other clans are just wrong (come on, the peaceful Wen offshoot living on a whole different mountain can't possibly be unheard of by ANYONE at the banquet that night Wei Wuxian threatened Jin Zixun).

In CQL, one could also argue there's no room for Wei Wuxian to just-- not save the Wen siblings. They were some level of friends by that point, the Wen siblings had saved Wei Wuxian time and time again (even from a dog!) and their theoretically unproblematic clan had treated him well too. Him wanting to save them aligns his personal attachment to them with their 'goodness', making it impossible to not save them. In MDZS, Wei Wuxian both knows the Wen siblings less and does not have any special sense of justice attached because of their seperate branch, even if they didn't commit war crimes. This adds new dimensions to his reasons to protect the clan- even if he is protecting them out of care and justice, it shows Wei Wuxian's willingness to do anything for people if he believes he owes it to them. It also shows his willingness to help these specific Wens because of that, and his decision becomes less about justice for all Wens, as the only reason he is protecting these Wens over any other Wens is about Wen Qing and Wen Ning. It's not that these Wens were being subjugated by Wen Ruohan (they likely received similar benefits to Wen Qing) and thus deserved to be protected as 'good people', but that they were A) currently powerless and B) in the same group with and/or related to Wen Qing and Wen Ning. The unspoken implication of there being other Wens out there undergoing brutal treatment for remaining silent prior to the Sunshot Campaign is realistic and shows Wei Wuxian to be limited in who he has the capacity to protect and why he would protect them. It's never as simple as justice. I would argue that making the Burial Mounds Wens representative of regular Wens adds to the impact of Wei Wuxian's decision as a difficult one, and one much harder for the other clans to forgive.

Here's an alternate way to consider the implications. If the 'Dafan Wen' don't exist, then Wei Wuxian's decision is less about how 'good' the Wen clan (or any branch of it) are as a whole, and more about how unethical any Wens, Dafan or not, are being treated by the other clans. However, Wei Wuxian is 1 man with his own priorities and when he chooses who to protect, he chooses the affiliates of those who he knows were willing to help him rather than making any huge statement about unethical treatment of prisoners of war. He slaughtered many Wens on the battlefield after all, and he isn't about to save EVERY Wen who never helped him- this isn't feasible anyways and I feel like it also actively avoids the 'Wei Wuxian is the most righteous person ever' route it could've gone down.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------(DISCLAIMER:) It is important to note though that what crimes were committed by which Wen sect cultivators is an incredibly difficult topic to unravel. We know only some Wen sect cultivators were imprisoned due to their involvement in the war, but some innocent ones (who were initially free-roaming) like Wen Ning's group were forcefully taken too by cultivators like Jin Zixun facing no punishment or attention for doing so. I assume the latter happens a lot, and they were being treated like prisoners and labourers (as Granny Wen was) even if they were supposedly free-roaming before. None of the guards were surprised and referred to new Wen sect cultivators being sent there everyday- I feel like innocent or guilty in the war stops being a question. So we have all these questions about how fair is their treatment prisoners of war AND their treatment of other Wen sect cultivators. Much of said treatment isn't gone into detail as well, because I doubt the Jin clan or anyone else is particularly honest about it, and Wei Wuxian's own opinion on this is never physically said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3: The moral solution

What I'm getting at, in this roundabout way, is that in CQL there is an easier moral solution: the Dafan Wen tried to help the other clans as much as they could and were being threatened by the main Wen clan, therefore they should be protected despite their name. The other clans argue they're Wens and thus should not be protected, but they're not like the normal Wens- they're different and peaceful. It is clear: the good action is to protect the good people. It's almost a cop-out from showing that just because someone was benefited by or on the side of the villain by choice does not make them necessarily evil or anything (and certainly doesn't warrant punishing them the same way their higher-ups tortured you). This also immediately places the Dafan Wen and Wei Wuxian on the side of 'good' while placing the main Wen clan and anyone trying to actively argue for the murder of the Dafan Wen on the side of 'wrong' (like Nie Mingjue- not necessarily evil but definitely wrong).

Wei Wuxian is the ultimate hero character for standing up for what is right because it is right, as opposed to a character who isn't always able to fulfil that. Wei Wuxian's cultivation is also changed in CQL so as to not involve any genuine resurrection or control of the dead (in ghost form or otherwise). This softens the outrageous or grave aspects of what he actually did, and once again removes an aspect of his actions that can be viewed as morally wrong in any way. In my opinion atleast, MDZS is a lot harder to interpret in 1 specific way compared to CQL because these nuances within the Wen clan's and Wei Wuxian's actions exist, and often there is no right answer at all. While in MDZS Wei Wuxian is still morally ideal in the way he sticks to his guns (unlike SO many other characters), he doesn't get away with being blameless, but his CQL counterpart kind-of did nothing wrong.

4: (Unsurprisingly) Censorship makes a difference

This being said, I know CQL did their absolute utomost to translate this story to a live-action in the best way possible. Many of the changes they made (having the whole cast be involved since the very beginning, for instance) served the web series format in the best way possible, getting viewers invested in them from the get-go in this medium. Even these changes I've talked about may not really take a huge amount away from the story; after all, Wen Qing and Wen Ning's branch were by and large not involved in all the Sunshot campaign killing in both versions of the story. I am perhaps just making a mountain out of a molehill. However, I'd say the difference between their portrayals is still significant enough to change the connotations of the story as a whole.

The main conflict in the past was Wei Wuxian's decision to stand up for the residents of the Burial Mounds, and the involvement of the rest of the cultivation world in his demise. The context to this conflict being changed also changes the takeaway from this conflict.

My takeaway from these changes is that this is CQL fitting in with censorship guidelines to avoid depictions of moral greyness or any seeming lack of righteousness in the 'good guys'. I'm no genius on censorship guidelines and I am not Chinese, so I'm going off of my limited somewhat-academic and online forum research, but any content "transgressing social morality" (wording taken from here) is prohibited.

A lot of people online who are opposed to CQL's changes regarding this are angry about the idea of villains needing to be hands down the main evil, and I understand. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I really was disappointed getting to the end of CQL where they go "Su She was playing the flute all this time! He was the one who got Jiang Yanli killed!" I appreciate that CQL only decided to really engage with this at the very end and not embellishing Jin Guangyao's role in Wei Wuxian's demise even more. Without watching the last 2 episodes, it was almost (key word: almost) as if they hadn't had to censor the original death scene at all. I also do think though, that the censorship of 'heroes' goes more unnoticed when talking about this show. The censorship in CQL of Wei Wuxian's morally grey actions or fatal mistakes for example, like by not having him inadvertently cause Jiang Yanli's death. There's also CQL showing him repeatedly talking about how he wants to stand with justice with Lan Wangji (which I'm pretty sure doesn't happen in the books), just to hone in on how righteous they consistently are. Referring to Jiang Yanli's death, when Wei Wuxian sticking to his personal code of justice has consequences that betray what he wanted to happen, it isn't easy anymore for him to be a hero. His decisions are harder- he didn't have his cultivation under control after all no matter how much he wanted to, he wasn't blameless no matter how well-intentioned his actions were. Like Wei Wuxian, I believe Wen Qing and her branch of the Wen clan are also censored by having them as part of the different Dafan Wen clan, again to show all of them as unquestionably good or blameless in the series when they aren't in the novel.

5: CQL, MDZS, and fan interpretation

Around when I was introduced to CQL (for which I can never thank you enough, @iliketodecompose), I remember being told told that the best way to watch CQL is as its own series as opposed to an adaptation of MDZS. I think this is a good way to perceive and love the series in light of its differences to the novel, because even little differences like these can change what the story says. Maybe some people agree with me and some think I'm reading too much into it / have misinterpreted the series entirely, in which case I'm glad to hear alternate opinions or justifications, but I do not want to engage with "you're 100% wrong about this piece of fiction" comments. Opinions about the clarity of how MDZS is meant to be interpreted range far and wide; there are bound to be whole groups of people who disagree with me for several reasons but that's just how it goes. Having looked into other people's opinions across the internet, I've expanded my horizons to other interpretations as well. I don't think we have to be bound to a single interpretation; I've found myself agreeing with many people's arguments even if they partially disagree with or come in from a different angle than my own.

In conclusion...even if I lost the plot a bit in the middle there, I hope I've been able to justify my point of view here as to why I'm not a fan of the idea of Wen Qing's branch being an identifiably different branch to the rest of the main Wen clan. Peace-!

[frogizz]

The Untamed Episode 32ish spoilers

I've been real quiet about my thoughts watching The Untamed. I haven't read the novel yet but I've been looking at the fan wiki so I know how different things kinda are. Anyways, I'ma list how I feel about the characters and what not. I am at episode 32 or 33 btw.

Yanli is a sweetheart, an angel, a gift to this Earth AND HOW SHE DIES IS HEART WRENCHING! She just gave birth a month ago, she just lost her husband to some stupid fight, her injury and death is blamed on her kinda innocent brother, IM FURIOUS. She deserved so much more than she got, I knew she died young but not like this!

I never trusted Jin Guangyao from the start, I don't like his face (It's the character, not the actor, the actor is fine). He is shady and from the looks of his wiki page, I was right about my gut feeling.

Jin Zixuan has been a tough guy for me to like, but honestly, as long as he made Jiang Yanli happy, he was decent in my book.

THE HYPOCRATES THE JIN CLAN ARE. Explain to me how they think they can do whatever they want just because they aren't the Wen Clan? Their mentality is that they can do what they want because they believe they're already incapable of doing or being bad, when they should really be having the mentality of avoiding doing bad actions and reflect. Jin Zixun annoyed the hell out of me because he was the main culprit of acting just like he was all high and mighty.

Jin Zixun and the other smaller clans just HAD to point fingers and antagonize somebody, didn't they? Like of course, the Wen clan did terrible things, but you don't kill innocent people! Wei Wuxian didn't need to play the hero, but honestly, who would've stepped up to save them? Everything would've been fine if jin Zixun didn't assume Wei Wuxian cast that spell on him and went for the violent route.

I know Wen Qing doesn't show up as much in the novel, which I'll be sad reading through scenes I expected her to be in after watching The Untamed, but she is one of my favorites. She is innocent, or at least mostly, in my eyes. Her actions were those of "I don't want to exactly get involved, and I also kinda think that my clan is doing some bullsh*t but I can't exactly rebel now can I?". I could be wrong, but she deserved a better fate.

Wen Ning, oh my gosh, he deserved better too, he was such a good kid, SUCH A GOOD KID, and he got abused and basically tortured. He deserves more than to be a ghost puppet.

WEI WUXIAN YOU IDIOT, YOU MADE A PROMISE TO YOUR SISTER, YOU TOLD HER THE THREE OF YOU WOULD BE TOGETHER FOREVER YET YOU RUN OFF SO EASILY TO SAVE THE WEN REMNANTS?! Of course, who would've saved them if not Wei Wuxian, that's not necessarily bad. But he just didn't think twice about the promise he made to Jiang Yanli when he just left like that. Not cool dude. Not. Cool.

I don't hate Jiang Cheng, and I don't love him either. I like him, his actions are valid and especially his thoughts are too. To me he is reasonable and makes judgement based on what the audience sees, so I think he is sometimes portrayed as some angry guy when really, he is reacting to things without knowing the full story.

OOH I JUST KNOW THAT MOFO WHO WAS MAKING THE SPIRITS GO OUT OF CONTROL AT THE NIGHTLESS CITY WAS JIN GUANGYAO. Now, I have no evidence, but hear me out, where TF did he go after all the fighting broke out?

I really wanna write some fanfics of 2-5 chapters of different "What if" scenarios regarding Wei Wuxian's decisions in his life and how things could've been better.

Wen Yuan is so adorable and I will protect him with my life. I don't know too much about how he is as Lan Sizhui (btw, I think he's only an adult in The Untamed because he's around 3 when he was Wen Yuan and 16 passed so he's older compared to the novel which makes him 16 years old as Lan Sizhui. Fact check me please).

The music has me in a choke hold.

I have no opinion on Lan Wangji besides he's cool and Wei Wuxian's biggest supporter.

I care a lot more for Wen Ning, Wen Qing, and Jiang Cheng, Jiang Yanli, and Wei Wuxian relationships being fine and healthy than I do for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangi. Mostly because we don't get to see the romance in The Untamed but I hope to see that connection and care for their relationship more when I read the novel. Until then, the siblings are all I care about because they're family and they could've been so happy together.

The way I sobbed when the Jiang clan was attacked and the previous Jiang clan leader and his wife died. The way the Jiang siblings were now orphaned and Wei Wuxian was orphaned a second time. (I call all three of them the Jiang siblings, is there another thing I can call them that would make more sense? I know Wei Wuxian was a part of the Jiang clan but he doesn't have the family name nor is he part of the clan anymore.)

Lan Xichen is another one of my favorites. Never hated any of his actions or words for one second. He is so agreeable and likeable for me. Reminds me of how I felt towards Yue Qingyuan when reading SVSSS. 10/10 character, mwah.

Where TF are my Nie Huaisang scenes, he barely shows up and I kinda wanna see him more.

Jin Ling is so adorable as a baby but damn does he take after his uncle.

I find it sweet that even after leaving the clan, Wei Wuxian was still allowed to see Jiang Yanli's wedding dress and even name his nephew. So sweet, I cried at that scene. She was so pretty, she was so generous to give a portion of the soup to Wen Ning and I love her generosity and kindness to the heavens.

I'm not gunna lie, I wasn't expecting Jin Zixun's death to be like how it was but it was kind of deserved? I was a little sad when Jin Zixuan died though, only because Jiang Yanli would be a widow with a newborn. Can't hurt my girl emotionally like that, just can't.

Last but not least, I can't remember his name and that one chick, but that Young Master Wen, I hated his face, his smug look, I think his death was deserved. And that lady he had with him all of the time, so annoying, so pitiful, they did a great job acting because they made me hate their faces.

Oh yeah, and, Wei Wuxian is an idiot, but a thoughtful idiot. I say that affectionally and I don't think he's actually full of himself (my interpretation can be so wrong and I'll realize that later). He does things for others not to look good (or at least that isn't the main concern), but to actually do something that no one else does. He plays the hero because no one else will help. Although, yeah, he does take on big challenges to look cool but at the end of the day, It's not really all for his own gain.

Okay, that's it. See another post like this when I finish Ep. 50 and I can't wait to find access to the animated MDZS!

[hetaoren]

I've been asked more than once if I think that "Lan Qiren's punishment of Lan Wangji is justified" and I'm going to try and do my best to finally answer this question without writing an entire essay.

First of all, it wasn't "Lan Qiren's punishment", I doubt he alone decided on Wangji's punishment, just wanted to put this here. Yes, he most likely did give him his punishment, but for big transgressions like that, I doubt he decided on them alone. I believe the reason he was the one whipping Wangji was because he felt that his nephew's actions was to some degree his fault too, since he raised him, but also to take the burden of punishment from Lan Xichen, knowing that punishing LWJ in such a way would hurt him too much. Not that it didn't hurt Qiren too, because I believe it did.

Anyway, was the punishment justified? I believe so, yes. We can't look at it from our point of view, because I'm personally against corporal punishment, we have to look at it from their point of view.

The Sunshot Campaign has just finished, all sects are exhausted in every sense of the word and the world is trying to reform itself after a power-vacuum and also a considerable loss of people. Not just cultivators, but regular people too. The cultivation world and the secular world are connected, not just by cultivators helping the common people, but through trade and services too (this includes servants). At this point, most sects just wants peace and to rebuild/restrengthen themselves. They probably also want to make sure the secular community in their area is okay (at least some of them would want that). Doing anything that would gain unwanted attention during this time is a bad thing. Not much would be needed to make a sect crumble at this time, even someone as old and powerful as the Gusu Lan. Especially if the one you went against is Lanling Jin, since they are the top sect at this time (and continues to be so until JGY fall). The Lans doesn't really have anything to do with the Wen remnants and would therefore focus on their sect instead. Wangji's connection with Wei Wuxian, who ends up being on the not so good side of the Jins, is not the best thing for the Lan Sect.

Though until the Massacre at Nightless City, this is not much more than a worry, but after that, when Wei Wuxian is, quite rightfully, declared an enemy of the Cultivation World, it becomes something that needs to be stopped. Wangji cannot be associated with Wei Wuxian anymore because that will cost the Lan Sect, and especially Wangji, greatly if the other sects finds out he aided him. Which is why Xichen tries to act as quickly and quietly as possible when he sees Wangji taking Wuxian and fly away after the massacre. To quote him from the novel:

"I hurried back to the Lan Clan of Gusu to request reinforcements, worried that Wangji would be considered an accomplice if the other clans caught up to the two of you first. The best-case scenario would see his reputation tarnished, blemished for life. The worst-case scenario would see him killed without mercy."

And if anyone thinks that Qiren thinks more of the Sect than his nephew, I think they'd be wrong, since he and Xichen are the one selecting who to bring to search for Wangji and they choose people they know have always liked him. Not necessarily the best at the job itself, but the best ones for Wangji.

"Uncle and I selected thirty-three seniors who had always thought highly of Wangji, and we launched a secret search."

Once he's found, he has no explanation to his actions other than it is what it seems. In other words, he acted on his own personal emotions (doing something that's terrifyingly similar to what his own father did), aiding someone who had just caused a massacre and by doing so, he could bring great damage to both himself and his sect. I know some of you might not realise how important a sect is. It's more than just family and it is home and security for many, cultivators and commoners alike. You can't just go against the Sect's rules when you feel like it and expect that it will all be forgiven in the end and once you have been kicked out of a sect, you lose all connection with it, including blood-family. So if Wangji had been kicked out, he would no longer have a brother and uncle, and family means a great deal here. It is the foundation the sects are built on (and the rest of society too, for that matter).

Anyway, they found Wangji and he fought them, severely injuring the 33 elders, and he was also the one starting the fight. Doing this, raising his blade against and injuring his own sect, which included his own blood-family and they were all older than him is a huge transgression. Yes, Wangji knows it, otherwise he wouldn't return to Cloud Recesses and accept his punishment.

So, for putting his sect at risk (and if the sects reputation had been damaged enough by it, it could've meant it's decline and fall, leading to loss of home and income for many), breaking various rules, severely injuring 33 people (who all happened to be his elders) and aiding a criminal, I do believe the 33 whips by the discipline whip and the seclusion was an appropriate punishment (based on how their world and laws work).

[dustyf0x]

Ok so this is a universe where alpha women and omega men exist but they’re largely considered to be infertile and sort of a biological mistake haha (bro you fools it’s for population control you absolute idiots) ok so wwx is an omega and basically somehow during their time in cloud recesses stuff gets tweaked just a bit and he and lwj end up having sex oops and wwx ends up getting pregnant

We don’t see this scene at first, it’s mostly implied but we should work in a flashback at some point and show it in detail (especially if it’s late enough that we’re really craving a sex scene but not so late that wwx and lwj’s relationship has developed enough for them to have sex (again)

Anyway, we jump in as wwx is leaving the cloud recesses and disappearing into the night bc having premarital sex is like the greatest shame he could bring upon his own sect and also lwj so he becomes a peasant once more 

We see flashes as he travels around

Might fudge with the timeline a little idk

Anyway, we see flashes as he travels around. As he gets further along in his pregnancy more and more people start assuming he’s a woman bc he’s so pretty and obviously there’s no such thing as a pregnant male omega and if he was seen as a mpreg obviously that would get a lot of attention so he starts dressing in the feminine style of robes and such 

Obviously you shouldn’t night hunt while pregnant- no one wants a haunted baby- but wwx can’t be stopped so he keeps doing it anyway against his better judgment and he sort of gets famous/ rumors start going around about that incredibly skilled and charming pregnant cultivator.

He ends up giving birth on the road, totally alone cue whump 

Shot where he’s curled up leaning against a tree fast asleep cradling his newborn in his arms

Oh maybe when A-Yuan is first born he’s not breathing and wwx has to spark life into him

It feels weird writing wwx out of the cave scene and such but I can’t really justify him showing up until the jiang clan gets decimated 

Maybe a scene where wwx almost bumps into lwj on a night hunt haha

Maybe ch2 is sort of shenanigans where wwx is traveling around and still night hunting even with a baby on his hip

So I guess continuing his fame as a crazy cultivator/ disguised as female

Also almost bumping into jiang cheng or actually bumping into nie huisang could be fun

He hears about what happened at the wen archery thing

Or that- yeah that just gets cut out

But he does hear about theeeeeee idk what it’s called but where all of the babies were held hostage 

I think we don’t see that on screen though I think we jump right into jiang cheng’s perspective post lotus pier burning running into wwx and somehow it’s alluded to

Like wwx heard that lotus pier burned and rushed to check it out (omg he would be so certain that he would find jiang cheng and jiang Yanli’s bodies and like he didn’t want to see them but also asldfjcsdbhj like unable to stop himself or desperately needed to or like there was this sick need in him pulling him there as if he was possessed 

Anyway

So like off hand comment as that’s being explained like “He definitely wasn’t in yunmeng in the first place bc he had heard the rumors about what had happened @ the wen archery thing”

Anyway it’ll be super fun bc the readers will be like “What the fuck happened to A-yuan” but it will be from jiang cheng’s perspective who doesn’t even know A-Yuan exists and doesn’t know anything is wrong

Wwx gets Jiang Cheng out of there and like there should be some amount of like,,, jiang cheng is pissed bc wwx has just been gone for like 3 years now and Jiang Cheng just didn’t know where he was or if he was even alive and he’s missed him so dearly and also been so worried and is pissed that wwx has been alive this whole time and just chose not to be there and also is super pissed that he finally has his brother back but it has cost him the lives of his parents and his entire sect.

Oh he’s definitely like crying pissed about how if Wwx had just been there he could have stopped all this from happening

Anyway, great news, Yanli is still alive and they can and should meet up with her asap

Bad news, Wwx needs to make a pit stop to grab A-Yuan from wherever he’s hidden him but Jiang Cheng doesn’t know that so he’s absolutely livid (What could possibly be more important than meeting up with Yanli right now of all times) but Wwx will not be budged and is just like “Hey, you’re welcome to go on without me” and Jiang Cheng is like “Fuck you, as if I would let you leave my sight again.”

Ok so I’m thinking that wwx paid a prostitute to look over his kid bc hey, brothels always have kids around, and looking after one more for a little extra cash is no hard sell

Anyway so the result is Jiang Cheng is like “YOU TOOK A DETOUR FROM MEETING UP WITH A-LI TO VISIT A BROTHEL???” and wwx is like “Ahhh, Jiang Cheng, you’re so loud. It’s fine it’s fine” and then goes in and comes out WITH A BABY??

And Jiang Cheng is like ???? what the fuck

Whose baby is that

“I found him growing in a patch of turnips and he was so cute I just had to scoop him up for myself! Isn’t that right A-Yuan?” A-Yuan nods eagerly

Wwx introduces Jiang Cheng to A-Yuan “This is your Shushu. Can you say ‘Hi?’”

“Hi Shushu!”

Jiang Cheng is still acting pissed but secretly his heart is melting lmao. Absolutely in love with his new nephew even though he doesn’t realize it actually is his nephew.

[mejomonster]

Don't think I forgot. Fei Du wants to get rid of "those people" without anyone knowing. Does he mean murder? I hope. I hope his investigation was to murder and get revenge, cause it's a great contrast (and conflict) to him with Luo wenzhou for years and the changes he made in personality by working with him. It's complex and at odds and I'm desperately excited to see how it's resolved. I love these kinds of conflicts.

Also fei dus absolutely horrific childhood, and it really is a monumental moment for him to realize his dad isn't omnipotent and fei du can disobey. And how terrifying it is he saw fei du as his best "work." And again I'm reminded of the su luozhan parallels and how we've still barely scratched the surface of what fei du went through. Tao ran has NO idea this abusive shit was still happening while fei du was a teen, Luo wenzhou still has barely any idea (and will feel retroactively guilty he didn't try even HARDER to tear fei du the fuck away from it and protect him, once he learns). Oh man. It's all so sad.

At least the moment fei du realized he could lie to his dad gave him a first step.

He thought of what he was pursuing, thought of what his next step should be, thought of what he’d revealed to Luo Wenzhou, and what he was still concealing…and so on.

 

The suddenly appearing bomb on Zheng Kaifeng’s truck had not only made Fei Du take a turn at the border between life and death, it had also upset his plans quite a bit.

 

For example, because of his hospital stay, the Picture Album Project had had to temporarily change to a different contact person. The new contact person had evidently only accepted the assignment for course credit, not going to the City Bureau at all aside from going over to go through the procedures to get materials; also, because of the Zhou family case, the City Bureau was frantically busy during this period, so all the work of setting up the ‘Picture Album’ was basically at a standstill.

 

For another example, with the Zhou Clan’s case coming out, those people had without warning shown their fox’s tail in public view. Though in the end they’d used a very crude method to murder and silence, managing to cover things up and make the City Bureau pin together some evidence to wind up the case, those who were paying attention would all have their own suspicions and guesses.

 

Of course, from Fei Du’s point of view, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

 

But now that the public authorities had been alerted, it meant that the degree of difficulty of his original plan to dispose of those people without anyone being the wiser had become much, much higher.

 

And then…

 

And then there was Luo Wenzhou.

Xxx

Unfortunately, when he was just about to vanquish insomnia, Luo Wenzhou made him fail at the last minute—this bit of goods, perhaps afraid he wasn’t sleeping well, got out of bed, thinking he was being quiet, and opened Fei Du’s handcuff. The metal clicked, uncommonly ear-splitting in the silence, stabbing like a needle through the sleepiness Fei Du had with difficulty gathered up.

 

Fei Du: “…”

 

He really was too grateful for Luo-shixiong’s “thoughtfulness.”

 

Luo Wenzhou also seemed to be upset by his own somewhat loud movements. He held his breath in the dark, cautiously watching Fei Du’s movements.

 

Fei Du, keeping his eyes closed, pretended to be asleep. But the more he pretended to sleep, the more his nerves acted up; they were ready to jump up and do the tango.

 

After a while, Luo Wenzhou finally finished watching and gingerly got back in bed. The mattress shook slightly. At last he’d calmed down; Fei Du breathed a sigh of relief. He relaxed his tense limbs, ramblingly thinking that sleeping in the same bed had its bad points. It was all right when you could close your eyes and sleep after some “exercise,” but if you were having a touch of insomnia, the person next to you breathing and turning over was disturbing, especially someone like Luo Wenzhou, with his presence…

 

Luo Wenzhou of the powerful presence rustled once again, annoyingly turning over and showing signs of getting up.

 

At a loss, Fei Du truly had a slight collapse, wishing to take a hammer and knock out Luo Wenzhou and then himself.

 

Luo Wenzhou had absolutely no idea that he was disturbing his pure dreams. He propped both hands on the mattress, half rose, and looked over to study Fei Du’s “sleeping countenance” by the faint light of night. He looked for a while, then he really couldn’t help himself; he leaned close and kissed Fei Du lightly, then gently pulled him into his arms—he could only do these things by stealth while Fei Du was sleeping, or else the joker would probably climb all over him.

 

Fei Du: “…”

 

Like a corpse, he let Luo Wenzhou move him around; the breathing he’d thought was bothersome was now right at the base of his ear, and the rising and falling chest was pressed closely to his back. One of the quilts had been set aside unused. It was a particularly crowded position.

 

Fei Du helplessly thought, “Forget it.”

 

The words “forget it” seemed to be a magic spell; the results were instant. As soon as he thought them, all the bothersome details around him settled, and Fei Du actually slept through the night.

 

Xxx

Halfway between sleeping and waking, Fei Du felt a ball of fur rub against his hand and subconsciously reached out to touch it, touching a soft and warm little living creature.

 

First he froze. Then he moved entirely from sleepiness to stress. Fei Du sat up at once, his pupils instantly contracting, all the blood in his body pushed out to his limbs by his sharply rising blood pressure. His hands and feet went numb, and his neck seemed to be squeezed by an imaginary metal ring, making his breath stop involuntarily.

 

Luo Yiguo had been seriously identifying the strange smell; it was startled into a jump by Fei Du’s sudden corpse-like rise, all the fur on its body bristling, back leg missing a step on the edge of the bed, sending it tumbling down.

 

Still badly shaken, the human and the cat stared at each other helplessly for a moment, finally disturbing the master of the house. Luo Wenzhou blearily took Fei Du into his arms, gently slapping his waist. “Don’t mess around… It’s still dark out.”

 

Fei Du only then pulled himself together, slowly letting out the breath caught in his throat, fully waking up.

 

Xxx

Fei Chengyu asked, “What pet have you been keeping?”

 

“A cat.” With an absent-minded look, Fei Du, who wasn’t yet fifteen at the time, seemingly casually said, “That busy-body policeman gave it to me.”

 

Fei Chengyu turned to look at him in great interest. “The little cop knows how to amuse children. Where is the cat? Let me see it.”

 

Fei Du looked at him, gave a strange and cold laugh, then spread his hands towards him. There were a few bloody cat hairs on his palms. “Here it is.”

 

After he’d seen this, Fei Chengyu didn’t say anything about it, only calmly lectured him, ordering him to buy another cat that was about the same and give it back; if he could get a little closer to the police officer at a suitable time, there would be benefits for the future. Without looking up, Fei Du listened indolently, perhaps hearing some of it. At the same time, in front of Fei Chengyu’s face, he cleverly wove together some of the cat hairs from his palms, soundlessly blowing them towards the man’s back when he turned to leave—

 

Having finished inspecting his “favorite work,” Fei Chengyu had left in satisfaction.

 

That had been Fei Du’s first rebellion, his first deception, his first time knowing that no one on earth was omnipotent, and even a demon could be easily tricked by his own excessive self-confidence.

[wangxianficrecs]

Follower Recs

~*~

I just reread my bookmark and found this WIP. It's character seeing the past

The Characters of MDZS Watching the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation 

by emma_screams

M, WIP, 147k, Wangxian

Summary: What happens when a suspicious letter was sent to all the clans, inviting them to an appointed location to learn about the truth of thirteen years ago and now? Will the Yiling Patriarch finally get the justice he seeks? Will Hanguang-Jun lose some of his regret? Will Jiang Cheng find the peace he desperately needs? And will the other Sect Leaders finally realize what a piece of shit they are get the faceslapping they deserve? But most importantly, will Wei Wuxian allow a drunk Lan Zhan to be viewed by the public? Find out in the epic series of the characters watching the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation!

~*~

i'd like to rec some fics for wip week!

i loved the description of "this is an lqr & wwx get-along-sweater fic" 😂 @danmeiireader

patching the road with vague intentions

by loosingletters (@loosingmoreletters)

T, WIP, 9k, Wangxian

Summary: “What have you done!?” thundered a voice Wei Wuxian had, frankly speaking, never wanted to hear again. “Old man Lan?” Wei Wuxian blurted out, staring at the aged face of his former teacher. At the back of his mind, Wei Wuxian remembered the cut of his robes, that he wasn’t dressed like a widow at all, but like a Lan. Lan Qiren looked around, his gaze stuck somewhere above Wei Wuxian’s head, most likely the half-ruined summoning array behind him – fucking stupid, Wei Wuxian should’ve gotten rid of it immediately. Just why did it have to be a Lan summoning him, why Lan Qiren his visitor at the door? Wasn’t death enough punishment? “Wei Wuxian?” Lan Qiren asked wearily. Or, Wei Wuxian is summoned back to life in the Cloud Recesses. Unfortunately, the person to find him is Lan Qiren, forcing the unlikely duo to work together to keep the circumstances Wei Wuxian's return undiscovered.

~*~

sibling dynamics! dadxian! magically turning yourself trans! 👌🏽 @danmeiireader

deeper than the ink

by loosingletters (@loosingmoreletters)

M, WIP, 49k, Wangxian

Summary: Lonesomeness, the state of waiting and wanting, being caught in an endless fog with no escape. Harried by the distance to Wei Wuxian and his sister’s impending marriage, Jiang Cheng makes a trip to the Burial Mounds that doesn’t end in just another screaming match, but a desperate scheme to keep his brother by his side. On a mountain of corpses, Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng damn themselves to one last lie.

~*~

i ADORE wen ning (like, in general, but especially in this fic) @danmeiireader

Where The Arrow Points

by Nillegible (@nillegible)

G, WIP, 4k, Wangxian

Summary: Wen Ning is thrown back in time to the archery competition at the Qishan Wen discussion conference. Before he died, and before a war. Last time he was here, he missed his shot, and was laughed away. This time he doesn't miss. (Or, Wen Ning pulls a Mockingjay at the Wen Sect's discussion conference, and changes the fate of the world.)

~*~

knives :) @danmeiireader

Every time you fall

by Nillegible (@nillegible)

T, WIP, 9k, Wangxian

Summary: “I always said that you would bring trouble to our sect,” says Madam Yu, following it up with a third strike, then more, one after another, each one jerking his body forward, robbing him of control enough to breathe, to think. He’s never felt pain like this before. Not the fiery lashes tearing the flesh on his back, the pain of his heart shattering as he realizes what will happen now. 'I didn’t know this would happen,' thinks Wei Wuxian. 'I was only trying to do the right thing.' For the first time ever, Wei Wuxian believes Madam Yu’s censure of him. I did this. I brought them here. My fault. (or: WWX decides the Wen attack on Lotus Pier is his fault, so he sends Madam Yu and Jiang Cheng away towards Meishan Yu, and runs back to save the others)

~*~

and i saw that you recced SSJ [💙Stunted, Starving Juvenility] (my beloved!!!), and i wanted to specifically rec its podfic! it's SO well done. the reader has a pleasant tone and pace, and does thoughtful character voices and even regional accents (an interpretation of them!). the podfic is OVER SIXTY HOURS (so far!!!!)(after editing!!!) so i'd like to give a nod to the insane amount of hard work that went into it ❤💙 @danmeiireader

Stunted, Starving Juvenility [Podfic]

by gndmlvr01

E, WIP, Podfic, Wangxian

Summary: Podfic of Stunted, Starving Juvenility, by TomatenMark Read by gndmlvr01, and posted with permission Please note: I did add on extra tags that I find helpful to locate works like this (ex: Genius WWX) Original story summary: At sixteen Wei Wuxian is—through some strange twist of fate, or a nick in the layer between parallel universes, who knows—out of the blue confronted with that one incense burner dream one night. While his curious mind is left unable to stop poking at this new perspective on Lan Wangji, circumstances in the Cloud Recesses begin to change and Wei Wuxian is suddenly presented with life-altering opportunities. Maybe Gusu isn’t so bad after all? (Or alternatively: The fic where I get to give Wei Wuxian the academic scholarship he deserves while simultaneously getting him hitched early on.)

~*~

oh no forgot one for wip week 😅

this fic was recced for an itmf i sent and i love the premise! @danmeiireader

Please Take This Radish

by Wildcard

M, WIP, 7k, Wangxian

Summary: “Are you telling me,” Jiang Cheng said, voice starting out in a low growl and then rapidly rising in volume, “That Wei Wuxian - the YILING PATRIARCH - reincarnated in his old bedroom?!” Xue Yang is the first and best disciple of the Yiling Patriarch. He is excellent at raising corpses, spectacular at making talismans and an expert swordsman. He is also 11 years old, trying to raise a toddler and has been mistaken for a de-aged Yiling Patriarch. Life is not going well.

~*~

(Please REBLOG as a signal boost for these hard-working authors if you like – or think others might like – these stories.)

[llycaons]

god damn that series was really good BUT I have some notes

pros

the writing style was great

the dialogue was REALLY good!! esp for lwj!! we did get a few dropped pronouns here and there, but for the most part it’s miles above most fic

the pacing managed to cover the entire story in ten chapters while usually avoiding feeling too drawn-out or rushed

the characterizations were, for the most part, impressive to the point of excellence

lwj’s introspection about himself and his mother was phenomenal

the lwj characterization, especially in the early teenage years, is dead on

the themes of justice and rules and right and wrong, and the humanity of the wens, was really hammered in on instead of being set dressing or plot devices. lwj really grapples with morality and with the actions of his clan in such a satisfying and thematically appropriate way

wwx and lwj were both disabled in a way that wasn’t ignored

lwj was autistic and had selective muteness

the confrontation between lqr and wwx was fucking breathtaking. yes. YES. all postcanon wwx scenes should be like this with wwx and the lans

wq was great, but she didn’t have any scenes not related to wwx

characters COMMUNICATE and they GROW as PEOPLE

wx getting together earlier erased a lot of annoying fanfic tropes r/t obliviousness, drunken antics, confessions, etc. and made the tone of their relationship feel doomed, but very warm and comfortable with each other. so similar to the drama that novel events really threw me off

in fact, I don’t think anything in that fic really annoyed me, which is impressive for such a long work. it was authentic and original and the author clearly put a lot of effort and thought into it

cons: mostly in the characterization details

lwj brought mxy!wwx back to gusu apparently against his will. the facade is dropped as soon as they’re in CR behind closed doors and alone but it really bothered me. lwj wasn’t sure! he might have really kidnapped this man! why was wwx so reluctant! it’s never explained!

some one-off remarks about wwx don’t fit him

they made mxy REALLY short. it’s not lingered on in a gross way, and the top/bottom thing doesn’t even come up, but it nettles me a bit

the LP scenes are skipped over so much! we didn’t get the If he catches me I’ll scene, though ig if they’re already together there doesn’t need to be one. but I missed it

lwj spends the thirteen years practically suicidal, which I don’t agree with beyond the first few years

the mixing of novel and drama canon with such a strong emphasis on character growth makes for some very confusing and unfulfilling scenes

jc is a apparently a huge shithead, which it’s a flaw of the writing but I do wish for the cql jc because I like his style of disaster more

the middle section where wwx was dying was endlessly, miserably protracted, and I rather dislike how lwj’s seclusion and recovery was handled. I considered dropping it, but I’m glad I didn’t

by the end, this wwx and lwj just felt a bit different from the canon ones

the romance was a bit weaker towards then end than I would have liked. there was no...grand moment.

I wanted more dramatic and tense scenes from them, but after a few arguments they slipped right into comfortable domesticity. which is nice, but this is wwx and lwj! their getting together should be a monumental event! they’re both super intense romantics obsessed with each other - I want to see that!

overall: 8/10 easily one of the best fics I’ve read but with unavoidable flaws

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

Hello! I just finished the novel and recently got into MDZS tumblr and saw some posts that confused me. Are the Lan Sect so bad that Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi would be happier out of the sects entirely? I thought they seemed pretty happy at the end of the book, but did I miss something? So many people insist they’re sexist and abusive and I don’t get it. Aren’t they descended from a Buddhist priest?

I’m hoping you can help because you seem like a pretty reasonable person, even if you do have a Jiang Cheng fan name.

Thank you anon, I do take pride being his cat mom.

For a lot of this certain flavor of fandom discord, I think it comes down partly to "what I would have preferred as an end for Wangxian" and what MXTX was playing with thematically for them as characters when she wrote what was their happy end. In regards to the Lans, there are multiple instances of Wei Wuxian being enamored by Lans way of life in general and finding it amusing. This amusement seems to grow into genuine interest in what they as a whole represent, regardless of the likes of some such as Lan Qiren's very rigid view on clan principles.

In part, yes the Lan Clan holds fault as much as the other clans. Many of the sect chose propriety over even some of it's own teachings messages. However, the point of Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian, is that they have no need to hold further grudge or hate. This is what the Guanyin Temple showdown was addressing. The cycle of grudges is never ending, what use is it to continue that instead of taking hold of their lives and gaining what THEY want and consider their happiness.

Unfortunately in real life, you will still associate with people who aren't going to view you favorably. But so what? It's what you do with that fact that matters. Wei Wuxian does not care what others think aside from those he does hold close. It is tiring to waste time trying to please others because of their own dislike, it also isn't his responsibility to make them comfortable. He most certainly doesn't TRY to or make note of needing to please a single person who hates/dislikes him, and in tandem obviously others follow along with this and ignore Lan Qiren.

A passage to show if it really was important they could up and leave whenever from Wei Wuxian himself,

Wei Wuxian was still talking, “Where are we going next? I haven’t had Emperor’s Smile in a long time. How about we go back to Gusu and mess around for awhile in Caiyi first?

Lan Wangji said, "Sure.”

Wei Wuxian continued on, "It’s been so many years. the waterborn abyss near there should be completely cleaned up, right? If your uncle can bear the sight of me, then hide me along with those jars of wine under your floor, if he can’t, then let’s go find somewhere else. I heard Sizhui and the others are are amusing themselves night hunting with Wen Ning lately.

Lan Wangji consented with a "Mn.”

He is not at all uncomfortable, he enjoys being a nuisance to people that don't like him and very much relishes being a sore spot for those sort of people, especially Lan Qiren who at this point in the work the audience SHOULD realize, is a joke of an authority and no one bothers to listen to seriously any longer.

[theladysunami]

Hey, out of curiosity, what version of the book did you read?

Your explanation of point two confuses me, as in the version I read (Exiled Rebels Scanlations) Jiang Cheng slapped Jin Ling to the ground twice.

Jiang Cheng immediately slapped him onto the ground, scolding, “You didn't?! Then I'll make you get hurt and teach you the lesson! You damn brat turning a deaf ear to my words?!”

Chapter 81: Loyalty—Part 3

Jiang Cheng slapped him onto the ground, “Let him come! Am I scared of him?!”

Chapter 102: Hatred—Part 5

Jin Ling also wasn't depicted as being entirely sure Jiang Cheng's leg breaking threats weren't genuine:

Ever since a few days ago, after Jin Ling lied to his uncle and let Wei WuXian go, he had been worried that this time Jiang Cheng would really break his legs, so he decided to sneak out and disappear for a few days, not appearing in front of Jiang Cheng until his anger subsided.

Chapter 35: Grasses—Part 3

And he was very cautious about going to Jiang Cheng at the second siege of the burial mounds:

These cultivators, including Jiang Cheng, all bathed in blood, their faces tired. All of the boys rushed outside the cave, shouting, “Dad!” “Mom!” “Brother!” They were embraced into the crowd. Jin Ling looked left and right, as though he still hadn't decided yet. Jiang Cheng's voice was harsh, “Jin Ling, why are you so slow? What are you taking your time for? Do you want to die?!”

Chapter 68: Tenderness—Part 6

As the slaps were in rather extreme circumstances (I don't think they're a usual thing), I'm ultimately in the "Jiang Cheng verbally abuses Jin Ling, the same way his mother verbally abused him," camp.

For point three, while I wasn't annoyed with Jiang Cheng for anything you mentioned (I definitely didn't expect the Jiang Clan to take in the Wen), I was rather miffed at him for not completing his explanation of his life debt:

Jiang Cheng's brows were knitted. He rubbed the vein that throbbed at his temple and soundlessly took in a deep breath, “… I apologize to all of the Sect Leaders. Everyone, I'm afraid you don't know that the Wen cultivator whom Wei WuXian wanted to save was called Wen Ning. We owe him and his sister Wen Qing gratitude for what happened during the Sunshot Campaign.”

Nie MingJue, “You owe them gratitude? Isn't the QishanWen Sect the ones who caused the YunmengJiang Sect's annihilation?”

Within these few years, Jiang Cheng insisted on working late into the night every day. That day, just as he decided to rest early, he had to rush to Koi Tower overnight because of the thundering news. He'd been suppressing some anger under his fatigue since the beginning. With his natural competitiveness, he was already quite agitated since he had to apologize to other people. When he heard Nie MingJue mention the incident of his sect again, hatred sprouted within him.

Chapter 73: Recklessness—Part 2

Even with Lan Xichen actually speaking in Wen Qing's favor after this (mentioning she didn't participate in any of the Wen's crimes, and that she wasn't actually in a position to stop Wen Ruohan herself), Jiang Cheng made no other attempt to speak in Wen Ning or Wen Qing's defense, nor did he elaborate on why exactly he owed them gratitude (the details of which would have nicely countered Nie Mingjue's statement that Wen Qing "responded with only silence and not opposition", since protecting Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng is very much opposition!)

I honestly don't know if Jiang Cheng could have made a difference in the end, even with Lan Xichen's help, but that he didn't even try is a thing that annoys me personally.

Again, this is the Exiled Rebels Scanlations version though, so I don't know if the scene went any differently in the official version (I'm not sure if the Exiled Rebels Scanlations version is pre-MXTX's edit, or post edit).

I'm also not happy with him for providing forces to the siege of the burial mounds, especially when he provided more then anyone else.

During the siege in Luanzang Hill, aside from Jiang Cheng, Jin GuangShan was the second-greatest contributor.

Chapter 7: Arrogance—Part 2

Washing his hands of the matter, or only providing a token force, are both things that he could have done instead.

Unfortunately Jiang Cheng, like his mother, runs on rage a lot of the time, and tends to blame Wei Wuxian for situations other people started. (Blames Wei Wuxian for protecting Mian Mian, not Wen Chao for targeting her. Blames Wei Wuxian for saving the Wen, not the Jin for capturing non-combatant Wen to replace the enslaved prisoners of war they kept killing. Blames Wei Wuxian for 'killing his sister', not the sects openly planning an ambush, or the person who actually stabbed her.)

Points one, four, and five you are absolutely right on.

haterisms beneath the cut

this hater poll brought to you by....a series of Bad Mcfucking Takes i had to read with my own eyeballs. seriously did we read the same book or not.

explanations:

"jiang cheng killed wei wuxian": jiang cheng did not kill wei wuxian in any version of the story. in mdzs wei wuxian died from backlash and in cql wei wuxin chose to let go of lan wangji after jiang cheng stabbed the cliff face. you can argue till the cows come home about how responsible jiang cheng is for wei wuxian's demise, but "jiang cheng killed wei wuxian" is just factually incorrect.

"jiang cheng abuses jin ling": jiang cheng does not abuse jin ling. first, the narration goes out of its way to establish that jiang cheng does not hit jin ling, specifically in a setting where hitting children is normalized and expected. in fact, wei wuxian says that jin ling is bratty specifically because he's never been hit. second, jin ling is also clearly comfortable talking back to jiang cheng and needling him in a way jiang cheng definitely was not with his own parents. even when jiang cheng is actively losing it when he captures wei wuxian in qinghe, jin ling remains completely unruffled - which speaks to how much jin ling takes for granted that he is safe with jiang cheng.

"jiang cheng could have easily helped the wen remnants, he just didn't": antis love to act like yunmeng jiang could have easily taken in the wemnants and jiang cheng simply chose not to because he was a hater/super jelly/various synonyms for ontologically evil. which is not the fucking case. learn to read. yunmeng jiang's own position post sunshot was very weak - they were a great sect in name only and were excluded from the alliance tying the three other great sects together - and jiang cheng could not politically afford to protect wei wuxian after wei wuxian alienated lanling jin. that's why jiang cheng says "if you insist on doing this, i can't protect you," and why wei wuxian then tells jiang cheng to let him go. because they both understand this. come on

"jiang cheng forced jiang yanli to marry jin zixuan": jiang yanli as a character makes so many sacrifices for her family and her brothers. her relationship with zixuan is like the one thing she chooses for herself. she loves him!! the tragedy in wei wuxian killing jin zixuan is that yanli genuinely loved zixuan!! ngl i think antis argue this purely to try to exonerate wei wuxian: if jiang yanli didn't love jin zixuan then wei wuxian donutting him isn't a problem anymore, apparently. this is the result of people thinking of jiang yanli as purely a thing for wei wuxian, rather than a human being in her own right.

"jiang cheng should have protected wei wuxian from yu ziyuan": this one is annoying because jiang cheng was also a child. when a child is abused, it is the fault of the abuser, not the fault of another child who is also subject to the whims of the abuser. come on.

[thexgrayxlady]

What I read in May 2024

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer - 4.50/5.00

This book is the embodiment of the feeling that the world is ending, and you have to go to work tomorrow.

This is a tense eco-thriller with a messy, complicated main character. The book follows an unreliable narrator, security consultant "Jane Smith," while she blows up her life to follow the mystery surrounding a taxidermied hummingbird in a storage unit. The main character is neither likable nor particularly relatable and I love her for it.

The writing is beautiful and the book is fast paced and surprisingly easy to read. The action scenes are brutal and visceral, there was one scene in a warehouse that was horrifying and I could not look away.

The ending is a little disappointing, but I still loved the book as a whole.

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells - 4.00/5.00

This was a fun little murder mystery that was unfortunately hampered by being a midquel. I appreciate that some of the humans were less stupid and annoying. I'm still not very interested in action that happens mostly in Cyberspace, but there was less of that this time around.

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee - 5.00/5.00

This book pulls the camera back and spans decades in the life of the Kauls and brings the Green Bone Saga to a stunning conclusion.

The characters are so deep and complex. I love watching them make choices, even really bad choices, because it's what's consistent with their character. Even when they're not always likable decisions. Seeing Wen come into her own and take over pop culture was a neat storyline. Anden growing more comfortable and confident in his own skin and his skills as a doctor is such a big change from the unsure kid he was in the first book. Even though you start to feel his age, Hilo is still a terrifying badass and his moments of good strategy show how far he's come. I liked watching the next generation grow up and find their own place in the world. Watching the Kauls shape the city streets and eventually their country as a whole is so compelling.

The antagonists are fascinating and you really do have the feeling that if this story were from their point of view, they would be the heroes. I liked the parts where Jeun teamed up with the new Horn of the Mountain clan to solve bigger problems.

Bero remains my favorite little cockroach man. He should be dead. He should be dead so many times over. He's responsible for so much shit. But he's just some guy. He's just the worst little guy.

The passage of time in this novel lends it a great sense of scope and scale. Even though it's over seven hundred pages long, it feels like it goes by too quickly, in a good way. You just want to linger with the characters you've come to love for just a little while longer.

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer - 4.75/5.00

What can I say? I needed another hit after Hummingbird Salamander.

This post-apocalypse throws the reader right into the deep end with little explanation and I love it. Set in the ruins of a city ruled over by the giant mutant bear Mord and the specter of The Company, the protagonist Rachel scavenges an organism from Mord's fur and against the wishes of her partner, takes it in.

Borne starts out surprisingly cute and charming, to the point where you can almost forget that as good as it is at imitating humans, it isn't one. His close bond with Rachel is what holds this story together, even as that bond becomes strained and uneasy. The end of part two hits like a truck, especially because you already know what's going on, but to see it said out loud is devastating.

Vandermeer is so good at writing toxic, but compelling people. And as the story progresses, you see Rachel and her partner Wick drift apart and come back together on a brutal trek across the city.

There's so much of this book that winds up being simultaneously gross and beautiful. The urban warfare between Mord and his smaller clones and The Magician and her fucked up mutants is fascinating as a backdrop for the story. Even amidst the giant bears and shapeshifting anemones and leviathans, the most surreal bits of the story wind up being the flashbacks to before the world ended.

I also loved the bestiary at the end, complete with illustrations.

The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso - 3.50/5.00

After really enjoying Swords and Fire, I was excited to start Rooks and Ruin. While I don't think that the sequel series is quite as good as the original, I appreciate that I don't feel like I need to have read the first series to know what's happening.

I appreciate that the author doesn't waste time and just gets right to the plot. I really like that while Caruso's heroines both greatly value diplomacy, Ryx feels very different from Amalia. Vaskandar feels different from Raverra and the setting, a mixed up castle added onto by the whims of witch lords, was really cool. I like how aware Ryx is of the political realities of her standing, their world, and her friendships. Ryx is very sheltered, so you understand why she's sometimes too trusting and I appreciated the instances in which her trusting nature comes back to bite her.

That being said, I feel like Ryx trusted the Falconers too quickly and her bonds with them don't feel earned. I also wish she felt more like the other Vaskandrans.

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman - 1.00/5.00

Cards on the table, I am a board certified, card carrying horse girl, so I'm naturally biased towards Alexander the great. So when I say that this book is probably read to people at CIA black sites, I mean it.

The characters are all whiny and annoying and too many of them have POVs. Jacob and Hephestion are both really stupid and fall for the dumbest tricks and traps. Katerina is aggressively bland and kind of a bad friend. I sometimes forgot that Zofia existed outside of her chapters, which have no impact on the plot. Alexander is whiny and I do not want to hear him talk about how hot is mom is again. Cynane is the only character I liked, if only because she's so edgy she loops back around to being hilarious.

The plot is kind of all over the place and lacks a good sense of time or scale. Things just kind of happen, then they work out fine. I don't think that the hunger games sub-plot is necessary. Katerina has a voyage to an old mentor to learn to use her powers and an entire training montage nearly entirely off page, only to come back for the last battle, all in the last fifty pages.