Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel) Vol. 1

Desde que ví esta historia en su adaptación animada, quise tener estos libros y leer esta clase de historias danmei, definitivamente es una historia muy preciosa, las ilustraciones son muy hermosas, y el primer encuentro entre ambos protagonistas es todo lo que está bien, espero tener este año toda la historia completa, ya que es una historia muy bella y que una historia con personajes lgbt+ puede estar muy bien construida en cuanto la complejidad de la trama y el desarrollo de los personajes sin tener nada forzado, algo que he admirado de varios autores japoneses y en este caso de la autora china, que donde quiera que esté le doy las gracias totales por escribir esta maravillosa historia llena de fantasía, aventura y buena representación

Really good quality and its so good i couldnt believe it was this cheap

Mein Enkelkind im Ausland ist begeistert.

Buying special editions for my favorite books is my guilty pleasure so I've got quite a few of them and this one can hold up with some of my favorites. Especially the printed edges? Chefs kiss. Will be getting the entire series this way.

Demorei MUITO para avaliar, pois queria ler com calma e não avaliar somente a entrega rápida.O livro é MA-RA-VI-LHO-SO. Escrita sucinta, clara e objetiva. Este livro conta, de maneira detalhada, a história que acontece na 1ª temporada de TGCF.E as ilustrações e as páginas finais?? Achei um amor e uma ótima oportunidade para conhecer mais os personagens e aspectos da história.Eu estou maravilhada e já quero o 2° livro!Se você gosta desse tipo de história e entende um pouco de inglês, RECOMENDO a leitura. Vale a pena!

Ich habe diese Buchreihe bereits in anderen Ausgaben, ich musste mir auch diese Version zulegen. Perfekter Zustand!

This series is absolutely fantastic - I've finished up to book 7 and am eagerly anticipating book 8.Unlike a lot of BL stories I've read the author of this series goes out of her way to craft a full realized story with stellar lore, world building and character development that elevates it above the rest. Details that seem insignificant in one book become major plot elements several books later, characters you think you know turn out to have hidden sides to them that were hinted at the whole time, mysteries slowly unfold across the story that kept me glued.Even more than that, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are just genuinely likable characters, their relationship is the glue that holds this whole story together and it was absolutely fantastic watching it develop as details of their past is revealed slowly book after book. The cherry in top is a cast that is truly well developed and enjoyable. Even characters you start off disliking grow over time and almost no character is left without time to grow and develop. Special shout out to my boy Qi Rong, I absolutely hated this character at first and by the end he became one of my favorites.Pick this series up! You won't regret it.

Heaven Official's Blessing war mein erstes Danmei (Chinesisch für BL) Novel und ich bin begeistert! Mo Xiang Tong Xiu liefert ein spannend geschriebenes Fantasy-Erlebnis mit gut geschrieben Charakteren und einer tollen Love Story.Da die gesamte Geschichte sehr lang ist und insgesamt 8 Bücher umfassen wird, ist der Anfang etwas langsam, aber trotzdem nicht langweilig. Der Cast an Charakteren wird eingeführt und die Welt erklärt. Für einen Leser, der diese Art von Geschichten, sowie chinesische Namensgebung nicht gewöhnt ist, kann es anfangs etwas erschlagend wirken (Ich habe mir kurze Notizen zu den wichtigsten Charakteren gemacht damit ich einen überblick darüber hatte wer wer ist) aber wenn man durchhält erwartet einen eine faszinierende Welt und eine umso spannendere Story, die gefüllt mit Göttern, Geistern, Magie und Monstern immer interessant bleibt.Das Buch verbindet Charakter-Drama mit Mystery Elementen, so gehen die Charaktere zu beginn kleineren Konflikten nach, die zunächst recht einfach erscheinen, bald jedoch aufgefächert werden. Es werden Verbindungen zu Charakteren und der Welt bekannt gegeben und man kann selber gut miträtseln bis es eine Auflösung nicht Unähnlich von Sherlock Holmes gibt.Die Übersetzung ist in meinen Augen gut gelungen. Das Buch liest sich sehr gut und die wichtigsten Konzepte werden im angefügten Glossary oder durch Fußnoten erklärt. Der Humor ist gut und es gibt viele Momente die eine unglaublich gute Wortwahl haben und lang als Zitat hängen bleiben.Insgesamt: Ich habe schon lange nicht mehr ein Buch so gern gelesen. Es ist nicht perfekt und fordert am Anfang etwas durchhaltevermögen, aber das ist es auf jeden Fall wert!

I started watching the anime on netflix, at first I felt the protagonist was pretty similar to wei wuxian, but soon the show had captured me with its own charm. Since the show hasn't been continued yet, I was super happy to see the books come and I liked them even better than the anime. The protagonist is sweet and lovable with relatable flaws, the love interest is absolutely to fall for, their chemistry is insane, and the other characters and plot are absolutely engaging and full of twists. The world is a very different one from the untamed but just as well-crafted. Also, I really had to laugh at several occasions.

Es handelt sich um eine der faszinierendsten Phantasiegeschichten, die ich je las.Wer mit großen Gefühlen, Phantasie und Danmei nichts anfangen kann, sollte Abstand nehmen.Andernfalls wappnet euch mit ausreichend Zeit, Ruhe und Papiertaschentüchern. Bewegt zwischen urkomischen und schrecklichen Situationen voller tiefer Emotionen werdet ihr Xie Lian und die anderen begleiten.Diese Charaktere erwachen förmlich zu Leben und lassen uns nicht mehr los.Xie Lian, der schöne und hochbegabte Kronprinz von Xianle hat ein großes Herz für die einfachen Leute. Sein Gerechtigkeitssinn bringt ihn jedoch nicht weiter. Er endet als gefallener Gott. Als der Himmel ihm vergibt und er wieder aufsteigen darf, begegnet er einem mysteriösen jungen Mann, gekleidet in Rot, mit dem ihn ein unerklärliches emotionales Band verbindet.Den Rest lest selbst. Ihr werdet es nicht bereuen.

Eines der epischsten und romantischsten Fantasy-Bücher, die ich in meinem Leben gelesen habe. In dieser Buchreihe geht es um eine über 800 Jahre (!) andauernde Abenteuer- und Liebesgeschichte. *SPOILER* Die zwei Hauptcharaktere sind:1.) der schöne Kronprinz Xie Lian, der dank seiner Barmherzigkeit und seiner überragenden Talente und "Kultivierung" bereits im zarten Alter von 17 Jahren zu einer Gottheit aufstieg,und2.) Hua Cheng, der zu Beginn der Geschichte ein schwacher, geächteter Knabe war und im Laufe der Zeit aufgrund seiner unendlichen Liebe zu seinem Gott Xie Lian zum Dämonenkönig mutierte.Bereits vor seinem Aufstieg zum Gott rettete Prinz Xie Lian bei einem Volksfest einen armen kleinen Jungen vor dem sicheren Tod, als dieser von der hohen Stadtmauer fiel. Obwohl der Junge von den Göttern verflucht ist und daher von allen geächtet und gemieden wird, behandelt der gütige Kronprinz ihn mit viel Sanftherzigkeit und spendet ihm Trost, weshalb der Knabe dem späteren Gott Xie Lian viel Bewunderung und Verehrung entgegenbringt. Als das Reich von Xie Lian im Kriegschaos versank, folgte "Honghong-er" (der spätere Hua Cheng) seinem Prinzen und Gott in die Schlacht. Nach einigen schicksalhaftigen Begegnungen wurde aus der anfänglichen Verehrung eine aufopfernde Liebe, die über seinen Tod hinaus währte. Nachdem Honghong-er auf dem Schlachtfeld starb, verließ seine Seele als Seelenfeuer seinen Körper, wollte aber nicht in den Wiedergeburtskreis eintreten, weil er "in dieser Welt noch einen geliebten Menschen hat, den er beschützen möchte". Als schwaches Seelenfeuer konnte er Xie Lian aber nicht beschützen, als dieser den Intrigen eines anderen übernatürlichen Wesens zum Opfer fiel. Als das kleine Seelenfeuer hilflos zusehen musste, wie seinem Gott unsägliches Leid angetan wurde, explodierte es aufgrund des angestauten Schmerzes zu einem verheerenden und alles zerstörende Großfeuer, aus dem ein mächtiger Geist/Dämon wiedergeboren wurde.Ich bin besessen von Hua Chengs unendlicher und aufopfernder Liebe zu Xie Lian.Xie Lian wurde aufgrund seiner Liebe für das gemeine Volk zum Gott.Hua Cheng dagegen wurde aufgrund seiner Liebe zu Xie Lian zum Dämon.Aber in der Geschichte geht es um sehr viel mehr als "nur" um Hua Chengs Liebe zu Xie Lian. Es ist einfach ein gewaltiges Fantasy-Abenteuer. Die Geschichte ist einfach so episch, sie lässt sich gar nicht in wenigen Worten zusammenfassen. Absolute Empfehlung!!!

This review is mainly for those who are unfamiliar with the Chinese fantasy (xianxia) or BL (danmei) genres as a whole, like me. If you stumbled across this book because it's bestselling, but think you'll probably pass because these genres aren't "your thing," I encourage you to reconsider. It is a saga that transcends its genres the further you read. It is HUGE in Asia and quickly gaining traction globally, and is widely considered to be the best of its genre, and there's a reason for that! The story, characters, setting, and visuals (in the adaptations) are all fantastic.SFF is my favorite genre, but second is classic literature, and this actually contains some elements of the latter, which most fantasy (at least Western fantasy) does not. Men can probably enjoy the story too because there is so much else going on and it's definitely fantasy, not primarily romance. I'm older than the typical audience for this and have read A LOT of books, and this has edged past my other favorite book, The Count of Monte Cristo--yes, I love adventure/drama epics! My only complaint with the book is with the writing style in the beginning, which I explain below.There is also an excellent and thorough Chinese and xianxia guide in the back. If you're new to the genre, be sure to read this guide, because it will be much clearer that way.THE STORY (no spoilers)When I read the entire novel (not just this book 1), I expected adventure, mystery, romance, and humor. And there is plenty of all of that. What I didn't expect was ethics, philosophy, and intense drama. And the entire story is not just "from one adventure to the next," as it seems at first, but is all shown to be closely related at the end, like zooming out from one part of a weaving to see the entire tapestry. This surprised and impressed me as well. Many literary devices are masterfully used throughout.The original web novel is five books, which will be 8 printed books. This printed Book 1 covers just the first half of the web novel's Book 1, and it stays pretty lighthearted. The novel starts out slowly and then steadily increases in speed. The adventurous parts are greatly enjoyable and a fun ride. The dramatic parts (which are mostly in the web novel's Books 2 and 4, describing Xie Lian's past) are extremely intense, to the point that many recommend it's better to take some breaks here and there while reading them. But like all good drama, it lends a great deal of depth that brings the whole story to a different level. (The 17+ label is because of these parts.)This is my favorite summary of the whole story, by a fan: "The story is about Xie Lian's journey, and how he learned to love himself again, through the effort of a man who never had loved himself." Xie Lian and Hua Cheng's relationship and romance is a very organic slow build, and it's not at either extreme of being the full focus or just jammed in awkwardly, but it is still at the very clear heart of the story. There have only been a few romances I've encountered that are built on something much deeper than normal, and this is one of them; it can be called epic without exaggeration, and most romance stories now seem shallow by comparison. It's hard to imagine this kind of relationship being able to occur outside of this fantasy setting, which is probably why it can go to such a different level. And even though I'm not (yet) a general "BL" fan, this relationship is now one of my favorites.It is sweet and healthy, with no toxic elements and very high mutual respect, and just highly endearing. (Though there is one aspect that would be creepy outside its narrative.) Some problematic tropes are inverted; for example the influence of 'sex pollen' is rejected, age boundaries are maintained, and magically-induced dubcon (just of kissing) is halted. It apparently doesn't follow the usual BL tropes which cater to a heterosexual audience, and is instead more realistic in its portrayal of a same-sex relationship, which is great if true. It also is not explicit (unlike the author MXTX's other two books) which seemed to actually fit very well with the story--even though it was apparently because its webnovel platform had gotten more strict with censorship, which is a shame.The supporting characters are given a lot of focus as well, with a lot of time spent on their stories, which Xie Lian ends up being quite involved/entangled in; they are actually what drives the present-day plot in addition to Xie Lian's own journey. These characters are nuanced; there is bad in the "good" ones and good in the "bad," as well as growth as the story progresses. And they are all really well fleshed out characters who have their own strong fanbases among readers.The book is gripping and moving, and as I got further in, I REALLY got pulled into the story and it was hard to focus on the rest of my life. This is apparently a common reaction to this saga. While reading, I didn't do anything but work and the most necessary chores and family activities. I don't do well without enough sleep but I still stayed up too late several times. And even while doing other things (like an all-day D&D session) my mind kept wandering back to the book. I felt like I was between worlds. And when I finished, I felt hollow and bereft, and at a loss of what to do next, wishing the story could just go on. (This also is apparently common.) None of that has happened to me with a book in a very long time. So I'm trying to fill the holes with related art, videos, fanfic, fan groups, etc, and will re-read this as each of the printed books is released, as well as MXTX's other two books, and more danmei in general. The extra chapters set after the book's end helped to ease the sting as well.THE WRITING/TRANSLATIONI feel there are problems with the writing (or translation) style, mainly in about the first third of the novel. But stick it out because it gets better, and the story itself is worth it. In these early parts, the wording is very informal, and the phrasing is clunky and often stiff and simplistic. Sometimes it flows more naturally and is crisp, engaging and more appropriately formal, but this isn't consistent. According to some fans who have compared the original Chinese to this translation, the phrasing problems are in the translation, while the more informal dialogue matches the Chinese (but I've seen conflicting statements on this).It does improve as it goes on, however. In my first reading I thought that it might have just been my perception that changed the further I read; that I might have just gotten used to it, or was so engrossed in the story that I stopped noticing. But I'm re-reading it now and I can definitely say that the writing gets much better. There is also another possible factor on top of this, which is that in her postscript, the author describes some early struggles with this story, and that could also possibly account for some of the stilted feel at the beginning.The author has recently released her final version of this novel in Chinese (she's been working on it for years). This final version has some polishing and plot revisions (nothing significantly changing the storyline though) and 100,000 added words. What we now have published in English is not the final version, but publishers were told that this wasn't guaranteed to happen and they should go ahead with the version that they had been sent.THE ADAPTATIONSNote: This is updated periodically for the latest information.Like a lot of Westerners, I found this story through the donghua (animated series). Then I read the artistically stunning manhua (comic), and finally read the novel. I feel that the best order is the book first, and then the other two, because the book provides more detail that will increase the enjoyment of the manhua and donghua. However, some people have said that they preferred the other formats over the book (at least this first part of it), in part due to the writing style. The donghua is subbed on Netflix and excellently dubbed on Crunchyroll (which you can use for free for the first month). The manhua used to be on an official English webcomic platform but no longer is, so it can only be read either on the Chinese publisher's site (Bilibili), or a scanlation site. They both stick very closely to the book, but are not yet completed.The manhua and donghua lend exquisite visuals that greatly enhance the story. But the book's prologue made some things a lot more clear to me, particularly Xie Lian's past; though on the flip side, the donghua reveals things about Hua Cheng's past much earlier than the novel. In the book there are more details mainly in the interactions between the deuteragonists, revealing Xie Lian's inner thoughts about Hua Cheng, and some expressions/interactions between them that aren't as clear in the manhua and donghua. Conversely, some of the overt intimate gestures in the manhua and donghua aren't in the book, maybe since those formats don't show all the inner discourse, so those gestures compensate. And the donghua shows Hua Cheng's POV frequently, whereas the book is all from Xie Lian's POV.A live action TV series (C-drama) called Eternal Faith has finished filming but is not yet released. There is also a currently airing audio drama which is based on the final version of the novel (the other adaptations are based on the previous version).For more information about all the adaptations and the final version, visit this page: https://www.reddit.com/r/tianguancifu/wiki/faq/There has been concern about heavy censorship of the adaptations due to China's strict censorship laws, but so far they haven't been. In fact as I said, they are MORE overtly romantic so far than in the book, though the upcoming live action show will most likely be heavily censored. And it's likely that any kissing will be censored in all adaptations (except the audio drama), although because the animation studio is Japanese, they may release some extra uncensored content for non-Chinese audiences, as they've done with some other danmei stories. I do wonder if some of the side stories will be cut out of the adaptations to shorten them, which is common with book adaptations. The manhua has cut some scenes, but the donghua has not, and in fact added some scenes to a backstory that were not in the book.PRINT/PRODUCTION QUALITYThis is about as high quality as a paperback book can get. I usually get books on Kindle and wasn't sure if I'd want to keep the paperback, but I definitey am because it is gorgeous, as the customer videos show. While it is much higher quality than standard paperbacks, I do wish that it were more similar to the very elegant editions offered in some other languages, which are mostly hardback with more traditional and less cartoony cover art (though I do like the art on ours), a more formal title font, and even gold or silver foil. They also include extras such as prints, pins and bookmarks, and some have interior color art. (Look up the Vietnamese and Russian editions for a comparison.) Some also have box sets for every 2 books. I am hoping that we will get a special edition set more like these at some point.