Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Volume 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Book: Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Volume 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Rating: 5 stars 

Reviewer: Jackie C.

Written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, Heaven Official’s Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu) volume one, is centered around Xie Lian, a man born of high status, a crown prince who even ascended to godhood. Once celebrated for his elegance, strength, and purity, Xie Lian is now seen as an omen of bad luck, a curse. Having ascended to godhood for the third time, eight hundred years subsequent to his mortal life, many of the gods have been angered. In order to repay his debts from the damage he caused while ascending, Xie Lian is sent back down to the Mortal Realm to assist the Heavenly Emperor. During his efforts, Xie Lian runs across something peculiar, and pieces of the puzzle are missing. While investigating the matter further, Xie Lian meets an intriguing, highly knowledgeable young man named San Lang who joins him on his journey, but there is more to San Lang than meets the eye. In this thrilling adventure, Xie Lian must uncover the truth and make decisions that could cost not only his life, but others their lives as well.

Picking up the book for the first time, I was worried as to how it might read since it was translated from Mandarin to English, but I was not disappointed and was rather pleased with the writing style. The plot was action packed, with twists and turns around every corner, making me not want to put the book down. For those who love action, the supernatural, mysteries, and a bit of comedy, this book is right up your alley. Overall, I loved the characters and plot, and would give this book five stars.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Book: Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Reviewer: Angelina C.

Rosalind Lang is an immortal assassin from 1930s Shanghai, working to erase her mistakes by helping her country. In order to do so, she must go undercover to uncover the secrets behind the recent murders in Shanghai, and the only way to accomplish that is by working with another spy and posing as a married couple with him. But the mystery runs deeper than they know, and so do the secrets they keep from one another. 

Compared to Chloe Gong’s previous books, I found this book lacking. The pacing was a little too slow for my liking and several plot points were somewhat predictable (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) and eerily similar to what Marvel’s Bucky Barnes goes through. Despite this, I had to know the answers to the mysteries that arose over the course of the book. Also, I thought the setting and characters were intriguing as always and can’t wait to see more of them in the sequel. I love how the author makes sure that the supporting characters are just as interesting and fun, if not more fun, than the main characters, and that they actually contribute to the plot. One thing that I found particularly annoying about this book is the occasional switch from third person past tense limited to third person present tense omniscient. I am aware that this is part of her writing style, but I find it jarring as it takes me out of the book, even if it does ultimately reveal necessary information. As for the romance aspect of this book, it was fun and I was definitely rooting for them, though several aspects and moments fit snuggly into certain tropes, making it a little less original. Overall, this book may have its flaws, but it was a fun read and I will definitely be reading the sequel. This book will appeal to fans of mystery and spies with a supernatural twist and those who can’t get enough of the enemies to lovers trope.

 

Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria

Book: Fire with Fire by Destiny Soria 

Rating: 5 stars 

Reviewer: James S. 

Fire with Fire is a fantasy novel about the life of two sisters that are dragon slayers. That is, until everything is turned upside down when the main character, Dani, forms a bond with a dragon named Nox and her sister, Eden, finds out. As Eden tries to kill the dragon, Dani and Nox must work together to survive. I really liked how Destiny Soria was able to convey the way that each action could impact everyone else in the world and the complex feelings between the sisters without focusing on them too much. I also think that she also did a great job with having Dani feel torn between helping the dragons or staying loyal to her family’s legacy. Even though there were many great aspects to this book I still had a few that I didn’t like. I didn’t like how the author sometimes jumped from time to time and makes some parts feel disjointed. I also didn’t like how she made the ending a cliff hanger yet didn’t make the novel into a series. Other than that I really enjoyed reading the book. I think that the book can be compared to the series Divergent where the main characters must choose between their family, or faction, or what they want to do. In the end I give Fire with Fire a 5 star rating.