- #1
This is always the first novel that comes to mind when I recommend novels, but surprisingly I have not reviewed it.This is the longest standing read that I've always kept track of, reading every week and supporting at a high level on Patreon.I loved following Ning Shu from world to world over these several years. She is pragmatic, can be cruel and also kind. I loved it when I got far enough along that characters she helped in other worlds start showing up again.I will say there are some things that are shocking or just morally f*cked up. For example, she is not shy about "eye for an eye". For example, a female character who plotted against her she set up to be r*ped. Further along, in a BL world, a large part of her vengeance was specifically to give gay men AIDS. Some of her internal dialogue is a bit bigoted. (I'm trans and gay, definitely a few things stuck out to me.) Looking at it beneficially, Ning Shu is a "colorblind" type protagonist who is willing to use bigoted public opinion to harm her enemies. Looking at it unfavorably, she is a bit bigoted herself and shows that in how she deals with others.Given that it happens very rarely, I still like and read, but if that's a big trigger for you then it may not be a good fit. That said, if you can handle the occasional gaffe, the revenge stories are really satisfying.
