- #1
I give this novel 3 stars for several reasons.I do believe it is a good (and addictive) read and it is a different take on the genre of what we're used to. However, it does has its own short-comings due to the author's own flaws.The good aspects of this novel is that the characters can be relatable, there's no OP person (not even the one comments highlight as the main lead's "cover" for her rebirth) and the side characters and even some minor characters have interesting enough stories to just not make you hooked up on the leads.The dialogue building is also good (well, it is the main corpse of the novel) and the people portrayed are rather average people of those times with a twist of modern ideas, introduced by the main lead's own inner development. The author doesn't strive to make anyone too outstanding, even knows how to fade a little the protagonist's halo (Yuxi can't never catch a break). However, the main lead those become unreasonable too perfect on the extras (in the meaning she's able to resolve too much drama she shouldn't be dealing with on first place).Yuchen, the sister that's apparently so outstanding that allows the main lead to pass unnoticed as a rebirth soul; is not that perfect, and she's actually the real antagonyst of the novel and midway her fate reverses and all her short-commings start showing up.I don't think there's any real sisterhood regarding the main lead and her siblings in this novel either. Everything is just cordiality for profit, and up till the end, it is just mantaining the posture for the blood-relationship and the past upbringing together in the backyard.However, there's a nice brotherhood among the main lead's children.The bad aspects of this novel are the fact the author keeps forgetting things that do affect the consitence of the story, increasing those mistakes in the extras, that also happen to be so long.Another bad thing, mostly seen in the extras, is that sometimes she spents so much energy and time to develope a character and its story to end it in a very anti-climatic way and way too open. Sometimes, characters make a turn for the worst that seems too forced, and I am not talking about the main lead's children (which is carefully planted and developed before the extras), but side characters that suddenly become unreasonable or greedy beyond what's realistic according to their previous development.Her descriptive narrative is also lacking. I don't mean describing things, places or outfits, but actually describing the character's moves, inner thoughts and, more importantly, the love relationships are too plain. Even those that are promising in a romantic level, are barely narrated. One doesn't require novels to have smut, lime or lemon, but there's not even a skillful narration of any couple's bed time in terms of affection, not even the wedding nights. It is too half-arsed and it can't even be considered subtle.None of the love relationships portrayed are trully passionate. The author does emphatize on family love and love built over marriage and couple's trust. The few characters that are actually smitten with their fiancées/spouses are barely crafted, and reading it falls too short.However, all the politics, ideals and even the values the author wants to transmit are well enough written into the story.Despite being a rebirth & revenge novel, the theme of revenge becomes secondary after a while and slowly disappears to give space to other ideas such as the women's situation in ancient times (in China) and the differences within' classes (even though, there's still some clasism kept through the whole novel).Those who like the usual rebirth & revenge novels where the female lead is constantly counter-scheming and punishing others, may feel disappointed with this one, but still, I'd think it's worth to give it a chance.The translated version is quite good and, although there's still hundreds of chapters to finish, it is enough to get you enticed, the MTL is not too hard to follow and you've got spoilers and the spoiler's forum ;)