- #1
This novel is the very definition of mediocre. It's consistently mediocre, which is somewhat a redeeming feature in that I can read it and be underwhelmed but still have something to read that isn't terrible, just "meh." I'd say 3.5 stars would be a good rating for it. I'll round down. If you have nothing better to read, then this can fill in the gaps.I feel like the author is lacking. The MC feels like a puppet to the narrative, and his "wife" does, as well. Basically, they lack agency. A lot of times, the MC will act on whims and go along for the ride, just like he went along for the ride of marriage without meeting his marriage partner.The cultivation feels nonsensical. Cultivation, in general, feels nonsensical, because it is fantasy. However, this novel takes it a step further to the point where things happen for no rhyme or reason. Basically, the cultivation is: read books for literary Qi. This associates some form of energy with the knowledge imbued in books. However, putting papers together with ink and binding should not generate energy out of nowhere; this is not logical even compared to most cultivation systems. It is unique, however, though I'm not sure that the uniqueness is entirely good for the narrative. It plays into the MC's lack of agency in that things just somehow happen with his cultivation after enough cumulation.The MC's cheat helps with this cultivation system: he has an eye ability that lets him see energy and helps him read and memorize books. However, he doesn't keep this active 24/7, which would be the smart thing to do... or at least try. Instead, he just uses it to read and occasionally when he remembers that he has an eye cheat. Sometimes, he'll use it to help with healing, but he never uses it to its full potential. At least twice the MC has been ambushed and caught unaware simply because he didn't take a minimum degree of caution in dangerous scenarios.The MC and his enemies seem to suffer from an intelligence debuff, which is weird given that the MC basically has a photographic memory and over a hundred thousand books memorized. He has knowledge but very often will either completely overlook his abilities, simply go with the flow of things, or sometimes randomly feel like acting, as if spoon-fed the impulse by the author. I really just think that the author lacks the imagination and intelligence to write a compelling narrative with intelligent characters.The wife and some of the characters are weird, too. Not in a "I like to eat dead rats" type of weird, but in a "I have no boundaries or manners" type of way, like how you'd expect an unwelcome guest to act while overstaying their welcome. The wife is like this especially. Being "few of words" doesn't mean being rude.Basically, it seems like the characters are clumsily smashed together with some contrived plot and then their behavior is shifted to fit into that plot. This is the hallmark of a sloppy author who has no regard for their characters.