- #1
Immense. Superb translation of a superb novel. It’s gory, gritty, and gutting, and the protagonist is the best I’ve read from this author (sorry Jiao Jiao). Lu Tong is working harder — she hasn’t gone back in time, and her family will be dead no matter what. She’s also from a lower social class, which makes her less than nothing in the eyes of the snooty, insular nobles that have destroyed her family on a whim. But she’s clever, and she puts in the hours. The tension between Lu Tong and her beautiful, beautiful love interest is that he *knows* she’s mu*dering people, but can’t find evidence. It makes for a much more compelling reason that ML is entranced by her. He’s looking for the blood trail!The core conflict of Deng Han Xiao, in comparison to the author’s previous novels, is different, and it’s one of the reasons why I think the author has figured out what she’s really interested by. In Malicious Empress, Di daughter, or Star General, the conflict is idealogical difference (scholarly sophistication vs military straightforwardness, for example), with tight personal betrayal. It makes for good face slapping but doesn’t say much on a grand scale, and it’s one of the reasons why those novels kind of fall apart in the final third. Deng Hua Xiao, however, is about societal failure, and being let down by systems of justice. This means that the conclusion of each arc isn’t faceslapping but brutal exposure of a moral issue. Lu Tong’s family place their trust in people who should hold it safely — magistrates, officials, police — and they are trampled on for having the audacity to do that. Lu Tong takes revenge personally, and it’s as ghastly as you’d expect, but she’s also... quite clean with it? Nobody else dies. She saves who she can. Her success feels deserved, and her internal conflicts are explored well. Deng Hua Xiao is a really mature take on that revenge trope that the author has already worked with, and I think it's very successfully done.I also like the side characters a lot! There are lots of interesting and complex women in this story, which is a personal plus for me — I’m particularly moved by Yinzheng, the ex-brothel worker who lives with and works for Lu Tong, and Lady Yun, Lu Tong’s sociopathic master. But even the male lead, Pei Yunhuan, is pretty cool to read about. I think it makes a real difference that he’s a younger brother to an older sister and a martial brother. Of the male characters, my favourite is Du Changqing, who develops from a foppish young master with a spending problem to a surprisingly successful business owner and a staunch feminist. Overall, the core characters are satisfying to journey with, and there are some very moving, thoughtful arcs with them that explore different facets of Lu Tong’s revenge.If I had to compare this novel to anything, it would be Story of Yanxi Palace, where a peasant girl infiltrates the imperial palace to find out why her mu*dered sister received no justice, and discovers that she had been r*ped by a prince. Those are the scales we’re working with here. I think Deng Han Xiao and Zanxing mark a change for the author, in experimenting with new stories and pushing what she’s capable of. Really excited to see where she goes from here. I think this one is a resounding success.