- #1
Before I rip the bandaid off and start with tackling this clusterf*ck I need to come clean.I was entirely unfamiliar with cultivation novels, let alone the genres that define the what goes where until I think August of 2022 when I came across "Crystal constellations". The novel is being published on Scribblehub and while I was looking for some wholesome yuri at the time I didn't think that it'd send me careening down a rabbit hole this deep. I dipped my toes into the tame waters of Scribblehub only to dragged into the pond that is RoyalRoad before being mercilessly punted face-first into the sewer systems of Wuxia, Xianxia and Xuanhuan. And this descent into the dogsh*t that is Chaotic Sword God has not been pretty.The first two actual CN novels that I began reading were actually pretty good. Chronicles of primordial wars and Demon sword maiden had been an extremely promising start to my cultivation journey. But then my dumbass thought to scour deeper. I mean, second page on the search results kinda deeper. That was a mistake...From Legend of The Great Sage, to Martial Peak to Chaotic Sword God, I have banged my head against a wall so many times that I attained the Dao of Blunt Force Trauma. I have managed to take the term "muscle brain" literally and refine it into a mantra to follow when reading CN novels; read first, ask questions later. My sanity these days is as mighty as papier mache due to the constant buzzing of "YOU DARE!" and "IMPUDENCE!" in my head. No, seriously, how in the flying f*ck did I ever go from the wholesome yuri of Crystal constellations to the thirst trap that is Demon sword maiden to CSG? (side note, I also have beef with DSM's main charcter but I could let it slide cause there's fanservice. I like fanservice.) Alright let's address this absolute mess of a novel and let's do it quick.First problem, this novel faces the innate problem of sparse dialogue. The protagonist pretty much behaves like a blank canvas for you, the reader to slot yourself into... But that's not actually intended. Jian Chen in the earliest parts of the novel has very few he could call his own people. On top of that, his own principle of "an eye for an eye" did him more harm than it ever did good. Jian Chen basically doesn't get to interact with people through dialogue, making the bulk of the buildup being lost in the infodump sauce.Second problem, charcters. In particular, the enemies. Like, "Cookie cutter" doesn't even come close to describing these pathetic losers. They walk, talk and act like they are procedurally generated. Not a single thought exists betwixt the hairy ti*s of these apes, but in the off chance they did, they instantly get converted into sworn brothers of the MC.Third problem, the combat. Almost all of it is the same. The MC lusts after his enemies' throats. The number of times he's punctured enemy vocal chords, and in the process, my determination to continue reading the novel is terrifying. In all honesty, the combat in here reads like a bunch of toddlers slinging mud at each other's faces; it's boring as all hell 95% of the time, the remainder of the 5% is where MC gets his ass raked over the hottest bed of coals.Fourth problem, the repetitive formula. The whole plot of the novel can be distilled into a set of steps, namely;1. MC goes to location 2. MC meets people of interest 3. Said people turn into enemies 4. MC kills/ injures enemy 5. Enemy sends strong support villains to kill MC 6. MC barely manages to escape the enemy 7. MC goes back stronger to sh*t on the enemies. And repeat ad nauseum.I have plenty more material I could use to sh*t on this novel but I'd rather not. I'm growing too old for this shit.
