Kaleidoscope of Death

Description

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It started off peculiarly; first, his domestic cat refused to let him cuddle it.

Lin Qiushi soon found that a sense of disharmony and incongruity began to pervade everything around him.

Then, one odd day, he pushed open a door, and he discovered that the hallway he was familiar with turned into a boundless corridor.

At both ends of this corridor were twelve, identical iron gates.

He pushed one of the doors

Thus, the story begins.

Ruan Nanzhu said to Lin Qiushi, “When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss will also gaze back into you.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi sank into deep contemplation. He then pulled down the zipper of his trousers and aimed at the abyss…

Ruan Nanzhu: “…Put your pants on properly!”

Super shameless, ill-pampered gong X Shameless, calm shou; a combination of double [or extreme] shamelessness.

Associated Names
One entry per line
KOD
Kính vạn hoa chết chóc/Tử vong kính vạn hoa
Sǐwáng wànhuātǒng
The Spirealm (Drama)
Калейдоскоп Смерти
ฝ่ามิติประตูมรณะ
死亡万花筒
死亡萬花筒
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Global Examination (13)
The Earth is Online (13)
Escape the Infinite Chamber (6)
Supernatural Movie Actor App (6)
The Trial Game of Life (6)
Paintings of Terror (5)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Chinese Novel and Danmei
  2. The consequence of my BL binge
  3. Greatest Unlimited Flow - BL (long reviews+ratings...
  4. Unlimited Flow BL
  5. BLs Adapted into Dramas ( live action )

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/18/21 Zin extra 10
07/01/21 Zin extra 9
05/30/21 Zin extra 8
05/28/21 Zin extra 7
05/24/21 Zin extra 6
05/24/21 Zin extra 5
05/22/21 Zin extra 4
05/22/21 Zin extra 3
05/20/21 Zin extra 2
05/19/21 Zin extra 1
05/19/21 Zin c139
05/19/21 Zin c137
05/19/21 Zin c138
05/18/21 Zin c136
05/18/21 Zin c135
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272 Reviews sorted by


Tearlesereph
Tearlesereph
February 21, 2022
Status: extra 10
This novel is a must read!

I don't even know how to properly put it into words how well written the story is. The pacing is perfect, the doors did not feel repetitive or boring the way some QT stories like this goes. The side characters are fully fleshed out and you feel hurt when they're sad.

The story was definitely not what I was expecting either. From reading the little summary blurb and the cover photo I figured it was going to be one of those horror stories where the characters... more>> enter multiple instances, yadda yadda. Also from the few lines exchanged between the main characters in the blurb I went in thinking the two would have certain personalities. I was completely wrong.

MC is Lin Qiushi, he's calm, kind and not OP. With each door he passes, he progresses and develops from someone who isn't afraid to die at any point - because he feels not much emotional attachment to anything, to someone who is deeply connected to everyone around him.

ML is Ruan Nanzhu.
Spoiler

I have to admit, when I first read him I thought he would have something to do with the doors or the supernatural entity himself because that's how the usual novels with this trope are written. But he is actually human and just another experienced person with the doors. I thought that way until the very last chapter and boom, plot twist, apparently he is the 12th door and had fallen in love with Lin Qiushi through Lin's experience in the doors. What! And that technically wasn't fully explained until the extras.

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I don't know what else to write, I just finished reading the last extra today and I'm just experiencing... SO many feels right now. I will say, I have read a ton of novels and I'm super picky. This novel right now ranks no 1. <<less
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hejikkk
hejikkk rated it
September 2, 2021
Status: c85
hey guys, I really tried to like this.

really.

dropped and picked it up 2 times before finally dropping it again. at this point, I'm basically 3/4 done the story and I still don't see why its rated so insanely high

... more>> let's talk a bit about what the novel did well first:

while I didn't enjoy the plot, I have to say that the actual writing was brilliant. the author and translator each do a great job of describing and coming up with terrifyingly unsettling situations, and there were multiple times where I broke out into cold sweat while reading. I also absolutely ADORED the fact that so many of the stories behind the 'doors' were based on legends in real life. 10/10 for the supernatural and horror aspect

that being said, simply horror isn't enough to carry a story. at most, its the icing on the cake itself-- and this is where kod falls through

The plot: 6/10

why? because it always felt incomplete and boring. unlike other quick transmigration stories, there's no real ending or explanation for any of the mini-scenarios. Even as you leave, you have no idea what's going on inside the world, no idea what the story of the world was about, no idea who the people in the world really were, nothing. Most of the plots can be summarized like this: people start dying for no reason, the ML flirts with the MC, scary monsters show up but the MC is unfazed, they find the key after battling the monsters and leave. There was never the sense of satisfaction of actually completing a story (why did the monsters come to be? what happens to the world after they leave?) and since you never learn the backstories of any of the NPCs in-depth, none of the worlds were terribly memorable outside of a few scares. The only exception to this (and thus my favourite arc) would be
Spoiler

the sister drum

[collapse]

i also wasn't a big fan of the mystery or "smart" aspect of the MC and ml. the ml's thought process is never explained, but he manages to somehow correctly locate the key or the door every time based on intuition, or by disappearing for a while. as for the MC... I just feel like everything he "solves" is common sense. for instance, this passage:

Spoiler

Li Dongyuan said, "Ko Shinobu is definitely lying for reasons we don't know; however, we do not know what exactly he is lying about. Do you recall what he said to us the first time we met?"

Of course Lin Qiushi remembered. He furrowed his brows: "Sachiko is someone who shouldn't exist?"

Li Dongyuan: "That is correct."

Lin Qiushi's mind cl**ked. "I see."

Li Dongyuan: "Clever... I've always liked working with clever people. Let us go and reunite with Zhu Meng and the others."

Li Dongyuan's words had no complicated meaning to them—Sachiko is a person who shouldn't exist; if Ko Shinobu truly knew his wrongs, then he would not find it right to have said these words. Sachiko, who was obviously the victim, had turned into someone who shouldn't exist in his words. Even if a few years had passed, even if so many incidents have happened, Ko Shinobu had no intentions of repenting. To think he had even said something so atrocious; in his fear, there was an unconcealable hatred.

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i mean??? like its pretty obvious that if someone says that someone else shouldn't exist when they actually do (esp if the said person turned out to be a victim of bullying), then the speaker is probably a part of the group that was doing the bullying. I don't think that recognizing this is a sign of exceptional intelligence

otherwise, the only other skills that the pair possess are abilities that don't actually require brainpower to write, like lockpicking, superior physical capabilities, and observation (especially this one).

The characters: 5/10

Ok but lets disregard the plot armor that is used to solve the doors!! Surely the characters themselves have some sort of a trait that makes them unique and likeable??

well, imo.......... eh.

the ml's character feels really forced. like his actions were written for the purpose of entertainment rather than following a solid background or personality. personally not very attached here

the MC is kind of boring to me. I get why people find him special, and his skills to adapt are certainly an ability to be envied if the situation happened in real life. however, in a novel, its pretty boring to read about. on top of this, his personality is extremely mild and the type to "not ask many questions". which just makes it even more boring.

speaking of questions (WARNING: INCOMING RANT), i seriously don't understand the main group's aversion to newbies asking questions: what's wrong with it?? everyone has been there at some point and its normal to want to know what this new world is like-- especially in circumstances that dictate life and death. imo, its more s*upid if you DONT want to ask questions and sit around idly, letting others lead you. the author tried to justify this by

Spoiler

introducing the new recuit character (cant remember name) as a foil, and making him ask idiotic questions, all of which were as vague as "what is the meaning of life". well then ofc people are gonna get tired, but are those really the only possible questions to ask?? I think not. in fact, id bet that most people would ask more practical know-hows, such as "why are the doors appearing" or "when will the next door arrive", all of which can be answered with a few simple sentences.

[collapse]

So while these types of newbies definitely exist, they fail to represent the greater population.

i even find these people who take the initiative to ask and learn more likable in comparison to the MC (given that they have the EQ to format their questions properly, and judge the other person's reactions), since its an important step to build a foundation for decision making in this world. what I mean is that, the while the MC certainly isn't curious about how these worlds work, he asks a ton of questions about practical aspects like which action he should take or how the mystery should be solved.

doesn't something feel wrong here? usually the MC needs help to solidify their understanding of the world, and their appeal comes from the fact that they can speed through the rooms quickly after due to their judgement and mystery solving capabilities. however, in KoD, its the opposite.

different sure, but not exactly in a refreshing way.

Side note: I am quite fond of the cheng brothers, however. that's it.

Romance: 2/10

the MC is the densest being I have ever seen. its literally the only reason why the novel is tagged as "slow romance" lol, or else the romance would have been over within the first 3 chapters.

i have no idea why the ML even likes him, feels like that just came out of nowhere. the treatment is also basically completely one-sided too.

i don't really see them being together

Comedy: 3/10

I'm actually really sad about this point too, because aside from plot, comedy is what I usually look forward to the most. unfortunately, the only comedy in this novel is dirty jokes and the mc's dense head, both of which I do not find to be very humorous.

Conclusion

tldr; though excellent in writing/translating quality, a very disappointing experience enjoyment-wise. <<less
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Cridale
Cridale rated it
September 23, 2019
Status: Completed
just my rant and my opinion

OMG <333 this is best Horror Novel I'm ever read with theme like a game :') (the others I'm still fave too is EO) I love ML and MC chemistry and their interactions <3333

... more>>
Spoiler

especially each time ML want to get spoiled by MC and give a dog food to each single dogs in each door ?

[collapse]

And my fave arc is when

Spoiler

when they are in door 9, door 10 and door 11 oh and the door when MC sacrifice himself for take the key (and ML save him from fire)

Especially in door 10 when ML feel wrong for what he do, and ask MC the forgiveness with sell Meng,

But I'm love how MC react when he thought ML was dead.

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But there is something that make me confused, especially about ML that make me shocked

Spoiler

he was 12th door NPC (maybe the boss in this door?) so how he can appear and interactions in real world?

[collapse]
this mystery still make me confused and want to know the answer

I'm love how MC not really like a Shou that too feminime and need a protection, he really so great, strong, smart, and he so gentle :")))) especially to ML

It's HE but there so many that make me want to cry
Spoiler

especially about the death one from the twins,

[collapse]

I want to give thumbs up to the author

Sorry for my bad grammar ? <<less
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rhianirory
rhianirory rated it
February 21, 2019
Status: Completed
good but yes, a little heavy on the gore so if you have a weak stomach or you don't like horror stories this might make you queasy and give you nightmares. The doors are really well done and the MC seems prone to ... more>>
Spoiler

waking up in the hospital afterwards. It happens many times

[collapse]
both the MC and ML are pretty interesting. The MC is the calm and clever during the doors but he has a low EQ when it comes to himself. He also claims his IQ isn't good, but he learns quickly and adapts very fast to things inside the door. Besides he was a designer (though we don't know what type of design work he did), which means he went to university for at least four years if not more so the man can't be too s*upid so his beliefs about himself seem unreliable. there are a few things that bothered me; like them saying that if you are around mentally ill people for too long you can catch mental illness yourself. This isn't true and seeing the author say stuff like that really pisses me off. the ending was complex and there were still a lot of questions left unanswered, especially about the doors. Maybe things will be clearer in the translated version. <<less
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corafaye
corafaye rated it
June 16, 2021
Status: Completed
This was my first Infinite Flow novel and I made an account especially to write this review.

The synopsis on NU doesn't give much info so I'll explain this.

When a person is about to die, they might experience the phenomenon of the doors. They find 12 doors each and have to pass them all to save their lives. The MC meets the ML inside these doors. The doors each have a system in place and to complete a door, you have to solve the mystery, find a key and a door... more>> to exit.

The mysteries are extremely well written. After this novel, I tried to read some other mystery novels but they just don't explain how the MC or ML gets to the final answer and most of it is based on situational luck. But in this, you won't be left confused at all.

The rules of the doors might seem confusing in the beginning but trust me, the author knows what they're doing and have timed the explanation perfectly as the story goes on. You won't feel confused about anything by the end.

Spoiler

Except that infamous extra. I completely ignore it's existence but it's up to you to decide.

[collapse]

The translation is of extremely professional quality and I'd honestly just give 5 stars for that.

TL;DR just give it a shot <<less
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Juonsadako
Juonsadako rated it
August 20, 2019
Status: Completed
This is novel is epic. JUST FUDGING EPIC THATS THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN SAY.

Reading this was one hell of a journey where my feelings were put in the fudging blender then just to be patched up nicely again and being told everything was gonna be fine but endup im being thrown into hell fire and suffer for a bit more but all these hardships were fudging worth it to achieve the HE that the author promised.

Well it was not all about angst really there are other happy/funny/diabetes inducing-stuff... more>> too of course BUT WHEN THE AUTHOR HAS DECIDED TO WRITE THE ANGST PART SHE REALLY DIDNT HOLD BACK.

This is my first time writing a review actually but for this splendid novel I’M DOING IT. COME ON IS THIS NOT PROVE ENOUGH HOW GOOD THIS NOVEL IS. STOP READING THESE REVIEWS AND JUST GO READ THE NOVEL ITS HELLA WORTH IT.

Thankyou :) <<less
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warspite
warspite rated it
March 23, 2022
Status: Completed
First of all, I just want to clarify that I tend to rate a story based on the overall feel and entertainment that it gave me. As for Kaleidoscope of Death, I can say that I f*cking love it so much.

THE CHARACTERS:

LQS (MC) : I love him so so so much! He is someone I aspire to be! He knows when or where he should run his mouth and he deeply respects the boundaries of others. He's quick to adapt and is always calm (a trait of him that was always pointed out by others, I won't explain this any further). He is not nosy and what else... He's just too f*cking lovely, I can't! All in all, I love his character. Lin Qiushi easily became one of my favorite... more>> main characters in all of the novels that I've read. (Another example of my favorite character was Lu Wancheng from Married Thrice to Salted Fish)

RNZ (ML) : I love him too! I love how he rocks both men's and women's outfits. His personality inside the door is very different from the outside. He is blunt, austere, and distant. People like Ruan Nanzhu are the type that I am most intimidated by because their mysteriousness emanates depth and depth emanates power. That is why I admire Lin Qiushi because he's the only one who can melt that ice block. He is also very smart and rational!

Supporting Characters: I love all of them! I mean, they are all written incredibly and a lot are very interesting! I am most fascinated by Ye Niao (Gu Longming), Bai Ming and Zhan Yiqing (I'm not too sure if I recalled their names correctly lol but I'm confident that I got them right), Tan Zaozao, the twins in the fire arc (Zhou Feiqian and Zhou Mingyu), Obsidian's twin brothers (Chen Qiangli and Chen Yixie), and Li Dongyuan.

THE DOORS:

Actually, some of the doors aren't that scary and some were concluded easily. There are times when I read arcs and I was like, "That's it?????" Though there are also times that the arcs made me feel scared and nervous lol. Still, I don't have any negative complaints about it.

THE PLOT:

Spoiler

The Twist:

The plot was f*cking great until it was not. No no no no, I don't mean it became tr*sh, no, that's not it. It was the plot twist that made me somehow go, "Wtf?" Do you get that? You'll know a plot twist is a good one if it surprised every part of your being and you suddenly recalled everything that occurred ever since the beginning of the story and you were like, "What in the f*ck? The hints were all laid before my eyes and I didn't even realize it! What in the fudge!" Yes, that's a good plot twist if you experienced that, but my "Wtf?" for KoD's plot twist is not the same as how I describe that "WTF" in a good plot twist. I think the author abruptly decided the twist. They didn't create any foundation for the twist, they just dropped it like a bomb, and BOOM. A decent plot twist that I commend is that of Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint. You can see the foundation ever since the beginning of the story, hands down to ORV's authors. So yeah, basically for me, the plot twist in KoD appears unnecessary due to the lack of foundation. Despite this, I still love KoD and will rate it 5! I mean, I'm a simple and an average person so I don't want to complicate things. What I deemed overall great is great despite the inconsistencies.

The Deaths:

The characters' death was all too sudden (given the conditions of the doors) and I feel empty inside. No, this is not bad and this is not a complaint to the author. It was actually a great portrayal of reality. Most deaths are sudden and unexpected that you'll feel empty and everything was like in slow motion because you're still processing what happened. Some may get scared reading KoD because of this (and because of others' reviews) but trust me, it's worth it and the deaths aren't that painful because just like what I've said, they are all sudden. Deaths that you've anticipated are more painful. As for the people who are scared of reading KoD because of the twist, it's actually not a big deal.

[collapse]

IN CONCLUSION:

For those who are scared of reading this novel, DON'T WELL TOO MUCH ON KOD'S REVIEWS (This advice is also applicable for any novel/story. Reviews are feedbacks based on OTHERS' POINT OF VIEW. Stop being a s*ave of the opinion of others and witness things yourself. This doesn't necessarily mean that you won't make room for the insights of others. Just don't dwell on them too much.)

All in all, READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! READ KOD! <<less
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Anuskaa
Anuskaa rated it
March 13, 2022
Status: Completed
This is the best horror/thriller book I've ever read. The characters are very well crafted. Reading the progression of events is enjoyable and by no means boring. It was an excellent read for me
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biankiee
biankiee rated it
December 17, 2021
Status: --
i..... this novel was so good. one of the best novels I've read. I really like horror, and the doors gave off a really creepy, really scary vibe. the gore!! very vivid and just what I was looking forrrr! this was one of the novels that made me not want to go to the bathroom during the night lol, plus the MC and ml’s banter was so funny. ruan nanzhu was so playful and insufferable, but that’s what endeared him so much to me. lin qiushi was very cute and... more>> smart and dependable. the side characters were well-written, too. overall, the story, with the horror and characters and execution—they were excellent, for me.

if!! the plot twist!! did not exist!!!

srsly. the plot twist was unnecessary. not only did it throw away all the past experiences of our characters, it also brought forth so much plot holes. just. I wish the plot twist had not been added at all. then the novel would have been perfect.

i feel even more frustrated because such a novel that was so good was suddenly just mediocre to me because of that plot twist. I wish I could scr*pe the plot twist off the novel lmao

anyway, if u’re looking for a creepy, well-written horror novel, read dis. just prepare urself for the plot twist that would bring more annoyance than shock haha <<less
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Eulear
Eulear rated it
July 29, 2021
Status: extra 9
(3.5) It's a decent unlimited flow novel to read. Even though the MC wasn't my cup of tea, the side characters, the doors they needed to go into, and the ML got me hooked to the end. The romance is SUPER slowburn because the MC is super dense. The dense protagnist tag was no joke, even towards the end of the story I question how the MC fell in love with the ML.

... more>>
Spoiler

They only started to confirm their relationship around chapter 106, when the actress died. At that point the story was almost over and throughout those 100 chapters, I didn't feel the MC really like the ML. The MC used the "I'm STRAIGHT" to rationalize that he wasn't interested in ML. It was frustrating to see the ML suffering in MC's dense brain towards realtionships. Even after they got together I still have no idea when the MC fell in love with the ML. Like in MC's dialogue he never stated that he felt attracted to him, he did find his cross dressing beautiful though.

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ML
Spoiler

I love this boy, he is super playful, cunning, and blackbellied. He fell in love with MC cause MC is nice and brave. He is boss of MC's 12th door so he isn't human, but he loves the MC to death. Watching him trying to court the MC and pissing off other people in his crossdressing outfit was super fun to read. The ML is OP and lowkey carries the MC through the first few doors until the MC starts learning how to go through the doors. He is super shameless and tries to play couple and a green tea bit*h with the MC, but he isn't r*pey like the other ML in the genre. I enjoyed his character and felt frustration each time the MC acting dense to his wooing tactics. I wonder how he had the patience to court MC, I guess he is built different. He made me stay and read to the end since he was such an entertaining character.

[collapse]

MC
Spoiler

I found him bland and boring. He feels like a white lotus, but has brains to survive the doors. His best quality is he is super nice and tries to save people if he can. If that's your type of MC then you might like him. (I personally prefer blackbellied MC) Some people said the MC and ML had great chemistry, but I disagree. I feel that the ML is carrying the whole relationship since for 80% of novel, the MC is so dense that he doesn't display any romantic feelings for ML. That kinda killed it for me because there wasn't any s*xual tension, most of the time I just felt heart break for ML suffering from one sided love. The MC also keeps talking about women so he was radiating the I'm straight energy. MC felt so straight that I'm still confused how did he like ML at the end of day. After the ML saves the MC from the fire, I still feel that MC and ML relationship was like family love than romantic love. They help and protect each other, but I couldn't feel the heart pounding romance. MC is kinda weak in the begining, but he has character development and starts growing super strong. He saves ML multiple times, which I really enjoyed cause he wasn't a damsel in distress 24/7. I honestly found his interaction with the person he was mentoring more interesting than the ML. That dude is straighter an a stick so I don't really ship them, they feel more like brothers. Both are the type to save and trust people and their three views matched so their interaction was pretty smooth. When they are together, we get to see the MC shine and be independent instead of being handheld by ML.

[collapse]

side characters
Spoiler

They are fleshed out and interesting to read. I really enjoyed the twins and want to read more about them. They both kinda died. The younger brother sacrificed himself so the older one could live out his 10th door. Then he chose to be in an illusion world to stay with his brother at the end of the story. The older brother seems super interesting and I wanted to read from his perspective. If he was the protagnist, the story might be more interesting. (Maybe cause he radiates giving no f*cks energy) There are some female side characters, but the author likes to write most girls as green tea b*tches or scaredy cats. Girls are portrayed as weak so there is that warning. Most side characters die though, but live in the illusion world so they still kinda exist?

[collapse]

plot heavy spoiler, spilling the tea, skip if you want to go into the story blind

Spoiler

door 1: MC's first door and meets the cross dressing ML. It's about corpses and ML kinda big brain his way to finish it, Kinda forgot the details so take that with a grain of salt.

door 2: 3 creepy triplets and their creepy mom that cooks their bodies. They needed to prepare for their birthday party and their birthday cake was made out of the kid's flesh, which contained the key.

door 3: twin sisters, younger sister was skinned for a ritual to make drums. After skinning her she was still alive and started killing other women to find a skin that he can fit, Her older sister tried finding her to save her, but she betrays her sister and steals her skin and cuts her leg off. The sus girl that the MC meets was the sister and she fell in love with him, but the ML using his green tea bit*h acting skills annoyed her to death. It was funny watching the ML acting skills.

door 4: it was about scary paintings and ML big brain his way through the clues. There was this evil woman who acted weak by crying, but liked to kill everyone to clear the instance alone. She died cause the ML schemed to kill her cause we both know MC is too nice for plotting even if the person is sus.

door 5:A girl was mu*dered by two boys who pushed her down the train tracks. The train cut her legs off and she bled to death. She was bullied by her classmates and if the people sing that song, they will die. They let the ghost get revenge and kill the two dudes that was still alive and satchan was a nice ghost.

door 6:slenderman killing kids and children in the village are all dead. To get the key, they needed to distract slenderman when he was transferring his powers. MC almost died, but the stuff ML gave to protect him saves his life.

door 6:In a hospital and they cleared it by killing the dude that had the doctor inside of him which the ghost wanted to kill cause she was forced to abort her child. There was some evil dude, but cannon fodders die.

door7:mirror world, to get the ket they needed to go into a burning room. We learn that the older twin has great sense of smell. There was a dude with a sister and almost killed the MC by closing the door, but ML saved him and got injured.

door 8:MC goes and wanted to help a "highschool girl" to practice clearing doors, but it was a buff dude. (That's why it felt the MC is super straight like his mind wanders back to girls) The lady was sacrificing the village kids because she was mad that her child was sacrificed. She turned them into candles but was defeated by the ghouls who are the child that she sacrificed and MC escaped. There was some as*hole that used new players as meat shields.

door 9:tera tera bozu game, MC went in to get revenge for his friend that got mu*dered by the scum player, they acted like a dumb loving couple so that was entertaining to watch.

door 10: MC with the person he is mentoring. Some dude wanted to sacrifice his friends to make his ghost girlfriend to be human. MC wished that his wish doesn't come true and solves the door.

door 11: hako onna. There were 2 moles that tried to kill ML. MC thought ML died, but it was just an act to lure the second mole out. MC was mad ML was hiding secrets from him. After the cannon fodders were founded, they escaped, finding the key.

door 12:MC, ML, and the person MC is mentoring killed some fish to kill the minotaur and they cleared it super fast. ML got addicted the fish and MC saved both of them and some random new female newcomer. (Why you ask cause MC is super ~nice~!)

door 13:they go into ML's 11th door which is just a replay for the doors that they went into. Then they chose if they want to stay in an illusion world or reality. Both chose reality and we find out ML is the boss for the 12th door. It turns out the MC was the leader of the organization. After one year of waiting, the ML returns back to reality.
Pretty much the whole story is just the MC clearing the 12th door, that the big plot twist.
There is some side couple, but they don't have that much presence and kinda feel out of place because they don't interact with the MC and ML that much. We don't really get to read their romance scenes so their relationship felt vague and out of nowhere.

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MC kinda made the story boring for me, but I'm a simp of unlimited flow so reading horror instances so I kept reading like the ML pursing the dense MC. If you like white lotus, nice, "I'M STRAIGHT" MC and black bellied ML then that's for you. If you like OP MC with big brain and accepts his s*xual orientation (no I'm straight bs) then probably go read the Card Room or Earth is Online. It was a short and fun read, but the MC kinda fustrated and annoyed me so take that with a grain of salt. <<less
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darlingv
darlingv rated it
April 28, 2019
Status: Completed
Horror, with a little comedy and romance thrown into the mix really is the perfect combination. I'm a big fan of horror movies and novels, but only when it's done right. Kaleidoscope of Death is such a novel.

MC enters the world inside the door and has to survive by avoiding all sort of creepy things that go bump in the night, while solving the mystery to each key to go back to the real world. The doors are all very exciting (except for the minotaur one, that was just plain... more>> disgusting) and we get to see how much MC grows throughout the story. MC is smart, calm, and has a keen mind and good intuition, which makes him very well-suited to deal with such frightening, tension-ridden situations.

ML is very experienced, intelligent, cunning and extremely shameless, but shows two different sides to his personality when he is in the door and in the real world. ML brings humor to the story when he is being full-blown shameless, which balances out the scary bits. One moment you experience heart-racing, jaw-dropping terror, and the next you're laughing out loud, wiping your tears.

The romance between MC and ML is really the cherry on top. The tacit understanding these two have make them the perfect partners when they're challenging the doors. It feels completely natural when MC and ML finally get together, especially after the harrowing life and death experiences they go through together. MC indulges ML a lot, playing along with his crazy antics (which provides more comedy for us readers).

I didn't care much for the supposedly "mind-blowing" reveal in the extras, mainly because I felt the explanation was not exactly necessary. It didn't add anything to the story for me, and I could've done without it.

All in all, this is the most riveting horror novel (on novelupdates) that I've read so far. It makes me feel a little sad now that I've finished reading it. I was completely invested in the story, its characters and the emotions... the angst in the last part really got me tearing up! It's a must read that deserves the 5 stars! <<less
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wkhekwjewkej
wkhekwjewkej rated it
March 1, 2024
Status: --
An addicting book if I have to say so.

Kaleidoscope of death is mainly a horror novel that revolves around logical conjectures to break out of ‘doors’. It’s an extremely well written book I would highly recommend, whether it be the plot, horror elements, logical reasoning, e.t.c.

Pros:

PLOT (and other elements)

  • Extremely interesting and thought out scenarios. Revolving around urban legends and tales most are familiar with, the author manages to create very exciting and intriguing arcs that would no doubt get you hooked on.
  • The horror is SO WELL DONE. You’ll get goosebumps to say the least. The fact that there’s also backstories about them in reality makes it so much better (woman in the rain goddamn)
  • The plot itself is very interesting as we get closer to the 11th door. The world-building is excellent and well thought out as well, it’s not rated high for no reason.
Characters:

  • MC is so so relatable and human, albeit not as interesting but still, we all love him. He’s not a genius or anything, above average IQ and pretty stoic. His humor keeps me awake.
  • ML in my opinion was a bit well interesting? I mean EXTREMELY interesting, don’t have much to say about him, unwrap him as the plot goes on. Old ginger is spicier.
Romance:

  • The romance is actually pretty realistic and really delves into the actual seriousness of the situation which I really appreciate.
  • There’s dog food scattered here and there, but it’s not ‘fluffy’ per se, a very mature and steady development.
  • ML isn’t the typical over-obsessive and possessive kind while MC is just a normal guy, it’s very refreshing and nice to read.
Cons:

  • I unfortunately have to concede and agree with the points that, yes, the extras did seem like a last minute plot hole fix. I’m one of the few who loved the extras actually but it was a bit too much to take in albeit I DID expect it, just forgot about it as I neared the end of the book.
  • I believe MC could’ve been a bit more fleshed out, I felt like he could’ve been so much more interesting if we’d gotten more insight about him.
Overall:

Excellent read, highly recommend- definitely worth your time. Personal rating: 3.5/5 overall rating: 5/5
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GayforKlein101
GayforKlein101 rated it
August 30, 2023
Status: --
i love love love this, the feeling this novel gave me was like no ther, I was so amazed that I floated off to heaven and I physically gave god a high five while beat boxing, my eyes are eternally blessed, my tears have not gone to waste, the author personally came to my house whenever I was crying and l**ked my tears off very delicately. my only worry is that I became confused at the end because I was so mentally f*cked because of all the emotions going in... more>> my brain, I could just hear my heart wrenching in pain as the turmoil of emotions reached my brain and began a flood of tears that escaped through my eyes, they were endless. I have come here to fomally thank the author for writing this, but I will also throw the middle finger at her for being a demon and absolute devil who feasts on the tears of the innocent readers... yes I am talking about my girl zaozao and qianli. f*ck you author, f*ck you. my past words do not refrain from the fact I would suck a fart out of the authors ass though, yum.

<<less
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idledays
idledays rated it
November 3, 2022
Status: Completed
As many other reviewers said, it is a novel with a solid beginning that tapers out near the end.

Pros:

The MC! The way his character is designed is just very likeable and his morals are good, but not too virg*n-mary-like. He's mostly realistic, other than his extreme calmness/aptitude for the doors which is... kinda explained later on...?

The author has a way of making side characters likeable, and you can't help but wish for their survival. Most characters in this novel are multifaceted, even those who initially seem quite one-dimensional,... more>> like the twins.

The relationship between the MC and the ML doesn't feel forced and their banter in the doors is what keeps the novel's tone relatively light despite all of the heavy topics. Actually, most relationships written have their intricacies and their charms, and watching the way different couples cope with the doors is both interesting and gut-wrenching at the same time.

The way the author deals with characters. She's really not afraid to kill them off.

Spoiler

The way Tanzaozao and Cheng Qianli dies is just so. Saddening. They were foreshadowed but still, I was not mentally prepared. I sobbed a lot. Another thing is the relationship between the couple in the Hako Onna arc was just. f*ck man. I burned so many calories by crying

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Cons:

The ending. Many other reviewers have touched on why the ending feels so unsatisfying, but to me, it just felt like the author just wanted to end things. Each other door had chapters of worldbuilding and the 11th and 12th door destroyed it. It was a bit of a mindf*ck, to be honest. (To be fair, I binged this novel while cramming for graduation tests and midterms so it could be just that my brain cells died)

Plot holes. There were a lot of things that were haphazardly explained throughout the novel and never touched on again. Once again, it could be tiredness speaking but I feel like it had to do with the author giving up.

Overall, it's a wonderful novel and I'm emotionally attached to it. I feel empty after finishing it, and I truly recommend it due to the vibrancy of the characters and relationships. <<less
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PeachyOs
PeachyOs rated it
May 27, 2022
Status: Completed
I went into this story with extremely high expectations since it is one of the UF danmeis that is highly recommended by many people, but the story just didn't do it for me.

Plot
While the story is well written, there were many times throughout the novel where I wanted to drop it, not because it was boring or there was anything wrong with the story, but because it felt like there was always something missing. The arcs were interesting, but the story didn't grip me in the way where I... more>> couldn't put the book down. The only thing that pushed me to continue to the next chapter each time was because I heard there was a big twist at the end and I really wanted to know what it was without skipping to the end.

Characters
Cross dressing ML x Calm doesn't ask questions MC.
They were both bland characters to me, however ML is like a completely different person in the real world compared to inside the doors. ML's shameless personality inside the doors is much more entertaining than his cold detached personality outside the doors.

They're both smart and over powered. Like really. over. powered.
Spoiler

There were many times MC should have died, but at the last moment the author goes SURPRISE! he's saved because the random bracelet he was wearing actually had powers to save him!........ Once or twice is okay with me, but when it starts happening multiple times it becomes too much

There were also a few arcs that ended as soon as it started because of how smart and overpowered the MC/ML is..I remember starting an arc where they entered the door and in about 5 chapters they're already out of the door.... it left me feeling unsatisfied at how quick it ended.

[collapse]

Horror
The horror is the strongest aspect of the entire novel. It was more disgusting and creepy for me than scary and this is coming from someone who is an extreme scaredy cat who can't watch horror movies. Lots of very disgusting and graphic descriptions of horrible bloody deaths. I'm amazed at how the author can come up with so many different ways for the characters to die in the doors and never repeat a single one.

Each door is also based off of supernatural beings from real life movies/games/books/folktales/etc which I thought was pretty cool! For example, there's an arc on slenderman lol and another one on a really creepy painting that exists in real life.

Romance
The romance is extreme slow burn it almost doesn't exist until near the end of the novel. The confession doesn't appear until around
Spoiler

ch 80. and MC completely misunderstands!!!! ML confesses and MC misunderstands his confessions and thinks ML is talking about entering doors together 🤡

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MC and ML don't actually get together as a couple until
Spoiler

the last couple of arcs. Even when they get together the romance doesn't play a major role in the story.

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The lack of romance isn't an issue for me, but might be for some people.

The plot twist in the extras
Spoiler

I could have lived without the plot twist. The idea was cool, but the execution wasn't good. There was no foreshadowing for the twist that it felt more like an alternative ending than a plot twist. The plot twist ending also has major plot holes the more you think about it.

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Overall, KOD is a well written horror UF danmei. If you like horror I suggest checking it out, but if you want something with more romance or more interesting characters this isn't the book for you. <<less
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kodlover
kodlover
May 7, 2022
Status: Completed
Okay let me start this off with, WTF THIS IS THE BEST NOVEL I HAVE EVER READ ?!

—i made a novel updates account specifically to write a review.

- I cried, laughed, and had so much emotion while reading and every plot twist surprised me more than the last

-this novel is so well written and absolutely amazing I cant put how much I love it into words!!

- I am truly grateful to have read this

5 stars♾/10!!
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AneeChan
AneeChan rated it
May 4, 2022
Status: Completed
SO PEOPLE, HERE IT IS. THE LOVE OF THE CENTURY- THE KIND OF LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS RACE, COLOUR, RELIGION, GENDER AND EVEN SPECIES DIFFERENCES.

Does a tiger f*cking a human make you uncomfortable?

Fear not, cuz it's even worse here.

... more>>
Spoiler

It's literally a DOOR f*ckING A HUMAN.

The seme/gong is a f*cking door. Not human

[collapse]

There I said it. Phew now that I've said I feel strangely relieved lmao. Jokes aside, not gonna take too long with this review cuz most of my opinions are correspondent with the other reviews.

First up: Do I recommend it regardless of any mixed feelings I have for the story? Absolutely. So if you're already inclined to read it, pls go read it. It's highly entertaining and an ultimate page-turner despite any flaws it might harbor. Moving onto the review;

Characters:

∆The MC/Shou- He was a likeable character overall. He was a calm, serene persona taking things as they come and going with the flow, highly adaptable and flexible. Not exactly godly IQ but regular common sense and a pinch of situational smartness is what the MC was good at. He's kind but also has his boundaries and gentle but not gullible. Simple put, he's the definition of "moderate" and therefore can come across as pretty bland (because no trait of his stands out other than moderation seriously) but nobody can actually hate him as a character. And despite him being oblivious to the gong's flirtations he was quick to realise his feelings and act upon them once he understood the advances. This is the level of maturity I expect from characters. Besides, he doesn't remain "calm" forever and the moment his character breaks in one of the arcs is one of the most memorable parts of the story for me
Spoiler

My man really went I'll kill everybody and then myself if it would mean he's safe

Tsk tsk the things people do for love

[collapse]

The Gong/ML- The difference between this dude's inside and outside door persona's were honestly jarring to me- and not in a good way. That said, petty jealousy and Alpha Top/, gong sh*t was not part of him. He was very much mature like the MC and had decisive morals and boundaries he wouldn't trespass to attain what he wanted despite his insane talent with the doors. Though he was a bit OP I didn't really mind that because the stakes were equally higher and you can die inside for something as simple as breathing or farting excuse you. Though he did possess the "Cold ice prince" BL stereotype outside the doors, he wasn't unreasonable in his mannerisms or abusing his authority. And I love the way he fell hard for the MC.

Side characters: PLSS OHGOD LEMME CRY, I CAN'T TAKE THIS sh*t *UGLY CRYING NOISES*

Spoiler

I'm not over Chen Qianli's death yet. Somebody gimme my precious boy back. I never expected myself to get so attached to Qianli but when he died, I was crying a waterfall. Also Cheng Yixie? Pls bit*h gimme that gum to stick my shattered heart together.

Atleast the illusory world gave them the ending they deserved. That's the only reason I forgive the lazy writing of that part

[collapse]

The rest of the side characters like Tan Zaozao, Bai Ming and his lover, Lan Yuxue etc were also fleshed out enough for an average reader to enjoy their presence. Just... don't get attached to the side characters- for your heart's sake.

Plot- The entertainment factor here is an easy hit because every arc gets interesting and the doors constantly evolving into different kind of monster, each disastrous than the one before. Each world is a puzzle and case that has to be solved but pls don't expect "Sherlock-ian level of logic and realism" in these cases because some of the logic behind the assumptions the MC's made to find the keys are so otherworldly and nonsensical that you're like "How the heck did you even come up with that?" (#How to survive a survival novel?#be the protagonist). I got to hand it to the author though, the worlds were extremely creative in their design and lore and gore descriptions are top notch. Every arc upto the 11th door was so exhilarating and such a thrill treat to read.

Then came the 11th door... which turned out to be ultra disappointing. The stake within the doors was beyond dying now because "dying" wasn't a big deal to our main couple now. Their concern is not being able to die together and they actually pulled an almost Romeo-Juliet sh*t on us with the last door.

The mind-blowing plot twist in the area? Yeah, I wanted to dig myself a hole and hide myself after reading that because it was that badly done. The foreshadowing was not enough, some of the developments that happened in the course of the story stopped making sense and make for a lot of plot holes that are left unexplained. And worse? It added nothing significant to the story.
Spoiler

I liked Nanzhu better as a human than a door thank you very much

[collapse]

The last two doors are definitely typical romantic clichés so if you're okay with a regular "Oh I can't live without them" trope combined with some other typical survival clichés, you might enjoy the last arc too.

Romance: Well, what can I say? We're well fed everyone. There's no power play or heirarchial dynamic going on. From the very beginning LQS was RNZ's equal. They were allies who went from unconditionally dependent on eachother to unconditionally loving eachother and it's beautiful. I thought because it was a survival concept there'd be a hell ton of "I'll die if it means you get to live" cringey sh*t going to be there but no. The story took a different view on self-sacrifice and what it means to those around them. It addresses the suffering of those left behind and doesn't glorify the sacrificial behaviour in any form and that my people deserves a good applaud. The whole theme was delightfully addressed through their relationship and it wasn't corny at all. They looked like adults indulging in a matured romance with proper communication and no ugly misunderstandings and it was so lovely to watch.

ALL IN ALL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. PLEASE GO READ YA'LL.

Worth all 5 stars despite some obvious flaws in writing but hey, the pros outdo the cons to who cares🥳🥳 <<less
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Fuchou
Fuchou rated it
April 22, 2022
Status: Completed
If I could remove this from my memory, I would. It's really good, I admit, but it's been two weeks since I've read this and it's still stuck in my brain and making me distracted irl. Never have a novel given me such large impact (and I have read a lot of novels with tragedy tags).

... more>>
Spoiler

God, it's not even the huge plot twist in the end that screwed me over-- it's the twins. I liked them so much because it reminded me of my personal relationship with my sibling and that's the largest mistake I made. Thinking about it still induces nausea from grief and denial (I know that they're together again in the end but I can't just accept it. My brain doesn't want to comprehend it. I wish I never read this and get traumatized like this.) and if I was Yixie I would've done the same damn thing, step by step. It's scary to think about. I subconsciously think about it without prompting.

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I hope I can get it out of my brain soon, wish me luck, or I'd be going to a therapist with the pathetic reason that I need one due to a novel I've read. <<less
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bruisedpanda
bruisedpanda rated it
January 28, 2022
Status: --
f*cking brilliant. I've put off writing this review because I just have not processed what an exceptional experience reading this novel has been.

just f*cking perfect.

from the first chapter, the story was thrown into a boiling pot of confusion and tension as the MC and the audience is trying to figure out what the hell is going on. My poor heart did not get a break for the entire 17 hours it took me to read this, beating an average of 200 bpm the entire time. Tense as hell, creepy, freaky,... more>> leaving the reader feeling unnerved and on the edge the entire time. The doors were full of all kinds of twists and turns that I simply could not put down.

now the romance. Top tier. The confession was chef's kiss. I can still remember the exact line the ML says in that moment and it's both heartbreaking and soul-mending and full of tears. The ML and the MC go through a lot together and they grow together in different ways. Really touching.

but I would still classify my favourite parts as the side characters and their deaths. They were so unexpected and disorientating and BANG you're dead. One moment a character is laughing and then they are dead. It just raised the stakes for everything so high and kept the tension pumping on the tip of the knife. I love an author who is not afraid to get rid of characters, both big and small.

Spoiler

and cheng qianli. F*ckkkkkkkkkkk. It's been years since i've been genuinely sad to see characters die, but when I tell you I felt his death maaaaaannnnnnnnnnn. F*ckkkkk. I prayed he would be safe when I found out one of the volumes of the traditional chinese version was named after him but goddd. And reading the twins extras------- no words. My poor weepy heart.

[collapse]

Spoiler

as a testament to how tense the author kept the novel, in the mc's eleventh door, when door is telling him that everything since the burning room has been nothing more than a hallucination, I had a bolt of genuine, unaltered fear run through me that everything was indeed nothing more than a dream. Like, a solid portion of the book-- nothing more than a dream. Normally, one might automatically assume it is a malicious force tricking the MC, but the author had left everything so unexpected, from deaths to lives to secrets, that I was genuinely afraid that so much beautiful character development and journey and romance was just a lie. The fear was so real.

[collapse]

the plot twist-- eh. Meh. I had it spoiled for me by accident, but not how it came to be or worked, so I kinda was prepared, which made it lose a lot of interest for me. It was, well. Idk what I would think of it if I hadn't already known. I don't mind it, but I can't really appreciate it either. For me, it just was.

i can't think of any complaint I have with this book. I've never read anything in this genre before, but it was f*cking amazing. This is the first five star rating i've left. I've read a lot of novels, but they've never quite left me with this rolling ball of emotion that has me turning over the story again and again in my mind. Just f*cking perfection. <<less
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Salted Eggie
Salted Eggie
December 29, 2021
Status: Completed
I reallyyy like this novel BUT the mystery and puzzle gave me real headache. MC like 'im scared but imma be brave'. ML OP but not overwhelming. The ending made me spit WTF. I never saw plot twist like tht lol. ALSO prepare tissue cuz many memorable character died 🥺😭 I gave it 4.99 cuz that 0.01 for my dead brain cell.
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