Nightfall

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Chang An, capital of Tang, the most powerful empire in the continent. A heaven wrecking massacre shook the city to its core. Amidst the incident, a young boy named Ning Que managed to get away, dug out from a pile of corpses along with a little girl called Sang Sang. Years passed, and since that day the two of them lived together. Together with Sang Sang they both entered the military, with plausible military achievements, they were recommended into the Scholar School, which began their miraculous journey.

Who is this boy and what does his future hold?

The epic and legendary tale of an extraordinary young man rising up from the masses, traversing his life in the pursuit of quantity over quality. His inquisitive voice echoes infinitely through the hills of the immortal Academy: “I am one who would rather suffer an eternity of destined calamities than beg for solace from the saints…”

Associated Names
One entry per line
Ever Night (drama)
Jiang Ye
将夜
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Pivot of the Sky (4)
Ze Tian Ji (2)
Heaven’s Shadow (1)
Tales of Demons and Gods (1)
The Great Conqueror (1)
Once Upon A Time, There Was A Spirit Sword Mountain (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Novels that I have read
  2. Ancient Times/China
  3. what webnovels have to offer, my favorites
  4. KR Novels I'll Read When They Finish (and some CN)...
  5. Timeless Masterpieces - the Best Novels Ever

Latest Release

Date Group Release
03/20/18 Webnovel c77
03/19/18 Webnovel c76
03/19/18 Webnovel c75
03/18/18 Webnovel c74
03/18/18 Webnovel c73
03/17/18 Webnovel c72
03/17/18 Webnovel c71
03/16/18 Webnovel c70
03/16/18 Webnovel c69
03/15/18 Webnovel c68
03/15/18 Webnovel c67
03/14/18 Webnovel c66
03/14/18 Webnovel c65
03/13/18 Webnovel c64
03/13/18 Webnovel c63
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37 Reviews sorted by


Nanohana
Nanohana rated it
November 2, 2017
Status: Completed
I've read the first 20 or so chapters in English then the entirety of the 6 volumes/parts in Chinese. Firstly, the language in most translated light novels are elementary and middle school level. However, this author has a very sophisticated style with immense Chinese vocabulary and references to Chinese historical characters and philosophy (more so than your typical Xuanhuan works). The translators are doing a fantastic job and this sophistication in the language is probably one of the main reasons why the chapters are coming out so slow. While it's... more>> an enjoyable read on its own, a preliminary understanding of Chinese history, philosophy, Confucius, Daoism, Buddhism, elevates this novel to another level entirely.

The story starts as a typical "weak" protagonist going to the "Academy" to become strong and seek revenge. He is ridiculed by his peers, but eventually becomes the godfather of bad ass. He then represents the academy in various missions and by chance meets the prettiest girls in the world who fall in love with him. This is the central plot line. Doesn't seem very special right? The author separates this cliche setting from others in the genre by creating an immense world of political and religious intrigue along with, I dare say, the best cast of supporting characters in all the web novels I've read. One can even logically make the statement that it is these supporting characters who carry the story, not the Protagonist Ning Que himself. Here, you won't see a character pop out of nowhere to trouble the protagonist just to serve as an antithesis of how good/bad ass Ning Que is. Every single characters has his own story within this story; they have their own souls, faith and beliefs. The bad guys aren't simply bad because they are born that way. You might even feel empathy for them after you truly understand them and their motivations.

Another aspect that makes the characters more developed and feel more "real" is the fact that they are bound to their political and religious ambitions aside from personal ones in this world. There is the Tang empire, which is represented by Fuzi 夫子 (chinese for teacher, i.e. Confucius) and the Academy he founded. This school of belief highlights humanism (仁), - the idea that humanity is the essence of all things, not God, not anything else. The Chinese character 仁 taken apart means "person" and "two". The idea is that we cannot be human alone- being human means being in relation to other humans. How we ought to live, i.e. Our moral and ethical standards, should be tied to virtues of being good to other humans. This humanism is central to ancient Chinese philosophy. A quick wikipedia search to confucius and Daoism will allow you to understand the characters in Tang and the academy much better. This is key to the growth of the protagonist because he must rely on himself to become strong. There are no shortcuts to cultivation and power. But even at his strongest, Ning Que needs help from his fellow Tang humans.

On the side of the "bad guys", There is Dao religion (not to be confused with daoism), which runs parallel to Christianity in the western world. They have cardinals, preachers and faithful followers, who believe in the benevolence of the "Heavens" (Hao Tian), or like God in Christianity. Their power are gifts from the benevolent God. They are the natural enemies to Tang and the Academy. Why? Because humanism is heresy. The very thought of humans>God defiles and sullies their very core. Then there is the Buddhist sect. Buddhism is kind of in between humanism and God. The Buddhist characters believe that good and evil, right and wrong does not come intrinsically from either God or humans. They strive to achieve Nirvana and becoming Buddha in order to be the salvation of the world.

The last thing I want to touch on is the title Jiang Ye (将夜). (夜) Ye means night. Jiang (将) can be read in two different ways. The two words together has one meaning of almost night, or becoming night. Think of Winter is coming from Game of Thrones. A theme of this novel is the possibility of Eternal night. The second reading of Jiang can mean general or king (in chess), and together it can mean something like check in chess, as in checkmate. Both interpretations invoke imagery that's relevant to the story as a whole. So we have this immense world of individual vs individual conflict, kingdom vs kingdom, and religion vs religion, highlighted by a detailed and individually motivated group of characters. This is not your typical web novel. There is no harem, best girl (prettiest?) girl doesn't necessarily win. That being said, I enjoyed the romance aspects of this novel because of the depth of the characters.

I recommend bookmarking this work and binge it after a while.

The first half of this novel probably is 11/10. And the second half is a solid 7/10. But that is a story for another day once more chapters get released.

Edit: I saw that QI picked up the book but have not read it, but now it's taken off again. I will be checking back and adding more details to my review and hopefully expanding on confusing concepts/ideas in the book once they are introduced. <<less
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Ignus
Ignus rated it
March 31, 2017
Status: c75
A highly stylized writing style. I can't imagine how hard this story was/is to translate. (Waiting for it to be picked up again)

The stylized writing brings with it, immersion. Also, confusion. Whole sections of chapters I had only a vague idea of what was happening, but I could care less, because it truly felt like how subtle real political/ancient Chinese educated people converse.... A far cry from every person saying tr*sh this tr*sh that.

The characters are amazing, unique, deep... It actually feels like if something different was said by... more>> the MC, they would respond differently... Like the MC is not protected by plot armor.

The world is vibrant, and described almost poetically rather than literally, and is different from most what I have read before.

The MC himself is great. Trying without spoilers: I really want to know the mysteries behind the MC, and how he, who could be a protagonist, ended up being the way he is... Aye, this is terribly undiscriptive. MC is very unique, with a dark view of the world, not motivated by the typical simple "because I want to be stronger".

The action... There may not be much of it, but what action there is, is absolutely great. There are tactics, strategy, and tasty violence mixed into the action. Its like the difference of watching Dragonball with 2/3s episodes name calling and powering up a single skill (Like many Light Novels that rely on action to carry the story....) To a well thought out action sequence in a realistic military movie.

All in all, this story is so close to getting a 5 star from me. My lack of understanding esoteric Chinese references, causing my moments of confusion, and the disappointment of not being able to read more chapters lead to a lose of star for me. <<less
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MangoGuy
MangoGuy rated it
November 24, 2017
Status: c83
This is Mango approved.

I am actually surprised at how low key this one is, even though the other novel by the same author (ZTJ) is so popular.

I have read until c83, and till here I can say with ease that this has one of the BEST starting arcs in all of CN cultivation type novels. No questions asked.

We have a protagonist who is, essentially, OP. He is cold blooded, and there is a backstory. He is looking for vengeance, and he had to survive since his childhood in forests and... more>> battlefields. His constant companion has been a girl who is less like a romantic interest and more like a very important female character.

The slight shades of comedy, whenever they do come, are golden moments. The action is ridiculously well done. And the actual language is print quality.

So far, I can see the parallels between the writing style in ZTJ and Jiang Ye. However, the two protagonists are essentially different in their disposition towards fights and violence. At least, initially.

Our MC is so OP... will it become boring? No. because he cannot cultivate. Because he has NO talent towards qi manipulation and what not. This gives me a handicap that he can only overcome with skills and intelligence, and he has delivered spectacularly.

The last TL was forgettable, but it looks like Jiang Ye got picked up by QI. Hopefully, they can get someone like Binggo... That is one fantastic TL! At least, I hope that the CN to EN conversion is done while keeping the original flavor... this is one series that I am even willing to read mtl.

I would say that this is not a series that you should loo for romance, but it is still far too early. I can see potential interests, but I think it would be better to not jump to conclusions.

At just 1000+ chapters, it is decently sized. The chapter size is also decent.

I would say that my only issue is with the rather vague cultivation realms so far, but I assume that it will get cleared up once MC starts doing it.

Also, a warning. This story is just a bit dark/mature. Expect good action, but the action will be graphic.

On the whole, a read that is well worth the read time. Been a long while since I have wanted to write a review for a series so early... It is definitely Mango approved, at least till c83.

PS: The MC has a clear goal of revenge, so at least it is better than ZTJ with its slightly vague-ish goals early on.

PPS: Due to my opinions regarding QI, I have had to drop this novel. Loved it for as long as I read it, but it was quite early. For a more well-rounded review about the entire novel, check other reviews. <<less
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scadrez
scadrez rated it
October 27, 2018
Status: Completed
Out of all the many cultivation titles that I had read, Nightfall/ Ever Night is very unique. In those cultivation titles the MC will always attain the highest cultivation level and will step on the boundaries of Godhood. In this title, the aspect of cultivation falls on the "Gray Area". While having a high cultivation means that you are stronger than everyone else... it doesn't necessarily mean that you can beat the crap out of anyone just because you have the strength to do so.

In short, in this title cultivation... more>> is not ABSOLUTE.

Another aspect that you will encounter in this title is that you clearly feel that the author wants to set himself apart from the countless cultivation titles that you can find anywhere. To be precise, it is not your generic title Xianxia/Cultivation title. Which makes me feel conflicted in a way that I don't know whether I should be happy or not.

My conflicted feelings lies on this well written novel that didn't adhere to any of my predictions. The characters have a bit more depth in them especially the antagonists (and this makes them more annoying). In reading this title you will not be hooked by sheer excitement or anticipation. Actually, Nightfall for me is a very "Tiring Read". This is because out of all the titles that I had read, I didn't drop this because of one particular trait. What trait is that? That trait is that this novel is "Very Well Written".

A well written novel can either be a hit or miss. For people who don't have patience this title may prove to be a very hard thing to read. I can't explain this in words so I'll just try to make you understand it in the most simplest way possible. Imagine reading your favorite cultivation novel. You turn page after page because it gets exciting as the story progresses. This will make you want to read until you forget to eat or sleep etc. Night Fall is different. It will not hook you the way your favorite novel does. You will simply stay because of the "Unique" plot, world, characters that the author has unraveled for you.

This is the reason why I said that it is a very tiring title to read. Only those who have enough patience will be able to finish this story until the very end. This is also the reason why I feel so conflicted in rating this title, but since I finished it until the end I gave it a 4 star rating because of the said "Unique" traits.

I don't know how many times I repeated some redundant words in this review like conflicted etc. Which goes to show my feelings about this title.

For the most part the bittersweet loyal romance is truly bitter sweet. For once I wished that this is a harem title. MoShanshan is such a good girl. MC is not dense and understands her feelings and she understands his feeling towards her as well. The only problem is that when your wife is a...*oooops spoiler related not going to tell* how can there be room for another woman in your life?

If you were to ask me if this title is highly recommended... I'd probably say "Perhaps". There is no definite answer for this question as many readers have different taste and preference. If you think you are a patient person and you think that your tolerance level is very high then you might like to give this title a try.

Let me warn you in advance that you will feel tired reading this title. At least, that is how I felt when I read it. I only stayed because it's not your typical Xianxia story. It's unique and will probably be the most unique title I had read until I find another one that will set itself apart from the Generic Cultivation titles out there in the novel world. <<less
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Damonwex
Damonwex rated it
July 27, 2018
Status: c336
Ok before I begin this I have to warn anyone interested in this novel that the translation quality is atrocious. I wouldn't really mind if this is some tr*sh xianxia like BTTH or MGA but this is one of the most beautifully and masterfully written xianxias I've ever read. Not only does the translator have no grasp of the structure of English language like how to form a sentence, his translations are riddled with made up words like "thoughted". But the worst thing is lot of the meanings are lost... more>> in his translations which is why I have to reduce a star from my rating because at the current condition this novel cannot be properly enjoyed in English.

Now on to the review. Like I said this novel is quite well written and the highlight of this novel is it's characters. Every single one of them well fleshed out and have their own motives for what they're doing. And in the multiple POVs we get pretty good glimpse of what makes these characters tick (unlike in typical xianxias multiple pov are only used to depict how awesome the main character is). Even the villains are very well fleshed out and not the usual two dimensional ones you see in this genre. Most of their motives are pretty realistic like having had to choose the lesser evil for lack of a good choice or they simply believe that they are doing the right thing for the greater good and you can even sympathize with some of them to an extent.

As for the MC he is pretty much a rogue (the charming kind) who wants to get things done by any means necessary to protect the few people he cares about and to get revenge. But he's not a total psychopath either as he only goes after people who threatens people he love and the ones he had to get revenge on. There is a lot of political intrigue in this novel and most of the time it's pretty well depicted and interesting and actually fleshes out the world much but the world-building overall is pretty average unlike the characters.

Now for the cons and the single biggest one is the pacing and filler, Which is pretty much all over the place. There are dozens of chapters on mundane things and conversations that aren't really relevant or wasting huge amounts of time describing events and things that could be really done in a 2-3 chapters. Which kills the pace of this novel so you will have to have a bit of patience to enjoy this. But imo it's worth it. But all in all I can only give this a 3/5 cuz of the translation and the poor pacing. <<less
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L611
L611 rated it
June 12, 2018
Status: c358
The author of this story is on a different class than your other usual wuxia authors. Not only is the story interesting, everything happens because of reasons. There is enough foreshadowing for things and sh*t doesnt happen out of the blue. Most importantly its not filled with 'heavenly arrogant' brats that go on killing spree for no reason. Also the author know how to write. For example he doesn't describe every female as 'perlessly beautiful', or 'white as snow'. It feels like a real novel written after proper thought is... more>> put into it. Its not like other novels filled with just random text like 'boom' or ten lines of how 'jade like skin' the beauty has. it has well thought out dialogs, proper characters, good plot development. There are often a healthy amount of philosophy mixed in. Its a proper wuxia novel.

my only problem with this one is a tad bit slow power incriment. (Which is ironic because most novels are cursed for its random and too fast powerups.)

Overall I highly recommend this one.
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rdawv
rdawv rated it
February 22, 2016
Status: --
Review of Ch52.

Interesting is the word I’d use. We have a hardworking MC “who can’t cultivate” but has other skills that are capable of astonishing others, both in martial and domestic matters. He has a long term goal, a vendetta against someone who is far off and untouchable as yet. He has a loyal follower/friend/servant, a younger figure who obeys him and gives quips when asked. Also, at this point he has a distant female figure who is curious about him.

Readers might be fooled into thinking that I’m describing Ze... more>> Tian Ji. It’s safe to say that Jiang Ye has some similarities with ZTJ, which in my humble opinion is a superior novel in the fact that it has more chapters translated currently. After 50-ish chapters, I feel the prose and dialogue of Jiang Ye can measure up to ZTJ, which I feel has the best prose of all the stories listed in this site that I have read thus far. Besides, they are both by the same author.

Not much of Jiang Ye’s story has been revealed yet, but at least we know there is an end-goal objective, that there is a long-term vendetta against an arch-nemesis and his accomplices. My opinion might change down further the line, but currently I am interested in reading more. It shouldn’t be too long a journey, with 5 volumes listed as the complete series. <<less
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L3tt3r
L3tt3r rated it
November 23, 2019
Status: c317
down to earth. No flying monsters who blow up planets and universes, but much more relatable conditions that this work's characters exist in.

slow progression. Lots of unnecessary descriptions of situations. When two people meet, around half a chapter of introduction follows before even one sentence is spoken. World building is so-so.
mc's character is unpleasant during the first two hundred chapters. Confident in his head and in front of peers, but an ass kisser before higher-ups. Later the extent of his character is unveiled and becomes much more interesting. The... more>> reason for that is that his disposition is a rare one for novels, which is chaotic neutral in terms of d&d. He cares only for himself and for what/who belongs to him. He does not care about fame and face. He doesn't do anything good for no reason and doesn't do anything evil just because he can either. He'll barely help those who're on his side but only if necessary, and he'll physically/mentally torture and butcher his enemies calmly.

very vague distinction between righteous and demonic cultivators. Only one thing makes sense, that some demonic cultivators are cannibals, other that that it's complete nonsense:

- righeous body cultivators are the same as most demonic cultivators because they modify their body to become stronger, but all demonic cultivators are supposed to be killed because they modify their body.

- righeous body cultivators are the same as most demonic cultivators because they go through harsh pain and risk their life to become stronger or even enter cultivation, but all demonic cultivators are supposed to be killed because they go through harsh pain and risk their life to become stronger.

that is probably the worst and most dumb attempt at establishing faction relations in chinese novels.

machine translation, heavily edited by someone with english as their third language. Still tr*sh and sometimes a very painful read. Not recommended unless it's your third or fourth language as well.

2.5, rounded down to 2 <<less
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Gorgeously Large Panda
Gorgeously Large Panda rated it
December 28, 2019
Status: Completed
The whole novel has a pretentious feel to it. The author tried too hard to be deep and as a result everything sounded very dumb. Even the simplest question is answered in a sophisticated (aka nonsensical) manner. You can't help but want to smack everyone in the mouth.

I'm familiar with the author's Ze Tian Ji, and that novel is a lot better (even though the author also tried to write as many words as possible). In both novels, the author inserted so much of his own philosophy into the most... more>> mundane things that happened, yet there is still a strong sexist undertone (which seems to be the case with all the Chinese novels).

Romance is a joke in this novel. The MC's girl grew up together with him from a very young age. You could consider them siblings even. Yet somehow they have always been in love with each other, which is gross.

I have given up on this novel twice, and finally managed to finish it after 2 years. This novel could have been much better if the author had cut out all the BS mumble jumbles that he added for a higher word count. <<less
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MondoX
MondoX rated it
February 25, 2016
Status: --
Read up to chapter 70, and the best way to describe the story is political. So far, there has been little to no Action, Adventure, Fantasy, or Romance at all in the story. The MC is on a quest for vengeance, but aside from accidentally meeting and killing an assassin group, he has killed a single target of his so far. The MC also mentioned that he is planning on entering a famous academy throughout the story, but 70 chapters later there is no progress. I believed the MC was... more>> going to find a way to cultivate and become stronger, but that has not happened. Maybe the image of the WN fooled me? <<less
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dramamonster
dramamonster rated it
November 29, 2018
Status: Completed
Original Review at Chapter 643: I'm really enjoying the drama, Ever Night, so I started reading the novel translated by Qidian at www. webnovel. com.

Story: An act of treachery causes a massacre at General Lin's household. Only his 4 year old child, Ning Que, escapes. He suffers and survives to rescue a baby girl, Sang Sang, in the far north. Together, they manage to scr*pe and survive until Ning Que joins the frontier army and becomes an outstanding soldier highly skilled in killing. At age 16, Ning Que has a... more>> fearsome reputation and is chosen to escort a Princess back to the Capital, where he will be taking the entrance exam to the prestigious Tang Academy, where glory and magic awaits. Ning Que's plan is to learn cultivation and become strong enough to avenge his mu*dered family. Along the way there are plenty of surprises, adventures, and mysterious characters in the world of cultivation, politics, martial arts and religion. One of the biggest surprises for me was that Ning Que
Spoiler

transmigrated from our world as a highly talented student, into the body of a baby.

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It's only lightly hinted at, so I'm looking forward to reading more about that.

Plot:
Spoiler

The first long story arc involves Ning Que leaving the frontier and going to the capital of Chang'an and trying to get into the Academy. The second long story arc involves Ning Que going to the Wilderness. There is a short interlude back in Chang'an where he plans for the future with Sang Sang. From about Chapter 500+, there is a third long story arc involving the Child of Hades/Yama.

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Characters: Thanks to the drama, I like the characters even more after reading the novel. The 80-year-old Divine Talisman Master's comedic antics when he tries to grab a disciple, Sang Sang's umbrella, Ning Que's self-confidence, and suffering, etc., are well fleshed out between the drama and the novel. When Ning Que climbs the mountain, the drama showed some brief, confusing flashbacks. In the novel, the reader learns of his struggles to survive as a child in more detail, making his climb and progress in life even more amazing. I like Ning Que. He is willing to kill to survive and be shameless to advance, but he's innately very decent to others, works hard and he treats Sang Sang very well. Their childhood together really ties into later story arcs, when
Spoiler

it's really the two of them against the world, and they can endure and survive as long as they have each other.

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World: There are 2 superpowers: The secular Tang Empire with its military might, and the Xiling/West Hill/Heavenly Taoism Religion/City. It's basically like the British Empire (at its peak) v. Vatican (at its peak). There's a complex world that's not explained immediately in the novel, instead being slowly revealed as the story goes on. Later on, you learn of 2+ other powerful cultivation sects... Within the Tang Empire there's the Empress v the Princess in trying to back their respective son/brother for the throne, and within the Xiling Religion there're different factions vying for power. There's also a coming Eternal Night, Child of Light, Son of Hades, etc. There are smaller important countries and factions. It's all pretty confusing to me, especially since I'm not familiar with these theories, but thanks to the drama it makes more sense.

The story has a few mysterious items/people that are explained later on in the story, so, for example, the first cryptic meeting between 3 men talking about ants and eagles in the beginning is only explained later on. However, as the world is explained as it follows Ning Quo's progress in the world and cultivation, it feels more natural.

There are discussions about Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and since I don't much about them, I don't know how accurately they are portrayed in the novel. Those schools of belief/thought are tied to the cultivation/martial arts/supernatural powers that are taught in the novel, so the discussions seem very relevant. I'm not sure I understand it all, but it was kind of easy to follow along.

There are a few gruesome/graphic/violent descriptions, like the occasional battle scene, or the
Spoiler

Halfman Taoist.

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Translation: Overall pretty good, but sometimes the tenses or grammar are wrong and it seems to be happening more often. Also, in the novel, they use the term Haotian Taoism, Haotian this, Haotian that. It wasn't until I watched the drama that I realized that Haotian Taoism is actually Heavenly Taoism, and Haotian means Heaven. I can't read any Chinese, so even if the translation isn't perfect in English, I'm thankful I get to read this novel. In the drama, they call the religious faction, Xiling. In the novel, it's called West Hill.

Cost: At webnovel. com, chapters 1-77, and 600+ are free. The rest of the chapters require you to "pay" with their Spirit Stones (earn enough for free each day to unlock a single chapter, or pay real money to purchase Spirit Stones).

Comparison to the drama: I'm only 50% through the novel and 50% through the drama, but here are some differences - there are no transmigration references in the drama, while it is very lightly hinted at in the novel. The novel offers more detail about the different sects and characters. The drama (especially since the very beginning) has a lot of scenes involving Prince Long Qing (and his love interest) and the Xiling/West-Hill Divine Palace, while they have few scenes in the novel (so if you're tired of seeing the underground/indoor/fire and brimstone/red and black demonic outfits the Xiling people use in the drama to signify their supreme evil status, the novel is a nice break from that), the novel is gorier, and the drama only films half (I am guessing) of the novel (since there is already talk about season 2 online). I'll update this once I'm farther into the novel/drama.

If you enjoyed the drama, I'd recommend the novel. It really supplements it and is an enjoyable read. Also, if there really is a Season 2, that means you'll have to read the novel to find out what happens after Season 1....

A year later, Updated Review of Completed Novel: So, I loved the Drama Ever Night 1 (although there was a bit too much of the Princess and Xiling/West Hill), and the first half of the novel was very good. However, there's a very long story arc of
Spoiler

SangSang and Ning Que on the run from everyone, the Headmaster ascending to fight Haotian, SangSang leaving Ning Que, an even longer story arc of the entire world slaughtering the Tang dynasty, an even longer arc of different countries and religions slaughtering each other, SangSang returning, SangSang and Ning Que spending thousands of boring years in an illusion, Ning Que causing the deaths of many people, lots and lots of philosophical talk about the Divine Kingdom, Taoism, Buddhism, Haotian, etc. Then suddenly everything gets resolved in the end, and even the mystery of the Divine Kingdom, Ning Quo's transmigration from another world, the moon, cultivators powers, what is the netherworld, is suddenly flipped on its head. The ending was either very epic or very weird, I'm still wrapping my head around it. Anyway, I'm glad I read it, but the 25% of the novel about Buddhism could have easily been cut out, and the whole Taoism v. New Stream religion fight was too similar to Catholicism v Protestantism and so many people dying was just not my cup of tea. And the author didn't address how Ning Que recovered from SangSang wounding him permanently at one very important point. And the ending was kind of too sci-fi for me. So now that I've read the whole thing, I'd recommend it up to the point where the moon appears.

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Celsica
Celsica rated it
April 13, 2018
Status: c125
I'd recommend that you read user Nanohana's review which gives you a good synopsis and insight about the author. I don't usually like to support or recommend Qidian, but this is a very high quality work.

I read a lot of novels and I was floored by this one. I basically just read all the chapters without stop. I was expecting a work similar to Ze Tian Ji, a fairly normal webnovel plot with great writing. But I got much more. But still with amazing writing, and a stellar translation. I've... more>> only noticed one or two minor typos as of c.125. Also note the very good translation speed.

The characters are definitely the highlight of this work. I was particularly surprised at how the MC only joins the world of cultivators after about 120 chapters. His struggles for vengeance feels real and desperate. Although there are serendipitous events, they are truly the result of a fight against the heavens. Characters, even those more minor, are not two dimensional. You can see and feel a clear and logical evolution in attitudes, a fresh change from many other works.

It's also remarkable how the author has his novels planned in advance. He doesn't just plant loopholes and then randomly uses them in the future. He clearly lets you know part of a backstory only to bring it up later and carefully unravel the past.

While the world seems fairly standard, there is just the right amount of exposure to create believable situations within this world. For example, the capital which the MC moves to is put in context well before the move itself, through dialogue with other characters (and not exposition dumps).

Even if you don't like Ze Tian Ji, I highly recommend this work. I would easily place it at the same height as ISSTH.

5/5 <<less
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Master10K
Master10K rated it
February 16, 2022
Status: Completed
Nightfall starts off as a revenge story with some Wuxia elements, allowing ordinary martial artists (especially archers) to not just be cannon fodder throughout. However it is a painfully slow burn that many will struggle to get through. Gradually introducing the world, countless named characters and the many sects/factions they are a part of. All of that backdrop without providing a real hook to keep readers invested. And even the revenge plot stalls out to focus on more highfalutin things like: calligraphy, philosophy, theology, cultivation and contemporary jokes.

Eventually when a... more>> lot of what was foreshadowed begin to unravel, the story begins to pick up and the youths of the story rapidly develop. The focus isn't just on the young ones, as all characters I could remember are not as simple as I initially thought. Most notably the MC Ning Que, who is not only ruthless & calculation but also extremely shameless & witty.

Nevertheless Nightfall is a fairly unique Xianxia novel full of continuous ups and downs. Unfortunately the way the author handles world building, makes the reading experience rather tiresome. With many details & plot points added for world building, yet feel like filler content due to how little they affect the story. Until this typical revenge story ends up becoming an insane romantic tale, of religious devotion that will make or break it for some. <<less
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joshb3
joshb3 rated it
February 1, 2021
Status: c648
It was an interesting read until it became a never-ending battle. The last 200 chapters have just been continuous fighting. The author really stretches out these fights. I got bored and frustrated, so it’s dropped.
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ghostdart
ghostdart rated it
September 21, 2020
Status: Completed
I totally fell in love with the writing, its very in-depth and somewhat full of philosophy. Progression is VERY slow, so those who love fast paced story will most likely drop this novel after a few chapters. It takes forever for the MC to even start cultivate, and if you expect him to reach the highest level among his peers, well forget it. This novel actually gives a more realistic feel, where the MC isnt the best cultivator among his peers, admired by a bunch of girls, wins battles without... more>> much injury etc etc. Nope. Nada. Forget it.

Although MC isnt the best cultivator, who may not win EVERY single battle he's in, the novel is realistic in writing him to be someone who can SURVIVE each battle, with or without external help, who cares, because he's a shameless and yet brave/strong fighter due to what he went through as a child.
Spoiler

He actually started killing (to save his life of course) at 4 years old!

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The first 500 chapters is exciting and can be considered fast paced compared to the latter chapters which I think is super draggy with all those buddhist/taoist philosphy talks. I love it when Sangsang was Ning Que's handmaiden, who doesnt bat an eye to stay with him thick or thin,
Spoiler

except when she thought Ning Que was going to marry Mo Shanshan.

Things started to get draggy and frustrating after Sangsang ascended to Heaven with Headmaster and become Haotian, then return to the world again as a mortal (with Haotian powers nonetheless). When she became Haotian, she was way too cruel to everyone else especially Ning Que. In this arc, I truly hope Ning Que gives up and settle down with Mo Shanshan instead. I really wanna smack Sangsang in the head and give her a good beating. There's no meaningful lovey dovey conversation between them after she revived as Haotian, I truly cannot understand Ning Que's obsession over her when she obviously has turned into someone else and no longer the Sangsang that loved him unconditionally. I mean, whats the whole point of loving and obsessing over someone who doesnt share the same sentiment as you? Isnt that coercion instead, forcing someone to love you back because u love her? All the scenes of Ning Que trying to turn Haotian into mortal again feels so fake and pointless when he tries so hard out of his love. I would've moved on for crying out loud, and help Headmaster to weaken Haotian in another way instead! It looks so deceiving when he tries to humanise Haotian when his objective is unclear, was it truly because of his love or because he wanted to help Headmaster defeat Haotian? It's no wonder she doesnt believe him during that arc.

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The writing of this novel is much too in-depth that the ending turns to be a puzzle for me.
Spoiler

How did Ning Que and Sangsang survived in the end when it was written there that he died somewhere during the transition of the new world? OMG, this is so puzzling! And also what's up with the kissing between Mo Shanshan and Ning Que that got posted through Ye Hongyu in the end? WTH? Although I was rooting for Ning Que and Ye Hongyu to get together at some point through the novel because they're actually the same type of people with almost telepathic connection with each other (I truly love that naked battle in the swamp thats so thrilling!), this kissing scene is truly too much! It doesnt add up that the cold and indifferent Ye Hongyu suddenly willing to became postman between the two 'almost lovers' - delivering PHYSICAL kisses for them, omg YHY what happened to you?!

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But either way, its turns out to be a happy ending.
Spoiler

Although I still believe Mo Shanshan deserves Ning Que better than Sangsang. I was actually rooting for NQ+SS pairing before SS became Haotian, I even hated Mo Shanshan for getting between them. But afterwards, heck SS just doesnt deserve NQ! Poor Shanshan she kept waiting for NQ wholeheartedly. Mao Ni is so cruel, cant you give her someone instead in the end? Oh poor Shanshan!

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The thing that I totally admire about this novel is how the relationship between Academy's Backhill and NQ+SS was developed so profoundly beautiful that readers can really understand the strength of their bond. The Academy stuck with them through thick and thin, regardless when NQ was rumoured to be Son of Yama or even when he was admired by all as the protector of Tang. Their relationship reflects how a family should protect each other. I'm so in love with Mr First and Mr Second, they're truly the greatest brother anyone could ask for. Although the writing is super draggy with countless implicit meanings behind every sentence and full with detailed description of each scene, which some people may not be fond of, for me it truly feel like a real novel unlike most xianxia novels at all. Readers get to be immersed with each scenarios and can really pictures things thats happening, which I feel most of the novels that I've read lack thereof. You should read this if youre into aesthetic literature type of writing, skip if youre one of those who dislike flowery/wordy sentences with lengthy description of things going on. Although the writing is draggy, they're not full of nonsense like Fight Breaks Sphere (heck I really hate this author btw) where it's clear that the author intends to reap on the word count. Instead, the way this novel is written, although draggy, they dont induce super killing intent towards the writer kind of feeling. Well, at least thats the way it is for me. <<less
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RooRooMEB
RooRooMEB
September 2, 2017
Status: c82
I love this story it's almost painful how many times its been picked up and dropped, I like it because it's different then alot of the usual, stuff out, but the fact is we only have about 82 chapters translated, and it's been dropped again this time though she/he the translators didn't want to but, the evil overlords did something and took it away, I'm not sure on the details, because I quit reading for a few months to let my books get some meat on their... more>> spines and when I came back there's been something with the main webnovel publisher not wanting translation sigh sucks like I said bit foggy on the details and have yet to read through all the drama. This really sucks though for those of us who can't read chinese, and its not like they are transtlating them into books I can go buy which I would prefer, there's a demand over here for the genre, sad that they aren't fulfilling it. <<less
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Lachiel
Lachiel rated it
October 24, 2015
Status: --
This novel starts off a bit wierd.. We have a teenage boy who's made as a guide for some type of noble.. Okay whatever.. They get attacked and the boy turns out to be someone famous.. Alright okay.. The worst part of this is the little girl who's doing all the manual labor! Argh! Anyways.. This story is pretty good, the pacing feels a little bit fast, but that's kind of okay as we do get to know the important details properly.

But alas this is a Xianxia type novel and... more>> it will be hard to escape the scheme these types of novels get into so be prepared when you are reading that later chapters will most likely fall into a pattern.
I do recommend this as it is a really good read still. <<less
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WaDe
WaDe rated it
October 1, 2019
Status: Completed
Spoiler

The first half of the novel was very good, however later on for a good chunk of chapters it just got too entangled with the matters of the royal court and all the ramblings that come with it.. Now don't get me wrong, Mao Ni of course has a knack for writing the royal court theme and it's still of quality, I just found myself skimming through them though. The story goes back to being interesting after this.

A lot of the characters really stand out on their own, I'd gladly read separate stories for a few of them. Cultivation is not absolute, it's very much based on comprehension which is the "talent", there are characters who have become experts overnight, others of course do have to grind to gain the insight. It's not absolute in a sense that even a good non-cultivating warrior can kill some of these experts, some of the so called geniuses can be terrible in actual fights as they have just comprehended but can't apply it in battle and/or haven't trained with any weapon.

The MC was never much of a talent for cultivation, in this aspect the novel is a lot more realistic as it never tries to get him on par with the legend cultivators often mentioned throughout the novel, even later on with all the godly "blessings" he got, the author still kept the MC in line in some aspects.

The Buddhism aspect was really a drag to read throughout the novel, I can relate to the hate Second Brother had for it.

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omgitsaray
omgitsaray rated it
August 2, 2018
Status: c772
This novel isn't for everyone because it's kinda like watching a ballet or opera. There's a whole bunch of flowery descriptions, wikipedia info dump, and many chapters of characters introduced that I assume will one day intersect with the MC's destiny. I feel like the info dump is even stronger than Ze Tian Ji and don't really care too much for it. And there are backstory's to multiple characters, places, things, flashbacks, that it gets rather tedious for me to read so I start skimming. Sometimes, I'm confused at what's... more>> going on and I'm too lazy to re-read it to understand. But when the story focuses on the MC, it's quite interesting to read about his struggles to cultivate.

Here's something I made up that resembles the philosophical BS the author would try to cram down the reader's throat - "Is a sword really a sword if it doesn't think it's a sword?"

Here's something I made up that the author does to drag out scenes - As the punch was about to land on Mu Wan, the air felt colder and the sun dimmed. The cicada sitting on a nearby leaf looked over and felt a monstrous aura towards it. The ant carrying a sugar crystal from a candy haw dropped by an eight year old two days ago stopped in its tracks. It raised it antenna to feel a strange fluctuation it had never felt before. Wondering if it was the scent of more food, it signaled its brethren by its unique way of communication. (Bla bla bla bla bla x 100)

The translations is barely okay and if you see them mentioning the Horse Gang in the early chapters, it's just a wrong translation and it's really bandits. You'll see odd and weird mistakes like that throughout the chapters so that kind of ruined my immersion. Couldn't bare to give Mao Ni's works such a low rating so I kept it at 4 stars. <<less
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NikuMeat
NikuMeat rated it
December 31, 2019
Status: c113
Another Mao Ni's works where you keep asking who is the MC ? Why is he so special ? Hold some "Special" condition that makes him unable to cultivate but of course powerful.

I think I had enough with Way Of Choices. I like his work but as a Xinxia novel readers that hold cultivation high, I doubt I can go longer than 100 chapters. The cultivation is system is a mess, lots of exaggerated misundertanding, slow pace (Mao Ni's specialty), and just like I said before I had enough with... more>> Way Of Choices. <<less
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