Sha Po Lang

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“The first person to dig ziliujin fuel out of the ground could never have predicted that what they dug out was the beginning of a dog-eat-dog age.

Our entire life was but an ugly confidence game of greed; this is something everyone knows, but that they could not bring to light.

From where did this con begin? Maybe from atop the first clean white canvas sails of a foreign ship that sailed across the ocean, or from beneath the great wing of a Giant Kite as it rose unsteadily into the skies — or from a time even before that: as the spreading ziliujin, like an ink stain upon the earth, turned the great plains of the wild north into a sea of flames.

Or maybe it was when We… when I met Gu Yun in a world all covered in ice and snow.”

Associated Names
One entry per line
Shā Pò Láng
SPL
Stars of Chaos (Print Copy)
Sát Phá Lang
ฆ่าหมาป่า
杀破狼
殺破狼
烽火流金 [Live Action Drama]
살파랑
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Golden Stage (13)
Imperfections (8)
Qiang Jin Jiu (8)
To Rule in a Turbulent World (7)
Liu Yao: The Revitalization of Fuyao Sect (7)
Those Years In Quest Of Honour Mine (5)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Read it
  2. TBR - fila de espera
  3. BLs Adapted into Dramas ( live action )
  4. Books I've read
  5. Have Read Pt. 1

Latest Release

Date Group Release
06/30/22 Northwest Flower extra 16
12/26/21 SPLtrans c37
12/19/21 SPLtrans c36
12/12/21 SPLtrans c35
12/05/21 SPLtrans c34
11/28/21 SPLtrans c33
11/21/21 SPLtrans c32
11/14/21 SPLtrans c31
11/07/21 SPLtrans c30
10/31/21 SPLtrans c29
10/24/21 SPLtrans c28
10/17/21 SPLtrans c27
10/10/21 SPLtrans c26
10/03/21 SPLtrans c25
09/26/21 SPLtrans c24
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107 Reviews sorted by


BlackLoveInSpace
BlackLoveInSpace rated it
September 23, 2021
Status: Completed
This is honestly Priest's best work.

Characters

Although Chang Geng is the main character, it is Gu Yun who steals the spotlights and our hearts. Seriously, I felt like falling for him with every page, at the same time as our MC.

Chang Geng is introverted and sensitive, with a slight general distaste for other people. Gu Yun is charming and ironic, avoiding sincerity and attachment. Chang Geng loves his Gu Yun, and he learns how to love his country. Gu Yun loves his country, and he learns how to love... more>> his Chang Geng.

Devoid of love from a young age, Gu Yun finds himself forced to adopt a brat. He now has to give him the childhood he's never had the luxury to live. With a hateful mother and no desire to live on, Chang Geng finds solace in spending time with his unexperienced adoptive father.

Their relationship is overwhelming with love, not the romantic type, but rather a quiet attachment. It only goes further after they become similar in mindset and social status, which is a very mature and realistic approach. Chang Geng has to first grow up and prove himself to the world.

Spoiler

They also have a fight at some point that you don't often see in danmei, and it is- satisfying? There is love even in the way they argue, they know each other's weak points and never ever attack there. Gu Yun always pushes Chang Geng, who is significantly younger, to be a better person and value himself more. Even as equals, (and even him being the- well- the uke) he never stops being a father figure.

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Was this again a novel about war and politics? :O Their relationship makes about 20% of the plot but to me it was the most memorable part.

Plot

The plot is awesome with creating and releasing tension. One of out characters holds political power, the other has the military authority. Take a sip whenever Chang Geng charms another official with his diplomacy and wit, or when Gu Yun barely escapes death.

Throught the story, his body gradually deteriorates even further. Gu Yun is battle-worn, is spine is a mess, his back covered in scars, on top of having weakened senses, yet he has no choice but to go on. Nobody else is qualified to lead the elite. Bot him and the audience know he is going to fall in battle sooner or later, there is no hope for retirement in such a profession.

This makes the reader realize how we are not valuable as individuals, even the commander is just a peon in the grand scheme of things. His fate was sealed the moment he was born into that family.

The last few chapters are just perfect, there is so much tension at that point that is just stressful to read, even one year later it still gives me chills when I think of them.

On the political side, I wasn't that invested but I can't deny that if you like the subject and can memorize the names of like 20 officials it can be quite intriguing.

The descriptions of war are also on point; empathizing both the awesomeness and romanticized blood-pumping battles and the traumatic and hopeless experiences of the characters going through them.

Extra chapters/ Epilogue

I sometimes skip the extra chapters but they are incredibly important in this story. They basically continue it from whence it was left and also detail past events we've only heard of.

Epilogue spoilers!
Spoiler

I can't help but love how wholesome it goes in the end. They grow old together but Gu Yun stays as beautiful as ever, just how he wished, even as his hair begins to grow silver. They both let go of some habits that upset the other, making a mutual and wordless understanding.

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TL;DR: I love Gu Yun

In short, I absolutely love this story and I really hope it will get an official english printed version someday.

Go read the novel! <<less
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NamjoonsMoon
NamjoonsMoon
August 29, 2021
Status: Completed
I’m not very good at reviewing but I’ll try my best since this novel is a masterpiece and deserves the best review.
I love this novel, there’s lots of politics and military affairs but it’s so interesting that it kept me hooked.
The romance is minimal (we get more couple moments in the extras) but I already knew it before staring my reading journey so it didn’t bothered me at all.
I totally recommend this reading.

Btw. I miss Gu Yun
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hy-d-ra
hy-d-ra rated it
May 9, 2021
Status: Completed
Recently TV adaptations go wild on how many Priest's novels get adapted. But after all this is a confirmed strong author that takes time and thought in creating worlds that are interesting to explore.

Sha Po Lang is one of those. Although I'll be honest, some technical aspects of the steampunk that author tried to describe felt crooked, but the overall - hey, let's connect steampunk and some ancient China and some danmei - falls on your head and it turns out interesting.

The thing about main characters that Priest portrays is... more>> that they don't take approach of - ooh, met and fell in love. Absolutey not. It will be quite subtle comparing to many novels you might've read. But it is also more complex (again, comparing to abovementioned casual novels, where ppl fall in love so easily and many thing are described shallowly). But they also outshine everyone else with their stories and how their background stories are built. If it's good or bad you decide for yourself.

Priest is also the heavy-on-the-plot type of author, so be prepared for some politics, battles etc. If you're into such stuff, I'm sure you'll appreciate it.

The only thing that is hard for me is after all the reading process. I don't know if it's a type of magic or what, despite finding Priest interesting, I rarely pick up their works, because I read them so-so slowly, I don't know why, but I always spend a lot of time and pauses while I read them, who knows why :'D But it's my own thing. Yet because of it I don't blow rainbow farts to the sky. <<less
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Ouryane00
Ouryane00 rated it
March 21, 2021
Status: c98
I really like the setup between the ML and the MC. I also like how the MC developed to who he is now.

It’s just that I felt that around chapter 70+ the plot sometimes was abrupt and I couldn’t understand it much, but that might be my problem alone as I’m nit really used to this type of war genre and I’m here more for the MC/ML relationship.

Anyway, it was a good read and I’ll comeback to finish this someday.
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MagBlueRoses
MagBlueRoses rated it
November 10, 2020
Status: Completed
To be totally honest, I loved how the book began and how it ended. But the in-between part was too complicated and hard for my half brain cell to understand.

If you are a fan of strategy, politics, war, with some fluff and romance, this is the perfect book for you!

But if you are someone who wants a light read, with some humor, and a light plot, I still suggest you give this book a try because it is totally worth it!

The MC and ML will immediately win you over and... more>> each character was so well written. Priest is a writer who, with just a few words or sentences, can immediately make you feel for a character on an emotional level. Her writing can be overly descriptive to some, but wonderful and like a candy to most.

I would give this a 4.5/5 and the only thing that was lacking for me was that the book wasn't that engaging in between and I took way too long to find the motivation to read it. But the ending the extras after the ending was SOOO WORTH IT! I absolutely loved the extra chapters more than the book itself!

Definitely worth a read! <<less
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nazgul8126
nazgul8126 rated it
June 11, 2020
Status: Completed
Overall: 5/5

This could stand as a published novel as is and if the BL elements were taken out. Guess I'll jump on the Priest train as well. Note: there are mild spoilers below for the early story?

Story: Great politics. The setting is imperial China but with mecha (steampunk?) and disputes over the resource that powers the mecha and is even more valuable than oil in real life. There's conflict both between China and its international enemies and within the imperial court (MC is a lost prince and ML... more>> is a Marquis/OP general). This novel was so well-written that it hooked someone like me who isn't typically interested in this genre (see the rest of my recommendations lol: mostly cultivation) 100% for the entire time. Great world building. Lots of action and politics/scheming.

MC: The gong. He is the half-blood 4th imperial prince who has to maneuver through the Imperial Court, save the country, and overcome a curse placed on him by his aunt. Very witty. Not afraid to get his hands dirty.

ML: The shou. Marquis and leader of the strongest military group in the country (honestly feels like the only group that's actually useful). Also witty. How he deals with his physical limits is a reflection of his strong character and also drives the story. I just wish he didn't get hurt all the time.

Relationship development: MC refreshingly realizes his feelings fairly early on, comes to accept them, makes ML aware, but doesn't push ML too much (at least early on). The first few attempts of ML rejecting MC are great to read, and the scene where ML becomes the shou instead of the gong during their first time together is even better (nothing explicit) !

Critiques: It's slightly unrealistic how easily/fast MC and ML are able to travel across China in certain events (plot armor? Deus ex machina?) but whatever, the story goes on! <<less
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joktzer
joktzer rated it
February 9, 2019
Status: c50
this is not even a good review so just skip over my comment~

im priest tr*sh what can I say, every novel of hers I will rate 5 stars~~

anyway, the world building is intense, the way she writes is beautiful, her characters are so riveting, shes just great okay. And so is Sha Po Lang <3 there's reason why it's so intensely loved in the cfan community
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Popcornuni
Popcornuni rated it
February 12, 2024
Status: Completed
Oh man, let me tell you about "Sha Po Lang"! This novel, written by the genius Priest! It's hands down the best danmei I've ever come across. Like seriously, I'm not usually one to reread stuff, but I'm making an exception for this gem because it's just that good.

First off, can we talk about the main characters? The dynamic between MC and ML is so refreshing, None of that unbalanced power dynamics here. Both are strong, smart, and totally capable of protecting each other. And what's even better? They're equals... more>> in every sense of the word. I'm talking about two confident, badass dudes who can kick axs and outsmart anyone!

Plus, the relationship angst and uncertainty? It's there, but it's not overdone, and the payoff is so satisfying, cuz it's plot heavy and that makes you keep craving for more!

The plot is seriously intense, which just makes those romantic scenes hit even harder. And let me tell you, trying to figure out who's the 'uke' or 'bottom'? Is not that simple lol. They're so evenly matched, you could totally see them as switches. (Even tho you might know who most fans consider a bottom, but personally I imagine them as switches, regardless of canon.)

The world-building? Fantastic. It sucks you right in and keeps you hooked. And the stakes? They feel real, you know? Like, you're genuinely worried about what's gonna happen next.

But it's not just about the main couple. The side characters? Adorable. They're not just there for show, they actually add something to the story. And the humor? Spot on. The sexy monocle man is funny ok. 😭 (I'd recommend reading the official translation, the humor definitely hits better!)

Honestly, I haven't come across another danmei quite like this. Both of the guys feel like real men, you know? Charming, funny, confident, sexy – and most importantly, equals in every way. 🥹 So yeah, if you're looking for a danmei that's got it all – great characters, intense plot, romance between the one of the best written characters – 'Sha Po Lang' is definitely the way to go." (Even though the description here is a bit meh)

If you're still doubtful about investing time in this, I say go for it without any second thoughts, it's totally worth it! ❤️ <<less
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abhi_2296
abhi_2296 rated it
January 16, 2023
Status: Completed
My first Danmei which forever hooked me to this world. Though it has been a while since I read it (I made my NU account much later)

But this steampunk novel with it's intricate plot, deeply layered main characters and an amazing set of supporting characters will forever be in my heart.

There have been so many novels that I have read from the time I read about these two, there have been so many characters that have faded even from novels I liked but these two, Gu Yun and Chang... more>> Geng remain unforgettable. These two are such complex characters in their own right with one of the most interesting relationship dynamics ever.

Priest infact did a very interesting thing and she was able to write them in this fine balance. It's very easy to make a relationship like Chang Geng and Gu Yun's look co-dependent and unhealthy. The beauty of the story lies in how they are never written as co-dependent (they have periods where they don't meet for years forget months), but they are also each other's reason for living.

Also, one thing that gets me is that for Chang Geng it was always Gu Yun. People can say it is easy to fall for a man as perfect as Gu Yun but... He has only ever loved Gu Yun, the person. Not the persona!

Spoiler

the thing is our dear Chang Geng wanted to take care of Gu Yun for life even when he was only pretending to be CG's recluse Yifu, Shen Shiliu. And Chang Geng had no idea who he really was

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I would recommend Sha Po Lang to people who like political intrigue, angst and power couples. <<less
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taestykookie
taestykookie rated it
August 24, 2022
Status: Completed
One of the best book written by priest so far. The storyline, the characters everything was just so perfect. I hate politics so I was contemplating whether to read this or not but after reading the reviews here I decided to give it a try and I don't regret it one bit.

10/10 recommended
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saphire8626
saphire8626
March 27, 2022
Status: Completed
Love Priest so a 5 stars from me, although I was uncomfortable with the portrayal of race in this book. But this is a comfort read.

In this novel, the two main characters are Guyun (general/marshal) and Chang Geng (son of the Emperor and a woman from the Hun tribes). Guyun is Chang Genge's foster father. China is fending off the Japanese, the English, and the Huns (mainly through war), and each of these kingdoms has their own steampunk technologies (very cool to read). This is a tale that focuses mainly... more>> on politics.

This is one of my guilty pleasure reads although I am critical of the Chinese imperialism, othering of non-Chinese, purity of bloodlines and very problematic and racist portrayals of Central Asians.

I did love the two leads though... and I loved the respective journeys each of them took. I especially loved how Chang Geng overcame the curse that plagued him. The curse could very easily be read as an allegory for severe childhood abuse, and I really did love the process of removing the curse: he would repeatedly revisit traumatic childhood scenes and in surviving them and returning to the present, he was no longer haunted by these terrible memories -- very like the somatic forms of therapy -- and he even remembered the better moments with his abusive mother, memories he previously had had no access to.

I loved also the huge change that Chang Geng underwent in this novel, marked by the change in his relationship with Guyun (beautifully captured in the different terms he addresses Guyun with, from 'Shi Liu' to 'Yifu' to 'Zixi'. I loved that chapter, 'Ten Years'. <<less
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honeysweet
honeysweet rated it
January 30, 2022
Status: Completed
Too much exposition -- I had heard nothing but good things about the plot and politics, but everything was just laid out in front of the readers and it made the whole novel a slog. Every character except the main two was horribly boring as well.
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HopeWorld
HopeWorld rated it
September 12, 2021
Status: Completed
I read this because mostly everyone knows this novel, and has liked it. I too like it, it's a good read.

Gu Yun is such a unique character, from his character design to personality. That monocle was what really convinced me to read this novel...

What makes me rate this 4 stars and not 5, is that the politics were sort of hard to understand. Not very enjoyable unlike Qi Ye's which was.

Cao Chunha being (gender fluid?) you don't see that often in these novels.
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Shrike1978
Shrike1978 rated it
May 13, 2021
Status: Completed
I have to start by saying, I gave this story five stars DESPITE a translation that made my teeth hurt. Too much pinyin, too many unexplained idiomatic sayings (footnotes! Please!) grammar problems. Ugh. If you're willing to slog through the problems created by the translator, the story is worth it. This was based on the older translation of Sha Po Lang. Not the SPL Trans version. TOTALLY a five star story.

I also want to address some people's insistence that Golden Stage is a second rate rip off of Sha... more>> Po Lang. Yes, they both have characters who are generals. They have characters who are disabled/ill. They are set in an alternate ancient China. But if that made them the same then just about every interstellar transmigration story would be a rip off of each other. She Po Lang is DIFFERENT. The steampunk magic, external threats, illnesses that are curses. Different types of characters. The emperor's character. The underground masters helping MC. The main point is: you don't have to tear one story down to build up the other! Both can be good.

Okay, rant over. This was a very dense, intense amazing story. Loved the steampunk/ancient China combination. I thought the characters of the MC and ML were very interesting and different than so many you see. The side characters had nuances, the author even gave some development to one of the bad guys who could easily work as a cardboard cutout. I didn't have any problem following the web of plots even with the translation quality. I was very impressed with this author and hope that a better translation shows up. <<less
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Lin_55
Lin_55 rated it
February 6, 2021
Status: Completed
Definetely in my top three. The story is amazing; the characters, the humour, angst, everything-

The romance is f*ckin beautiful, it's a slowburn and maybe sometimes I get a bit impatient, but it's absolutely worth it. (To remind you again, it's slowburn, that means the relationship between the MC and ML is quite slow, just incase if this isn't to your liking)

The plot is also amazing, though maybe it's a little hard to grasp the first time, since there's a lot of scheming and stabbing.

One of the best things... more>> I like about this novel is the immediate switch between angst and comedy (let me tell you, the comedy is gold). I mean I can laugh till my stomach hurts then i'll cry the next second-

Sooo to sum it up, this novel is definetly worth reading, especially if you like some scheming and having your brain fried :3 <<less
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Anjali Sharma
Anjali Sharma
November 2, 2020
Status: Completed
well, what to say, it was extremely amazing novel I have ever read, which took me on the emotional ride of every type. One of the big part of this novel was that it was somehow to realistic, whoes charachers were more real than of most of the novels. I truly appreciate the hard work of the author. GY and CG along with all other charachers were just outstanding، which make you feel as if you have strange bond with them too۔

Just the only thing I didn't like or found... more>> hard to appreciate was that no matter how realistic and angst she was trying to make this, this that I felt if they were any real humans they wouldn't be able to bring end to this novel ۔ I mean the pain, injures, betrayal, that they suffered was beyond anyone's capacity to bear. That even as the reader was at loss for sometimes as what to feel I felt so empty and depressed because of reading their bad condition. Maybe that's they are just novel characters. Well, so whoever have the link for angst, with closed just dive in, and those not much, they don't worry gu yun won't let you feel to low.

Well, the truth or secret of mine is I started to have kind of crush on gu yun, hopefully Chang geng won't get breeze of it.😋🤗😳😇

Bye -bye, just dive in! <<less
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Soraru
Soraru rated it
September 29, 2020
Status: Completed
First of all the plot is just amazing. All the schemes, politics, and strategies had me on the edge of my seat. Along with a complex plot, the relationship between MC and ML is well developed, such a good slowburn romance

The characters in the novel are also very diverse. There are characters that make you want to protect them and characters that just made me want to kick their asses. You have a badass power couple, an old maid/mother hen, a cool doctor, a monk, etc..

The fluff! Humor! Def worth... more>> a read.

P.S. Shen Yi baby I love you TvT <<less
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Mathildenilsen
Mathildenilsen rated it
September 11, 2020
Status: Completed
This novel is amazing, I have never read a politician novel before so this was my first. I didn't understand everything so I need to read it again but the main couple is everything. Seriously I laughed so much in this novel. Gu Yun is the most hilarious person, I love him. Shameless and bold! You are gonna fall in love with him, and same with Chang Geng. CG is so cute and loves his yifu so much that I can't handle all the sweetness. Stop reading the reviews and... more>> go and read this novel amazing novel !

Enjoy ✨ <<less
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SearraLeslie
SearraLeslie rated it
August 22, 2020
Status: extra 13
Contain spoilers for the early chapters (prologue).

Story: 9/10

The story started out slow. Chang Geng was shown as a diligent teenage boy living in a small village. He would practice martial arts and study without anyone telling him to do so. In fact, he disliked it when Shen Shiliu, his half blind-half deaf adoptive father, nagged him to go out and “enjoy life.” In the beginning, the author portrayed Shen Shiliu as a lazy, good-for-nothing person. However, this is a Priest novel. Would she ever write a good-for-nothing as one of her main characters?

The story followed the journey of Chang Geng from a hard-working boy to a shrewd politician who was also skilled in war. It also told the story of Gu Yun, the supreme commander of Black Iron Camp, who was very devoted to his country and very well-known throughout the kingdom.

I would rate the story 10/10 if it were just for the first ⅔ of the story. The early to middle arcs were gripping, filled with tension from physical fights, intelligent schemes, and wars. The later ⅓ felt weaker perhaps because of how good the early to mid arcs were. The extras, however, concluded the story in a very satisfying way.

Main Couple: 10/10

No words can describe my love for these two. The most romantic part was how Chang Geng strived to be worthy of Gu Yun, and worked his ways to help Gu Yun as well as achieve his own ideals. The fluffy and heart-warming moments between them were a joy to read.

The overall story was satisfying to read. The romance parts provided refreshing breaks from the political storyline.
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natsumeyuki
natsumeyuki rated it
August 19, 2020
Status: extra 13
This book is really amazing. The plot, politics, character development, everything is really good. Just the chinese references were a bit hard to understand. Other than that it's a must read.
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