One of my faves!!! ... more>>

Don't read it if you're in the mood for romance, this is no typical sweet love story, rather, it addresses the sad reality of being a concubine in the imperial harem. And that makes it so refreshing. Don't get me wrong, just by looking at this list one can see that I do enjoy the love stories with emperors, but I have to admit most of the time the developments are unrealistic. While this is not a romance novel, there were a lot of moments between our FL and the emperor that could objectively be described as romantic, although they can leave a bitter aftertaste after remembering the circumstances. In the end, I don't know who to pity more. It was a really satisfying and enjoyable read, I recommend it if you don't go into it expecting it to be a sweet story, I'd describe it more as bittersweet.

Don't expect it to be a complete tragedy and depressing story either; what makes it sad are the inherent characteristics of the imperial harem and society of that time. It's hard to describe, I'd just recommend to start reading it :)

jan 23 <<less

This may be one of my favorite novels from Yue Xia Die Ying!! It's more lighthearted and slice of life but I was never bored!!  The MC may seem naive but she isn't, at least not in the way where she would be annoying. The ML is not aloof and cold, he's actually more of an unruly prince but we see him change for MC. Although he was always kind and had a good heart, he becomes more mature and steady because he wants to show MC his best side and protect her and not let her be disappointed in him which is very cute. He is cute, she is cute, they're cute together and... more>> the story is also very sweet :) 

We get to know many cool characters such as the emperor, the ML's mother and the MC's family. Some points are similar to The Times Spent in Pretense. There is a little intrigue and drama, as well as a few emotional subplots, but it's mostly lighthearted, although politics does play a big role, it's not the focal point.

All in all I really recommend this novel, I liked it a lot !!

nov 2023 <<less

This is actually the first shounen ai novel I've read, idk why, I just always stuck to BxG, and I thought this list would just be BxG, but wow. I really liked this. It's the type that doesn't actively focus on romance but when small, romantic or ambiguous moments appear, you just combust from excitement. The plot was interesting and unique, the characters diverse and fleshed out with lots of development, the dynamic/ the dynamic change interesting and satisfying, I'm just a little sad that there was not as much romance as I wanted but, listen, this was a case of quality over quantity!!! There may not have been too many moments, but when we... more>> had them they were just sooo good. 

I wish this novel would have been longer than 80 chapters, just for my selfish enjoyment, the plot didn't really need more tho, the author wrapped it up perfectly, greatly recommend :) Especially if you like cultivation novels! With this novel's very unique and logical perspective on the dao etc. you shouldn't miss it!!

jan 2024 <<less

May seem slow in the beginning, but stick it through! It's a very sweet novel about a rare true love and of course some politics sprinkled in, not a lot of intrigue.... more>>

september 2023 <<less

A strong and proud female lead, I liked it.... more>>

september 2023 <<less

Read this a long time ago and remember that I liked it at that time, I mean, it IS one of the classics of this genre.... more>>

I think there were some parts towards the end that were a little dramatic but I liked it, still. <<less

Read it!!! I like the MC and the ML so much. This is primarily an action/revenge story I'd say (and very satisfying at that) while the romance develops very naturally, gradually and slowly. So while there are moments with romantic potential from the beginning, they are mostly subtle and the relationship really starts developing in the last third of the novel (and even then it's not completely at the forefront, but that would defeat the purpose of the premise anyways). But! The romance is present and strong but not in the obvious form we mostly see; if you look at how they treat eachother and what they do for eachother you see how much they... more>> care and for the other person, it's just that they don't say it out loud all the time.

The MC is strong, mentally and (after hard work) physically. She's smart and experienced when it comes to fighting etc., as expected of a general. She's not a maiden in distress, she not only saves herself but others as well, constantly. Sometimes the ML helps her out, but the confidence she exudes makes you think that she would have solved the situation herself somehow, even without assistance. The ML respects her and has trust in her skills, he knows she can take care of herself and isn't controlling; he supports what she does and encourages her.

This novel is realistic in that:

- they both don't fall in love at first sight (which makes the moment the romance really takes off even more satisfying)

-the ML suspects her (as a spy) after noticing her extremely good skills (she's young and supposed to be a recruit, new to fighting. so it is indeed suspicious)

- the MCs past doesn't get sweeped unter the rug, rather it plays a big role

- the MC is not completely omnipotent, but just enough to make reading fun

- not everything always goes as planned

We do see that she has sustained trauma from her past experiences, some of her habits/behaviors/views are just so ingrained that it's hard to change, but the ML supports, helps and cares for her so her situation improves, but there are some character traits that stay, which is realistic.

I do wish that there were some more casual romantic moments since I just love both of them together so much, but well. I smiled and laughed a lot, some parts of the novel were unexpected; when big things happened it was a snowball effect and even bigger things happened back to back, these moments were so fun and satisfying. I also cried a lot. I feel sorry for the MC and ML and some of the side characters. It really hooks you and doesn't let go, making you feel every possible emotion you can think of. All in all I recommend this!

dec 22 <<less

I forgot to review this directly after finishing so... oops. It's a good novel, the characters are fleshed out and the romance was cute, there aren't too many dramatic developments as it's relatively lighthearted, at least when it comes to the MC (the side characters are a different story and actually made me cry).  The development of the MC and ML's relationship was rather realistic so the romance is relatively slow, but that made it even more satisfying when they finally got together. As the description of the novel says, this is indeed a "relaxed cultivation story", but it's not boring at all :)... more>>

jan 23 <<less

I love their relationship, no dumb misunderstandings, no love triangle, they support each other any way they can and have an impressive bond. All characters are fleshed out and have flaws, they seem real. Especially the ML has a lot of character development. The progression of all relationships is realistic and satisfying. It combines schemes, action, and romance neatly. What I liked most were the consistent casual romantic moments between the couple. Some bits were slightly confusing, especially near the end where more mysteries get revealed, but after thinking some time things make sense. I liked the beginning and middle a bit more then the end (tbh the truth about the world is a little... more>> unsettling), but as most of it was a really nice read.

sep 2022 <<less

This is long but surprisingly doesn't get bad after a few hundred chapters, which is rare for long novels! Sometimes you do have to just accept a little mary-sue-ness but its really not too bad, the MC is refreshing and fun to read about most of the time. Theres a lot of development on all fronts and found family trope which I like. There is romance but it develops naturally and the starting point isn't great for the FL and ML so you have to be patient but they work well together and have a steady relationship. It has slice of life, comedy, action, romance, drama etc. etc. honestly it covers all fronts haha. 
... more>> 40px;"> Well, all in all, I recommend it :)

2023 <<less

If you like fantasy/cultivation romance where the main characters are the focus this is it. I don't want to say too much but this story is actually not as lighthearted as the synopsis says and I wouldn't call it comedic either, at least not from the second half onwards. This is a really planned out novel with a lot of foreshadowing / hints until... I won't say too much. Since the author put a lot of thought into it from the beginning, the ending is not rushed, it ties loose ends together and is very satisfying which is not something that I see too often. I really recommend it! It's a little more sensual than... more>> you'd expect ;) (very easy to mtl btw!)

sept 23 <<less

This has the same premise as "The Job of an Imperial Concubine" but is more lighthearted, comedic and contains romance. It's not as realistic and doesn't delve too deeply into politics, harem intrigue etc., it is not the biggest masterpiece but it is highly entertaining, somewhat relatable and has a really involved ML. Of course he, as an emperor, has flaws, but he does not let our MC face the harem intrigue alone and really cares about her. The MC can seem slightly dense at times, but that is partly what gives us the comedic aspect, it is also not too extreme.... more>>

If you want an unbothered concubine MC and an arrogant, dramatic but very caring, mostly respectful ML, and are not bothered by the plot being slightly unrealistic at times (but not unbearably so), I'd recommend it! 

june 2023 <<less

Hmm... First off, this isn't the typical historical chinese romance novel with harem intrigue and politics etc. It is comedic but simultaneously extremely sad at times. There were some dubcon/ implied noncon moments but it's unclear since we start off the story not knowing a lot about the relationships and only later find out their backstory which puts things into a different perspective. The MC has a lot of trauma and there are a lot of things to unpack so while there are romantic aspects from the start I only wholeheartedly enjoyed them after she had more or less processed her trauma. Her personality is... Well I can't really describe it but she's not your... more>> usual fMC, which is also partly due to some brain damage.

The ML is doting, really loves her to death and would do anything for her but he is forceful sometimes ngl. But after finding out about their backstory I could understand why he acted the way he did, although I have mixed feelings about the dubcon scenes. They are really close and there is a lot of physical contact and subtle romantic moments (which I absolutely love).

Well, all in all, I admit that I was entertained. I was never bored, I laughed, cried, was nervous etc. etc. While there are some things to criticize, if you don't look at it through the lense of the usual scheme and intrigue-heavy more or less realistic historical c-novel, this is a enjoyable novel. It's very short so maybe just give it a try and see for yourself. <<less

It was a good read, the MC and ML are really wholesome! Like some other reviews pointed out, this novel really showcases how selfish and greedy humans can be. It focuses on the ML who is the victim of this greed and describes his process of healing and overcoming past and present pain and hopelessness with the help of the MC. We also see the MC working hard to get stronger to become less dependent on others to create her own path.... more>>

2022 <<less

So this is like a parallel universe / alternative story of "Let the Villain Go", there are some differences in the setting and there is... more>> less focus on romance (but it's still there). The MC is a woman who has lived through the apocalypse and died, but then she's back to a few days before the it started. Having experienced it before and having learned a lot of lessons she is determined to get strong and powerful enough to live freely :) <<less

I really, really loved this one! Many novels don't portray the romance as warmly and casually as this one. It was funny and really cute (and at times really sad), focuses on romance, the world is a cultivation world. If you want face-slapping, if you want a really active and ambitious protagonist, then this is NOT for you. Because she was such a salted fish and mostly unbothered I found the novel really refreshing.... more>>

I wish it were longer, but well, the novel is not too short, not too long, didn't drag and wrapped up nicely. If you want a romance based, mostly lighthearted novel that's not too shallow and very entertaining then this is for you.

july 2023 <<less

This novel was really exciting and showed a lot of character development and interesting relationship dynamics. It centers around war and s*avery, as our MC has to navigate these things and tries to put an end to both, pretending to be her twin brother, a monarch. The political and military aspects aren't too complex, but not that superficial either and it has a moderate pace. There is romance but it's not the central focus.... more>>

Although I wasn't 100% satisfied with the ending and the way the author handled the transmigration aspect in the end, it was a reasonable ending. I'd recommend reading the novel if you're tired of the standard harem or courtyard intrigue and want a MC with strong character and influence. 

I read the untranslated chapters on https://wtr-lab.com.

2023 <<less

Man. This was actually an emotional rollercoaster through and through and I cried a lot although it's not an inherently sad novel.... more>>

The relationship starts out rocky but nearing the end, especially the chapters directly before the final fight, were pure sweetness. I loved the hurt/comfort moments the most. While the true romance occurs relatively late, the author sprinkles satisfying/intriguing moments between them into the story from the start that left me anticipating for more so I didn't get bored. The novel has an interesting composition, while it's not heavily focused on romance I felt that it didn't neglect it either, it was just a slow burn I guess. But that made their relationship at the end even more satisfying, since the pace leading up to it wasn't too fast. Oh and there were some not so innocent moments, although they were vague.

I have to say that there were some frustrating/bittersweet moments but it made sense why they had to be in the story. I also feel like the author could have written the ending of the main part and the last side story a little more elegantly but I guess it does just enough, my imagination will have to do the rest.

2022 <<less

I really liked it! It's a little brutal sometimes but if you get past the first chapter you basically got past the most gory part. The MC is ruthless but her behavior is totally appropriate knowing how much she had to suffer in her first life. It's satisfying to accompany her in her revenge.... more>>

The ML is really nice, the romance takes a while to develop, which makes sense as MCs only goal in this life is revenge plus the consequences she faced in her previous life due to love were immense. I love how capable our MC is, I trust her to deal with difficult situations. I wish we had a little more casual romantic moments though, although there was a fair amount of them in the novel.

The need of the author for some extremely dramatic developments just before the end of her novels is just... sigh. But don't worry, although I could live without it, it's not too bad and doesn't take away from the novel. The ending chapters could have been paced better but all in all I really, really enjoyed it!

dec 22 <<less

Our MC pretends to be sickly but is secretly healthy and very strong, as she grew up on the border during war and is the daughter of the two strongest generals of the country. She and her family return to the capital after the end of the war, politics is the focus. ... more>>

This was an okay novel, although there are some aspects I wish she could have explored more: The romance didn't feel passionate and close enough for me, we hardly got more than a dialogue between the MC and ML (there was barely physical touch) and the dialogues they did have weren't that romantic most of the time, still, i find them cute together. I would have also liked it, if we had seen a little more of their life after marriage.  Sadly we saw very few of the MC's fight scenes, I wished we could have seen some more. As this is a comedy, although the stakes were always high and it wasn't too casual, there was never a big danger, which reduced some of the enjoyment.

Except for these things I felt would have been good to add, the novel was funny and well written, I liked many side characters and their quirks. There were a lot of refreshing relationships: the relationship between the emperor and the princes was very wholesome, as well as the relationships between our MC and her friends, and sometimes even the relationships between the princes. I'd say the depiction of the imperial family in this novel was the first of its kind that I've come across. I'd recommend it, but don't expect a passionate romance, action or intricate, serious court intrigue.

aug 2023 <<less

dec 2024