After adoring The Scum Villian’s Self-Saving System, I wanted more. Heaven Official’s Blessing seemed a good second foray into the danmei and xianxia genre. It had a high page count, so I would be occupied for awhile. 

I was not.

Because wow??? Heaven Official’s Blessing is so cute, so wholesome, and so devastating that I devoured it lightening fast. Two thousand pages disappeared in a blink. Like Scum Villain before it, the Blessing version I read was an unofficial fan translation. Also like Scum Villain, I neglected to review the novel as a whole, so I thought I’d review it volume by volume as I read the official English translations. Which I’m buying. We’re going to have a whole danmei shelf y’all.

You know that joke “did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” Well, Xie Lian knows the answer (yes, it hurts a lot). Once a god of war, our cheerful, easy-going protagonist is now a humble scrap-collector. But his luck is so bad he can’t even recycle in peace! Other immortals assign him dangerous missions, filled with jealous murder, bride-snatching, scorpion-snakes, and worst of all—his own past. Along the way Xie Lian meets the mysterious San Lang, who has an oddly persistent interest in him…. 

I could heap praise after praise on this book. Xie Lian is a magnificent character, who I wish a younger me could meet. He’s the epitome of the choosing to be kind in a harsh world. While we don’t get a whole lot of the other male lead, Hua Cheng, yet, he steals the scene when he’s present. It’s the first volume, and they’re already in their own little love bubble. Re-reading added riches to riches. Like in her other work, MXTX has her characters give each other “odd looks” or small, unexplained exchanges. Re-readers can fill in these blanks and feel very clever. The writing device works extra well in Blessing due to the running theme of things not being as they seem.

Speaking of secrets and who’s who, I would like to thank the Character & Name Guide for my life. The sheer amount of plot and characters, even in this single volume, is A Lot. While the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System deal with marital art sect(s) over a couple decades, Heaven Official’s Blessing spans dimensions, nations, and 800 years of backstory. When the blurb says “epic historical fantasy,” they’re not kidding. If you’ve watched the donghua (cartoon), Volume 1 hits the same plot beats: intro, Ghost Bride/General Xuan Ji arc, meeting San Lang, Ban Yue arc, and receiving Hua Cheng’s ring. If you want spoilers or reminders of secrets and shenanigans, there’s a very good fan wiki: https://heaven-officials-blessing.fandom.com/wiki/Heaven_Officials_Blessing_Wiki

While I didn’t read it page for page, the back matter is full of invaluable information for newbies. I’m astounded all over again the lengths the translators are going to make modern Chinese literature accessible for English readers. The illustrations are gorgeous, making the book on its own a piece of art.

Due to its sheer scale, I’m not sure I would recommend Heaven Official’s Blessing to people totally unfamiliar with xianxia and danmei. Though the back matter provides floaties, it’s still like diving right into the deep end. Still, if you enjoy epic historical fantasy, you’re going to love Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s story.

My review of The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Vol 1: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/f797e4a5-9dc6-4810-bedd-0b2704a871b0