Heaven Official's Blessing Volume 6 - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Heaven Official's Blessing is a Chinese BL novel written by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, it's also known by it's Chinese name Tian Guan Ci Fu.

Mo Xiang Tong Xiu is a globally renowned author whose works are often cited as the best-known in the modern danmei genre. Originally self-published via the novel serialization website, JJWXC, her current titles include The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System, Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, and Heaven Official's Blessing. All three series' received multiple adaptations and have been published in numerous languages around the world.

In China BL is known as Danmei, the novel was first published in 2017, on JinJiang Literature City, a popular Chinese website for publishing and serializing online fiction.

Though not chronologically, the novel and book series, follows Xie Lian, a once human crown prince of the kingdom of Xianle in the east who ascends to godhood at seventeen, after dedicating himself to cultivation and martial training. During the inaugural years of his divinity, his kingdom experiences upheavel and war, due in part to draught and a terrifying new disease. Going against the edicts of both the heavenly realm and of fate, Xie Lian involves himself in the affairs of the mortals who have always loved and supported him, hoping to achieve peace and relieve suffering in his kingdom. Unfortunately, his appearance in the mortal world only amplifies the conflicts between his people and their desperation leads to the dramatic and abrupt downfall of Xianle, as well as the downfall of Xie Lian. The people destroy his temples, statues and abandoning him as their most respected religious figure and earning him the reputation of a God of Misfortune.

The novel is being officially translated into English by Seven Seas Entertainment, with the 4th volume being published on the 30thof May 2023.

Body in Abyss, Heart in Paradise.

White No-Face, Xie Lian;s greatest fear and most hated enemy, has arrived... or so it seems. While the ghost with the half-crying, half-smiling mask is somewhere nearby, the creature is elusive as always, taunting Xie Lian from just out of reach and promising total destruction of everything he holds dear.

A Xie Lian confronts the trauma of his last encounter with the terrifying ghost, Hua Cheng will do anything in his power to protect him. But White No-Face's identity and purpose are not the only mysteries to unravel, as Hua Cheng also has a history in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Mount Tonglu. Will Xie Lian finally discover the full connection they share - and learn the true depths of Hua Cheng's devotion?

I thought how Volume 4 ended broke my heart, but seeing how things went in Xie Lian's past really broke my heart, especially with how he felt abandoned by those closest to him, as well as the things he went through, for me really made Volume 5 a little hard to read. Thinking about this volume, you can't help but wonder how we have the positive Xie Lian as I would think anyone that went through what he did would ever come out of the other side.

That being said I think what we see in this volume really shapes characters like Feng Xin and Mu Qing as you see they still feel guilt towards how they left and treated Xie Lian, as well as how they still hold their roles as subordinates to Xie Lian close to their hearts as they still aim to protect him in the present.

We see more of how Hua Cheng believed in and adored Xie Lian and helped in keeping his spark alive and would follow him no matter the path he took.

This volume really gives a good look into past events, as well as getting us closer into everyone learning who Hua Cheng really is, and why he's so devoted to being around and helping Xie Lian.

I will never get over how stunning the artwork is for these novels, each volume is as stunning as the last and really adds to  each chapter.

I'm still in the process of reading Volume 7, but I'm ashamed to say that I started it last year and so far this year haven't read any physical books.

I really need to get mu butt in gear and started reading my books again, but a part of me doesn't want to finish this novel series, I love these characters too much.

Have you read volume 6 of Heaven Official's Blessing?

What were your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

The Nightmare Before Christmas - Book Review

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is a retelling of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, it's accompanied by original concept  and sketch art from the development of the film.

This book is written by Sally Morgan, and it was published by Bonnier Books on 26 November, 2020.

A family favourite and cult classic, Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is one of the best-loved films of all time.

This book is part of the Disney Animated Classic series, which also includes Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, The Lion King, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Dumbo, Cinderella, Mulan and Pinocchio.

Relive the magic of Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas through this retelling of the classic stop-motion film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original studio artists.

Skye got me this one Christmas Eve as we watch The Nightmare Before Christmas every year on Christmas Eve and also because she knows how much I love the film.

While reading this retelling, I could hear the film in my head. This book is even perfect for who are new to the franchise or just want to introduce their children to the story. It's really a good introduction if you've never seen the film.

Seeing all the art and creations for the film was really good too. It really shows what work went into creating the film and I would love to check out the other books in this series to get a more behind the scenes look at the story and films.

It's nice to see the concept art for the film, and for me  this book just proves how much I love this film. From start to finish when we watch the film I'm saying all the lines, even without meaning to, and while reading this book I had all the voices in my head too.

Have you read Animated Classics The Nightmare Before Christmas?

What were your thoughts?

Let me know in the comments below.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye

Reading Challenge 2025!

Hello

안녕하세요

(Annyeonghaseyo)

こんにちは

(Konnichiwa)

你好

(Ni Hao)

It's time to set myself a reading challenge for the year.

Last year I set myself the challenge of reading 9 books, and last year seemed to start pretty well, but sadly, I failed in my challenge.

I only read 6 books last year which I wouldn't say is bad but, it's still 3 books short of what I wanted to aim for.

This year I've set myself the challenge of 7 books, which in the past I have completed. Three of the books in this years challenge I have added because I had already started reading but failed to finish.

This years books include Volume 1 of  Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Volume 7 of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing, Volume 1 of Hybe's Dark Moon: The Blood Altar, Volume 1 of 945's The Dangerous Convenience Store, Volume 1 and 2 of Mingwa's BJ Alex and Robert Galbraith's The Running Grave.

Now back to last years books. Let's have a look at the books I read in my challenge last year.

My first book was Volume 5 of Heaven Official's Blessing by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. If you've been reading my posts then you know how much I love this book series and will highly recommend them to anyone. Volume 5 mainly focuses on the present day, with a few flash backs for some of the characters.

Last Ghost Standing, First Love Blossoms.

Ghosts are converging on the cursed Mount Tonglu for a massive battle royale, the sole survivor of which may become a Ghost King, a being of unimaginable power.

Xie Lian is sent to secretly infiltrate and try to prevent this - by destroying any ghosts enough to stand a chance.

His heavenly powers are weakened near the cursed mountain, but he has one trump card on his side - Hua Cheng, who has survived Mount Tonglu before. As they struggle against murderous ghosts and the mountains strange defenses, Hua Cheng's knowledge of the area may prove invaluable.

But can they even begin to unravel the cursed peak's secrets?

My second book was Volume 6 of Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing. Volume 6 heads back into the past as we see how Xie Lian becomes who he is and known for, as well as the fall of his family and friends.

Body in Abyss, Heart in Paradise.

White No-Face, Xie Lian's greatest fear and most hated enemy, has arrived...Or so it seems. While the ghost with the half-crying, half-smiling mask is somewhere nearby, the creature is elusive as always, taunting Xie Lian from just out of reach and promising the total destruction of everything he holds dear.

As Xie Lian confronts the trauma of his last encounter with the terrifying ghost, Hua Cheng will do anything in his power to protect him.

But white No-Face's identity and purpose are not the only mysteries to unravel, as Hua Cheng also has a history in the labyrinthine tunnels beneath Mount Tonglu.

Will Xie Lian finally discover the full connection they share - and learn the true depths of Hua Cheng's devotion?

My third book was Volume 1 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. I absolutely love this manga series, it's one of my favourite's. Volume 1 is a good introduction to the characters and gives you an idea on how the story will go.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.

Ritsuka Uenoyama is bored with it all - with school, with his basketball club, and even with his one true passion, playing guitar. That is, until one day he finds his favourite hidden napping spot occupied by a strange boy cradling a broken-stringed guitar.

At first, Uenoyama is nonplussed by Mafuyu Sato and his slightly odd behaviour, but when, on a whim, he asks Mafuyu to sing, the power of that song pierces him to the core

My fourth book was Volume 2 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. Volume 2 begins with a little backstory from drummer Aki, as well as more of who Mafuyu is and why he's protective of his guitar and why he wants to learn to play it.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.

As the ban races toward their first live concert, Mafuyu struggles to write lyrics for their new song but can't find the words to express the emotions burning within him.

Meanwhile, Uenoyama hears rumours about Mafutu's past and is bewildered by his own feelings. The tension builds until the night of the show, when the band explodes into a raging life-changing performance.

My fifth book was Volume 3 of Natsuki Kizu's manga series Given. Volume 3 starts after their performance and how it encourages them to take music seriously as well as being a band, including giving themselves a name. We also get a little back story of Haruki and how he met Aki and how his feelings developed for him.

Love of music unites the four members of the band Given: hot-headed guitarist Uenoyama, playboy drummer Akihiko, gentle bassist Haruki, and Mafuyu, a singer gifted with a great talent and burdened by past tragedy. Their struggles and conflicts may drive them apart, but their bond to the music - and to one another - always brings them back together again.

Uenoyama realizes he's in love with Mafuyu and steals a kiss from him backstage at their first live performance. But now he's even more confused - he hasn't shared his feelings with Mafuyu and has no idea how Mafuyu feels about him.

In contrast to their naive romance, Haruki has been harbouring a secret desire for bandmate Akihiko, who's already entangled in an intense, conflicted relationship with someone else.

My sixth and final book for 2024 was an Animated Classic of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I'm a massive fan of this film and loved reading this as not only does it follow a majority of the film (I could hear the characters in my head), it also has illustrations that show the film, as well as drawings from creating the characters and figures of the characters.

Relive the magic of Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas through this retelling of the classic stop-motion film, accompanied by paintings, story sketches and concept art from the original Disney studio artists.

So there we have it, that was my reading challenge results of 2024, and now it's time to get stuck into 2025's challenge.

CHALLENGE START!!

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye