I haven't felt this poorly about a romance I willingly picked up to read in a long while. The main character's inner narration is overly modern (barbecue, neurological disorders [including Prosopagnosia verbatim], "go fuck himself with a cactus"). Don't know if this is a manifestation of the Tiffany problem, but I was pulled out of the story at least once every few paragraphs. The world would have the potential to be interesting if the main character acted less like an expository mouthpiece for every unknown noun and incoming consequence. The setup and premise for the story are very interesting, but I feel like I'm reading an unedited Wattpad manuscript. I'm unsurprised but still disappointed that the delivery did not live up to the premise.

The main character Ysabel is in her head for the entirety of the first 5%, so even while she's tending to other people and engaging with the world around her in a supposedly interesting way, you just can't escape her narration, which is oversaturated with self-pity and inescapably internet-era snark.

One part I did enjoy is when she went into Cardinal Jiang's office -- there's some very interesting back-and-forth if you ignore the inner monologue, as well as some good sentence-level prose. Some descriptions (of Cardinal Jiang, of the boy with a scraggly beard, of Alvira) are apt and snappy. The fact that a Dark Lord was also just hiding in the infirmary wardrobe is pretty funny, but he's a bit too roguishly dashing and honorable for someone who is probably actively dying lol. I imagine that, if I were able to move past the style of the writing, I would find the characters very charming.

I could see people liking this book if they are in dire need of a snarky romantic heroine, explicit disabled rep that is potentially a focus of the book, and a quirky narration style. If you need strong prose quality to enjoy a book, I do not recommend it.

OOOUUGH YOU WANT TO GO READ THIS BOOK SO BAD! I will be picking up a physical copy of this book when it comes out in June, that's how much I loved it.

This book follows Iriset, a character who has always been in control of her identity (or rather, identities) and circumstances, and who has always been able to wield her powers in whatever way benefits her and her family. She's suddenly thrust into a world where she is beholden to the whims of a hypocritical ruling class, the leaders of whom she begins to like very much. While we don't get to see Iriset as in-control as I would like, she is very much unapologetic and principled about how she pursues knowledge despite the threat of persecution from those around her (even if she does it secretly). She never shakes off her complicity in certain events, but she does give explanations that put her actions into context. She loves her power and her capability, and she does not hide that from the reader. The only reason she hides it from the people around her at the Vertex Seal is because she needs to scheme her way out of the Vertex Seal.

As the book proceeds, she falls deeper into circumstances she can't control (forced to take on a new identity, hide herself, hold her tongue, scheme away from any eyes, falls in love with an unwitting husband), but it feels like she very much empowers herself despite it all. In a way, she might be a Mary Sue, but Iriset definitely does have her faults, sometimes not really considering all angles of arguments opposing her actions.

Lyric and Amaranth (especially Amaranth) are also wonderful characters. I like how Lyric wants to wear his heart on his sleeve in his interpersonal life, as a kind of call back to his "true nature" (priestly, soft), but commits himself to brutality, ruthlessness, and being what he thinks of as a "good" ruler when he deems it necessary, especially after he finds out about Iriset's impersonating Singix. Amaranth's ambition is one of my favorite things about the book, as she gathers power, control, and political stability with relish, seizing every opportunity she can, regardless of how wise it is. The fact that they are jealous of each other's jobs is so delicious, and Gratton does really play into that irony.

One thing I didn't appreciate about this book was the pacing. The time between Iriset's arrival in the palace and her stepping into the role of Singix could have been condensed much more. A lot of the story's momentum does fall in the impersonation side of the story. I also don't think that some of the religious "codices" (? The parts where Gratton is just outlining the religion) could have been omitted without losing too much necessary context.

The world building has the vibe of Renaissance-level science, where ideal numbers and the four "forces" rule over all architecture, social structures, and inventions. I do like how nebulous it feels, as it gives Iriset room to fight against the more hypocritical/nonsensical parts of the science, especially those tied into the state-imposed religion, which plays a very large part in how the empire oppresses its conquered people.

Anyways: read if you love some good fantasy in the vein of Scott Lynch's Lies of Locke Lamora or Alexandra Rowland's A Conspiracy of Truths. It did take me a while to finish this one, but that just gave me more time to appreciate it and think through what I liked about it.

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about this series. On one hand, it starts as the strongest of MXTX's series, thematically and structurally speaking, but it feels like she got tired of writing manipulative villains who are 5 steps ahead after Book 3 (after the arc with Xiao Xingchen and Xue Yang), or at least, tired of Nie Huaisang. I really admire how deeply she drives into how biases (especially fear), protection of public reputation, and greed drive large-scale retaliation, rather than actual danger. The tragedy of Wei Wuxian's past is felt very deeply through that lens, and so the present timeline where Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji resolve their misunderstandings feels all the more satisfying and sweet. Lan Wangji's devotion to Wei Wuxian is conveyed very well, even as he shows very little emotion to the people around him. In a way, it felt more impactful than Hua Cheng's devotion to Xie Lian in MXTX's other series, Heaven Official's Blessing.

I also enjoyed the "mystery of the week" structure of the plot, up until the last few arcs. As the series moves into the wrap-up arcs of the series, it feels apparent that MXTX did not have a cogent plan for wrapping up the series. The various subplots are all driven by two manipulative masterminds, one primarily in the past and one primarily in the future. While Jin Guangyao's schemes and manipulations are well-detailed to make the past timeline complete, Nie Huaisang's schemes are all but omitted, given that Jin Guangyao got a pages-long monologue. In fact, I was surprised by how much MXTX left to the imagination about his machinations in the present timeline. I would have loved to see some sense of catharsis from Nie Huaisang, rather than him continuing to cower from everyone as his machinations culminate. Would have also have loved it if Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji didn't disrupt the entire dramatic conclusion with their being obnoxiously at love, but I did find the humor to be a bright spot in Book 5.

[And this is not a novel thought, but Nie Huaisang being the next leader of the cultivation world is kind of a huge L for the common people. Jin Guangyao, for all the tremendous sorrow he inflicted on others, seems to have been the only character interested in systemic change to protect the common people.]

The extras were relatively boring, or maybe I was just checked out because I was disappointed by the quick wrap-up. The ending (where WWX can't help but respond to LWJ as he falls asleep) is very, very sweet.

All in all, if I'm to compare this book to MXTX's other work, I'd say that Wangxian ranks second behind BingQiu (unbeatable in terms of charm), and the plot of the book ranks second behind Heaven Official's Blessing (by virtue of HOB having more consistent pacing; otherwise, Grandmaster would have been my #1).