Tag: book reviews

Review – Dream Work

Posted October 15, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Dream Work

Dream Work

by Mary Oliver

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 96
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Dream Work, a collection of forty-five poems originally published in 1986, follows both chronologically and logically Mary Oliver’s American Primitive, which won her the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1983. The depth and diversity of perceptual awareness, so steadfast and radiant in American Primitive, continues in Dream Work. Additionally, she has turned her attention in these poems to the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit, to accepting the truth about one’s personal world, and to valuing the triumphs while transcending the failures of human relationships.

I liked Dream Work a bit more than A Thousand Mornings, but I’ve developed such high hopes for Mary Oliver’s poetry, and this collection didn’t quite hit the spot either. There were more poems that I loved here, at least, and as always the whole thing is suffused with her love of the world exactly as it is, her attention to detail, and her ability to find joy.

The poems in this collection are perhaps a little less wide open and accessible than some of her later ones, which gives her a bit more room for depth, but at the same time, that accessibility is something I enjoyed about her work. Not that these poems are particularly difficult, at least not in the deliberate “I’m writing something difficult just to be difficult” sort of way, but they are a bit less… straightforward. That’s very much a matter of taste, in any case!

Overall, a good collection, though not a favourite.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – A Woman’s Work

Posted October 11, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – A Woman’s Work

A Woman's Work: Reclaiming the Radical History of Mothering

by Elinor Cleghorn

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 416
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Mothers make history. For centuries, motherhood has sparked social and political change. Yet the acts of growing, birthing and nurturing children - and the power they hold - have been pushed to the margins, overlooked in our narratives of the past.

In A Woman's Work, Elinor Cleghorn reveals the mothers, othermothers, midwives, activists, and community leaders who have shaped this extraordinary history. They include Hildegard of Bingen, the medieval nun and mystic with pioneering views about the maternal body; Mary Wollstonecraft, who laid the intellectual groundwork to release motherhood from male control; and Sojourner Truth, who drew attention to the abhorrent treatment of mothers under chattel slavery.

Beginning in the ancient world, we learn how in each era, the patriarchy constructed its own idealised notion of motherhood - from the misogynistic dogma of the early church and the stigmatisation of single mothers in 17th century England all the way through to the post-war myth of the perfectly contented housewife. But we also learn how mothers of all classes and circumstances fought back, and lobbied to be valued, respected and supported - not as reproductive vessels, but as people.

A Woman's Work is a radical and inspiring new history of mothering, and a timely reminder that the fight for reproductive freedom is far from over.

Elinor Cleghorn’s A Woman’s Work feels like an obvious thematic follow-up to her previous book, Unwell Women, which I liked a lot. From delving into why women have been sidelined medically and distrusted about their own experiences, it isn’t much of a step to discussing how motherhood has been devalued, the way it’s been constructed by men instead of people who actually give birth, the limits that have been placed on women (and people perceived as being women)… and the problems that has caused for them.

It would be easy to be really gender essentialist in this book, but Cleghorn does use terms like “birthing people” at times, focusing on people who’ve been treated as mothers in general — which does usually mean women, and does mean that in many cases in this book because that’s the nature of a lot of the historical evidence we have about mothering.

It’s not as directly my interest as her previous book was, but I did enjoy it and find her discussions of mothering in different societies, and where those ideas came from, what they were influenced by, etc. At times it’s a little depressing, when you think about how recently some of those attitudes were widespread, and how easy it would be to slip-slide back into them (and how we are already doing so, or never did as much better as we’d hope).

Overall, it’s hard to say it’s “enjoyable” given the topic, but it’s interesting, and worthwhile.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – The Duke of York’s Steps

Posted October 10, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Duke of York’s Steps

The Duke of York's Steps

by Henry Wade

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 280
Series: Inspector Poole #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Henry Wade's The Duke of York's Steps intricately weaves a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and social commentary set against the backdrop of post-World War I England. The novel is marked by Wade's sharp prose and attention to psychological depth, creating multifaceted characters whose lives intersect in unexpected ways. The narrative unfolds with a sense of foreboding, as the protagonist navigates the underbelly of society, exposing themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the societal changes of the time, showcasing both the personal and communal challenges faced by the British populace in a rapidly evolving landscape. Henry Wade, notable for his mastery of detective fiction, brings his own experiences and keen observations of English society to his writing. Having served as a soldier during the war, Wade deftly captures the disillusionment that many felt upon returning home. His deep understanding of the human psyche and social dynamics informs the nuanced characters and plot twists that are hallmarks of his style. As an accomplished author whose works reflect a keen awareness of contemporary issues, Wade's insights elevate his narrative beyond mere entertainment. Readers seeking a gripping blend of mystery and social exploration will find "The Duke of York's Steps" to be an essential addition to their collection. Wade's engaging narrative invites the reader into a world rich with complexity and moral ambiguity, challenging them to ponder the implications of personal choices against the broader societal shifts of the period. This is not just a novel of suspense but a commentary on the human condition, making it a compelling read for those interested in literature that reflects both timeless themes and specific historical contexts.

The Duke of York’s Steps is a classic crime story written by Henry Wade, an alias for a baronet (Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 6th Baronet) who wrote a surprising number of detective novels which are surprisingly hard to find — I got this one via Kobo Plus US, and none of his books seem to be available on Kobo at all in the UK, and precious few elsewhere. I’d have expected a crime writer baronet to have a bit more novelty value!

In any case, I quite enjoyed The Duke of York’s Steps; it’s fairly slow and methodical, with Inspector Poole working carefully to unpick the mystery and avoid jumping to too-obvious conclusions. There are a few oddities, like all the male characters being attracted to Inez Fratten, daughter of the deceased… including her own “half-brother” (who, in the course of the story, is revealed to be no blood relation of hers — and almost as soon as he learns that, they’re clearly headed somewhere romantic, which is more than a bit weird, even if she already knew).

I mostly found myself liking the characters, at least in the limited sense where they seemed enough like decent and interesting people to give me firm opinions about who I wanted to be the culprit, and who I decidedly did not. I was kind of sad about the outcome, though it made perfect sense once that piece was finally revealed. I’d been to some degree “taken in” by that character; overall, the way it works itself out is pretty neat, if dramatic, albeit with a convenient “instant karma” death that adds little.

Overall, I’d happily read more of Wade’s work — if I could! It’s not fast-paced stuff, but I enjoy this kind of methodical mystery.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine, vol 1

Posted October 8, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine, vol 1

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine

by Liu Gou Hua

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 378
Series: After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

A strange thesis becomes one professor’s reality when he’s transmigrated to the past and awakens as a doomed prince in this hit danmei (Boys’ Love)!

When an outrageous thesis hits the desk of esteemed history professor Jiang Suizhou, his initial reaction is pure skepticism. Dubiously sourced, this thesis tells the story of the legendary General Huo Wujiu, a man renowned for his valor—that is, until he was captured. Stripped of his rank and incapacitated, the general suffered further humiliation by serving as a gift and concubine to his enemy’s brother—the cut-sleeve prince. For three grueling years, Huo Wujiu lived as a prisoner until he finally escaped and sought vengeance against those who dared to torment him.

Convinced this story is purely fiction, Jiang Suizhou brands the thesis a failure–does his student think he was born yesterday?! But Jiang Suizhou quickly learns that it was no mere tall tale when he wakes up as the cut-sleeve prince himself!

Now, stuck lording over his concubine and prisoner, Huo Wujiu, Jiang Suizhou must navigate a treacherous imperial court and avoid the general’s future wrath–lest he wind up with his head dangling from the turrets. His only option? Ally himself with Huo Wujiu. Using his vast knowledge of history, the clever professor devises strategies to shield the incapacitated former general, all while treating him with the utmost care. Yet, Jiang Suizhou’s strategy could backfire if Huo Wujiu were to get the wrong idea about his intentions…

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with volume one of Liu Gou Hua’s After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine; it’s not one I’d seen other readers talking about, or seen people posting fic about, or anything like that. It was a bit of an impulse-buy based on the storyline… I’ve read several transmigration type stories now and it’s not quite that that attracted me, but more the fact that essentially the “disabled god of war” of the title is a disabled prisoner of war being humiliated, and how the author managed to make a romance work in that context.

I am pleased to report that it’s fairly slow-burn, and we’re not being expected to believe that everything’s fixed at first sight! Things aren’t even fixed by Jiang Suizhou turning up in the historical prince’s body. Thankfully, he’s not set up to arrive after things have gone wrong already (as per Shen Yuan turning up after Shen Jiu has already been abusing Luo Binghe in The Scum Villain’s Self-Saving System, or Jing Shao’s do-over in The Wife Comes First which comes after he’s already carelessly hurt Mu Hanzhang in bed), so he manages to avert outright atrocities, meaning it all feels a bit more realistic that Huo Wujiu could eventually trust him.

I do know that Huo Wujiu’s injuries are actually going to be healed, despite their extensiveness now, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that — magically healing disabilities is an awkward topic, though I don’t know how much Chinese society or Chinese writers have reckoned with stuff around disability. My impression/understanding is “really not much at all”, so that is worth knowing going in. Huo Wujiu manages to be pretty badass from the wheelchair.

Anyway, things proceed slowly but surely, mostly focusing on the political aspects, Jiang Suizhou’s new body’s health (he’s actually pretty frail, essentially chronically ill himself) and only gradually bringing the two of them closer. They’re definitely not confiding in each other yet, even.

I also quite enjoyed that Jiang Suizhou does not really do a lot to hide that he’s no longer the same guy, at least around some members of his household who seem like potential allies. He’s smart: he could probably have figured out how to fool them. But he chooses instead to confide in them enough to make better allies of them, and I’m very curious how that’s going to turn out in the longer run in this story.

All in all, a lot of elements I find interesting, and I’d say the writing/translation feels a touch better than The Wife Comes First, which was my other recent danmei read, which is nice — I’m starting to get a feel for what I like/don’t like in danmei and English translations thereof!

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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Review – Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die

Posted October 4, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs To Die

Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die

by Greer Stothers

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 383
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

In this hilarious, off-the-wall queer fantasy romance, a reclusive sorcerer is forced to protect a cowardly knight after a prophecy ties their fates together.

Funny, touching and inventive, this book is perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Dreadful.

All his life, Sir Cameron has tried to stay as far away from danger as possible. But when the Church hands down a prophecy to his fellow knights predicting that the only way to defeat their nemesis, the mad sorcerer Merulo, is to kill Sir Cameron, he finds himself in a situation too sticky for even his considerable wiles. Short of ideas, Cameron throws himself on the mercy of the one person who now actually wants him to survive: the mad sorcerer.

Merulo isn't thrilled to be babysitting a spoilt, attention-seeking knight, but fate has tied them together. And transmogrifying Cameron into a vulture is at least a great source of entertainment. Cameron, meanwhile, is on a voyage of self-discovery. It turns out he's really, really into surly sorcerers who lock him up and tell him what to do. Who knew?

As a legion of knights surround their stronghold, led by an angry concussed elf—which definitely isn't in any way Cameron's fault—the sorcerer's poisonous ambitions draw ever closer to fruition. Cameron is quite invested in not dying, but he finds he's also invested in Merulo. And sometimes, supporting the sorcerer you care about means taking an interest in their hobbies. Even if their hobby is trying to kill God.

Even if it might get you killed, too.

I was quite interested in Greer Stothers’ Apparently, Sir Cameron Has To Die from early buzz, though I think the summary I read is not the one on the back cover or the current one on store-fronts: I’d probably have known it almost certainly wasn’t for me if I’d seen it referred to as “hilarious” and “off-the-wall”. That’s really the primary problem with this book for me: I bounced off fairly early on because it’s trying so hard to be funny, and the scatological humour actually isn’t the height of wit that it seems to think it is.

Before we go on, it’s my understanding that I need to point out that I’m writing this review for other readers, not to target Stothers, because apparently they’ve been posting bad reviews on their Tumblr and responding to them. I have found no direct evidence of this myself, but I also haven’t looked for long, and I can definitely tell that Stothers is Very Extremely Tumblr so it doesn’t… surprise me.

I also had some issues with Sir Cameron’s anxiety being treated as a joke and as cowardice. I know that’s the character’s and world’s framing, not the author’s (necessarily), but it just crosses a personal line. Being afraid of dying isn’t cowardice. Wanting to avoid fighting in a war isn’t, in fact, unreasonable (though unless I missed it, I think there was no real explanation there as to why Sir Cameron is a knight at all given he doesn’t want to fight). It was… unpleasant, to read that constantly being viewed as just cowardice, even given the bounds of the setting.

Then there’s everything pointed out in other reviews: weird gender essentialism, unnecessary fetishism about women’s bodies, utter disgust and horror about menstruation, Glenda the cartoon-level bigot who we are forced to spend a fair bit of time with, the “tawny-skinned” female character with her “wild” hair and bulging muscles, attitudes toward disability (and assistive technology)…

And on top of all that, there is zero (zero) chemistry between the characters, even in scenes where the author firmly wants us to believe there is. It’s just awkward and out of the blue.

In fairness, some of this is a “your mileage may vary” sort of thing depending on how you feel about some story/setting choices, some of it is well-intentioned, and I think some of it is just accidental… but the sum of all those parts is not (for me) an enjoyable read, and I definitely understand that it feels like the author is, whether blunderingly or deliberately and with whatever motives, engaging in bigoted stereotypes.

Rating: 1/5 (“didn’t like it”)

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Review – Paper Planes

Posted October 3, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Paper Planes

Paper Planes

by Jennie Wood, Dozerdraws, Micah Myers

Genres: Graphic Novels
Pages: 216
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

After a life altering incident, Dylan and Leighton are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. Can Dylan and Leighton save their friendship and protect their future while trying to survive camp?

Former best friends Dylan Render and Leighton Worthington attempt to successfully navigate their way through a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they’ll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends. While participating in camp activities and chores, Dylan and Leighton rexamine the events that led up to the incident that sent them to camp, the incident that threatens their futures and their friendship with each other.

Jennie Wood’s Paper Planes was a bit of a random choice for me, something about the cover design and learning it was a queer story with an asexual character made it seem like it might be my thing. It’s YA, but I tolerate that better in graphic novel form, and with queer stories (which often play out similarly for adults, let’s be real).

Leighton and Dylan are sent to a camp as punishment for some kind of big deal situation where they both got in trouble, and over the course of the story we slowly learn how they became friends, what their friendship is like, and what it is exactly that they did. It’s a very messy teenage story, with bullies and stupid crushes and mismatched expectations about what a kiss means, and it doesn’t end in a neat and tidy way.

My main problem with it was that Leighton is not a likeable person a lot of the time, neither in the past nor the present. She’s deeply privileged and expects to get what she wants for the most part, though has major angst about her parents’ expectations and demands on her. This would be easier to sympathise with if she treated the people around her (including Dylan) a lot better. It’s not clear why they’re friends, really. Even in the present timeline, when we find out why Leighton’s behaving the way she is… it’s hard to entirely sympathise with the way she goes about it and the mixed signals she gives. (If you can’t be friends with Dylan anymore, stop throwing paper planes at them and trying to separate them from others who might be their friend.)

Dylan’s treated more sympathetically for the most part, though it doesn’t help that it’s unclear why they’re so attached to Leighton.

Overall, messy and teenage in a way that’s pretty realistic, but not the most enjoyable thing to me. I did find it interesting that it doesn’t neatly sort things out at the end: there are loose ends, and while Dylan’s settling in and looking a bit happier, it’s unclear that much is changing for Leighton. That makes it pretty realistic.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – A Thousand Mornings

Posted October 2, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 6 Comments

Review – A Thousand Mornings

A Thousand Mornings

by Mary Oliver

Genres: Poetry
Pages: 82
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

Whether studying the leaves of a tree or mourning her treasured dog Percy, Mary Oliver is beautifully open to the teachings contained within the smallest of moments. In A Thousand Mornings she explores, with startling clarity, humour and kindness, the mysteries of our daily experience.

I think A Thousand Mornings is my least favourite of Mary Oliver’s collections that I’ve read so far. It retains that strong sense of joy and wonder in the world that I enjoy about her work, so there’s that, but I didn’t connect with the individual poems as strongly as I’d hoped to.

I think… partly it felt too short? With a few more poems, a bit more chance to get my teeth into it, maybe I’d have gelled with it better? But it’s hard to say; you can only go on what’s there, and it didn’t sing to me the way I’d hoped.

I do love her work so much in general, though. The sense of love and joy in the whole world is palpable, and always enjoyable; she had such a gift for joy.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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Review – Rummage

Posted September 28, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – Rummage

Rummage: A History of the Things We have Reused, Recycled and Refused to Let Go

by Emily Cockayne

Genres: History, Non-fiction
Pages: 304
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

Rummage tells the overlooked story of our throwaway past. Emily Cockayne extracts glittering gems from the rubbish pile of centuries past and introduces us to the visionaries, crooks and everyday do-gooders who have shaped the material world we live in today - like the fancy ladies of the First World War who turned dog hair into yarn, or the Victorian gentlemen selling pianofortes made from papier-mâché, or the hapless public servants coaxing people into giving up their railings for the greater good.

In this original and fascinating new history, Cockayne illuminates our relationship to our rubbish: from the simple question of how we reuse and recycle things (and which is better), to all the weird and wonderful ways it's been done in the past. She exposes the hidden work (often done by women) that has gone into shaping the world for each future generation, and she shows what lessons can be drawn from the past to address urgent questions of our waste today.

Emily Cockayne’s book Rummage is all about the recycling and reuse of items, some of them items that we don’t recycle now — sometimes for good reasons, sometimes for bad. It’s organised a bit oddly, to my mind, with discussion of the World Wars early on and going backward in time to discuss the Victorian period, ultimately getting as far back as the 1630s. It never gets to properly discussing modern recycling, though it’s referenced now and again, which felt like a serious lack to me, because it would be a very useful comparison point, and there’s lots to be said about it.

It’s all a bit dense, rich with examples but not exactly scintillating reading. I did enjoy learning about some random weird new facts, like a kind of plastic made using slaughterhouse blood, “bois durci”… but mostly I think I got a bit lost in the detail.

I did also find some of the author’s interjections/commentary a bit… childish? Unnecessary? I think it’s meant to lighten up the tone a bit and make it feel chattier, but it just… doesn’t get there.

If you’re fascinated by the history of reuse and recycling, I think there’s plenty here to interest you, but it is a bit of a slow one.

Rating: 2/5 (“it was okay”)

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Review – The Rasp

Posted September 27, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – The Rasp

The Rasp

by Philip MacDonald

Genres: Crime, Mystery
Pages: 240
Series: Colonel Gethryn #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

The Rasp introduces the world to the amazing Anthony Gethryn, an ex-secret service agent, and occasional newspaper correspondent. He is assigned to cover the story of a cabinet minister, John Hoode, who was found murdered in the library of his country house, battered to death with a wood-rasp. Scotland yard has only one suspect Hoode’s secretary Alan Deacon. But Gethryn is convinced that Deacon did not do it. To prove that he’ll have to investigate himself and find the real killer. But everyone else who might have had a motive has a cast-iron alibi. Can he crack the case and bring the killer to justice?

I picked up Philip MacDonald’s The Rasp because he’s a Golden Age crime writer I hadn’t read yet, and I do love to read even an indifferent classic crime story when I’m in a bit of a funk. This book introduces his series detective, Anthony Gethryn, who ends up being asked to enquire in a private capacity by a friend who works for a newspaper. He ends up more deeply involved than that after a love-at-first-sight moment with someone who seems to be part of the whole mystery, leading to a couple of dramatic moments.

All in all, I quite liked it; it reminded me most of Sayers’ work, in part because Gethryn’s very prone to quotation and piffle. I find him somewhat less charming than Wimsey, all the same, perhaps because the two characters are handled in different ways. Gethryn’s meant to be charming and plausible and people are (for the most part) enjoying his tendency to quotation, and overall he comes across as maybe a bit too perfect and a bit too much to everyone’s taste — while Wimsey is both presented as getting irritating sometimes (which he surely would in real life) and with self-deprecation that somehow helps the reader swallow it all and find him charming anyway. Sayers is probably the better writer, even if she was a bit too in love with Wimsey herself.

Still, it was entertaining. I’d say the murderer is a bit of a cheat because I don’t think the evidence is presented to the reader with enough weight to really be fair-play, though I did myself guess who it was going to be based on who I was pretty sure it wasn’t. Someone else says that you can’t guess because the person is never investigated, and that’s sort of true. I did figure out what happened with the titular rasp before it actually got to that, though, so there are clues.

The denouement being mostly a long letter from Gethryn that elucidates everything a bit really slows everything down and wasn’t the best choice, while the romances are fairly shrug. Like Wimsey, Gethryn falls in love more or less at first sight, but he doesn’t nearly earn his happy ending in the same way.

It’s perhaps unfair comparing this to Sayers, given she was deservedly one of the Queens of Crime, and is a favourite of mine besides… but it’s the comparison that felt inevitable given the givens. It’s still fun, all the same.

Rating: 3/5 (“liked it”)

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Review – The Wife Comes First, vol 3

Posted September 24, 2026 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Wife Comes First, vol 3

The Wife Comes First

by Lv Ye Qian He

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 417
Series: The Wife Comes First #3
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

“OVER TWO LIFETIMES, I HAVE ONLY EVER LOVED YOU.”

Welcomed back to the capital with unbelievable rewards, Jing Shao and his princely consort Mu Hanzhang fall into a new routine at home and at court—involving challenging but satisfying duties that Mu Hanzhang takes on with pleasure.

While the two men contend with scheming princes, unexpected visitors, and volatile in-laws, new trouble is brewing. The earlier revenge taken on Mu Hanzhang’s behalf set off a chain reaction that now threatens his father’s clan and his mother’s life. And when a death unearths secrets from the past, Jing Shao may have to use all that he’s gained just to survive the machinations threatening him.

But with his brothers—both blood and sworn—at his side and his wife in his arms, Jing Shao vows that this time, no matter the danger, he’ll find happiness with Mu Hanzhang.

Volume three of Lv Ye Qian He’s The Wife Comes First wraps up the series, bringing Mu Hanzhang and Jing Shao back to the capital and back into the thick of the political plotting. Compared to how slowly the first two books moved, this feels like there are a few time jumps, to give time for all the manoeuvring: it’s not a bad thing, but if you don’t keep track of the weeks/months slipping by in the story, some things seem very sudden!

Mostly, it’s an excellent ending for them, almost tipping into a reprise of Jing Shao’s first attempt… and then, at the last, it’s averted. There are a couple of surprises and twists, one of which (I think all in the extras) I guessed in advance from certain scenes. I can’t really say much about all this since it would be very spoilery at this point.

There are actually a couple of extras, which skewed my perception of how much time was left in the story and made the pacing feel confusing. In themselves, they don’t add a ton (and one is just a silly short from Lil Sunbeam’s point of view), but there’s some cute stuff there.

Sadly, the Right Guardian and Left Guardian don’t follow up on Mu Hanzhang’s veiled hints(?), as far as I can tell…

Anyway, I don’t think this series is super well written, and there are plenty of quibbles with it and needlessly evil concubines, etc, etc (there are some positive female characters, like Ge Ruoyi and Mu Hanzhang’s mother). But I was won over by Jing Shao being a big stupid puppy, and Mu Hanzhang being a clever schemer — for his loved ones’ sake. Definitely one I’m rating on enjoyment more than technical skill, which is worth taking into account.

Rating: 4/5 (“really liked it”)

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