A Ballad of Sword and Wine | Qiang Jin Jiu - Vol. 1
A Ballad of Sword and Wine: Qiang Jin Jiu Vol. 1, Written by Tang Jiu Qing, Illustrated by [St]. Published by Seven Seas. Translated by Jia, Xia, and amixy.
This is my first Danmei (Chinese BL) series, and my first Chinese novel series that wasn't initially trad-published (I've read the Remembrance of Earth's Past Trilogy, better known as the Three Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu).
I've been into the Apothecary Diaries series recently, and I did enjoy the anime for Raven of the Inner Palace. I'm also in the middle of watching Kingdom (the anime). Also, I'm a fan of Legend of Galactic Heroes, which is a 10-book political sci-fi epic.Â
Why am I stating all of this? When I looked into danmei, this was the first book that caught my eye. I really like the art, and the premise was interesting too. So I knew that this series was probably squarely in my strike zone.Â
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The Synopsis, I'm too lazy to write my own, sorry.Â
Shen Zechuan is the eighth son of the traitorous Prince of Jianxing, a man who doomed his cities and people to destruction at the hands of the foreign enemy. As the only surviving member of his reviled line, Shen Zechuan is dragged to the capital in chains. He bears the hatred of the nation, but no one’s hate burns hotter than that of Xiao Chiye, the youngest son of the powerful Prince of Libei.
Xiao Chiye would love nothing more than to see Shen Zechuan dead–but against all odds, he clings to life. Rather than succumb to his family’s disgrace, he becomes a thorn in Xiao Chiye’s side, clawing his way into the cutthroat political world of the capital. Yet as these two bitter enemies beat against the bonds of their fate, they find themselves kindred spirits, unlikely allies…and perhaps something more.
We all love a good enemies to lovers plot-line. I was really impressed with this series. The story hooked me right from the beginning, and I wanted to see how Shen Zechuan navigated all the issues. I don't have a good read on what his motivations are right now, other than surviving and maybe getting revenge (but against who?).Â
Surprisingly, it seems like quite a bit of the political intrigue wraps up in this book. But knowing that there are going to be 8 books total, I'm really excited to see where things go next. The development of the "relationship" between Xiao Chiye and Shen Zechuan was fun to read since they always kept each other guessing. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon, as they barely set aside their animosity when interacting with each other.Â
There are some really hard scenes to read, mostly due to the torture at the beginning and one scene of animal abuse. It definitely had the intended effect, but do keep that in mind.Â
You definitely need to pay attention while reading this book, as there are dozens of important named characters, but I actually like that. I got sucked into the intrigue right away.Â
I think this could easily become one of my new favorite series. I already have books 2 and 3, but I'm going to pace myself and read something more lighthearted next.