Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation: Mo Dao Zu Shi (Deluxe Hardcover Novel) Vol. 1

kat

The softest possible book about love, life, and recovering from being a mass murdering necromancer

"Mo Dao Zu Shi is the book that the drama Chen Qing Ling aka The Untamed was based on. The story follows the adventures of Wei Wuxian, a cultivator who has been mysteriously resurrected 13 years after his own death, and is split between the events happening to him in the present time and several flashbacks to events that happened in the past that ultimately lead to his death. The real mystery though is why his old acquaintance Lan Wangji is being so nice to him... This book is hard to quantify, because it is on the one hand a lighthearted, fluffy danmei (bl) love story about two friends with romantic tension on an adventure to solve a mystery, and on the other a deeply painful story about a traumatized person trying live on despite the terrible things that have happened to him, partly due to his own actions and partly due to circumstances beyond his control. Is Wei Wuxian a happy fool or a tortured genius? Was he a selfish villain or a tragic hero? Who is telling the truth about the past and who is lying? It's not always possible to know the answer to these questions: Wei Wuxian will often make an assertion about something that he believes was true, which will then be directly contradicted in the very next flashback scene. Every character has their own point of view on what is right and what is wrong based on their own past experiences, and so it's hard not to relate to almost all of them even if they have clearly done terrible, unforgivable things. The Xianxia aspects of this story are present but are very secondary to the plot. None of the main characters are more than 40 years old and no one has more than 2 or 3 different spiritual tools. Although many of them are noted to have a high level of cultivation, cultivation levels are never discussed in detail and there is only one immortal cultivator mentioned in the story who never appears. Far more significant are the politics and power balance between the 5 major cultivation sects and the various personalities that control them. Despite this I hesitate to call the setting "low magic." It's definitely low magic for Xianxia, but if you're only familiar with western fantasy novels then this won't really seem like low magic to you. If you do not know what "Xianxia" is, I would recommend that you read up on it a bit before reading this book. You will probably be able to figure out most of it eventually, but because it's a common genre, nothing is going to be explained about it in detail. There have been several unofficial attempts to translate Mo Dao Zu Shi but only one of them managed to succeed at translating the entire work. I'm not sure this is the best translation attempt I've seen, but if they manage to finish the entire novel it will be by far the best complete translation. In general it's an easy read with a deceptively light tone. They have left some of the honorifics, idiomatic words, titles, and relationship-based titles untranslated due to there being no English language equivalent. I think most people who read translated works approve of this: I certainly do. A glossary, for readers who don't speak or read Chinese, of all the words that are left untranslated is provided in the back of the book, as well as some general world information and a very brief guide on how to pronounce pinyin words and specifically how to pronounce the main characters' names. There are also several black and white interior illustrations that are absolutely beautiful. They aren't from the original Chinese version of the book, but they are still fantastic and really add something to this edition. Now on to the less fun part: Caveats and warnings. NOTE: I try to avoid saying too much but if you are the kind of person who wants to avoid knowing anything at all about a book before reading it, then maybe skip this section. 1. Yaoi/Danmei tropes: This book is at it's heart a romance novel about two men that was not written by a gay man. Most of it's fans are women. So there are some things in it that may not be accurate to a realistic relationship between two men. This becomes a more obvious issue in later volumes but it's still worth mentioning. If you are familiar with yaoi manga and other danmei stories then it's the same kind of stuff although I will say that Mo Dao Zu Shi isn't as bad as many I have seen. 2. Period typical homophobia: The setting that the story is taking place in is a historical setting and so there is definitely some of that period typical homophobia. In this setting same sex relationships are not strictly forbidden, but they aren't seen as being part of polite society and people who are known to be gay are not viewed as criminals, but they are not generally treated very well. This also effects the way the main characters view themselves and behave. 3. Period typical sexism: Women don't have it easy in this series, they are either constantly struggling to have any kind of agency or are content to accept their role as secondary. Many of the supporting characters, especially the villains, are extremely sexist and cruel to women and girls, and there's mentions of sexual assault having happened in the past. I don't think it's gratuitous and the main character doesn't engage in this behavior at all, but it's definitely there. 4. Extreme violence: Despite it's lighthearted façade, there is a lot of detailed and graphic violence. People get ripped apart, tortured, and various other terrible deaths. 5. The 18+ rating is not for show. There's nothing in this volume, but there are some pretty explicit sexy scenes later on in the story. This series works hard to earn it's rating. Despite not being a perfect book it's really hard not to love Mo Dao Zu Shi once you get into it. The characters are all just so interesting and the romance is worth sticking around for the later volumes. ["

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February 10, 2022 Verified Purchase

Amazon Customer

Get Ready for a Wild Ride

"First off, I originally read this translated on the web and it's one of my favorite novels ever. I read it after starting the television series (which I still haven't finished but I've read the novel twice!). Now I finally get to hold it in my hands! There's horror, adventure, mystery, political commentary and intrigue, magic, mythical creatures, and of course a love story to put all other love stories to shame. The protagonist is far from perfect, the love interest will make you swoon and is deeper than he appears, the side characters are lit (some are the love-to-hate variety), and all of the side plots are well worth the emotional investment. The quality of the paperback exceeded my expectations as does the translation and composition. There's a handy Character and Name Guide and Glossary in the back which new readers (and old!) will definitely need if they're unfamiliar with the genre and/or Chinese terminology. The cover is nice and glossy, the pictures in the book are gorgeous. I already know I'm going to have to purchase two, one to love and mark up and one to keep pristine on the bookshelf. Wonderful production from Seven Seas Entertainment. I'm so glad to have the opportunity to support Mo Xiang Tong Xiu and to fall in love with Wei Ying and Lan Zhan all over again. **This book is meant for adults and contains heavy adult themes and imagery. There is sensitive content that may be triggering for some readers. Please, if you have a problem with suicide, gore, violence, or problematic/immoral relationships (not the main pairing), give this one a pass.** ["

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December 15, 2021 Verified Purchase

Karissa

Exactly what I needed

"It's been a long while since I've picked up a book but when my friend raved about this series and after watching some of the anime with her I had to give it a try. I finished this in a day, I couldn't put it down. I'm a sucker for a good reincarnation story with a great cast of characters, and a fan of beautiful slow burn love and this does it perfectly. The illustrations are all so gorgeous (one of my favorites in this book is the colored picture of Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji meeting for the first time in 13 years) and the glossary and name guide are super helpful and interesting to learn about. If you're looking for a slow burn gay romance with an amazing story and world building I highly recommend giving Grandmaster a try. ["

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August 14, 2023 Verified Purchase

Michelle Knight

Wow! What an amazing read!!

"I watched The Untamed as a BL fan and was very entertained but left wanting slightly more. I read this series after learning that it was the source upon which the show was based. I was not disappointed. I found it to be a very interesting and easy read. It wasn’t exactly like the tv show which was good since I’m reading after watching. This made it even more interesting. The two are similar enough but different. Also, the relationship is clearly defined. There are strong overtones throughout the series but it becomes evident in pretty soon that the feelings (though unknown between them) are very mutual. Just a really great story and easy read. Would strongly recommend to any BL fan. But I loved it so much, I ordered two other series. Hope they are as good. This one was worth every penny!🙂 ["

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September 27, 2024 Verified Purchase

Alexandria Quist

It's a good yarn

"I don't know how salacious an intrepid reader is looking for this work to be. The tone is pretty clear that the romance will be built SLOWLY & STEADILY in the background of the larger intricate plot. And that's more than ok. PRECISELY because the characters are so interesting. Our resurrected "hero" is quite the character, full of mischief and life, surprisingly cheerful for someone whose closest friends tore him apart and ended his life. It's even funnier that he remains utterly clueless that his traveling companion and one time colleague has always been MADLY and desperately in love with him. Like, the intensity, to have held on to such feelings and cherished so deeply such small interactions. I feel bad for the guy. He's going to have to clobber the emotional idiot over the head before he's going to succeed in bedding him. 🤣 ["

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July 28, 2025 Verified Purchase