sid_guardian | Guardian Readalong wrap-up

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Guardian Readalong wrap-up

We've reached the end of our Guardian novel readalong, extras and all! A million thanks to everyone who participated in the discussions, and especially everyone who made and hosted posts. *twirls you all*

Of course all the previous posts are still open for comments, and you don't have to read the existing comments to jump into the discussion anywhere, at any time. So don't hesitate! But let's take this week to look back at our readalong:

Volume 1
prologue, chapters 1 & 2 | chapters 3 & 4 | chapters 5 & 6 | chapters 7 & 8 | chapters 9 & 10 | chapters 11 & 12 | chapters 13 & 14 | chapters 15 & 16 | chapters 17 & 18 | chapters 19 & 20 | chapters 21 & 22 | chapters 23 & 24 | chapters 25 & 26 | chapters 27 & 28

Volume 2
chapters 1 & 2 | chapters 3 & 4 | chapters 5 & 6 | chapters 7 & 8 | chapters 9 & 10 | chapters 11 & 12 | chapters 13 & 14 | chapters 15 & 16 | chapters 17 & 18 | chapter 19

Volume 3
chapters 1 & 2 | chapters 3 & 4 | chapters 5 & 6 | chapters 7 & 8 | chapters 9 & 10 | chapters 11 & 12 | chapters 13 & 14 | chapters 15 & 16 | chapters 17 & 18 | chapters 19 & 20 | chapters 21 & 22 | chapters 23 & 24 | chapter 25 & epilogue
Extras: Sage 1 & Sage 2 | The Mountain Spirit | Pocket Dimension

Questions:
Was this the first time you read the novel, or a reread? Did you read the official translation, the fan translation, or a Chinese version (which?) - and do you have any thoughts about the differences between versions? What do you like best about priest's writing?

What were your favourite moments or scenes? What are you most confused by? If you could change one thing about the novel or its worldbuilding, what would it be? What stands out as most different from the drama? Do you have different favourite side characters in the novel vs. the drama?

ETA: Which detail surprised you the most (either because you didn't know, or because you had forgotten)?

(As usual, these are all just conversation starters - feel free to answer all, some, or none, or to talk about completely different things!)

(Also, sign-ups are open for the drama slo-mo rewatch and for Guardian Wishlist! Come and join the fun!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ooooh, thank you for the wrap-up and all the links in one place! :D

I had an absolutely wonderful time hosting and participating, thank you so much again for organizing the readalong! ♡♡♡

I feel like I've answered every single question many times over, hahah, except maybe the first one? It was a re-read for me but not really - I kinda inhaled the entire novel (official translation) in one go back in November when I got into the drama too, and then I was really fuzzy on the details or even on some bigger reveals. :D (I never got the canons confused with each other though - they're so different to me that it wasn't even a possibility, lol.) So it was really nice to ~read it for real~ this time, and in wonderful company too. :D

Oh, and the side character question is interesting because the canons are so wildly different but my favorite side characters are in fact the same - Wang Zheng and GCC. :D (The novel needs a Jiajia tho! ♡)

Thank you so much for being a part of it all, I had a blast with all the discussion! :D

I feel like I've answered every single question many times over, hahah

Haha, same, not that it stopped me from saying that again! *g*

I kinda inhaled the entire novel (official translation) in one go back in November when I got into the drama too, and then I was really fuzzy on the details or even on some bigger reveals. :D

Hee! That was fun, discovering things together. I knew a lot, too, from skimming the novel ages ago and from fannish osmosis, but it really was a journey of discovery.

(Damn! I forgot something! *quickly adds a question to the post* The thing that surprised me the most was the novel's time loop - I had no recollection of that whatsoever, and I was utterly delighted by it!)

I never got the canons confused with each other though - they're so different to me that it wasn't even a possibility, lol.

Yeah, 100% agreed.

Oh, and the side character question is interesting because the canons are so wildly different but my favorite side characters are in fact the same - Wang Zheng and GCC. :D

Oh, neat! Mine are also the same, but completely different characters, LOL.

The novel needs a Jiajia tho! ♡

No argument from me! The novel needs more university shenanigans in general. *g*

"Damn! I forgot something! *quickly adds a question to the post* The thing that surprised me the most was the novel's time loop - I had no recollection of that whatsoever, and I was utterly delighted by it!"

Oooh, good question! :D I don't think anything surprised me per se, but I didn't expect Zhu Hong's branch - I remember someone here saying that the novel equivalent of this drama storyline is still a spoiler, and at that point I didn't know what it meant. :D

"Oh, neat! Mine are also the same, but completely different characters, LOL."

I love how our favorites put together make up nearly the entire SID - poor Lin Jing and San Zan. xD (I adore them too tho, both versions of them. :D)

"The novel needs more university shenanigans in general. *g*"

Right?? :D In one of the Sage extras, where Shen Wei is surrounded by students, I want to see that up-close. :D

Oh, that's interesting, that Zhu Hong's branch didn't stay more prominent in your memory. I really liked that bit.

poor Lin Jing and San Zan. xD (I adore them too tho, both versions of them. :D)

Yes, completely agreed! I like them all a lot. ♥

"Oh, that's interesting, that Zhu Hong's branch didn't stay more prominent in your memory. I really liked that bit."

It is wonderful, one of my favorite storylines even! ♡♡♡ But apparently the closer to the ending, the more I was vague on just about everything, lol. I didn't know what happened to the gui either, but then it turned out that no one actually knows what exactly happened to the gui, even when reading very carefully. ;D

I didn't know what happened to the gui either, but then it turned out that no one actually knows what exactly happened to the gui, even when reading very carefully. ;D

Hee! True. :D

I didn't know what happened to the gui either, but then it turned out that no one actually knows what exactly happened to the gui

LOLOLOL, too true!

The novel needs more university shenanigans in general. *g*

So true! It starts out there, but never really goes back.

Oh, and the side character question is interesting because the canons are so wildly different but my favorite side characters are in fact the same - Wang Zheng and GCC. :D

That's so cool! Do you like the same things about them in each canon? :D

That's such a fun question, I've never thought about it. :D Yep, it's definitely the same thing about GCC - he's this permanently terrified neurotic cinnamon roll who is trying SO HARD and doing SO WELL, it's wonderful. ♡♡♡

But re: Wang Zheng, I feel like I probably wouldn't have noticed her as much in the novel if it weren't for her drama version, who is just THE CUTEST?? :D ♡ Like, I adore her face and smile and voice and general vibe to pieces, and in the novel it also says that she always looked spaced out, so that was apparently enough to be my fav too. :D (Even though it also says that her hair is black, lol.) That said, I do love novel Wang Zheng's conversation with Zhao Yunlan about both of them having shitty fathers, and the scene at the end where she asks about the mountains, so I would have liked her even without the drama version, but maybe not as a main fav. (And the thing I like less is that she's meaner to Sang Zan than in the drama, at least until the Pocket Dimension extra where their relationship finally feels like its drama version, at least to me. :D That's probably another thing Priest took from the drama - Zhao Yunlan is not the only one who got softer. :))

(This made me finally get a Wang Zheng icon btw. :D :D Though I'll probably end up making one from either the popcorn scene or the 'making fun of CSZ being a fanboy' scene because they're my favorite ones. :D)

Like, I adore her face and smile and voice and general vibe to pieces

Awww! I really like her too, especially how she's often somewhat offbeat, like when she's defending Lin Jing from ebing fired ... by listing how many times he was late or slacked off at work, LOL! She's a delight.

That's probably another thing Priest took from the drama - Zhao Yunlan is not the only one who got softer. :)

Yeah, I really hope that's what happened!

And more Wang Zheng icons are always of the good. :D

I really like her too, especially how she's often somewhat offbeat, like when she's defending Lin Jing from ebing fired ... by listing how many times he was late or slacked off at work, LOL!

Ha, yes, she's very good at being sweet and irreverently rude at the same time. :D

"Awww! I really like her too, especially how she's often somewhat offbeat, like when she's defending Lin Jing from ebing fired ... by listing how many times he was late or slacked off at work, LOL! She's a delight."

Hee, YES exactly, she has no filter but in such an adorably unique way. :D ♡♡♡

Yep, it's definitely the same thing about GCC - he's this permanently terrified neurotic cinnamon roll who is trying SO HARD and doing SO WELL, it's wonderful. ♡♡♡

*hearts him so much*

But re: Wang Zheng, I feel like I probably wouldn't have noticed her as much in the novel if it weren't for her drama version, who is just THE CUTEST?? :D ♡

That's so interesting. Funny how one canon informs the other, even when they're so different. :D

(Awww, yay icon!! :D)

Wow, I can't believe we're already at the end! Time did go fast.

This was my first time properly reading the novel - I started the fan translation back in, I think 2019, couldn't get into it, and afterwards only skimmed the rest. I did properly read the Shen San extra, though, and loved it then. This time round, I read the official translation. (Though I also parallel-read the fan translation to compare versions, but that was with my note-taking brain, not reading brain. *g*) I think the official translation is really good! And so is the version of the novel it's based on - many of the changes (though not all, of course) were for the better, IMO.

I've only read one other novel by priest (Faraway Wanderers, which I love), and I really enjoy her irreverent style and vivid imagery.

I still don't like the early dynamic between Zhao Yunlan and Shen Wei that I originally bounced off, and I'm not fond of the ending either, so overall the in-between parts were the ones I enjoyed the best. My favourite thing about the whole novel is still the Shen San extra, which is simply a delight in every way.

But what I love the most about having read the novel is the new appreciation it gave me for the drama's screenwriters. I already loved the drama to pieces, of course, but seeing where so many of the large and little things came from, and how all these puzzle pieces from the novel were masterfully rearranged into a whole new narrative, was amazing. Really, really impressive!

If I could change one thing about the novel, I don't know whether it should be one of the things I didn't like, or whether I'd make it add an explanation somewhere, LOL. Probably about what actually happened between Kunllun and the young King of the Gui. (What I'm confused about: SO MANY THINGS OMG. But that is the one that has the most impact, for me - it's hard to know how to feel about their dynamic if I'm not sure what actually did happen!)

Regarding differences from the drama, just how very different people they are. I really can't even see them as AU versions of each other, because too much of what makes up their core is different. Especially with Shen Wei, whose novel background shapes him so fundamentally, self-loathing and all - and none of those influences are there in the drama.

For the side characters, despite all the differences, my favourites among the SID team are still Da Qing/Daqing, Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi. *g* But they're all great, in both versions! SID shenanigans are always a delight. :D

I'm looking forward to coming back to this post properly later, but I just wanted to say that one of the things that's been fascinating about the readalong is seeing how very clearly your and my biases have come out, even when we don't particularly like these versions of the characters, hee! As I see it, you are very protective of Shen Wei's dignity, so it felt like the novel treatment of him, and ZYL (and priest) teasing him make you a bit defensive on his behalf. Meanwhile, I view things through ZYL's POV and (although he definitely crossed some lines I didn't like, especially early on) am willing to forgive him much more for being a bit condescending/teasing/reckless/etc, and in turn am more bothered by SW's lies and manipulation.

To perfectly illustrate this, I was reading your comment on my phone, and it went like this:

comment: I really can't even see them as AU versions of each other, because too much of what makes up their core is different. Especially [End of screen]
me: Oh, yes! Especially the way drama!ZYL is so informed by witnessing his mother's death. That changes everything. (I honestly thought you were going to say this.)
me: *scrolls down*
comment (cont.): with Shen Wei, whose novel background shapes him so fundamentally, self-loathing and all - and none of those influences are there in the drama.
me: Ahahahaha. Yes. That too, of course! (I didn't even think of that, lol.)

:D :D :D

LOLOLOL! It's true - when it comes to the drama, our views of the characters are so similar, our different biases haven't mattered nearly as much.

And you're totally right about ZYL being shaped by his mother's death in the drama! But (in perfect illustration of your point) that didn't even occur to me, because I was thinking about their origins in the novel, and therefore Kunlun, not ZYL at all. *g*

Edited 2025-08-30 22:36 (UTC)

LOL, yeah, it didn't occur to me until after the fact that novel!ZYL is ~entirely~ shaped by being Kunlun, being raised by DQ and the SGO generally.

And I could just as easily have said that Shen Wei in the drama is shaped by losing his brother, but of course I didn't think of that either. ;D

All four of them, so different! <3 <3 <3

LOL, yeah, we're hilarious. :D

"Though I also parallel-read the fan translation to compare versions, but that was with my note-taking brain, not reading brain. *g*"

Thank you again for doing that!! ♡♡♡

"I really enjoy her irreverent style and vivid imagery."

Definitely two of my favorite things too. :D

"I already loved the drama to pieces, of course, but seeing where so many of the large and little things came from, and how all these puzzle pieces from the novel were masterfully rearranged into a whole new narrative, was amazing. Really, really impressive!"

Yesss, this super complex puzzle with a million moving parts!! I've said it so many times but I still need to say it again - making an adaptation this way requires so much talent and hard work that I'm just absolutely an awe of the drama writers, and of the finished product too. ♡♡♡

"Especially with Shen Wei, whose novel background shapes him so fundamentally, self-loathing and all - and none of those influences are there in the drama."

This may be the biggest difference to me too, yes! The writers put more-or-less the same puzzle pieces of Shen Wei's backstory in a completely different configuration and context, and the self-loathing got yeeted in the process. :D

"SID shenanigans are always a delight. :D"

True fact, and also I'm impressed that SID shenanigans stayed basically the same despite the characters being different. :D

Yesss, this super complex puzzle with a million moving parts!! I've said it so many times but I still need to say it again - making an adaptation this way requires so much talent and hard work that I'm just absolutely an awe of the drama writers, and of the finished product too. ♡♡♡

All of this, so much! It really can't be said enough. That's the number one thing I took away from the novel, LOL, because it's so impressive and I've never seen anything like it.

The writers put more-or-less the same puzzle pieces of Shen Wei's backstory in a completely different configuration and context, and the self-loathing got yeeted in the process. :D

And I'm so grateful for it! Self-loathing really isn't my thing.

This was my first time properly reading the novel - I started the fan translation back in, I think 2019, couldn't get into it, and afterwards only skimmed the rest.

I'm so glad we did this -- and yeah, the release of the official translation was a great opportunity to read it through.

Though I also parallel-read the fan translation to compare versions, but that was with my note-taking brain, not reading brain. *g*

*sends chocolates, throws flowers at your feet*

My favourite thing about the whole novel is still the Shen San extra, which is simply a delight in every way.

100% agreed. It's so good!

I already loved the drama to pieces, of course, but seeing where so many of the large and little things came from, and how all these puzzle pieces from the novel were masterfully rearranged into a whole new narrative, was amazing. Really, really impressive!

It really, really is!

Especially with Shen Wei, whose novel background shapes him so fundamentally, self-loathing and all - and none of those influences are there in the drama.

Hee! Like I said above, yes! The differences between YOHE and the PP are so vast and inform everything else so much. Wow!

my favourites among the SID team are still Da Qing/Daqing, Zhu Hong and Chu Shuzhi. *g*

Aww! :D :D :D (I love that it's the Yashou and the Dixingren members of the SID. <3)

*sends chocolates, throws flowers at your feet*

*JOINS IN* :D

*sends chocolates, throws flowers at your feet*

♥ ♥ ♥

The differences between YOHE and the PP are so vast and inform everything else so much. Wow!

Right????

I love that it's the Yashou and the Dixingren members of the SID. <3

Yep, out of all the drama characters, Zhao Yunlan is the only human to make my top five. And somehow it doesn't surprise me at all that it came out that way. *g*

Yep, out of all the drama characters, Zhao Yunlan is the only human to make my top five. And somehow it doesn't surprise me at all that it came out that way. *g*

*nodnod* It makes a lot of sense. I really love bravado/determination in the face of being outpowered, so Zhao Yunlan definitely, but also Guo Changcheng, even from episode 1 where he's terrified but doing his best to defend Li Qian's granny from the Shadow Man. (But we'll get to that in a week and a half. ;-)

That said, I'm not sure I could name my favourite SID characters. In terms of fic, it's DQ, CSZ and GCC, but in terms of canon I love them all. (Except I don't care much about Sang Zan -- sorry, Sang Zan!)

I do love them all, but some I just love a little more than the others. *g*

Haha, I'm so daunted by trying to answer these questions, I've been putting it off. None of my replies will be definitive! ;-p

Was this the first time you read the novel, or a reread?

I read it for the first time starting in September last year, and by a third of the way through vol 2, I was already talking about a readalong. :D

Did you read the official translation, the fan translation, or a Chinese version (which?)

The official version, in ebook. (I really appreciated being able to search, especially for worldbuilding stuff!!)

What do you like best about priest's writing?

Very sharp, very witty and snarky, and really gorgeous atmospheric and cinematic descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Netherworld -- the road down the Huangquan River, with its little oil lamps and red spider lilies was a stand-out for me, and the reactions of the nameless ferry ghosts, little ghouls and others. <3 <3 <3

What were your favourite moments or scenes?

Ha, so much of it is a blur now, and I'm definitely more aware of volume three than the earlier volumes. I know I loved vol. 2, ch 3, when Zhao Yunlan was pining pre-relationship, and the SID ganged up on him to call Shen Wei to take him home. Most of the SID stuff was excellent. The New Year's Eve party! And Chu Shuzhi and Guo Changcheng on the bridge at the end of volume 3, with the little bottles of glowing souls. <3 <3 <3 Oh, and all of the stuff with Shen Wei's coat -- ZYL treating it with such care (♥ ♥ ♥), and the two of them ending their fight by laughing over it (♥ ♥ ♥). And the Shen San extra, of course (that's the only bit I really want fic of).

What are you most confused by?

Oh, like 90% of the worldbuilding? LOL. ;-p When we embarked on the readalong, I had some trepidation about all the primeval past stuff. I felt so mired in it and confused by it the first time around, and it seemed to go on forever. (Ftr, I had a similar reaction to CSZ's dream sequences in the drama, my first time through; my brain reacts to ambiguity by just checking out, apparently. /o) It really helped having people to ponder and pull it apart with. Even if we didn't figure out all the answers, at least I wasn't alone in the mire the time. *hearts you all*

If you could change one thing about the novel or its worldbuilding, what would it be?

I would like the mountain gods to want to spend more time on their mountains. ;-p (I mean, they're gods! Why not transfer whatever city they're living in to a mountain top? They could totally do that. ;-p)

What stands out as most different from the drama?

LOL, everything. Mostly, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's characterisations, but of course the Netherworld vs Dixing, and ZYL's dad vs ZXC, and Dixingren vs gui. Earth vs Haixing. Yeah, everything. :D

Do you have different favourite side characters in the novel vs. the drama?

I don't think so. Maybe I slightly prefer novel!Sangzan to his drama counterpart, because we see a little bit more of him. And I do like Zhao Xinci, for all his faults, whereas novel!dad is The Worst™. But overall, the SID vibe is the SID vibe, you know?

ETA: Which detail surprised you the most (either because you didn't know, or because you had forgotten)?

I had totally forgotten how much of the misleading PP stuff was down to Shen Wei's deceptions, and about all his manipulating and his reasons for it. I think it seemed so unnecessary (ZYL is already totally into him) that I glossed over that, my first time through.

My favourite illustration from the official translation was the painting of Kunlun in Shen Wei's shrine.

Overall favourite thing about the readalong: definitely the comment club!! *hearts you alllllll* <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

"Haha, I'm so daunted by trying to answer these questions, I've been putting it off. None of my replies will be definitive! ;-p"

Heeee, that's the reason why I didn't answer them - I feel like my replies would be (or at least should be) the length of at least 10% of the sixty billion comments. ;D

"The official version, in ebook. (I really appreciated being able to search, especially for worldbuilding stuff!!)"

Saaaame, omg, the amount of searching I did was ridiculous - definitely several different topics in a few minutes sometimes, in an attempt to understand all the confusing parts. xD And then also all the searching when I realized something new, or to quote similar scenes, or to double-check - ebooks are a blessing in general, and especially when it comes to this book! :D

"Very sharp, very witty and snarky, and really gorgeous atmospheric and cinematic descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Netherworld -- the road down the Huangquan River, with its little oil lamps and red spider lilies was a stand-out for me, and the reactions of the nameless ferry ghosts, little ghouls and others. <3 <3 <3"

Yesss, 100% all of this, including this being one of my favorite images! :D

"Oh, and all of the stuff with Shen Wei's coat -- ZYL treating it with such care (♥ ♥ ♥), and the two of them ending their fight by laughing over it (♥ ♥ ♥)."

AWWW, definitely also one of my top favorite mini-storylines! ♡♡♡ And the New Year's Eve party too! :D (And another scene with similar soft Weilan vibes is when Zhao Yunlan is making the talismans while blind, and Shen Wei kisses him in the sunlit office because he said "I like you so much". ♡♡♡)

"And the Shen San extra, of course (that's the only bit I really want fic of)."

Fwiw, there are two new fics in their tag, but I understand lack of time to read fics SO INCREDIBLY WELL, lol. I'm linking them regardless, because your comment is too inviting not to. :D

"I mean, they're gods! Why not transfer whatever city they're living in to a mountain top? They could totally do that. ;-p"

Lolol, idk how all the other citizens would like that. xD :D :D

"Maybe I slightly prefer novel!Sangzan to his drama counterpart, because we see a little bit more of him."

I was quite wary of him at first because in the novel he was so much more unhinged in the past, but in the present he's so calm and happy and doing SO WELL, I love him a lot, and do I like that there's more about him! ♡

"And I do like Zhao Xinci, for all his faults, whereas novel!dad is The Worst™."

Right?? *sets him on fire* I'd take five Zhao Xincis over him. :P

"Overall favourite thing about the readalong: definitely the comment club!! *hearts you alllllll* <3 <3 <3 <3 <3"

♡♡♡♡♡! :D

Heeee, that's the reason why I didn't answer them - I feel like my replies would be (or at least should be) the length of at least 10% of the sixty billion comments. ;D

Aw! Long or short, all replies welcome!

ebooks are a blessing in general, and especially when it comes to this book! :D

Seriously, so much!

Fwiw, there are two new fics in their tag

Yay! *bookmarks*

I'd take five Zhao Xincis over him. :P

Hm, five Zhao Xincis would be a lot! But on the other hand, you could set them against each other ... :p

Hm, five Zhao Xincis would be a lot! But on the other hand, you could set them against each other ... :p

Oh my goodness, I'm trying to imagine. Would they be terrifyingly effective, or would they spend their whole time squabbling about who was in charge? ;D ;D ;D

Mainly I think they'd all be extremely suspicious of each other, which would definitely get in the way of working together! *g*

Especially the ones who knew about Zhang Shi!!

Yes, exactly! Hee!

"Hm, five Zhao Xincis would be a lot! But on the other hand, you could set them against each other ... :p"

LOLOL! I would sic them on Zhao Yunlan's novel!father. :> :D

I feel like my replies would be (or at least should be) the length of at least 10% of the sixty billion comments. ;D

Ha, right? Actually, I just made a list of things to mention, and then found that they conveniently fit the questions. \o/

Saaaame, omg, the amount of searching I did was ridiculous

Right??? Imagine trying to navigate all the lore without a search function!

And another scene with similar soft Weilan vibes is when Zhao Yunlan is making the talismans while blind, and Shen Wei kisses him in the sunlit office because he said "I like you so much". ♡♡♡

Oh, yes, true! That was super lovely. Though I actually chose the NYE party for the SID more generally.

Fwiw, there are two new fics in their tag

Hooray!! :D :D :D (Ahh, I keep opening things in tabs. I swear I can hear Firefox creaking at the seams, lol. /o)

Lolol, idk how all the other citizens would like that. xD :D :D

Eh, they'd just have to deal. ;-p

<3 <3 <3

"Right??? Imagine trying to navigate all the lore without a search function!"

Honestly I would probably just NOT. xD I have so much respect for people who only read the paper version and still understand what's happening. *TIPS MY HAT*

"Though I actually chose the NYE party for the SID more generally."

Oh, yep, I got it - I meant similar vibes to the coat scene. Though the Weilan NYE scene is adorable too, just pretty short. :D

"Eh, they'd just have to deal. ;-p"

LOLOLOL. :D ♡♡♡

Oh, yep, I got it - I meant similar vibes to the coat scene.

Ooh, which coat scene were you thinking of? I was thinking of all the stuff in the Netherworld, with ZYL carefully folding the coat and telling the ferry ghoul to take care of it (?? citing from memory, here). But there are so many good ones. The whole Coat Subplot was a delight. :D

Yep, that, and then pulling at it at home and laughing together. :D ♡ It's one of their softest scenes ever, and the talismans + kissing scene is too, so they're largely in the same category to me, even if they're different types of soft. :D (And I think I may like the 'can't contain laughter' type of soft a little bit more, if I had to choose. ♡♡♡)

Haha, I'm so daunted by trying to answer these questions

Aw! No one needs to write an essay, just say whatever comes to min! ♥

I read it for the first time starting in September last year, and by a third of the way through vol 2, I was already talking about a readalong. :D

Hee! I'm glad that did happen, I might not have read the novel all the way through otherwise, and definitely not with the same attention!

I really appreciated being able to search, especially for worldbuilding stuff!!

I'm so thankful for the ebooks, I don't know what I'd do without them!

Very sharp, very witty and snarky, and really gorgeous atmospheric and cinematic descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Netherworld -- the road down the Huangquan River, with its little oil lamps and red spider lilies was a stand-out for me, and the reactions of the nameless ferry ghosts, little ghouls and others. <3 <3 <3

All 100% true! Gorgeous stuff.

and the SID ganged up on him to call Shen Wei to take him home. Most of the SID stuff was excellent.

YES, that was a fantastic moment, and 100% agreed about all the SID shenanigans. :D

Oh, like 90% of the worldbuilding?

Hee! :p

It really helped having people to ponder and pull it apart with. Even if we didn't figure out all the answers, at least I wasn't alone in the mire the time. *hearts you all*

Yeah, totally agreed on that. It really helped to be able to puzzle things out together, and also to vent when things got a bit too profound, LOL.

I mean, they're gods! Why not transfer whatever city they're living in to a mountain top? They could totally do that. ;-p

LOLOLOL!

LOL, everything. Mostly, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's characterisations, but of course the Netherworld vs Dixing, and ZYL's dad vs ZXC, and Dixingren vs gui. Earth vs Haixing. Yeah, everything. :D

Can't argue with that!

Maybe I slightly prefer novel!Sangzan to his drama counterpart, because we see a little bit more of him.

Thinking about it, that's a fascinating change - we see more of novel!Sangzan in the present, but we get a lot more of drama!Sang Zan's backstory ...

the SID vibe is the SID vibe, you know?

Yeah! They managed to translate that into the drama so well!

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Haha, I'm so daunted by trying to answer these questions

Aw! No one needs to write an essay, just say whatever comes to min! &hearts;

I read it for the first time starting in September last year, and by a third of the way through vol 2, I was already talking about a readalong. :D

Hee! I'm glad that did happen, I might not have read the novel all the way through otherwise, and definitely not with the same attention!

I really appreciated being able to search, especially for worldbuilding stuff!!

I'm so thankful for the ebooks, I don't know what I'd do without them!

Very sharp, very witty and snarky, and really gorgeous atmospheric and cinematic descriptions. I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the Netherworld -- the road down the Huangquan River, with its little oil lamps and red spider lilies was a stand-out for me, and the reactions of the nameless ferry ghosts, little ghouls and others. <3 <3 <3

All 100% true! Gorgeous stuff.

and the SID ganged up on him to call Shen Wei to take him home. Most of the SID stuff was excellent.</o>

YES, that was a fantastic moment, and 100% agreed about all the SID shenanigans. :D

Oh, like 90% of the worldbuilding?

Hee! :p

It really helped having people to ponder and pull it apart with. Even if we didn't figure out all the answers, at least I wasn't alone in the mire the time. *hearts you all*

Yeah, totally agreed on that. It really helped to be able to puzzle things out together, and also to vent when things got a bit too profound, LOL.

I mean, they're gods! Why not transfer whatever city they're living in to a mountain top? They could totally do that. ;-p

LOLOLOL!

LOL, everything. Mostly, Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan's characterisations, but of course the Netherworld vs Dixing, and ZYL's dad vs ZXC, and Dixingren vs gui. Earth vs Haixing. Yeah, everything. :D

Can't argue with that!

Maybe I slightly prefer novel!Sangzan to his drama counterpart, because we see a little bit more of him.

Thinking about it, that's a fascinating change - we see more of novel!Sangzan in the present, but we get a lot more of drama!Sang Zan's backstory ...

the SID vibe is the SID vibe, you know?

Yeah! They managed to translate that into the drama so well!

<i<Overall favourite thing about the readalong: definitely the comment club!! *hearts you alllllll* <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

&hearts; &hearts; &hearts;

I'm so thankful for the ebooks, I don't know what I'd do without them!

Haha, I'm imagining, like, an evidence board covered in photos and printouts and red string. :D :D :D

Yeah, totally agreed on that. It really helped to be able to puzzle things out together, and also to vent when things got a bit too profound, LOL.

LOL! Exactly! *clings*

Thinking about it, that's a fascinating change - we see more of novel!Sangzan in the present, but we get a lot more of drama!Sang Zan's backstory ...

Tbh, I mentally glossed over most of Sangzan's backstory in the novel and can't remember most of the unhinged stuff. *handwaves airily*

<3 <3 <3

Haha, I'm imagining, like, an evidence board covered in photos and printouts and red string. :D :D :D

LOLOLOL!

As far as I remember there's VERY little specific backstory for Sangzan in the novel, which makes the unhinged stuff come across even worse IMO!

"As far as I remember there's VERY little specific backstory for Sangzan in the novel, which makes the unhinged stuff come across even worse IMO!"

This is so interesting to me because I remember the novel backstory of the Hanga tribe (including Sangzan) as even more elaborate and detailed than the drama one? Off the top of my head: there are more characters, and the whole thing with Sangzan sewing Wang Zheng's head back on. But I guess it depends on which specific part of the backstory you want. :)

Okay, I had to go and check back. You're right, there's much more backstory than I remembered! It's just all Wang Zheng explaining what happened, and we don't get to see it happening first hand, unlike the drama, which has two episodes heavy on the Ge Lan/Sang Zan flashbacks. In the novel, Sangzan doesn't get a voice until he's at the SID in the modern day. I guess that's why it didn't stick for me ...

Oh, yep, it's not his POV. This made me realize that in the novel everything from the past is either a story or a vision, never an actual flashback, right? (Unless someone literally goes back to the past, that is. :))

Yeah, IIRC we get to see fabricated memories, manipulated memories and real memories, but no actual flashbacks!

"Haha, I'm imagining, like, an evidence board covered in photos and printouts and red string. :D :D :D"

Lololol, literally, that's how I'm picturing all the brave people who only have the paper version. ;D :D :D Many multicolored strings, one color for each confusing storyline. xD

Many multicolored strings, one color for each confusing storyline. xD

LOL! At some point surely you just give up. (My first read through, most of this stuff was water off a duck's back, tbh.)

Hahah, yep! Anyone who only read the paper version and understood most things gets MAD KUDOS from me, lol. (I'm sure those people exist! :D)

"It really helped to be able to puzzle things out together, and also to vent when things got a bit too profound, LOL."

Lolol. ♡ Indeed! :D

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Guardian Readalong wrap-up

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