《折枝》 marks my fifth read from 困倚危楼, and while the author’s signature style of delivering unexpected twists is still present, I found this novel slightly underwhelming compared to her other works. Perhaps it’s because I’ve encountered so many incredible wuxia stories that 折枝 didn’t quite measure up. As usual, I skipped the synopsis and dove right into the story, only to be thoroughly confused by the first chapter. Eventually, I caved and read the synopsis for context. Then everything clicked. Even with that initial confusion, I still can’t help but admire 困倚危楼’s ability to weave unpredictable twists and keep readers guessing. My attempts at anticipating the story were no match for her intricate plotting.
One thing this author consistently excels at is writing angst, and 折枝 is no exception. The emotional depth is undeniable, with Liu Xiuwen’s unrequited love and the agonizing wait for death pulling at my heartstrings. I really like Liu Xiuwen’s character setting; he was proud on the outside but heavily emotional on the inside. His words were often hilarious, providing a unique contrast to his deeper struggles. His faint smiles, the kind that hid a deep sorrow, only amplified the weight of his pain. Those smiles made his suffering even harder to bear, and I often found myself wishing he would stop, as they tugged at my emotions in ways I didn’t expect. The heartache and longing he endured really resonated with me, making this a poignant read.
However, I must admit I was disappointed with the romance. The chemistry between Duan Ling and Liu Xiuwen felt off. It seemed as though Duan Ling only realized his feelings for Liu Xiuwen after losing him and discovering it had been him all along. To me, this came across more like regret and an attempt to make amends rather than a genuine expression of love. Of course, this could be interpreted differently by other readers, but in my view, their relationship lacked the emotional intensity I was hoping for.
Reading 折枝 was like watching a traditional Chinese wuxia drama unfold before my eyes, especially in terms of plot structure and emotional weight. The rich atmosphere, the complexity of the characters, and the whirlwind of emotions evoked that classic wuxia feel. 困倚危楼 excels at immersing readers into a world filled with deep emotional struggles, and she succeeds in making you feel every moment of it alongside the characters.
It was truly a rollercoaster of emotions. One moment I was overwhelmed by sadness and grief, and the next I was surprised and smiling. The shift in my emotions was so sudden that my husband even asked me what I was doing. Haha.
The extras were fantastic, deliciously spicy and undeniably smutty. However, the last extra was truly the highlight. Just when I anticipated a plot twist, it took an unexpected turn, leaving me pleasantly surprised by the lack of one. One simply cannot outshine 困倚危楼.
Though 折枝 wasn’t as strong as some of her other works, 困倚危楼’s storytelling prowess still shines in 折枝. If you’re a fan of unexpected twists, deep emotional angst, and complex characters, this book is definitely worth reading. It’s not just a story, it’s an experience.
TW/CW: canon typical violence, angst, hurt feelings, we are not a couple, unrequited love, master/apprentice, kylo is PISSED, meanie meanie, SPOILER there will be NO reconciliation ;)
credit to @rhinobeetl for this beautiful art of the goth boyfriend himself. let me know if you want me to remove the picture!
“Is that all you have?”
“Haven’t I taught you better than that?”
“You’re begging to be killed!”
“Pay attention, you worthless little rat!”
“Please…” your voice croaks through your blood-chapped lips. Cracking at the corners as you bow onto the wet ground, tainted with your sweat and tears.
Your entire being ached, chest hitching over and over as you tried to recenter yourself. Balance, focus, something, to remember that you were supposed to be hitting back. But today he wasn’t going easy, no this wasn’t training.
It was punishment.
For what you’d done.
“Get up.”
You flinch at his sharp tone, mask long forgotten on the floor. No weapons, nothing but his leather gloves fists impacting with your skull.
Gravel crunched as the toes of his boots squared your heaving shoulders. You couldn’t do it, you were so tired. It hurt to love, you couldn’t stand up again and try to parry his attacks. There was no use-you sniffled a loud ball of snot, gasping before slowly glancing at his ankles.
“Please, Kylo,” you wanted to reach out, grasp at him. Feel the black fabric beneath your fingertips, dig your nails into the alabaster flesh that you had tried so hard to bruise like he had to you.
He scoffed, moving the toe of his left boot under your chin. Another ugly sob fell from your mouth as you squeezed your eyes shut, “Pathetic.”
You braced yourself, knowing he wasn’t done. The swift kick of his foot to the square of your chest is like water rushing through your burst eardrums. Being shoved repeatedly under the surface over and over.
A gloved hand wrangled a knot in your blood-caked hair, yanking you up on your feet. You cracked open an eye, not finding the rage you felt under your skin. Instead, you were met with something much scarier.
Ren was bored-eyes glassy and dull.
Barely looking at you like you had a purpose, he no longer cares if you lived after this. And you wanted that back, you wanted the anger that sparked behind those auburn eyes.
Those same eyes that watched you in battle, begging for you to stay focused. For you to remember to come back to him.
“Hit me,” his voice cracked through your memory, your eyes refocusing on the man before you. Waiting, an eyebrow cocked as he shook you again. “Go on, you know you’re not allowed to give up when an enemy is attacking you. So hit me.”
You shook your head, a pitiful no falling. You couldn’t do it, not when you knew how little you meant. Never enough, “I cant…”
Ren snarled in your face, another harsh shake, “Do it, you spineless little rat-I know you want to.” He stared, jaw wiggling from side to side. But you didn’t move, couldn't. Even if you truly wanted to, letting your guard completely down.
“Haven’t you had enough?”
Your voice caught him off guard, almost recoiling from the sandpaper texture that rolled off your tongue. The same tongue that once laved at his own, lips attaching to wounds in an attempt to heal…
“Have you?”
Your hand shook as you raised it to your scalp, twitching to touch the leather. He let go of you like you were the plague, dropping on your knees in a high-pitched squeal of pain.
Propping yourself on your palms, you blinked down. A string of saliva dripping on the ground, pooling with the rest of your mess. Ren stepped back, “Get up,” his voice was softer.
You barely made it on your two feet, wanting to collapse into his arms. They used to shoot out to catch you, but not anymore. Never again-never.
“Yes,” you whispered, wiping your cheek with the back of your hand.
“I’ve had enough.”
———
YOU ASKED FOR ANGST. wanna be on my taglist click on the form bitch...
Hi, hope you’re doing well! Got any enemy-to-caretaker snippets/prompts? Or maybe some master-apprentice whump scenarios? 💜
Hello! I am doing well, thank you. 💖
All of my enemy-to-caretaker universes are here and these are all the whump prompts I’ve collected or created.
Other than that - well, I have loads of enemy-to-caretaker ideas (most of them languishing half-written in my word doc 😅)! As for master-apprentice whump scenarios, I don’t have a ton, but I’ll include any I can think of.
Prompt: Enemy-to-Caretaker (Part 1)
- Teammates who dislike each other are stuck underneath a cave-in. One of them has a piece of metal sticking out from their leg. The other one has gone temporarily blind.
- Two rival thieves are both out to steal the same object. In the middle of the theft, something goes horribly wrong, leaving one of them injured in the middle of hostile territory - while the other is free and clear to grab the object and escape. Free and clear. It’s right in front of them. It’s right there. Goddamnit.
- A character goes missing. Their kidnappers accidentally call their worst enemy for ransom.
- One character willingly surrenders to the enemy to allow their teammates to get away, fully expecting to be tortured and killed. The enemy is extremely offended by this assumption.
- “I need your help.”
“I’ve waited years to hear those words from your lips.”
Prompt: Master-Apprentice
- Apprentice is actually there to steal all of the master’s secrets for *insert evil rival*. The master finds out right before evil rival decides to cut I mean kill their losses.
- They are not a master and this is not their apprentice, they just can’t stop themselves from shouting instructions because that’s not how you do it, idiot, are you trying to get yourself killed?
- The apprentice really needs to learn these skills as fast as possible because their home village is in danger and they’re perilously close to destroying themselves.
- The master is cold and aloof and judgmental - but they still step between their apprentice and the enemy.
Anyone got any anime (or any film or show of any kind, doesnt have to be anime) recs if you loved The Ancient Magus' Bride and are going through dark fairy tale/death and the maiden trope withdrawals?
Extra points for beautiful animation, backgrounds, and ambiance. Also a complex imperfect herione. So many anime heriones are too chipper for me to relate to because I'm a grumpster, but Chise's depression and journey to find joy, selfworth, kindness, and meaning in life is so beautiful and relatable, at least to me anyway. But I mean I'm interested in any characters internal growth, doesn't have to be exactly exactly like Chise's.
I NEED SEASON 3! BUT I CANT AFFORD TO BUY ALL THE MANGA!
The first one is the Master and the second one is mine. I think I did alright but there’s definitely room for improvement. Struggled with the colors though. Still getting used to using gradients in my designs. I think mine is a bit hard on the eyes. And the drop shadow is a bit off.
Our next Master Apprentice exercise was to recreate a city scape as closest we can get to the above image, using either Sketch or Adobe Illustrator. Carrying out this exercise will help me when it comes to creating my illustrations for my App, as I will have to illustrate different restaurants/cafe’s that fit peoples selected dietary needs.
I decided to use the software Sketch to recreate the cityscape of India from the image on the above right. I found this exercise challenging as I am still learning new skills in Sketch, although I feel a lot more confident after recreating this cityscape that I can recreate the illustrations I want on my app.
