Heaven Official's Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu (Novel), Vol. 1 by Mò Xiāng Tóng Xiù and Suika

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER! The blockbuster danmei/Boys' Love novels from China that inspired the animated series! This epic historical fantasy about a prince and the mysterious man by his side is now in English, for the very first time. Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does--cast from the heavens and banished to the world below. Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection. Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears... What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile? This Chinese xianxia fantasy novel series built around the romanticized love between two men (danmei) is the newest work from author Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and has spawned an ongoing multimedia franchise that's beloved across the world--including the animated series (donghua) that amassed 100+ million views in just its first month. The Seven Seas English-language edition will include covers from 日出的小太陽 (tai3_3), and exclusive, all-new interior illustrations from ZeldaCW.

i read the fan translation ages ago, but i think it was about time that i read the official release, i still love these charas, but the pacing and action scenes are a bit off sometimes here. the world building is very cool tho

I've read a pretty good amount of novels that were originally written in Chinese and translated into English. Sometimes they can be awkward due to how different the languages are. This is especially true for wuxia novels, as in the original Chinese they use poetic and elegant terms for fighting moves and names that do not translate in a smooth way. However I do think that this book, the first in a series of eight print versions of a web novel, does not suffer from the same translation issues that a lot of wuxia novels do. This is because the translators didn't even try to translate the names. It's amazing how natural the book feels to read as a result of this decision. Sometimes less is more when it comes to translation and this book shows that.
Good translation aside, this book is a damn good time! It tells the story of Xianle, a former prince who becomes a god before being kicked out from heaven, then repeating this process before finally sticking as a god on his third ascension. The book mostly focuses on his adventures after ascending for the third time and I think that's a smart decision. We don't need to linger on Xianle's past too much. During his adventures he encounters a number of fun situations and meets some very interesting figures. One thing that I like about the book is how everything ties together. Minute details mentioned in one chapter often become very relevant a few chapters later. This attribute rewards those who read carefully while also allowing for fun surprises for those who don't. While the twist of ‘this character was actually this one in disguise' does wear out a bit by the end I still had a really fun time reading it and I look forward to reading more of the story in future installments.

Loved it! I need to read more Asian fiction written by Asian authors. Cannot wait to start the second book.

The mystery, the horror, the friendship. Love it! But the politics and personalities of the heavenly realm are so trashy, it's frustrating. Everyone is so arrogant and selfish :(
(Just like in MDZS)