• Published: 12 Sept 2023 (originally: 2017)
• Pages: 404
• Genre(s): Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQIA+ Romance
• Series: Heaven Official’s Blessing #7

Alone with the enemy and with the Kiln re-opened, Xie Lian must face off against White No-Face at his full power. The centuries have not weakened his obsession with Xie Lian and his true objective remains to be seen. Alongside his most devoted follower, Hua Cheng, Xie Lian must confront him once and for all as he unmasks the ‘White-Clothed Calamity’.

In my last Heaven Official’s Blessing review, I said that it had been a while since I had read this series. I feel like the process of writing a review for Vol.4 rekindled my love for this story and made me realise why I initially became obsessed with it (thank you to my weak immune system for making me sick so I could stay off work and binge the animated series all those years ago). One of the things I love most about this series is how each volume begins and ends in the epicentre of drama and chaos. There is no room to take a breath in this story as there is always, and I mean ALWAYS, something happening – a positive if you’re like me and get bored very easily. This volume in particular included everything that makes this story so enticing and I cannot wait to see how the concluding novel plays out.

Fiery giants, Statues of devotion, Spiritual power, and more…

• This volume had me holding my breath the entire time – the revelation of Jun Wu and ‘White No-Face’ being one and the same still left me shocked despite having already guessed it could be true. This story always tends to leave the reader reeling with the backstory of how characters end up as villains/ betraying those closest to them – Mo Xiang Tong Xiu has a talent in making the reader understand the character’s reasoning, even when they don’t agree with their actions.
• Each volume has allowed for Hualian to get closer to one another and develop their bond and love even more. With Hua Cheng’s feelings for Xie Lian revealed and reciprocated in Vol. 6, this book showed how much stronger they are because of it and everything else they’ve been through. This book had so many sweet moments of them showing how much they love and understand each other – even allowing for intimacy without the excuse of ‘sharing spiritual power’.
• I love how Hua Cheng progressively starts treating Mei Nianqing more and more like an in-law throughout this volume – it’s quite funny but also heart-felt when you realise he is the only parental figure that Xie Lian still has in his life, that hasn’t either died or betrayed him.
• I, as usual, live for the humorous moments among the many emotional scenes – the other characters reaction to Hualian’s intimacy and relationship, as well as the reaction to the gigantic statue of Xie Lian (if your man doesn’t carve a 13 foot statue of your likeness then is he really your man?).
• I have to say that while I hate Jun Wu for all he’s done, I am quite impressed with how he is constantly thinking ten steps ahead – the heavenly capital reconfiguring itself into a fiery giant capable of fighting (like seriously?)
• The latter half of this series has really allowed for me to understand both Xie Lian and Hua Cheng more as individual characters which is something I have absolutely loved (side note: the flashback in Vol.6 broke me but was also necessary I fear). Hua Cheng’s sassiness is also quite possibly the greatest thing to happen to me and Xie Lian just ignoring it is everything.

Final thoughts:

Overall, I gave this book a 5 out of 5 stars. This volume made me cry, laugh, and want to throw the book at the wall; anything that can elicit that reaction from me deserves a five star rating. I adored this book for so many reasons – most of them mentioned above. The progression of this series is so exciting and each volume adds so much more to the story – both overarching and the romantic plot. I love how Mo Xiang Tong Xiu ties everything together and brings back characters that we’ve seen only a handful of times and shows how crucial they are to the plot (I love you Yin Yu – if you know you know). The love story of the century, aka Hualian, has taken over my very being and they are now as crucial to me as the air that I breathe (sorry not sorry). I love Heaven Official’s Blessing and I don’t know how I will let it go once I’ve finished the final volume. Once again, I highly recommend this story as it really is a masterpiece of drama, romance, friendship, and so much more.

Song(s): The Only Heaven You’ll Know by Caskets and Dying To Love by Bad Omens