Three Lives Three Worlds, the Pillow Book II

3.5 stars. This is actually much better than the long-winded, tedious, love-triangle bogged Pillow Book I. Though a reader will probably come away from this wondering, “Can't we just communicate?” Half the problems here would've been avoided if our main couple explained things to each other. But hey, that's half the fun of romance novels, I suppose!

Tang Qi still has the annoying habit of info dumping, so we have characters spouting exposition at the most convenient places. Also, finally Feng Jiu has a backbone, and does something which throws a spanner in the works, but it was actually a relief after multiple chapters of her just whining and pining after Dong Hua. A HEA ending which leaves me dying to know more about their life together after that. How cruel of TQ to leave us like that.

I'm actually looking forward to the third book, which is reportedly about Liansong and Cheng Yu, one of my favourite characters in the series. It'll probably take FOREVER to come out, especially after the plagiarism scandal that implicated The Sky Kingdom book.

PS: I read an English, fan-translated version of the novel.