Guess who read the fan translation at the exact right time! Hell yeah!!!! 

Haha, okay, more seriously, I read Thousand Autumns because I missed reading wuxia. I watched the donghua (cartoon) last year, and quite enjoyed it, so I decided to give the novel a go. Glad I did! Though they have yet to officially announce it, fans founds out that Seven Seas Entertainment bought the English translation rights to Meng Xi Shi’s classic. The fan translations will likely be taken down soon, if they’re not already.

 In 575 CE, three countries war for dominance in the land that will one day become the Middle Kingdom. As their rulers play the game of thrones, so do the members of the marital arts world. Men and women across nations compete for spots on the Top 10 Martial Artist listings. While a tournament is held every decade or so to determine the official ranking, martial artists can duel one another to jockey for position in the meanwhile. One of the top martial sects is the Mount Xuandu, which practices Daoism and maintains isolationist policies. When a well-known member of the Tujue Tribe challenges their sect leader, they answer the call. Said Sect Leader, Shen Qiao, is promptly betrayed, yeeted off a cliff, and carried off by a mysterious martial artist with huge badonkadonks.

Granted, Shen Qiao is blind and has amnesia at this point, but rest assured the badonkadonks are there. I ended my summary paragraph with some humor, because Thousand Autumns be like that. The owner of the fattest tiddies in the land is Yan Wushi, who is a demonic martial artist. He spends most of the novel shoving his huge tits in Shen Qiao’s blind face and asking if A-Qiao would like to go feral yet. To Yan Wushi’s bewilderment, Shen Qiao continues to insist on being nice. Yan Wushi hurts himself in his confusion. Eventually there are kisses, I promise.

The above character relationship dynamic is not an exaggeration, and definitely what initially attracted me to Thousand Autumns. After the first chunk of chapters, however, I had to adjust my mindset. Meng Xi Shi is far more interested in the historical setting and politics. Thousand Autumns isn’t romance with a capital R—this novel is like historical fiction with a love story plot. As an American who has never studied Chinese history, reading all the political machinations was another kind of fun. My brain contained no spoilers! 

As I read, I had two quibbles. One, Meng Xi Shi has a tendency to repeat background information multiple times. Like, well past the point where the info is needed. It felt like word count padding and quite annoying. Two, there’s a criminal lack of female characters. Bai Rong and her journey are a treasure—I appreciated the fleshing out of the “seductive, coquettish female cultivator who wears red” trope. But I would like more. Then again, danmei seems to have very few women as a rule. I did fist-pump the air when Shen Qiao acknowledges that female cultivators face sexism. That felt amazing to read. 

Shen Qiao is star of the show. When my family asked for a quick update on what I was reading, I told them Thousand Autumns is a Chinese historical fiction about the triumph of love and kindness. To me, Shen Qiao embodied that. All the characters, all the kingdoms, experience highs and lows. The karmic cycle proves true, and Shen Qiao rides the waves like no other. I can’t stress enough how much Shen Qiao gets obliterated, how he’s constantly tested and tempted to be selfish and lash out. Instead, he practices empathy, compassion, and charity. It may take tens of chapters, but his good generates good back on himself. In lesser hands, Shen Qiao would descend into a saccharine Pollyanna, but Meng Xi Shi fills his inner and outer world with a vivid interiority. Shen Qiao’s character is not easy or one-dimensional.

While I think the karmic triumph of love is the main theme, other storytelling elements had me curling my toes in happiness. Yan Wushi is the EvilTM type of villain, and I appreciated the surrounding subtextual discussion of righteousness—what is it? What matters more: intentions or actions? Are all actions neutral and the consequences determine if the past act was righteous? Shen Qiao is disabled, and we love a disabled protagonist in this house. We also love an older protagonist, and Meng Xi Shi frequently comments on Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao’s DILF-ness. Though Dumb Husky and his White Cat Shizun has a more complete critique of Daoism, Thousand Autumns pulls its weight. Seeking ascension is most often the privilege of the rich, who don’t have to work for food every day. Selfishly seeking enlightenment is not the answer—it is far better to go out, experience the world, and help who you can. Seeking prestige is boring and useless, as the next generation will always surpass the old. These were all great themes to dig into, and Thousand Autumns used its hefty page count well.

While it was different from what I expected, Thousand Autumns is a fantastic read. I’d especially recommend it to anyone looking for a historical fiction about early medieval China with a gay romance B Plot. If you’re looking for exclusively danmei, I recommend watching the donghua. The cartoon streamlines the politics and focuses more on Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao’s relationship—plus gives a great visual for those badonkadonks.