Joy of Life Web Novel Info:
Synopsis:
That lonesome night as he lays dying in the hospital, fearing of death and desiring the taste of life, his mind became unprecedentedly complex with mixed emotions.
Myasthenia gravis — an incurable disease where one’s muscle slowly degenerated until the day when one can no longer move and only tears may flow.
“Is this… dying?”
When he opened his eyes again, he had crossed over into the body of a two months old infant, right in the middle of an assassination attempt.
He was born as the illegitimate son of a noble. His name was Fan Xian; and with that name came the burden of deep political secrets and the legacy of his mother.
He understood; to survive, he needed unparalleled strength, money and political power.
To a new world with the luxury of a new life, so named; Celebrating the Remaining Life.
[/expand]
Genre: Drama Harem Historical Mature Romance Wuxia
Author: Mao Ni
Status: 746 Chapters (Completed)
Official Link: Webnovel
Review
Joy of Life is truly a high-quality novel out there. Whether it’s the quality of writing and translation, plot, world development, and character development, all are wonderfully done. Everything is just top-notch in this novel.
The story follows the life of a young man Fan Xian, who was given a second chance to be reborn into a new world with the memory of his previous life. His previous life was mostly spent in the hospital because of a disease. Now that he has been reborn, he wants to live to the fullest, experiencing the joy of the new life.
Now, Let’s get deep into the Novel.
World
The world setting is done in the medieval era with Wuxia [is a fictional story about mortal humans achieving supernatural ability through martial training or internal energy cultivation.]
The world is easy to understand geographically. There are war and peace simultaneously going on between the countries.
The King is absolute in the country.
Power System:
There’s not much to say about Power System. Power is achieved through hard work and practicing different skills. There exist people who practice martial arts. There are different levels one can reach in martial arts. Those martial artists are given high positions and power as well as missions to assassinate, infiltrate, spy, etc.
In the world of Joy of Life, Those who have achieved the highest level of martial arts are called Grandmasters. Grandmasters are capable of shattering hills with one finger at the same time they can be counted in one hand. They are revered and feared in the world.
There are good fights in the novel. The fights are very detailed, so I could imagine the scenes happening right before my eyes..
Characters:
I found most of the characters in this novel realistic with their own goals, values, and interests. Whether it’s the servant cleaning the room, the gardener watering the plants, or soldiers on the battlefield, they all seem to have a life and serve a purpose towards the plot.
The main character of this novel, Fan Xian, goes to the capital to get some answers but instead gets questions upon questions. He is intelligent, calm, and scheming. When he finds himself facing the mountain, he always finds a way to climb it. We can feel his happiness, sadness, and dilemma.
There are other important characters even more intelligent and cunning than Fan Xian. Compared with them, Fan Xian’s schemes seem like a child’s play. It’s really interesting to see how Fan Xian overcomes various schemes and traps.
You can never be sure if the character is good or bad. You can’t blame anyone for stabbing in the back or causing someone’s death. They all have justified reasons for betrayal or any other evil actions.
Romance in this novel is fine. The main character creates a small harem. But, unlike in other novels, his women are not just for decorations.
Politics:
Minor Spoilers
I enjoyed the political aspect more than anything in this novel. The Joy of life shows a complicated, complex, and cruel side of Politics. The Emperor is absolute in the country, above any law. All others are pawns in his eyes. They only exist to serve his purpose and then later are discarded. Everybody knows the cruel truth yet is powerless to do anything, be it the terrifying Grandmasters.
Many tried to change inequality. For the change, many schemes upon schemes were made, yet they all tried to be proven inefficient in front of the greater power.
No matter how powerful Grandmasters are, they are helpless to do anything. I love how the country and political control are able to restrain them and their terrifying power.
Conclusion:
Joy of life is full of political intrigue, schemes, twists, turns, comedy, friendship, love, betrayal, jealousy, backstabbing, and revenge. There’s a never dull moment in the story. The story is slow-paced but exciting. Bit by bit, as the story moves forward, smaller pieces together will form big arcs.
Nothing is predictable in this novel. You won’t be able to hate any characters because every character is right in their place. They have their beliefs. That’s why they feel very realistic to the readers. In every moment of the story reading, if you think it’s the limit, and now nothing more can happen, Author Mao Ni will always be there to strike you with the twists.
In Short, You will find:
- High-quality writing and translation
- Great World and Character building
- Intelligent, Clever, and Cunning characters
- Detailed fight scenes
- Sweet Romance and a good humor
- Complex Politics
- Amazing mysteries, schemes, and twists
This novel also has a drama adaptation.