This review contains spoilers.
I know I’m only two volumes into Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang, so this may be extremely premature to say right now, but volume two is already my favorite so far. With a four-year time skip, the story picks up and immediately feels like a train with no breaks. The political situation is DIRE and getting worse by the minute. The Emperor’s paranoia has had distressing consequences, the secret violet gold smuggling has been discovered, and Western forces have infiltrated the country and somehow, have been pulling strings behind the scenes.
In the backdrop of all this drama, we have our dear Chang Geng, who is all grown up and Gu Yun, who may be close to losing his mind. (Or is that just me??) A drunken kiss begins to unravel all that Chang Geng has been working so hard to contain and I’ve come undone at the deliciousness of it all.
The War is War-ing
I’ll get to Chang Geng and Gu Yun in a moment, but let’s get this out of the way. This volume starts at the Southern Bandit Arc and immediately, I’m uneasy. We start the book with this “who set who” up type of plot, and the story does not let you rest! This bandit thing feels so grave in the moment, only for the real danger to show up at the end. At no point in my reading did I ever feel like I could truly relax. Every page turn uncovered a new threat and my heart was unsettled entirely.
When we get to the “Nation In Crisis” arc, I was already bracing myself. At this point the country has essentially been made fools by unknown players and the Westerner’s have come to collect. Having read other priest’s stories, I know she can get gruesome with the details (I’m looking at you Silent Reading: Mo Du 2), but I was unprepared for how devastating her war depictions would be. There is no detail spared regarding how much the Westerner’s have decimated the country.
It has been a long time since I’ve read something that felt so dire. Each battle depiction chipped away at my heart. My heart especially broke when the Westerners reached Dagu Harbor. The Navy knew they couldn’t beat the massive sea beasts but they still gave it all they had. They had zero chance of survival but their efforts wounded the Westerners in a way that would later give the Black Iron Battalion an advantage. Ugh, I was distraught!!
Despite this, we know the situation will get worse before it gets better. My heart was racing getting through the final chapters. What I love so far about Stars of Chaos is that yes, initially, I’m in it for the romance! I’m a lover girl, GIVE ME THE LOVE! But the story transforms me into a lover of chaos. I live for the intrigue, for the corruption, for the war. Suddenly, I understand military customs and the way imperial courts work. Huh, who knew??
Chang Geng is All Grown Up
“He had once thought that separation was like water, and with a splash of it, affections sketched in shades of cinnabar, saffron, viridian, or ochre could all be washed clean. But now he found that his feelings for Gu Yun weren’t painted but carved; after all his washing, he had only etched these traces deeper.”
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 2
If there is one thing priest’s makes clear at the beginning of the Southern Bandits arc is that the boy we knew as Chang Geng is long gone. In his place is a stoic and confident young man. In the four years that have passed, Chang Geng has traveled, has learned, and has grown. He trained under different masters and is now a skilled archer, strategist, and medicine man. The one thing he hasn’t become is someone who is over Gu Yun. But, that looks so different in this volume as a grown man versus how it looked in his teens.
It was incredible to see this newly minted version of Chang Geng. I’m so proud of his growth and smarts. He is calm and collected, with a confidence to speak his mind in ways he hasn’t before. At the same time, we see how quickly Gu Yun can wash over this coolness and make Chang Geng fret. This is tested right away when Gu Yun gets drunk and kisses him.
The Tides Start Changing
I absolutely lost my mind at the kiss! I was not expecting this development, in the least!!! But this kiss is the small snowball that starts an avalanche. Both Chang Geng and Gu Yun can’t get over this, both embarrassed by what transpired. But that leads to Gu Yun finally opening his eyes and realizing how in love with him Chang Geng is. And once he confronts Chang Geng about those feelings, there is no turning back.
In this book, we see how the realizing Chang Geng’s feelings for him breaks Gu Yun’s brain, to say the least. He is freaking out over the fact that Chang Geng is in love with him and starts to unpack what it is he feels for Chang Geng. At the same time, he tries to reason with Chang Geng. Gu Yun tells him that he’s confused. Hey, he’s been there before! The Marshall that he is, Gu Yun is trying to grasp the narrative and change it to one that has the best outcome for all parties involved.
Yet, for all his struggles, Chang Geng’s feelings are unshakeable. I’m sorry Gu Yun, you can’t try to talk away the feelings of a person who left for four years to get over you and wasn’t successful! You can’t out do the doer!! When Gu Yun told Chang Geng that he didn’t want him to leave, that gave Chang Geng explicit permission to keep going. This is all your doing Gu Yun.
“I want it—at all hours of the day, even in my dreams. And I especially want it now… I also want other things. I’m afraid I’ll sully Yifu’s ears if I say them aloud, so I won’t.”
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 2
Gu Yun’s Struggles
Gu Yun is struggling because he has seen him as a “son” figure but also acknowledges that he hasn’t always been there. He’s seeing Chang Geng through different eyes and it is in the quiet moments of uncertainties, the moments where he doesn’t want Chang Geng to go away, he doesn’t want to hurt Chang Geng, that the truth starts slipping out.
Gu Yun’s suffering of these “taboo” feelings is my joy. Every single moment he was conflicted brought me great pleasure. How I loved to see the unflappable Gu Yun be flapped! This volume was an incredible reminder of how satisfying the taboo can be. The kiss was incredible but it doesn’t even compare to the delight of seeing how bold Chang Geng has become for love. It doesn’t hold a candle to the back and forth dance Gu Yun and Chang Geng do all volume, coming to terms with love and desire.
“How could I have experienced a qi deviation if I weren’t deeply and irrevocably entrenched in these feelings?”
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 2
There’s so much more I could say about what I loved, but at that point, I’d just be going chapter by chapter, line by line. I love everything about this story. I’ve already started volume 3 and that has been a doozy. I’ll update y’all on that soon-ish!
Where to Buy Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Vol. 2
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Volume 2
Written by priest
Translation: Lily, Louise
Copy Editor: Jehanne Bell
Proofreader: Stephanie Cohen, Hnä
Editor: Kelly Quinn Chiu
Illustrations: 罐 一 一 (eleven small jars)
Publisher: Seven Seas Entertainment
Stars of Chaos: Sha Po Lang Volume 2 is available now.
