Heavenly Shae

Book 1: Heavenly Shae: Old Monster
A teenage girl with a secret or two is stuck on a mountain with a powerful cultivator, an Old Monster. He suspects she is holding back information which could help him break through to immortality. She is fed up with him.

Book 2: Heavenly Shae: Manifold Journey
Travel with Shae as she journeys to join the sect. A slower paced travel-log that ballooned out to be longer than intended. Has a lot of shorter story arcs that show off a lot of the world and still has some early progression for our heroine!

Book 3: Heavenly Shae: Librarian in the Mirror
Shae has reached the sect and prepares for her first year as a student and cultivator. What hijinks await!? 

This is a xianxia / cultivation novel written by a fan of the genre and Canadian. This is a fun and casual* approach to this mythic formula (*less grim & serious) with lots of slice of life, some cozy scenes, and a cast that doesn't take themselves too seriously.

This is a more relaxed interpretation of a cultivation world, so expect differences to crop up. It's a great ride for fans of the genre, and especially fans of more casual & comedic takes on it.

Update schedule: about once a week.

What to Expect(some spoilers here): 
-Slice of life tag: Conflict arcs are shorter and develop rather quickly. The story mainly progresses through slice of life and character driven arcs as Shae steps along her cultivation path.
-Comedy tag: Very light on straight up jokes with minimal forced humor. Mainly aims for humor to develop during natural dialogue. (Review complaining about it was during the second book. *shrug* Can't please them all.)
-Reincarnation tag: could be called an isekai, however the story skips most of the normal truck-kun tropes and starts far into Shae's life where the plot & cultivation journey is.
-Fewer physical fights, more interpersonal & dialogue conflict. (There are fights later, spaced out a lot.)
-Occasional, in depth examinations of cultivation as Shae explores her new abilities. Sometimes with big & showy displays of power. However, her reflection is usually internal as she meditates and contemplates.
-Many unknowns about cultivation details that Shae is slowly exploring. Some of it is intended to be understood by readers familiar with the genre.
-Lots of subtext and implied storytelling. Speed-reading or low retention may cause you problems. Sorry, not sorry. Don't skim, read!
-Varied tone and themes. It's a very character driven story, soooo... stuff happens!
-Flawed characters that make mistakes (including the MC).

What not to expect:
-Hyper-tragic backstory, murder-hobos, violence as spectacle, litrpg or system elements.
-Full, in-story explanations for everything that happens. The mystery is part of the fun!
-Cat pictures. *sad Shae face*

Winner of the April 2024 Writathon! (crushed it!)
Winner of the November 2024 Writathon! (ezpz)