This week for Translation Necessary Thursday I’m covering the first set of chapters in a series I have yet to cover. It’s Battle Through the Heavens Chapters 1-40 by Heavenly Silkworm Potato!

Plot Synopsis: In a land where no magic is present. A land where the strong make the rules and weak have to obey. A land filled with alluring treasures and beauty, yet also filled with unforeseen danger.  Three years ago, Xiao Yan, who had shown talents none had seen in decades, suddenly lost everything.  His powers, his reputation, and his promise to his mother. What sorcery has caused him to lose all of his powers? And why has his fiancee suddenly shown up 3 since he lost it all?

Plot: The plot of this first set of chapters is pretty good, but slow. This is definitely a foundation building set of chapters.  That’s not a bad thing, since the entire series is 1648 chapters long and is complete, and although not completely translated yet we’ve reached the 700’s in English. It also shares the same universe as two other series by the author, Wu Dong Qian Kun and The Great Ruler. The Great Ruler in particular actually is a sequel to both, with characters from both Battle Through the Heavens and Wu Dong Qian Kun showing up in it for cameos.

Characters: Xiao Yan is probably one of my favorite main characters, for his snark, ruthlessness, and calm demeanor. He’s an excellent main character, and while not as roguish as other main characters I’ve covered before he is pretty good.  The rest of the cast is also great, although I think I enjoy Xun Er the most as a side character.

Overall: This is a great series, and is just a little under half translated, so you’ll have plenty of chapters to read.

For those who like: Xuanhuan, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Cultivation, Alchemy, Excellent Plot, Fantastic Set of Characters.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.