Xiao Po's Survival Journal: Irises in the Ashes

Absolutely divine! The author's depiction of despair is breathtaking, evoking the same awe I felt when reading *One Hundred Years of Solitude*. While the author's understanding of despair is profound, neither Meng Qi nor Xiao Po is confined to despair. What's even more moving is the beauty revealed within the darkness.

The writing style lacks power. My most direct reading experience was the difficulty in imagining the scenes. For example, the depiction of despair only conveyed Xiao Po's hardship; I couldn't empathize with her in that situation. The characters of soldiers A123 were portrayed too flatly, like mere tools. To me, they were clearly victims and perpetrators whose humanity had been distorted by war.

Hey Liu Ming, I came from the last book, keep it up, author! The beginning is really interesting! This style of writing reminds me of "The Girl's Last Trip." I saw all of Xiao Po's efforts to survive, and I believe this book will definitely be a hit!!!

Well written, it does a good job of providing rich details about the battlefield. It could be upgraded to a narrative of large-scale warfare, covering war preparation, mobilization, logistics, large-scale corps-level engagements, multiple rounds of negotiations, and post-war reckoning. However, in my opinion, there's too much sentimentality in the action sequences. War doesn't need so much sentimentality; a few concise sentences at crucial moments are sufficient.

Honestly, the first time I saw this novel, it reminded me of *Endless Girl's Travel*, but they're not the same. One is more like a lighthearted slice-of-life anime, while this book, as the title suggests, is a "hardcore, realistic post-apocalyptic survival story," filled with death, growth, and... Crisis. I don't know how to express it, but the author's writing style gave me a... Light novel vibe?

The author has a clear understanding of war. The current plot seems to draw some inspiration from the Israeli-Palestinian situation, but because it's set in an alternate 21xx, there are some interesting details, such as family breakdown. The government of the protagonist's country is also relatively fictional; soldiers use Cold War-era rifles, but the academy implants high-tech chips in students…

I think this kind of book is great, but it's unlikely to become popular on a site like Tomato (a popular Chinese online literature platform). 😢 Actually, I think not many people enjoy this kind of plot anymore, even post-apocalyptic novels are all about summoning systems and stuff. 😮‍💨

I was drawn in by the title and synopsis. I've read about chapter 30 so far, and the novel is generally well-written. The setting and the female lead are exactly my type. I've added it to my bookshelf and starred it. I hope more people will read this book in the future. Five stars to support the author to keep updating! Keep it up!

Humanity has abandoned the concept of family, and newborns born through in-vitro fertilization lack parental love and the concept of romance; even their lives are predetermined. Constant warfare creates a distorted society. Hopefully, in the later part of the story, Perle will find her own happiness.

It's very well-written. As a non-military enthusiast, I felt the fragility of humanity and the female protagonist's humanity. Hmm, I can only say she's very lucky. But novels need polishing, otherwise what's the point of reading them? 😏 The question is, why is nobody reading this? [What?]