The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish by Xue Shan Fei Hu
Originally recommended to me by a librarian at Dandenong Library, The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish immediately piqued my interest. Surprisingly, this book has been read by a large number of staff and is affectionately referred to as “The Fish Book.” Entertaining, full of personality, packed with fish puns, and written in flowing prose, this book may not be high literature, but it is undeniably fun.
So, what can you expect from “The Fish Book”? It tells the story of a young man who stays up late reading a novel set in ancient China about a mute prince destined to become a tyrant. When he wakes up, he finds himself inside the story as a fish.
For those familiar with the transmigration genre, this novel follows several familiar tropes, including a game-like system where the protagonist must complete tasks to earn rewards. One of his early rewards is the ability to transform back into a human for one hour each day. During one of these transformations, the prince falls in love at first sight with the mysterious stranger, our protagonist, who is awkwardly navigating the ancient world. As the story progresses, the main character uses his knowledge of the original plot to help the prince, gradually altering the course of events and encouraging the prince to become a better person rather than the tyrant he was fated to be.
While the central narrative focuses on the romance between the young man and the prince, there’s also an intriguing subplot involving the prince and his brothers vying for the throne. Each brother is scheming to be named crown prince by their father, the emperor.
The book does a great job of explaining terms from dynastic China, and the English translation includes helpful notes for readers interested in understanding the original Chinese context.
If you give this book a try and it ends up in your DNF (Did Not Finish) pile, I completely understand. But if you are anything like me, it might just become your favourite and most delightfully ridiculous, read of the year.
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