Reviews

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

itsmeimkaty's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

nonikatoth's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

corvis's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

tinyplanet's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Blood, Misogyny, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, War, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Rape, Suicide, Infertility, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Classism, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Excrement, Ableism, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Classism, Death, Addiction, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Xenophobia, Torture, Medical content, Drug use, Confinement, and Racism

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, Colonisation, Animal death, Grief, Slavery, Child death, and Sexual violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Self harm, Alcohol, Infertility, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Excrement

midsommor's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

LISTENNNNNN this is everything

croyalbird13's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

3.75

tencutepuppies's review against another edition

5.0

(5) Oh my god. Oh my god. I don’t even know what to say. Just that this story is so beautiful and brutal and horrifying and interesting all at the same time. Someone said this book is like if Azula from Avatar the Last Airbender was high on opium and allowed to commit war crimes. Of course, I was instantly hooked.

I recently took a history class about East Asia in the period of history this book is inspired by, and man am I glad I did. My prior knowledge not only added to the experience of reading, but also doubled the horror I experienced seeing the details of the Federation’s casual cruelties against Nikaran civilians, because I knew all those things happened to real people during the Sino-Japanese Wars. It’s so terrible that those atrocities don’t really get talked about. They’re so disgusting it’s hard to even bring up.

Rin is everything I want in a character. I love it when they’re messy and cruel and vengeful. I could actually feel her embarrassment, her rage, her need to be something other than a child bride or an average merchant like her abusive foster parents. From page one, we see how insanely ambitious and driven she is, even to her own detriment. And from page one, you just know that is going to be her ruin.

Altan, man. I wasn’t expecting to feel much for him, especially after he was such an asshat to Rin as her commander. But learning about his past and what had been done to him actually made my heart sink. It’s not often that a story/character is made with so much weight that I can actually feel it and be genuinely devastated for them.

The other thing I love about this book—aside from the other billion things—is the way it constantly crosses the line. Like, you always think ‘okay, this is bad, but it can’t possibly get worse, right?’ And then it does. It gets so much worse than you’re anticipating, and in ways you don’t expect. I like to be surprised like that. It makes every action of Rin’s more exciting because if she’ll do *that*, is there anything she’s not willing to do?

Everything about this book is perfect. I’m both terrified and anticipating the next two, which I fear will hurt me even worse. I can’t wait.

dealeemon's review against another edition

5.0

4.5

clareehebert's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75