Reviews with content warning for Confinement - The Poppy War

I was assigned this for school. The poppy war is a bloody, scorching coming of age story of an angry orphan who finds power within herself. Rin is such an interesting and complex character. Based on historical tribulations of China. Check trigger warnings. Kitay, Nezha, Altan, Jiang and Rin are such deep and beautiful characters. I will be continuing this series.

“I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible. Was she now a goddess or a monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”

“I don't love you. And I can kill anything.”

Well, fuck the heavenly order of things. If getting married to a gross old man was her preordained role on this earth, then Rin was determined to rewrite it.

“Nothing is written," said the Phoenix. "You humans always think you're destinied for greatness. Destiny is a myth. Destiny is the only myth. The gods choose nothing. You chose. You chose to take the exam. You chose to come to Sinegard. You chose to pledge Lore, you chose to study the paths of the gods, and you chose to follow your commander's demands over your master's warnings. At every critical juncture you were given an option; you were given a way out. Yet you picked precisely the roads that led you here. You are at this temple, kneeling before me, only because you wanted to be.”

“Jiang was wrong. She was not dabbling in forces she could not control, for the gods were not dangerous. The gods had no power at all, except what she gave them. The gods could affect the universe only through humans like her. Her destiny had not been written in the stars, or in the registers of the Pantheon. She had made her choices fully and autonomously. And though she called upon the gods to aid her in battle, they were her tools from beginning to end. She was no victim of destiny. She was the last Speerly, commander of the Cike, and a shaman who called the gods to do her bidding. And she would call the gods to do such terrible things.”

“I don't need your pity. I need you to kill them for me. You have to kill them for me," Venka hissed. "Swear it. Swear on your blood that you will burn them.”

Content Warnings

uphorikbooks's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

A great read, occasional pandering but an impressive debut.

Content Warnings

exeidur's review against another edition

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4.25

A solid first part of a trilogy. I absolutely loved the start and was drawn in quickly. Rin is a very strong character, and different from a lot of fantasy protagonists - she goes further in her rage and vengeance, she will do anything to achieve her goals, but she is also massively insecure and desperately seeks validation from her teachers. It is interesting to see how war both enhances and changes her characteristics.

Great cast of characters - though there were a bit many to remember at some point -, a solid writing style, and a well-structured plot with some twists and turns that do ultimately make a lot of sense. 8,5/10

I could've done with a little less horrifying descriptions of dead babies near the end, but you can't say Kuang is pulling any punches. And since its sadly based on reality, I can't really complain.

Content Warnings