Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

The Poppy War (Perang Opium) by R.F. Kuang

407 reviews

heartfelthullabaloo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Part 1 was 5/5 stars. I absolutely loved the beginning! Her struggle from peasant to student was right up my alley. I remember thinking “this book is so good!” It reminded me of The Will of the Many while they were on the island. Anyways, it was creative and distracting in a time when I needed that. However, part 2 totally dropped the ball! Super disappointing and I don’t see myself continuing the series because at this point I don’t even care about what’s going on. Such a bummer!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism

There is really just one chapter that is super super graphic. Skip the part after Ryn learns about the hexagon lines or whatever they’re called if you don’t want details of the horrors inflicted on the people of that town. I wish I would have.

alhead32's review against another edition

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

4.5

I think this would be 5 stars for me if there was an acknowledgement in book on what historical events it was based on. In the same way attack on titan could be one of my favorite series ever if not for the same fact. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infertility, Rape, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Blood, and Colonisation

readybee's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Grief, and Abandonment

scholastic_squid's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

The Poppy Wars - the beginning of the story started out strong with Rin handling business as usual for her foster family when her foster mother breaks the news about her pending engagement. In a panic stricken state, Rin utilizes her connection with her tutor to take the “test” - the test that will determine her fate on whether she married a man twice her age or attends one of the military schools. Getting into the school would secure her future as a soldier not forced into marriage and birth offspring and die. She’d rather die fighting for her country. 

The beginning really took me in and I was loving it and the world building. The characters throughout the book as a whole are all memorable with unique personalities however, I began struggling with the story once the school lessons were fairly repetitive. Which fine.. I understand.. but, then when the war breaks out the book took a deep dive into darkness (again ok it’s about war and Chinese history told as fantasy) but damn.. the sudden change of tone to describe what I’m assuming was Nan King’s experience after being written almost like a YA book to incredibly descriptive language about that atrocity? Eek. This book is definitely not YA, but I would say that much of it is written in that style. I think what brought my rating down was the last 1/4th it was just a whine fest to me and didn’t really leave it as a nail biting cliff hanger so like I’m not jazzed about picking up the second book? Also, I would have loved a bibliography of sorts about all the sources she used to help tell her tale.. similar to how The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi ended. The author loaded up a chapter telling the reader many of her reference books. Also, I really feel like this book needed a trigger warning page? If I missed it that’s on me I guess but yikes haha there’s a lot that happens.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

averyadventurous's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

There’s been talk in a lot of bookish spaces about fantasy as a genre having an empire problem. R.F. Kuang completely subverts that trope. Empires are bad. Power of any type is bad. She pulls no stops with this book. It’s brutal. It’s disgusting. It’ll make you question your life choices and reconsider everything you think you know about world history. I need the rest of the series immediately.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

danisaur's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This is my second time through and I still absolutely love this book. There is so much that challenges my worldview while also shaping the same worldview. I agree with some aspects and disagree with others. There are times that I forget just how young the characters are, but it makes it that much more impactful. The book has a lot of challenging scenes. It is based on Chinese history and some parts of it make me question my own Japanese heritage. It feels so far removed from myself and yet so obviously tears at the fabric of the societies that it affected. I am glad books like this exist and I’m looking forward to the next in the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

fantasynarwhal's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

misszoehatter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

chiaraculpo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

la parte iniziale è quella che mi è piaciuta di più, mentre era l'accademia. non mi aspettavo he la parte della guerra fosse così lunga sinceramente e mi sono annoiata in molti punti. le parti in cui descrivevano gli dei non mi hanno fatto impazzire e molte volte non capivo. è un libro molto duro e non so se continuerò la trilogia: in questo momento non andrò avanti ma non escludo che potrei farlo in futuro.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Vomit

a_novi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

‼️READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING.‼️ This is a truly devastating and descriptive depiction or war, war crimes, and genocide. Much inspired by real life events while still adding some mythology and fantasy elements. I’m eager to read the rest of the trilogy to see where we go with this character. Right now the reader may justify her actions but will she find justice or go to far? This is the ethical dilemma at the end of this book leading into the sequels. AGAIN. READ THE TRIGGER WARNING BEFORE YOU PICK UP THIS BOOK. IT IS DARK. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail