Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

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

529 reviews

sleepycaboose's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Torture, War, and Violence

sarahl13's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Sexual violence, Gore, Sexual assault, Genocide, Rape, War, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

mementomoriiv's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Gore, Genocide, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement and Animal death

kh02's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Everyone has raved about this book but to me it fell kind of flat. I would rate it 3 stars for the first half and 4 for the back half. There’s a specific chapter or 2 that is extremely tough toward the end, so be cautious. I sobbed listening to those chapters. The Poppy War can get VERY heavy.

They are based on the real horrors that occurred at Nanking and contain graphics of rape, baby killing, genocide, bodies floating in the rivers, etc.

I did enjoy it! It’s one I would recommend to people, but I did not love it. Wren (sp?) the main female character is very whiny, full of herself, & can get annoying. Really hoping she progresses throughout the trilogy!

Alton’s (sp?) ending is beautifully tragic and I hope his sacrifice makes a difference! Already Wren is struggling with it in book 2.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, War, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Grief, Bullying, Child death, Colonisation, Abortion, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Sexual assault

laraamaee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Wow. Ok. This was the most violent book I have ever read. I’m on a mission to read all of Kuang’s work now, and I wasn’t prepared because I thought this was fantasy. Oh no…the atrocities in this book have really happened before (Second Sino-Japanese War, Rape of Nanjing). I got nightmares when I read this before bed…

But the story is intensely gripping and Kuang’s writing is incredible as ever, even if the book’s pace speeds up Very quickly after Rin’s training. Each time I thought, No, the situation can’t get any worse… it did … and there’s 2 more books?!? How am I going to cope…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Sexual violence, Body horror, Torture, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Genocide, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Animal cruelty, War, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Violence, Rape, Child abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Suicide, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bookhoe1's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Mental illness, Gore, Body horror, War, Rape, Physical abuse, Murder, Animal death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Sexism, Racism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Child death, and Animal cruelty

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.75

I genuinely think that this might be one of the greatest fantasy novels I have ever read. R.F. Kuang is an incredible talent, and both her academic background and love of reading show in every page. It is a difficult read, but a rewarding one, and I am excited (and very afraid) to get my hands on the next installment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, and War

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, Murder, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Genocide, Violence, War, Drug use, and Death

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

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

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

aishaslittlelife's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Definitely check trigger warnings before reading this book.

The first 100 or so pages are slow paced but then after that it gets fast faced really fast until the end. 

Absolutely broke me into a thousand tiny hurting bits. Altan is my favourite nobody understands him like I do. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Torture, Colonisation, Death, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Drug abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Addiction, Animal death, and Drug use