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4.23 AVERAGE
4.23 AVERAGE
absolutely insane. just batshit crazy and doesn't sugarcoat anything in the slightest—that is just rf kuang for you tbh! this was so incredibly gripping, disgustingly disturbing (especially toward the latter half), and some of these scenes i already know will haunt me for the rest of my life. rfk just has this ability to write about brutality in the most gutting way possible and i love the way she lays everything out so unapologetically. like this is a war novel through and through and there were so many times when i physically had to put the book down and stare at the wall and go for a walk. these characters are so incredibly complex and their decisions are so interesting to follow and i am so excited to see where this goes rfk you never miss you just never freaking MISS!!!!!!!!!!!
side note: buddy read with ppg! even though bern has already read the book before and mila hasn't started yet. #justppgthings
side note: buddy read with ppg! even though bern has already read the book before and mila hasn't started yet. #justppgthings
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
some thoughts
1) rin stays making bad decisions
2) justice for kitay and jiang
3) nezha 🙏🏻
sitting and writing this, i’m finding my main issue to be the pacing. it was so weird and it never felt like we got into a good rhythm, which really impacted my investment and interest. that being said, r f kuang is amazing w her character work and although frustrating, being in rin’s head was so fascinating. curious to see where the rest goes.
1) rin stays making bad decisions
2) justice for kitay and jiang
3) nezha 🙏🏻
sitting and writing this, i’m finding my main issue to be the pacing. it was so weird and it never felt like we got into a good rhythm, which really impacted my investment and interest. that being said, r f kuang is amazing w her character work and although frustrating, being in rin’s head was so fascinating. curious to see where the rest goes.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I see what the author was trying to do an emulate, but it’s personally just was not my taste and that okay.
I was really enjoying this book and was invested until maybe around the 52% mark, afterwards the book turned was just off the mark for me.
I can handle morally grey characters, however Rin and her hero worship was just too insufferable for me. She continually made and supported reckless and ill advised plan - the consequences of which I could easily guess. Someone worded it better than me, that with morally grey characters you can abuse them with some semblance of understanding of why they act the way they do. However Rin’s actions in the latter section of the book felt like a significant dissonance from the character arc she was on in the first section of the book.The way she was so un-remorseful about enacting genocide on a whole state and saw that as just achieving what needed to be done - whilst the soldiers that actually committed the preceding genocide and inhumane atrocities at Golyn Nis are still alive and well Nikar - cannot be justified or even just understood to me.
I feel I particularly agreed with critics that the events that the author writes about in this book mirror real-life history too much for this book to properly be considered a fantasy. Further, I feel the author failed to adequately tread the line of sensitivity (for lack of a better word) required when using true historical events to further the arc of the fantastical and parabolic.
While I did really enjoy the first half of the book, the second half was a letdown.
I was really enjoying this book and was invested until maybe around the 52% mark, afterwards the book turned was just off the mark for me.
I can handle morally grey characters, however Rin and her hero worship was just too insufferable for me. She continually made and supported reckless and ill advised plan - the consequences of which I could easily guess. Someone worded it better than me, that with morally grey characters you can abuse them with some semblance of understanding of why they act the way they do. However Rin’s actions in the latter section of the book felt like a significant dissonance from the character arc she was on in the first section of the book.
I feel I particularly agreed with critics that the events that the author writes about in this book mirror real-life history too much for this book to properly be considered a fantasy. Further, I feel the author failed to adequately tread the line of sensitivity (for lack of a better word) required when using true historical events to further the arc of the fantastical and parabolic.
While I did really enjoy the first half of the book, the second half was a letdown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail
It was so slow at the start, and then it got good when she was training and in school, then chapter...what 27? 24?
Holy fuck.
I DNF'd
TW - If you can't do a lot of rape, rape, or children being raped. Please don't read the poppy war.....
Holy fuck.
I DNF'd
TW - If you can't do a lot of rape, rape, or children being raped. Please don't read the poppy war.....
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated