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nithyuh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I feel like I saw some part of the ending coming, but not to this extent.
R.F. Kuang’s writing and The Poppy War is forever ingrained in my brain. I’ll miss all these characters.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Minor: Torture and Trafficking
hyithia's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
- a very morally ambiguous main character that I loved/hated and I can't be mad at her for it
- overall interesting plot
- all characters had their complicated motives - no character seemed flat and all main characters developed well
- pacing was okay, but the ending felt very rushed compared to the rest of the book
- the parallel to colonization was clear and it made for a more emotional and intense narrative
- I loved the shamanism concept. I liked that the gods are to be feared, especially as a conduit, allowing them to inflict their will on the world
- I wish that we could have learned more about all 64 deities
- Disabled representation is present, which cannot be said of many books
Rin raising an army of shamans makes a lot of sense for her character and the war - desperate times call for desperate measures Rin's manic episode at the end was a fascinating character arc. at first, she refused to bend the knee, then realized her mistake, sacrificing herself and Kitay to Nezha for the greater good of her people. I found this arc so captivating because it illustrated the war-inflicted paranoia on Rin, especially after accusing Venka of being a traitor (but who knows, maybe she was... I enjoyed Rin and Venka's comradery though, so I hope not...) wasn't too much of a fan of the dragon arc - it didn't make much sense to me why the dragon would attack the city rather than try to capture Nezha and Rin. I did like that the dragon was more powerful than the phoenix and that the dragon was unbeatable because I think that is "realistic". the torture that both Rin and Nezha endured by the Hesperians was disgusting but was analogous to how colonizers treated those whom they were colonizing. it is an important narrative to show. similarly, I found the mindset that the Hesperians had towards the Nikara revolting. again, however, the mindset that a certain race is inherently better than another is one that people have had and have used to justify irreparable harm to those groups that they have decided are somehow lesser than. I hope that those who read this series notice, appreciate, and internalize the historical parallels, as to me, the historical parallels are core to this series. R.F. Kuang has done something truly amazing with this series.
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Blood, Colonisation, and War
potion96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
hades_astor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
steffysev's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Moderate: Violence, Colonisation, and War
wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual violence, and Trafficking
flamesocks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
meganpbell's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
bekahzabel's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I barely have words. I felt every emotion in my arsenal, and I’m glad I saw it through to the end. A conclusion that tore me to shreds, but I don’t know that I could’ve seen it wrapped up in any other way.
RF Kuang’s writing is god tier in my book, these characters will live in my heart for eternity.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
pagesihavenotyetread's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism