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adventurous
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Suicide attempt
Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Blood, Colonisation, Classism
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredible book. Kuang is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. There are a lot of really hard questions in this that lead to really incredible dialogue. Rin is such a fascinating character to follow and I'm going to find out where this goes.
It's real in your mind. That's as real as anything gets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Xenophobia, War
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse
Minor: Sexual violence
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Blood, Colonisation, War, Classism
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Reread 2025 - Ooof, this book is still as rough as I remembered.
Grim dark fantasy following IRL historical events is not for the faint of heart. Check out CWs, the third part of this still is haunting from the first time reading.
Grim dark fantasy following IRL historical events is not for the faint of heart. Check out CWs, the third part of this still is haunting from the first time reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book took me a year to finish. Like most RF Kuang novels, the subject matter is harsh, deeply traumatic in its realism. Fantasy or no, the horrors of war are horrendous. I will say that all the reviews I saw on social media, none of them properly prepared me for the traumatic events that take place throughout this book. Strong trigger warnings are definitely needed
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, War
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Kuang masterfully guides us step by step so by the end we completely understand the decision the heroine makes. Her skill with pace and suspense made it so I didn't even realize she was preparing me for the outcome until I looked back at the end and saw the path and the reasoning.
Kuang is courageous with her development of the main character and her exploration of challenging themes. Can't wait to read book two.
Kuang is courageous with her development of the main character and her exploration of challenging themes. Can't wait to read book two.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Violence, War
Moderate: Gore, Rape, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This started out well but by the 40% mark I grew quite bored and struggled to get through the rest of it without any real interest.
Our FMC Rin, has grown up as an orphan raised by mean people and she has no idea where she came from or who she is but is very smart. To avoid being married off and abused, she decides to take some super hard test to get into a super hard school that will give her the opportunity to live a life not on her back. She gets into the school - obviously - and when shes there, is treated shit by the other, richer students who don't like her because she's poor and apparently dark skinned. Though in an East Asian setting, it was a bit unclear how dark this would actual mean. Not that it really matters, its just one of many things I found a bit unclear.
Anyway, Rin learns how to fight and endless lore about The Poppy Wars that her country has been a part of, although I couldnt tell you why they were called this or why everyone was and is seemingly on cocaine or heroine and teachers are getting high and being weird all in the name of calling higher powers and finding some super power that is locked inside Rin.
All that to say, it started out very interesting and I was intrigued to learn what that power was and why but for me, the excitement of that story was lost with endless lore and discussion and moaning from Rin.
I usually hate the term show and dont tell because as i writer, sometimes you need to be told and as a reader, i want to be told lol but with this, there was too much telling me how dangerous the war was without actually showing me any of its devastation. When she did finally get to it, while i was shocked at the brutality of the people they were fighting, it honestly came to late in the book for me to actually care. She'd spent so long talking about different language dialects and provinces we'd never visit, that the real meat of the story, the cruelty and sinister tones of the war and the person who betrays them was just lost. There is some truly horrific content in one passage of the book that I wont bother repeating her but it was terribly sad and if what ive heard about the rest of the series but much of the same, then i'd rather not go on with it.
I love building worlds. i love all the information, the bloodlines, the prequel texts, give me it all but in a way that feels exciting and not like a history lesson which is ultimately all this was. On top of that, Rin isnt even that likeable. She's rash and toxic and power hungry and its just not particular redeeming for her throughout the book.
I won't be continuing with the series unfortunately. While the writing style/technique etc. is great, Kuang is a wonderful writer, its just not a style that prompts much excitement for me or will to turn the page.
Our FMC Rin, has grown up as an orphan raised by mean people and she has no idea where she came from or who she is but is very smart. To avoid being married off and abused, she decides to take some super hard test to get into a super hard school that will give her the opportunity to live a life not on her back. She gets into the school - obviously - and when shes there, is treated shit by the other, richer students who don't like her because she's poor and apparently dark skinned. Though in an East Asian setting, it was a bit unclear how dark this would actual mean. Not that it really matters, its just one of many things I found a bit unclear.
Anyway, Rin learns how to fight and endless lore about The Poppy Wars that her country has been a part of, although I couldnt tell you why they were called this or why everyone was and is seemingly on cocaine or heroine and teachers are getting high and being weird all in the name of calling higher powers and finding some super power that is locked inside Rin.
All that to say, it started out very interesting and I was intrigued to learn what that power was and why but for me, the excitement of that story was lost with endless lore and discussion and moaning from Rin.
I usually hate the term show and dont tell because as i writer, sometimes you need to be told and as a reader, i want to be told lol but with this, there was too much telling me how dangerous the war was without actually showing me any of its devastation. When she did finally get to it, while i was shocked at the brutality of the people they were fighting, it honestly came to late in the book for me to actually care. She'd spent so long talking about different language dialects and provinces we'd never visit, that the real meat of the story, the cruelty and sinister tones of the war and the person who betrays them was just lost. There is some truly horrific content in one passage of the book that I wont bother repeating her but it was terribly sad and if what ive heard about the rest of the series but much of the same, then i'd rather not go on with it.
I love building worlds. i love all the information, the bloodlines, the prequel texts, give me it all but in a way that feels exciting and not like a history lesson which is ultimately all this was. On top of that, Rin isnt even that likeable. She's rash and toxic and power hungry and its just not particular redeeming for her throughout the book.
I won't be continuing with the series unfortunately. While the writing style/technique etc. is great, Kuang is a wonderful writer, its just not a style that prompts much excitement for me or will to turn the page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, War
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First, before I get into my review, I do want to provide a list of content warnings, as my ebook copy did not include them. I am not sure who is responsible for this omission, but this book, which starts out as a military-focused dark academia story, absolutely should have a comprehensive list of warnings, despite being classified as grimdark.
• War and Violence
• Genocide and War Crimes
• Sexual Assault
• Torture and Abuse
• Drug Use and Addiction
• Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
• Racism and Xenophobia (Depictions of ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.)
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Child Abuse, Infanticide, and Child Death
• Mentions of Cannibalism, Mental Illness & Trauma, Religious Trauma, PTSD
The book has a very interesting world, an incredibly cool magic system, and its (anti) heroine is no princess in need but a girl who has flaws and issues and is portrayed as a character that must go through atrocious things that indeed shape her character. This is refreshing. This is something more authors should do. I am tired of books and stories where trauma doesn't change how a character sees the world around them and just goes on like before. That being said, I can sympathize with Rin, but I do not necessarily like her. That I kept on reading is something I applaud Kuang for because I usually struggle with books where I do not like the protagonist. Rin is awful. But she had no other choice than to become an awful person. I personally can't imagine what war must feel like, let alone how being nearly a child must feel fighting in a war. And Kuang displayed it beautifully with all the downsides there are. You do not need to like Rin. You need to feel what she went through. And that is perfectly written.
That said, I want to acknowledge the strong points of this book. The pacing and world-building are incredibly well done, and the story is undeniably gripping. I love the aspects from Chinese mythology that are so beautifully woven into the story. All the way from the naming of places to the gods and the magic system. And that is the book's strength as well as its biggest issue—real life plays a part in it. It draws heavily on real-life tragic events, which gives me mixed feelings. That’s why I’d give it 4 stars instead of 5.
While the characters feel believable—especially given that they are essentially children thrown from a military academy into a brutal war—the events of the war are unmistakably inspired by horrific real-life atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and the experiments conducted by Unit 731. I found it uncomfortable how the immense suffering inflicted by Rin’s enemies—and later, by Rin herself—is largely justified under the banner of “that’s just how war is.” Only one character in the story meaningfully questions this justification, which makes it feel as though these moments of horror are used more for shock value than for meaningful reflection.
I sincerely hope that the second book in the series (I haven’t looked into reviews yet) takes a deeper, more nuanced approach to this, rather than simply leaning on shock factor. I believe Kuang has the academic background to do better than that. And that is why I can't give this book the 5 stars it otherwise deserved in my opinion.
• War and Violence
• Genocide and War Crimes
• Sexual Assault
• Torture and Abuse
• Drug Use and Addiction
• Self-Harm and Suicidal Ideation
• Racism and Xenophobia (Depictions of ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.)
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Child Abuse, Infanticide, and Child Death
• Mentions of Cannibalism, Mental Illness & Trauma, Religious Trauma, PTSD
The book has a very interesting world, an incredibly cool magic system, and its (anti) heroine is no princess in need but a girl who has flaws and issues and is portrayed as a character that must go through atrocious things that indeed shape her character. This is refreshing. This is something more authors should do. I am tired of books and stories where trauma doesn't change how a character sees the world around them and just goes on like before. That being said, I can sympathize with Rin, but I do not necessarily like her. That I kept on reading is something I applaud Kuang for because I usually struggle with books where I do not like the protagonist. Rin is awful. But she had no other choice than to become an awful person. I personally can't imagine what war must feel like, let alone how being nearly a child must feel fighting in a war. And Kuang displayed it beautifully with all the downsides there are. You do not need to like Rin. You need to feel what she went through. And that is perfectly written.
That said, I want to acknowledge the strong points of this book. The pacing and world-building are incredibly well done, and the story is undeniably gripping. I love the aspects from Chinese mythology that are so beautifully woven into the story. All the way from the naming of places to the gods and the magic system. And that is the book's strength as well as its biggest issue—real life plays a part in it. It draws heavily on real-life tragic events, which gives me mixed feelings. That’s why I’d give it 4 stars instead of 5.
While the characters feel believable—especially given that they are essentially children thrown from a military academy into a brutal war—the events of the war are unmistakably inspired by horrific real-life atrocities like the Nanjing Massacre and the experiments conducted by Unit 731. I found it uncomfortable how the immense suffering inflicted by Rin’s enemies—and later, by Rin herself—is largely justified under the banner of “that’s just how war is.” Only one character in the story meaningfully questions this justification, which makes it feel as though these moments of horror are used more for shock value than for meaningful reflection.
I sincerely hope that the second book in the series (I haven’t looked into reviews yet) takes a deeper, more nuanced approach to this, rather than simply leaning on shock factor. I believe Kuang has the academic background to do better than that. And that is why I can't give this book the 5 stars it otherwise deserved in my opinion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
dark
fast-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
The Poppy War is bold and uncompromising. Making your protagonist essentially a Mao Zedong figure is a risky move, and Kuang commits to Rin’s downward spiral without flinching. I know some people struggled with her morality, but that’s what made the story so compelling for me because it’s rare to see a main character’s arc embrace such complete moral corrosion in a way that still feels inevitable.
The parallels to the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Rape of Nanjing, and Mao’s rise are clear if you know the history, and at first some of those references felt almost too on-the-nose for me, but I was surprised to see how many people didn’t realize they were based on real events... so I could forgive it and recognize why it was necessary. The reason I knocked a star off is because I’m not sure how to feel about how graphically and brutally the atrocities are described. Because they reflect actual history, they seemed more purposeful rather than gratuitous, but I understand the critiques that it could also be seen as exploiting real pain and horror. On the other hand it might have been MORE ethically questionable to sanitize or minimize an atrocity that has been historically erased and denied?
Other than that, the magic system is pretty unique and tightly integrated with the story’s themes and I loved the blend of military strategy, political intrigue, and mythological magic. Theres definitely a fine line to walk with incorporating real history and respecting the actual people you’re alluding to, and I don’t think I’m an authority to decide how well Kuang did walking that line, but I can say I loved how It’s all anchored by a protagonist whose choices are as fascinating as they are horrifying.
The parallels to the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Rape of Nanjing, and Mao’s rise are clear if you know the history, and at first some of those references felt almost too on-the-nose for me, but I was surprised to see how many people didn’t realize they were based on real events... so I could forgive it and recognize why it was necessary. The reason I knocked a star off is because I’m not sure how to feel about how graphically and brutally the atrocities are described. Because they reflect actual history, they seemed more purposeful rather than gratuitous, but I understand the critiques that it could also be seen as exploiting real pain and horror. On the other hand it might have been MORE ethically questionable to sanitize or minimize an atrocity that has been historically erased and denied?
Other than that, the magic system is pretty unique and tightly integrated with the story’s themes and I loved the blend of military strategy, political intrigue, and mythological magic. Theres definitely a fine line to walk with incorporating real history and respecting the actual people you’re alluding to, and I don’t think I’m an authority to decide how well Kuang did walking that line, but I can say I loved how It’s all anchored by a protagonist whose choices are as fascinating as they are horrifying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, War