Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Опиумная война by R.F. Kuang

1878 reviews

stellagrace's review against another edition

5.0

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

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This book is a five star for me not because it’s the most beautiful writing i’ve ever read (although it is amazingly written) but because I cannot stop thinking about it. The real historical events that inspired this tale make this story all the more heavy-hitting. I can see that reading this book would open eyes to the very real horror that so many experienced through war and specifically, that the Chinese experienced in the past century (yes, less than 100 years ago). The current state of our world- full of violence, war, classism, etc- makes the rage and violence enacted in this book on behalf of our characters real in a way that fantasy isn’t. someone else left a review that this book almost didn’t feel like fantasy because it’s full of events that truly happened in our would that have just been inflated/made into fantasy by adding folklore- and i agree. 

there are of course aspects of this book i could critique but what’s the point? The Poppy War has stuck in my brain and altered how I view the world, history, and myself- if that’s not worthy of five stars, then I don’t know what is 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic

safachow99's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail

harvestgirl's review against another edition

4.75

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War

thosemeddlingkids's review against another edition

4.0

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

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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. 

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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

jensenvilla's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, War

teehee_jeeello's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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10/10 I am recommending this to everyone because dammmmmm
.. sh¡ts messed tf up but it's all so well written I fcking love this book am

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Blood, War

Moderate: Rape

helvetic4standard's review against another edition

4.0

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

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Amazing book! I loved the transformation of Rin and her driving force for revenge. Excited to read the rest of the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

tinaaxquinn's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, War

chrustek00_'s review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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: Complicated

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Wspaniała książka, doskonale skonstruowany świat i postaci. Nie dało się wynurzyć z tego świata i już nie mogę się doczekać czytania kolejnych części. Jest to materiał na wielokrotny reread w życiu.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War

sethfagerland's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Blood

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use