Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Опиумная война by R.F. Kuang

1140 reviews

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Yes

It’s dark and very heavy at times. Plot is absolutely crazy and our female lead goes through so much to get to where she is now. Don’t expect any romance. Basically edging us with the romance fr.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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adventurous dark funny lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous challenging 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

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dark emotional 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: Yes

i don't know what to say to be very honest. i feel like i need years to process everything but oh my god. this book ruined me. i genuinely don't think i've ever cried so much while reading a book ??? pls pls pls be aware of the trigger warnings for this one, it's about war and r f kuang does not shy away of the violence of war, but if you find yourself interested and able to read this i swear it's so fucking worth it. 

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dark 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: Yes

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

Holy shit, I cannot believe this was Kuang's first book. The emotional impact was insane, and I loved (and hated) watching the main character. Only very minor critiques - some vagueness surrounding the timespan in the academy section, a one-off comment about Nezha not being human that never goes anywhere, etc. It tells a compelling story and I'll absolutely read the next books. 

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challenging dark 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

Drags a bit in the middle but otherwise deeply fucked up in a good way. Heed the trigger warnings though.

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adventurous dark emotional 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: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

It’s incredible to read a book that appeals to YA fans but hits much deeper. Kuang doesn’t shy away from describing hardships, trauma, and the horrors of war which is both devastating and refreshing as a fantasy reader. Rin is a character that even by the end, I don’t know if I like. I don’t know how much she’s grown as a person and I don’t agree with many of her decisions but it’s so exciting to read from a character perspective that isn’t some perfect heroin with a clean and palatable character arc. The Poppy War feels like it’s about people not just characters. Kuang’s nuance in balancing caricatures versus the characters we get to know brings a spotlight to the power of propaganda and racism in a way that feels obvious but never heavy handed or dumbed down.

Not definitive spoilers, but Kuang also manages to lay the perfect web of foreshadowing and smoking guns throughout the book. It felt like a spy film - the agent gets a cool gadget, the bad guy talks about his evil plan, the love interest mentions some event and suddenly you know how act 3 plays out. And just like a spy movie, it’s so exciting. It’s the buildup on a rollercoaster. You know what’s coming but it’s so fun to feel the build up and get to the part where it all comes together. The few moments that I would call “plot twists” felt so right, like I couldn’t believe I hadn’t realized it sooner. The story feels focused but still educates you on a long geopolitical history without ever feeling like it’s useless lore dumps. 

So glad the second book is already published. 

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