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Reviews tagging 'Death'

Опиумная война by R.F. Kuang

2718 reviews

challenging dark reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very odd pacing, felt disjointed. I wasn’t invested for most of the book and it felt tropey which is not like Kuang’s other books I’ve read. Took a dark turn in the last bit, and Rin became more interesting. That dubious morals and way too much power is why I’ll keep reading. It serves its purpose for connection to the horror of the real world as it’s based on true events. 

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dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A great read, occasional pandering but an impressive debut. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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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A solid first part of a trilogy. I absolutely loved the start and was drawn in quickly. Rin is a very strong character, and different from a lot of fantasy protagonists - she goes further in her rage and vengeance, she will do anything to achieve her goals, but she is also massively insecure and desperately seeks validation from her teachers. It is interesting to see how war both enhances and changes her characteristics.

Great cast of characters - though there were a bit many to remember at some point -, a solid writing style, and a well-structured plot with some twists and turns that do ultimately make a lot of sense. 8,5/10

I could've done with a little less horrifying descriptions of dead babies near the end, but you can't say Kuang is pulling any punches. And since its sadly based on reality, I can't really complain.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-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
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

First: PLEASE look at the content warnings before you read. There are a lot of triggering things in this novel. There are parts of this book that hard to read due to the graphic content.

This book gripped me in a way no other has in a while. Thrilling and haunting in equal measure. The Poppy War will make you laugh and hope, and then slap you with the atrocities of war. You will root for the protagonist, Rin, and fear her all at once. You will sympathize with characters you once hated. You will watch characters morph and change for the better, but more often for the worse. 

Rin is a poor war orphan who studies her way out of Rooster Province and into the prestigious Sinegard Academy. The events that unfold from there, I will leave for you to discover. Needless to say, I will be continuing this series.

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

characters - 1
worldbuilding - 1
writing - .75
enjoyment - .75
plot - .75

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings