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A review by chaosandbooks
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I took a history class in college that covered the history of ancient China through pre-modern China and I wish I would have read this immediately following it. While fantasy, it's inspired by the events of Nanking and Unit 731. In doing so, it's an obvious ode to the despair and anger that survivors felt following the horrific crimes they were put under. Kuang doesn't mince words when relaying this to readers in any aspect and I appreciate that.
Rin is simply put, a badass heroine. She starts off with moxie and slowly grows into being a fearless warrior as the book progresses. She goes from trying to compete as a war oprhan among nobility in a first class military training academy to a solider freshly exposed to the horrors of war, betrayal, and the inner turmoil that comes with no good options in times of crisis. It's raw and upon reflection after closing the last page, I took a deep breathe. This book, in short, is deeply human. Kuang managed to capture such a wide variety of emotions in a way that immersed the reader directly into Rin's head. It's not for everyone, but it is powerful without a doubt.
Rin is simply put, a badass heroine. She starts off with moxie and slowly grows into being a fearless warrior as the book progresses. She goes from trying to compete as a war oprhan among nobility in a first class military training academy to a solider freshly exposed to the horrors of war, betrayal, and the inner turmoil that comes with no good options in times of crisis. It's raw and upon reflection after closing the last page, I took a deep breathe. This book, in short, is deeply human. Kuang managed to capture such a wide variety of emotions in a way that immersed the reader directly into Rin's head. It's not for everyone, but it is powerful without a doubt.