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A review by five_rats_in_a_trenchcoat
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
As much as I wanted to like this book it just wasn't for me.
The pacing was somehow both achingly slow and way to fast, the many timeskips didn't leave time for relationships or characters to develop properly.
Reading the book felt more like the author giving me a summary. It was also like being told that Character A has this and that trait and has feelings foe this and that character instead of showing me, if that makes sense?
In addition to that the plot was very predictable and the writing style felt like the novel was supposed to be a YA fantasy instead of an adult fantasy book.
The pacing was somehow both achingly slow and way to fast, the many timeskips didn't leave time for relationships or characters to develop properly.
Reading the book felt more like the author giving me a summary. It was also like being told that Character A has this and that trait and has feelings foe this and that character instead of showing me, if that makes sense?
In addition to that the plot was very predictable and the writing style felt like the novel was supposed to be a YA fantasy instead of an adult fantasy book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Child death, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Gore, Addiction, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror, Physical abuse, Slavery, Vomit, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Excrement, Animal death, and Racial slurs