osmosees 's review for:

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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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A masterful entry into the trilogy.

Probably one of the best fantasy work I have ever read. As usual, Kuang strikes true and hard, her prose incredible, poetic and gutwrenching in the best way possible.
Her stories pull at something deep inside of you and nestle there to never leave, and I welcome them with open arms.

A must read for any fantasy lover.

However, do check the trigger warnings beforehand. 

This book is raw and Kuang doesn't coddle the reader. The atrocities that war inevitably brings are showed in all their horror. This is not a light read and some scenes are very graphic. 

Please read the trigger warnings if you are a sensitive reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Pregnancy