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A review by morganwozz
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Me finishing this book “what did I just read” - this is such a haunting & devastating book. While it is fantasy and historical, it is also very much a war book and very dark. I would definitely recommend reading trigger warnings for this, as there are a lot of things that could be triggering.
This is one of the first books I’ve read about war in a fantasy world, where the author doesn’t shy away from the brutalities of war. This quote is basically a recap of this whole book (and I’m assuming the series, but we will see) - “War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who wins.” It really delves into what atrocities people are willing to commit when they stop seeing others as human. It gets very brutal in this book, so if you are skirmish with graphic detail you should probably not read this.
Oh Rin, the main character. She is so complex and has a character development that starts one way and goes a complete 180, but it’s not surprising because the hints of it were there from the first page. She is also so interesting because she constantly says she wants to be a good soldier, but is always seeking praise and is very impulsive in her actions.
I really did enjoy the fantasy element of this and the myth/gods. It was a really interesting take that I haven’t seen done before (at least the books I have read). In a lot of mythology it is often the gods inflicting their will onto the people, but this book reverses that and its humans taking the gods power and inflicting it upon themselves. I also really liked the enlightenment part and how it asked what is real, and how the universe within our minds is just as valid as the physical one.
Lastly, I thought the part where one of the gods says “Humans always think they are destined for things, for tragedies or for greatness. Destiny is a myth. The choice is always yours - not the gods, they act but don’t make the decisions.” - I thought it was very prevalent to how a lot of people view religion and how their decisions are from a higher power and how that skirts them from ownership.
This is one of the first books I’ve read about war in a fantasy world, where the author doesn’t shy away from the brutalities of war. This quote is basically a recap of this whole book (and I’m assuming the series, but we will see) - “War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who wins.” It really delves into what atrocities people are willing to commit when they stop seeing others as human. It gets very brutal in this book, so if you are skirmish with graphic detail you should probably not read this.
Oh Rin, the main character. She is so complex and has a character development that starts one way and goes a complete 180, but it’s not surprising because the hints of it were there from the first page. She is also so interesting because she constantly says she wants to be a good soldier, but is always seeking praise and is very impulsive in her actions.
I really did enjoy the fantasy element of this and the myth/gods. It was a really interesting take that I haven’t seen done before (at least the books I have read). In a lot of mythology it is often the gods inflicting their will onto the people, but this book reverses that and its humans taking the gods power and inflicting it upon themselves. I also really liked the enlightenment part and how it asked what is real, and how the universe within our minds is just as valid as the physical one.
Lastly, I thought the part where one of the gods says “Humans always think they are destined for things, for tragedies or for greatness. Destiny is a myth. The choice is always yours - not the gods, they act but don’t make the decisions.” - I thought it was very prevalent to how a lot of people view religion and how their decisions are from a higher power and how that skirts them from ownership.