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A review by literalottie
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It always feels nice to read a highly-hyped book and have it actually be good. After seeing praise upon praise for The Poppy War, I finally got around to picking it up and I can understand why so many people love it. I'll definitely be jumping right into books 2 and 3 to see where this series goes.
The Poppy War feels like a book made up of two halves. Technically, the book is actually made up of three parts, but to me there were two distinct sections of story that are pretty separate in tone. The first half deals with Rin's schooling at elite military academy Sinegard, which is very straightforward in its writing and feels very much like a YA story. The second half, in the interest of remaining as spoiler-free as possible, I will just say follows what comes after Rin's schooling, and takes on a much darker tone.
Some of the major events in this book are heavily based off of historical events during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly the Nanjing Massacre. I knew about this historical influence before reading, but didn't really know much about the history itself - reading this got me to look into and educate myself further on these events. Obviously as a non-expert on the history I'm not in much of a position to fully critique her representation of these events, but from a writing perspective I have to commend R.F. Kuang on how she handled the difficult subject matter. Parts of this book were uncomfortable to read, but it never crossed the line into gratuitous or sensationalistic.
Another high point of this book is the characterisation, particularly of the protagonist Rin. She is strong and determined, but also impulsive and ruthless. As the story progresses, she is increasingly driven by anger and blinded by rage, making increasingly destructive decisions. The surrounding cast are equally complex - some of the characters are firmly aligned with her worldview, while others fundamentally disagree. I really loved the complexity of the morality in this story - the ending took me completely by shock and I'm now left wondering whether Rin will ultimately become a hero, a villain, or something in between.
My only sizable issue with The Poppy War is the pacing. I'm not sure what the next two books are like with regard to this, but it seems like a lot of ground is covered here and I can't help but think that the story could have been better served had this first book been split in two. As I mentioned, this book feels like two halves with different stories placed into one. Especially in the first half, it feels at times like several months worth of tension and plot development occurs in the span of a few pages or paragraphs and the tone shifts rather quickly. I can appreciate that there's a fine line to walk before readers complain about a book's pace being too slow, but personally I don't mind a book that takes its time and so I would not have complained if this book was split into two so that the plot and characters could have had more time to breathe.
The Poppy War feels like a book made up of two halves. Technically, the book is actually made up of three parts, but to me there were two distinct sections of story that are pretty separate in tone. The first half deals with Rin's schooling at elite military academy Sinegard, which is very straightforward in its writing and feels very much like a YA story. The second half, in the interest of remaining as spoiler-free as possible, I will just say follows what comes after Rin's schooling, and takes on a much darker tone.
Some of the major events in this book are heavily based off of historical events during the Second Sino-Japanese War, particularly the Nanjing Massacre. I knew about this historical influence before reading, but didn't really know much about the history itself - reading this got me to look into and educate myself further on these events. Obviously as a non-expert on the history I'm not in much of a position to fully critique her representation of these events, but from a writing perspective I have to commend R.F. Kuang on how she handled the difficult subject matter. Parts of this book were uncomfortable to read, but it never crossed the line into gratuitous or sensationalistic.
Another high point of this book is the characterisation, particularly of the protagonist Rin. She is strong and determined, but also impulsive and ruthless. As the story progresses, she is increasingly driven by anger and blinded by rage, making increasingly destructive decisions. The surrounding cast are equally complex - some of the characters are firmly aligned with her worldview, while others fundamentally disagree. I really loved the complexity of the morality in this story - the ending took me completely by shock and I'm now left wondering whether Rin will ultimately become a hero, a villain, or something in between.
My only sizable issue with The Poppy War is the pacing. I'm not sure what the next two books are like with regard to this, but it seems like a lot of ground is covered here and I can't help but think that the story could have been better served had this first book been split in two. As I mentioned, this book feels like two halves with different stories placed into one. Especially in the first half, it feels at times like several months worth of tension and plot development occurs in the span of a few pages or paragraphs and the tone shifts rather quickly. I can appreciate that there's a fine line to walk before readers complain about a book's pace being too slow, but personally I don't mind a book that takes its time and so I would not have complained if this book was split into two so that the plot and characters could have had more time to breathe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, and Genocide
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Sexism