A review by kal_of_krypton
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book starts off slow for me but once it really gets into the world building it became a faster read. The main character Rin, feels very realistic I enjoy her as the flawed main character that she is. The fantasy elements and the discoveries about the world kept me engaged along the way.

I am especially enthralled with how the author built their magic system into this world. I am a big believer that magic should come with drawbacks and this type of magic really raises the stakes. The rules felt natural to the world and felt like it made logical sense as well.

The beginning has a lot of exposition that can be hard to get through. For the most part though it feels rather natural. It feels like you're learning the world with Rin rather than halting the plot to get you caught up on something the main character should already know. This book does not shy away from any topic though, it's very incredibly dark, please be mindful of the content warnings. This book takes place during a war and it makes sure that you know.
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