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

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

4.0

I will choose this over A Song of Ice and Fire any day, and if you liked ASOF, you will like this. I'm not actually overly fond of books intensely centered around war, but throw in the words "psychedelics" and "the vermillion bird" and I'm in. All the characters are deeply flawed, and Rin is terrifyingly relatable. Despite the gut-churningly grotesque warfare, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not for the faint of heart, heed trigger warnings!
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