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

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

5.0

"Power dictates acceptability"


This book was brutal and graphic and I should've read the trigger warnings before getting into it. But I loved it, somehow? It really established Kuang as one of my (if not the) favorite authors.

The first half of the book is a very-dark dark academia inspired by the 20th century China. English is not my first language, so I struggled a bit when they talked about strategy, and honestly bored me a bit, but it was nothing that skipping a few paragraphs couldn't fix. About the main character, although Rin initially seems sure of what she wants and what she will do to achieve it, the more she learns about her world the more she doubts. This is a thing that bother me a bit, as Rin constantly doubts herself and changes her mind about one topic on the same chapter, which made her seem indecisive, and contradicted the character she established before.

The other half of book is when the violence, gore, and the debate between the white and black becomes grey. It explores and goes very deep into dark themes involving war, and as it is not very subtle with the references to real life events (second sino-japanese war), it hits really hard, so I wouldn't recommend this book to sensitive people or people who is triggered by one or more of the warnings, as it can be graphic. I liked her commentary indoctrination in and out of the military, and how wars can destroy minds and morals, and seeing
SpoilerRin's fallout to absolute madness due to it made a twist on her character, even after her desire for power was told from the beggining.
She still doubts herself and changes her mind constantly until
Spoilershe reached a no-return point, when she becomes unredeemable
(to me, at least -she still is a good character, tho).

The book really linked plot and character, making the events that occur in the world
Spoilerradicalised our main character, and dividing her of her friends and tutors
. I didn't felt like
SpoilerRin loved Altan tho, and was really confused when this was mentioned. I am not sure if this was because of Rin's internal dialog, but I felt it was more of an obsession due to Rin's necessity of approval (relatable), which was mentioned, but the hint of it being confused with love bother me
, as I was not expecting it and felt it was not organic to the story, although that's just how I see it. Leaving that behind, I think Rin was the perfect protagonist for this story:
SpoilerAn orfan and negleted child, later molded by a military war at a young age, being exposed to the violence and brutality of war and a young age too, which is later radicalised by her own opinions, influenced by the only one she thinks she can relate to (I hate Altan too)
. Any other character wouldn't be able of explore the grey the plot wanted/needed to explore, and that's why I love Kuang's main characters, Rin and Robin (from Babel). They balance their grey-ness with the side characters (usually friend or tutors) and
Spoilertend to incline to one or the other by the end
, which sends a very clear message: In times when change is needed, you cannot be 'neutral'.

Neutrality won't save the opressed, and will only be of use for the opresor. And so, The Poppy War and Babel, I think, are books that we need on modern times. I really related to The Poppy War and what's going on right now, and so I found this book of great importance. I do not know what it is waiting for me on the rest of the series (except by the end of The Burning God -thanks, Tik Tok), but I hope I will not only love them, but also found how this kind of topics and commentaries need to be told, and how history needs to be revised at all times.
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