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

dark emotional informative medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The world-building for this book was good not great. I say this because it is very strongly based on the Second Sino-Japanese War which is intentional and not a bad thing by any means but definitely takes away from showcasing an authors writing capability (in terms of fantasy world building). The characters were hard to connect to which the pacing did not help with (particularly in Sinegard). The atrocities that were depicted in this book were very graphic but also handled well for the most part and I think Kuang does a fantasitc job in showcasing the effects of war. Considering the ending of the book, I am going to be cautious and mindful going forward and hope the topic is handled well. Overall, a good book! 
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