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A review by maudsmeets
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A compelling and unique fantasy story that tackles some really interesting subjects. It talked about what trauma can do to a person, prejudice and racism, what it means to be a villain and the price people pay for power.
A quick warning: this book is brutal. If you have certain subjects you don't want to read about I would first look up a list of trigger warnings. Your mental health is more important than any novel. Please look after yourself and do your research.
This book was excellent. The writing was easy to read but intricate. Most of the characters were really fleshed out, especially the ones that were introduced to us in the first half. Some of the members of the Cake could have used a bit more development in my opinion. The world was vivid and easy to imagine. The Poppy War transported me to another world. A harsh and brutal world, but also a world full of power and people willing to fight.
I flew through the first half of this story, but after that the story really took a turn and it felt like the novel was split into two halves. Everything just changed drastically, our circumstances, our cast of characters and the atmosphere of the story. This makes me intrigued to see what will happen in The Dragon Republic. I'm excited but I also think it won't top the first 250 pages of this story for me. I can't help it, I'm weak for fictional fantasy schools. Rin her character also really took a turn in the second half of the story. I find it difficult to explain how I feel about it. It was good character development, it felt natural, but I kinda wish her character would have gone in a different direction. So I liked it but I also didn't. I just- I loved Jiang (He's a fictional character that I would love to sit down and have a long conversation with, preferably with a cup of tea.) and I agree with him. (If you've read the book, you know) You know, at the end, what Kitay said when he heard what happened? That's exactly how I felt. I'm still conflicted. Let's see how I feel when I read The Dragon Republic.
A quick warning: this book is brutal. If you have certain subjects you don't want to read about I would first look up a list of trigger warnings. Your mental health is more important than any novel. Please look after yourself and do your research.
This book was excellent. The writing was easy to read but intricate. Most of the characters were really fleshed out, especially the ones that were introduced to us in the first half. Some of the members of the Cake could have used a bit more development in my opinion. The world was vivid and easy to imagine. The Poppy War transported me to another world. A harsh and brutal world, but also a world full of power and people willing to fight.
I flew through the first half of this story, but after that the story really took a turn and it felt like the novel was split into two halves. Everything just changed drastically, our circumstances, our cast of characters and the atmosphere of the story. This makes me intrigued to see what will happen in The Dragon Republic. I'm excited but I also think it won't top the first 250 pages of this story for me. I can't help it, I'm weak for fictional fantasy schools. Rin her character also really took a turn in the second half of the story. I find it difficult to explain how I feel about it. It was good character development, it felt natural, but I kinda wish her character would have gone in a different direction. So I liked it but I also didn't. I just- I loved Jiang (He's a fictional character that I would love to sit down and have a long conversation with, preferably with a cup of tea.) and I agree with him. (If you've read the book, you know) You know, at the end, what Kitay said when he heard what happened? That's exactly how I felt. I'm still conflicted. Let's see how I feel when I read The Dragon Republic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, and Murder