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A review by baumskii
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
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
Another enjoyable read from someone who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! Having already read Babel and Yellowface, it was interesting to read Kuang’s first publication and compare how far she has come in her writing. As usual, her strong suit is in the historical references she brings awareness to by adapting them with a fantastical flair. I love how different each of her books are.
The Poppy War is a breath of fresh air in a fantasy world dominated by Eurocentrism - opening to the map of something that didn’t resemble the British Isle was pleasant. I’m glad I went into this one almost blind, however I did expect a lot more time in the war college than we got. The world building was great, though slow, and felt like info dumping at times. This is my only critique for the book and I fully understand that it is a necessary evil.
I particularly enjoyed the explorations of colorism, misogyny, and “otherness” throughout the story. Kuang does a great job of creating characters that are representative of all sides of the rhetorical spectrum that don’t feel like caricatures.
Overall, solid start to the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the rest of the trilogy.
The Poppy War is a breath of fresh air in a fantasy world dominated by Eurocentrism - opening to the map of something that didn’t resemble the British Isle was pleasant. I’m glad I went into this one almost blind, however I did expect a lot more time in the war college than we got. The world building was great, though slow, and felt like info dumping at times. This is my only critique for the book and I fully understand that it is a necessary evil.
I particularly enjoyed the explorations of colorism, misogyny, and “otherness” throughout the story. Kuang does a great job of creating characters that are representative of all sides of the rhetorical spectrum that don’t feel like caricatures.
Overall, solid start to the series and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the rest of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, War, Injury/Injury detail