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

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Good god. This book is so richly imagined. I don’t know what else to say really - the book did not let go of me. It lived in me. I’m so glad I’m reading it with the whole series already published because I could not handle anything else right now. RF Kuang does not fuck around. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Genocide, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, and Police brutality

Moderate: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia