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A review by wylanslcve
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
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
this book is spectacular in every sense of the word, and yet I hated every second of it (I'm clinging to the single moment of levity in this entire book, when rin and kitay spend the summer festival together, like a lifeline).
having read kuang's other work (i.e. babel and yellowface, both of which I thought were brilliant), my expectations for the poppy war were tremendously high. however, nothing could have ever prepared me for how brutal this book ended up being. it's genuinely one of the most horrifying and brutal books - if not the most horrifying and brutal book - I've ever read, and one that will surely stay with me for the foreseeable future. luckily I buddy-read this with a friend, because I need to talk about this book with someone otherwise I'll combust.
it's no secret that kuang's depiction of war between nikan and mugen is heavily inspired by the japanese invasion of china in the 1930s, with specifically the rape of nanjing and unit 731 being significant influences. (chapter 21, which is based off of real accounts of the nanjing massacre, is by far the most brutal depiction of genocide I've ever read - even after reading a chapter summary and skimming most of the chapter, I had to take a break from the book because of how horrific it was. believe me, if you think you'll be okay reading it, you won't be.) although these parts of the book are heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to say the least, I was even more horrified reading this knowing that the atrocities kuang depicts in this book have been experienced by real people.
despite its occasional issues with pacing and characterisation (namely of some of the minor characters, even though I still loved them - I thought the characters of rin and altan were superbly written, and admittedly I have a soft spot for kitay), this is such an extraordinary debut that is certainly not for the faint of heart. everything from the magic system, to the intricacies of this high-fantasy world kuang managed to create, to rin's astounding and meticulously-crafted character arc... this is definitely a book I'll continue to think about for a while.
please check the trigger warnings before you read this. it can get very intense and brutal, and as I've said it is not for the faint of heart. don't be afraid to take it slow with this one because it can get very extreme very quickly.
having read kuang's other work (i.e. babel and yellowface, both of which I thought were brilliant), my expectations for the poppy war were tremendously high. however, nothing could have ever prepared me for how brutal this book ended up being. it's genuinely one of the most horrifying and brutal books - if not the most horrifying and brutal book - I've ever read, and one that will surely stay with me for the foreseeable future. luckily I buddy-read this with a friend, because I need to talk about this book with someone otherwise I'll combust.
it's no secret that kuang's depiction of war between nikan and mugen is heavily inspired by the japanese invasion of china in the 1930s, with specifically the rape of nanjing and unit 731 being significant influences. (chapter 21, which is based off of real accounts of the nanjing massacre, is by far the most brutal depiction of genocide I've ever read - even after reading a chapter summary and skimming most of the chapter, I had to take a break from the book because of how horrific it was. believe me, if you think you'll be okay reading it, you won't be.) although these parts of the book are heartbreaking and gut-wrenching to say the least, I was even more horrified reading this knowing that the atrocities kuang depicts in this book have been experienced by real people.
despite its occasional issues with pacing and characterisation (namely of some of the minor characters, even though I still loved them - I thought the characters of rin and altan were superbly written, and admittedly I have a soft spot for kitay), this is such an extraordinary debut that is certainly not for the faint of heart. everything from the magic system, to the intricacies of this high-fantasy world kuang managed to create, to rin's astounding and meticulously-crafted character arc... this is definitely a book I'll continue to think about for a while.
please check the trigger warnings before you read this. it can get very intense and brutal, and as I've said it is not for the faint of heart. don't be afraid to take it slow with this one because it can get very extreme very quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit