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A review by jlautry
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A war orphan earns her way into an elite military academy, and becomes a shaman with the ability to call upon Phoenix, the god of fire.
This is the first in a series of three books. It gets rave reviews so I thought I’d give it a try. It was a good, solid read, even for someone like me who doesn’t really read fantasy. The storyline was good, the characters were interesting, and the world development was great. While I thought this book was good, I probably will not finish the series. I found myself skipping the parts heavy on the fantasy because it didn’t keep my interest. It is a long read (530 pages, small font, narrow margins), and the chapters are long, both of which are things I don’t like in books. Despite those things, it kept me, the non-fantasy reader, engaged for most of the book.
Bottom line: If you like fantasy, you will most likely love this book. Please check trigger warnings before reading as it checks off nearly every one of them. However, 95% is in chapter 21, so if you’re concerned but still want to read it, just skip that chapter.
Graphic: Gore, Genocide, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Murder, Body horror, War, Violence, Torture, and Rape
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Slavery, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Abortion, Child abuse, Child death, Kidnapping, Infertility, Cursing, Pregnancy, Vomit, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Fire/Fire injury