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A review by savvylikethat
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book hits all the markers for me with historical fiction/fantasy. Its well written, the characters are well fleshed out, there's not a lot of tropey BS, the story ticks along at the right speed, etc.
I will say, I forgot to check CW/TW and the descriptions of genocide, war slaughter and rape are unflinchingly brutal at parts. As in, I had to skip forward and I have never had to do that before.
My partner is a history buff and I have been aware of the atrocities committed in the 2nd Sino Japanese War, in a limited overview type way, but hearing the brutality of it from a character you've grown attached to and hearing the fictional first hand accounts is not something I will forget any time soon.
I actually won't be reading the second because of how graphic the descriptions are but I think this was a brilliant way to teach younger generations history.
I will say, I forgot to check CW/TW and the descriptions of genocide, war slaughter and rape are unflinchingly brutal at parts. As in, I had to skip forward and I have never had to do that before.
My partner is a history buff and I have been aware of the atrocities committed in the 2nd Sino Japanese War, in a limited overview type way, but hearing the brutality of it from a character you've grown attached to and hearing the fictional first hand accounts is not something I will forget any time soon.
I actually won't be reading the second because of how graphic the descriptions are but I think this was a brilliant way to teach younger generations history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction
There are gang rape descriptions that are brutally detailed, infanticide descriptions in brutal detail and sweeping visual descriptions of genocide.