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poppy_warphan's reviews
338 reviews
A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur 허주은
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Review to come
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Violence, Blood, Death, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Suicide, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, and Rape
The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
The Scarlet Alchemist is set in an alternate historical China in which alchemists have discovered the secret to immortality. The main character is Zilan, a 17-year-old orphan taken in by her aunt’s family. She has an affinity for alchemy and is able to resurrect the dead. Throughout the book, she struggles with prejudice and discrimination due to being mixed and is looked down upon for being from the south, not to mention the sexism. Sometimes she feels unwanted and like an imposter. I really liked how naturally these themes were explored.
After participating in the preliminary exams, she travels with her siblings/cousins to Chang’an for the imperial exam. They wish to become scholars, while she tries to prove herself by becoming an imperial alchemist, in hopes of earning more money for their poor parents. But by becoming an imperial alchemist and agreeing to help the prince, she gets caught up in court politics and dangerous secrets.
The Scarlet Alchemist was truly a fun book to read. The writing and characters were wholesome, witty, and humorous. It made me smile a lot. The plot twists were done well, and the alchemy was fascinating and smart, although eating gold does not sound pleasant at all.
I absolutely loved the sibling relationship between Zilan and her cousins. They always looked after and protected each other. Nerdy Wenshu reminded me of my favourite character from The Poppy War, Kitay. My favourite, however, was Li Hong, the crown prince, who was a clueless idiot. It was hilarious and endearing. He was really a soft guy, and I felt really bad for him and his ducks.
The only thing I had issues with was the way the romance escalated out of the blue. It felt uncharacteristic and forced. Until then, it was going so well, but I guess the author must have realised she’s running out of time since it was already about 70% into the book and rushed things up—at some point I lost track of what was happening. Because of this, and the absence of her cousins, the last part felt the weakest. I liked the slow buildup of Zilan’s and Hong’s relationship, but I wish it stayed just at that: banter, slowly trusting each other, and becoming close friends/allies. That being said, I don’t hate them together, I just wish their relationship was developed more. Can I please get Li Hong back? 😭
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyment: 8/10
Plot: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
The Scarlet Alchemist is set in an alternate historical China in which alchemists have discovered the secret to immortality. The main character is Zilan, a 17-year-old orphan taken in by her aunt’s family. She has an affinity for alchemy and is able to resurrect the dead. Throughout the book, she struggles with prejudice and discrimination due to being mixed and is looked down upon for being from the south, not to mention the sexism. Sometimes she feels unwanted and like an imposter. I really liked how naturally these themes were explored.
After participating in the preliminary exams, she travels with her siblings/cousins to Chang’an for the imperial exam. They wish to become scholars, while she tries to prove herself by becoming an imperial alchemist, in hopes of earning more money for their poor parents. But by becoming an imperial alchemist and agreeing to help the prince, she gets caught up in court politics and dangerous secrets.
The Scarlet Alchemist was truly a fun book to read. The writing and characters were wholesome, witty, and humorous. It made me smile a lot. The plot twists were done well, and the alchemy was fascinating and smart, although eating gold does not sound pleasant at all.
I absolutely loved the sibling relationship between Zilan and her cousins. They always looked after and protected each other. Nerdy Wenshu reminded me of my favourite character from The Poppy War, Kitay. My favourite, however, was Li Hong, the crown prince, who was a clueless idiot. It was hilarious and endearing. He was really a soft guy, and I felt really bad for him and his ducks.
The only thing I had issues with was the way the romance escalated out of the blue. It felt uncharacteristic and forced. Until then, it was going so well, but I guess the author must have realised she’s running out of time since it was already about 70% into the book and rushed things up—at some point I lost track of what was happening. Because of this, and the absence of her cousins, the last part felt the weakest. I liked the slow buildup of Zilan’s and Hong’s relationship, but I wish it stayed just at that: banter, slowly trusting each other, and becoming close friends/allies. That being said, I don’t hate them together, I just wish their relationship was developed more.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Score: 4.25
Inez's world is turned upside down when she receives a letter from her uncle informing her that her parents, who would abandon her for Egypt for entire months every year, had passed away. She decides to leave Argentina and find out the truth about what happened to them. Her loneliness and resentment are impactful, and I liked the way it was portrayed. Inez, although resourceful, was defiant and stubborn—which I liked about her—too trusting and jumped to conclusions too quickly. Her antics, especially at the beginning, were quite entertaining. Upon her arrival, she is met by Whit, a man employed by her uncle and becomes his problem. She keeps disobeying, running away, and driving him crazy. I enjoyed the banter that they kept going throughout the book.
Along the way, our dear mc develops her first crush, and having never spent much time around men, she does not know how to act. As the story progresses, she gets a little pushy and acts upon the attraction. It was giving me secondhand embarrassment. Please let the guy deal with his inner demons and stop throwing yourself at him. Luckily, their situationship becomes more natural towards the end.
There are a few clichés that romance enjoyers will probably eat up, as well as descriptions of appearances and clothing in a very Wattpad fashion (not my favourite). Whit's sharp jawline was mentioned a few too many times for my taste.
Speaking of him, he was truly a mystery, and until the end, I did not know what to think about him. Most of the time he played a nonchalant flirt, but sometimes he'd open up, and we'd get a glimpse of who he might be under his charade. He's interesting, that's for sure. I'm very curious to see how everything unfolds.
I loved the atmospheric setting. The way everything was described. The spontaneous inclusion of multiple languages gave a bit of authenticity. Spanish, especially, was very neatly woven into the text and I really appreciated it (my 4 years of Spanish finally paid off). I think the little occasional illustrations are neat too.
The story was fun, with a fair share of plot twists that were nicely foreshadowed. There weren't a whole lot of fantasy elements—that didn't bother me, I eat up this type of historical fiction—just magic, which I wish we'd been told more of.
And lastly, what an audacious cliffhanger.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Writing: 9/10
Score: 4.25
Inez's world is turned upside down when she receives a letter from her uncle informing her that her parents, who would abandon her for Egypt for entire months every year, had passed away. She decides to leave Argentina and find out the truth about what happened to them. Her loneliness and resentment are impactful, and I liked the way it was portrayed. Inez, although resourceful, was defiant and stubborn—which I liked about her—too trusting and jumped to conclusions too quickly. Her antics, especially at the beginning, were quite entertaining. Upon her arrival, she is met by Whit, a man employed by her uncle and becomes his problem. She keeps disobeying, running away, and driving him crazy. I enjoyed the banter that they kept going throughout the book.
Along the way, our dear mc develops her first crush, and having never spent much time around men, she does not know how to act. As the story progresses, she gets a little pushy and acts upon the attraction. It was giving me secondhand embarrassment. Please let the guy deal with his inner demons and stop throwing yourself at him. Luckily, their situationship becomes more natural towards the end.
There are a few clichés that romance enjoyers will probably eat up, as well as descriptions of appearances and clothing in a very Wattpad fashion (not my favourite). Whit's sharp jawline was mentioned a few too many times for my taste.
Speaking of him, he was truly a mystery, and until the end, I did not know what to think about him. Most of the time he played a nonchalant flirt, but sometimes he'd open up, and we'd get a glimpse of who he might be under his charade. He's interesting, that's for sure. I'm very curious to see how everything unfolds.
I loved the atmospheric setting. The way everything was described. The spontaneous inclusion of multiple languages gave a bit of authenticity. Spanish, especially, was very neatly woven into the text and I really appreciated it (my 4 years of Spanish finally paid off). I think the little occasional illustrations are neat too.
The story was fun, with a fair share of plot twists that were nicely foreshadowed. There weren't a whole lot of fantasy elements—that didn't bother me, I eat up this type of historical fiction—just magic, which I wish we'd been told more of.
And lastly, what an audacious cliffhanger.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Red Palace bonus epilogue by June Hur 허주은
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
The Red Palace by June Hur 허주은
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This isn't the type of book I usually read, but despite that, I still enjoyed it. I love a girlboss but sometimes a vulnerable main character is what I need.
This level of romance was perfect. Though I did not appreciate the way the author played with my emotions in the epilogue.
This level of romance was perfect. Though I did not appreciate the way the author played with my emotions in the epilogue.
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
If you don't want to see me complain I suggest you leave lol. Seriously, if you want to know what's also good about this book read a different review.
The review is slightly spoilerish.
Characters: 5/10
Enjoyment: 5/10
Plot: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Writing: 8/10
I'd been following the author since before she got her book deal because the premise sounded up my alley. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the execution. If I weren't buddy reading this, which made the experience more fun, I probably would have dnf'd it.
I'll start with the good: I always enjoy different cultures and when worlds include elements from them.
Now, I don't hate this book, and it's not the worst I've ever read; it just wasn't up to my standards for an adult fantasy and nothing about it satisfied me. The Jasad Heir felt more like a YA book. The only instances where that wasn't the case were one heated scene and random violent actions sprinkled throughout.
The worldbuilding didn't give me a clear picture and was pretty vague. I imagine the final version will have a map; it would have been of great help. I kept getting lost. For a book advertised as a political fantasy, the politics and worldbuilding lack depth. The plot and pacing were all over the place. The second half of the book was dragging, and it felt like nothing was happening for too long.
The tournament the main character, Sylvia, is forced to participate in happens in the last 30% of the book, and as you can imagine, that part wasn't very thorough. Though at that point I was struggling and didn't even care anymore.
The author marketed The Jasad Heir mostly for the romance, which did not land for me either. I think she focused too much on the enemies-to-lovers trope and was just building around that, neglecting the other aspects that I would have preferred to see explored deeper. The enemies-to-lovers arc wasn't even consistent either. Sylvia and Arin were having moments out of seemingly nowhere too early into the book, and then whatever they had was nowhere to be seen until near the end.
The harm Nizahl and its heir Arin caused is just forgotten. The author tries so hard to paint Arin as a good guy in order to establish a romance, while his actions and beliefs contradict that. Being kind to Sylvia on random occasions doesn't count. Instead of trying to resolve the conflicts or maybe having Arin reject the oppressive system he's contributing to, it is just brushed aside. Sylvia even praises him and says he'll be a good supreme leader. It just didn't make sense to me. How do you get from being literally pinned to a tree with knives to being in love with him, all while being forced to participate in some tournament to help him persecute your people while he's holding your friends hostage?
But do not misunderstand; while Sylvia's and Arin's relationship does overshadow the political conflicts, this isn't a spicy book. I wouldn’t even say there was a whole lot of romance, either. I was missing friendships or just anything that wasn't Sylvia and Arin. Her relationship with Marek and Sefa, who are her closest friends, isn't as important as I wish it were. It is shown that she cares for them, but they're mostly just used by Arin to manipulate her. Everyone else is just a minor side character.
The names were throwing me off. Let's ignore the fact that there are guys named Felix and Caleb. The name-dropping of people and places confused me so much. In hindsight, they might have been briefly mentioned previously, but I think some names just appeared without an introduction. Other information is also dumped all over the place with little explanation.
I didn't love any of the characters. Sylvia was clearly the author's favourite; arrogant, strong, skilled, and very badass. She didn't make many smart choices, which makes me question how on earth she stayed undetected through the years. Arin was the more interesting of the two. though he was also quite overpowering. I'm a bit tired of exceptional characters. I wish we had more insight into his character. I found his povs completely unnecessary. There were three short ones that only existed to forward the story while Sylvia was passed out.
If you don't mind nonsensical romance and vague worldbuilding, and are just interested in a fantasy with Egyptian influences and quite straightforward politics, then you may enjoy The Jasad Heir.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The review is slightly spoilerish.
Characters: 5/10
Enjoyment: 5/10
Plot: 7/10
Worldbuilding: 6/10
Writing: 8/10
I'd been following the author since before she got her book deal because the premise sounded up my alley. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the execution. If I weren't buddy reading this, which made the experience more fun, I probably would have dnf'd it.
I'll start with the good: I always enjoy different cultures and when worlds include elements from them.
Now, I don't hate this book, and it's not the worst I've ever read; it just wasn't up to my standards for an adult fantasy and nothing about it satisfied me. The Jasad Heir felt more like a YA book. The only instances where that wasn't the case were one heated scene and random violent actions sprinkled throughout.
The worldbuilding didn't give me a clear picture and was pretty vague. I imagine the final version will have a map; it would have been of great help. I kept getting lost. For a book advertised as a political fantasy, the politics and worldbuilding lack depth. The plot and pacing were all over the place. The second half of the book was dragging, and it felt like nothing was happening for too long.
The tournament the main character, Sylvia, is forced to participate in happens in the last 30% of the book, and as you can imagine, that part wasn't very thorough. Though at that point I was struggling and didn't even care anymore.
The author marketed The Jasad Heir mostly for the romance, which did not land for me either. I think she focused too much on the enemies-to-lovers trope and was just building around that, neglecting the other aspects that I would have preferred to see explored deeper. The enemies-to-lovers arc wasn't even consistent either. Sylvia and Arin were having moments out of seemingly nowhere too early into the book, and then whatever they had was nowhere to be seen until near the end.
The harm Nizahl and its heir Arin caused is just forgotten. The author tries so hard to paint Arin as a good guy in order to establish a romance, while his actions and beliefs contradict that. Being kind to Sylvia on random occasions doesn't count. Instead of trying to resolve the conflicts or maybe having Arin reject the oppressive system he's contributing to, it is just brushed aside. Sylvia even praises him and says he'll be a good supreme leader. It just didn't make sense to me. How do you get from being literally pinned to a tree with knives to being in love with him, all while being forced to participate in some tournament to help him persecute your people while he's holding your friends hostage?
But do not misunderstand; while Sylvia's and Arin's relationship does overshadow the political conflicts, this isn't a spicy book. I wouldn’t even say there was a whole lot of romance, either. I was missing friendships or just anything that wasn't Sylvia and Arin. Her relationship with Marek and Sefa, who are her closest friends, isn't as important as I wish it were. It is shown that she cares for them, but they're mostly just used by Arin to manipulate her. Everyone else is just a minor side character.
The names were throwing me off. Let's ignore the fact that there are guys named Felix and Caleb. The name-dropping of people and places confused me so much. In hindsight, they might have been briefly mentioned previously, but I think some names just appeared without an introduction. Other information is also dumped all over the place with little explanation.
I didn't love any of the characters. Sylvia was clearly the author's favourite; arrogant, strong, skilled, and very badass. She didn't make many smart choices, which makes me question how on earth she stayed undetected through the years. Arin was the more interesting of the two. though he was also quite overpowering. I'm a bit tired of exceptional characters. I wish we had more insight into his character. I found his povs completely unnecessary. There were three short ones that only existed to forward the story while Sylvia was passed out.
If you don't mind nonsensical romance and vague worldbuilding, and are just interested in a fantasy with Egyptian influences and quite straightforward politics, then you may enjoy The Jasad Heir.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Heroes of the Empire Book 1: The Cavalier by Israh Azizi
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Characters: 8.5/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Plot: 10/10
Worldbuilding: 8.5/10
Writing: 10/10
I feel like it's been a while since I've been able to truly just enjoy a book. Lately, none had been able to distract me enough to not scrutinise their flaws. Early on, I was a bit bothered by the repetitive use of names. I do not need to be reminded every 2nd sentence what the character's name is. But I quickly managed to immerse myself in the story.
The Cavalier is a young adult fantasy, but I loved how well it dealt with nuanced politics which was also something I'd also been missing. We get to see multiple perspectives on the current state of society from two main opposing sides, from royalty to common folk. I enjoyed the interrogation of morality. When characters start to question whether what they're doing is actually the right thing. Which is actually the “good” side? Of course both sides think it's their opponent, but as a reader, I couldn't just easily point it out. There was no clear villain.
The characters made me so conflicted. I wanted to root for most of them, but their paths would lead to them hurting each other and I didn't want the casualties on either side. Some others did bad things which made me want to hate them but they weren't inherently bad people, so I couldn't.
I am often let down by the lack of characterisation which was not the case this time. I adored the relationship Natassa had with her brother Thorsen. Meaningful and strong relationships are always something I enjoy. Platonic and familiar aren't any less important than romantic and need to be properly developed.
There are some romantic tensions between a few characters but I wouldn't even call them subplots as they are quite minor. I don't mind a romantic subplot, but I'm getting tired of the hyper-focus on romance. This is purely heavy fantasy with high stakes, lots of action, plot twists, political intrigue, a war brewing, betrayal, friendships, and family. I could not get over the people abruptly dying lol.
I do believe there will be romance in further instalments though. I just love that it wasn't shoved down my throat at the first opportunity.
The Cavalier takes medieval aesthetics with knights, princesses, and castles and puts it in a brand new world (the shape reminds me of France connected to Spain with the UK at the north though hehe) however It didn't feel like a typical medieval world. That's probably because some parts are inspired by cultures outside Central Europe. At least that's what I'm assuming since they are mostly just mentioned. I mean, there are many kingdoms and lands which probably aren't all the same? I have not really pinpointed what kind of people live where yet.
Now, here's my main critique. Naming a part The Savagelands and its inhabitants Savagelanders doesn't seem like a good idea at all. Especially if they're different people.
Other than that, the worldbuilding was complex and expansive, just the way I like it. And at the beginning, there is also quite a long character and pronunciation guide to help you out.
Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Firetongue Heir by Elyse Thompson
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Help why is the prequel done better than the actual story. I don't even know why I went to read it since I didn't really like Poisoned empire.
Darius was not a well-loved prince. Being the youngest son of a despised tyrant
The woman he's in love with wishes to become an empress so he goes to conquer all the kingdoms of Lethe.
Here's the thing, while to Darius it was just playing the role of the tyrant, other people were actually affected. So it wasn't just pretend. He became a tyrannical ruler. But it's OK because he's actually kind hearted.
Darius was not a well-loved prince. Being the youngest son of a despised tyrant
The woman he's in love with wishes to become an empress so he goes to conquer all the kingdoms of Lethe.
Here's the thing, while to Darius it was just playing the role of the tyrant, other people were actually affected. So it wasn't just pretend. He became a tyrannical ruler. But it's OK because he's actually kind hearted.
The Priest and the Shepherd by Chloe Gong
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia
dark
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0