jaduhluhdabooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Colonisation, Addiction, Abandonment, Torture, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, and Grief
kingspite618's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow. I have no words to describe what this book means to me. Seriously. I am at a loss for words. It's the first time I read it, and it's very Very probably going to become one of my favorite books/series ever. I can feel it. It's making me go completely INSANE and DERANGED and LOSE MY ENTIRE MIND!!!! BECAUSE. IT'S. JUST. SO!!! PERFECT!!!!!!!! SXJSOXBSKXNQOXBQOZBQOXBWICBSOXBWIXNWOXNWKFBWKXJWLXKQODJQOSK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE THEMES OF THE EXTREMES OF MORALITY, OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANITY AND INHUMANITY AND THE DIVINE, OF DEVOTION LINKED TO LOVE!!!! THE THEMES OF RAGE AND HATRED BEING BORN FROM LOVE!!! THE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOTH EMOTIONS AND THE WAY THEY BOTH DRIVE THE MC!!! THE SYMBOLISM!!!! THE WORLDBUILDING!!!! THE PLOT AND THE THE CHARACTERS!!!! *THE CHARACTERS!!!!!!!* THE CHARACTER DYNAMICS??!?!? THE PARALLELS BETWEEN ALTAN AND RIN'S CHARACTER AND THE RAGE THAT DRIVES THEM!!!! THE FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN RIN AND KITAY!!! (purely platonic relationships are My Absolute Favorite and rarely seen in YA fantasy, I believe. As an aromantic-spec person who's not the greatest fan of romance it's SOOOO refreshing to see that the first character the female mc feels close to is a boy that she has a purely platonic relationship with and it never evolves into romance. and said character (Kitay) is not casted aside, but remains one of the mcs and he influences the mc's decisions greatly because they care about each other because they're bffs and DPXNSKXNDKFKDKFJWLDNWIFNSOFNDKFNDKDK. THEY MAKE ME BEYOND DERANGED).
ALSO!!!! JIANG IS SO COOL TOO!! AND NEZHA!!! AND FANG FUCKING RUNIN!!!!!?!?!?!?! I LOVE THEM ALL SO SO SO SOOOOOMUCH SKCJDKXJDKX!!!!!!
Seriously though. I've never felt such a connection to ANY other mc, (and characters, in general), since forever. It has been a long while since a character has made me so SO I N S A N E and Chronically Deranged as Rin (and Altan) does (probably since I met Maven from Red Queen). Her character arc is and one of the most impressive ones I've ever seen in any work of fiction yet. And it's only the first book :|
I sometimes couldn't completely understand her motivations, or the way she changes opinions rather quickly sometimes. But I could always get behind her reasoning, and I guess the sudden and extreme mood changes are due to the fact that she's living in an extreme situation, such as a war. Also, since she's an unreliable narrator, I LOVED the way she greatly influences the way the reader perceives the other characters (and all of her world). I can understand that she might not be likable to some, but I wouldn't argue that she isn't an INCREDIBLY well written character!!!
SHE MAKES ME SOOOOOOOOOO BEYOND INSANE IT'S CRAZY. NO ONE COMPARES TO FANG RIN. NO ONE EVEN COMES C L O S E. MI REINA <3333
Aside from that, and moving on to more serious matters. I've never seen someone in YA fantasy before deal with topics as sensitive as war, (and other atrocities), with as much finesse and feel as R. F. Kuang, while simultaneously exposing the horrors of it all in the crudest way possible. idk but that balance seems completely deliberate and perfect to get across the message of the book - I don't know why but it felt completely different (and much, much better written) from any other (recent) YA fantasy book I've read until now. Her approach to these topics felt more real, more verisimilar and somehow more... respectful? both to the experiences of irl victims of these atrocities and to the readers. I have no idea if this even makes sense😭 but idk how else to word it, i just liked it so much.
(I want to add that this is just my opinion as someone who has never experienced any of the topics she writes about (mentioned before). Of course, a person who actually relates to them might have a very different and more valid opinion - I just wanted to share my thoughts anyway, but I thought it was important to mention this too).
Also, I wanted to add here that the theme of dehumanization of the enemy in times of war was so interesting and well-written, as tragic and fucked up as the parallels are
That's on positive aspects.
On negative aspects, I felt like the pacing was a little too fast (4 whole years go by within the same book), and as a slow-paced books-lover, I sometimes would've wished that things happened more slowly. On the other hand, some chapters were a little hard to go through exactly because of this, because it seemed like not much of anything was going on. Despite this, the story was still immensely enjoyable, and the resolution for it was SO. GOOD. that it's worth reading through the whole book.
I just feel like this book caters specifically to my personal tastes in types of characters, themes, plotlines, worldbuilding, tropes etc... on such a scale that it's unimaginable. Like I would've never expected to like a book (ANY book) as much as I liked this???? AND AS AN ASPIRING AUTHOR IT WAS SO INSPIRING TOO OMG?!?!?!?!???? it's going to be on my top 3 favorite series of all time list FOR SURE. 2947293810191018492 STARS OUT OF 5
R. F. KUANG THE WRITER THAT YOU AREEE
THE THEMES OF THE EXTREMES OF MORALITY, OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANITY AND INHUMANITY AND THE DIVINE, OF DEVOTION LINKED TO LOVE!!!! THE THEMES OF RAGE AND HATRED BEING BORN FROM LOVE!!! THE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BOTH EMOTIONS AND THE WAY THEY BOTH DRIVE THE MC!!! THE SYMBOLISM!!!! THE WORLDBUILDING!!!! THE PLOT AND THE
Spoiler
(SORT OF) PLOTWIST AT THE END!!!!ALSO!!!! JIANG IS SO COOL TOO!! AND NEZHA!!! AND FANG FUCKING RUNIN!!!!!?!?!?!?! I LOVE THEM ALL SO SO SO SOOOOOMUCH SKCJDKXJDKX!!!!!!
Seriously though. I've never felt such a connection to ANY other mc, (and characters, in general), since forever. It has been a long while since a character has made me so SO I N S A N E and Chronically Deranged as Rin (and Altan) does (probably since I met Maven from Red Queen). Her character arc is
Spoiler
on a Eren Jaeger-levelI sometimes couldn't completely understand her motivations, or the way she changes opinions rather quickly sometimes. But I could always get behind her reasoning, and I guess the sudden and extreme mood changes are due to the fact that she's living in an extreme situation, such as a war. Also, since she's an unreliable narrator, I LOVED the way she greatly influences the way the reader perceives the other characters (and all of her world). I can understand that she might not be likable to some, but I wouldn't argue that she isn't an INCREDIBLY well written character!!!
SHE MAKES ME SOOOOOOOOOO BEYOND INSANE IT'S CRAZY. NO ONE COMPARES TO FANG RIN. NO ONE EVEN COMES C L O S E. MI REINA <3333
Aside from that, and moving on to more serious matters. I've never seen someone in YA fantasy before deal with topics as sensitive as war,
Spoiler
g*nocide, and r*pe(I want to add that this is just my opinion as someone who has never experienced any of the topics she writes about (mentioned before). Of course, a person who actually relates to them might have a very different and more valid opinion - I just wanted to share my thoughts anyway, but I thought it was important to mention this too).
Also, I wanted to add here that the theme of dehumanization of the enemy in times of war was so interesting and well-written, as tragic and fucked up as the parallels are
Spoiler
(Rin at the end of the story dehumanizing her "enemies" and the Federation like the Nikara were dehumanized.That's on positive aspects.
On negative aspects, I felt like the pacing was a little too fast (4 whole years go by within the same book), and as a slow-paced books-lover, I sometimes would've wished that things happened more slowly. On the other hand, some chapters were a little hard to go through exactly because of this, because it seemed like not much of anything was going on. Despite this, the story was still immensely enjoyable, and the resolution for it was SO. GOOD. that it's worth reading through the whole book.
I just feel like this book caters specifically to my personal tastes in types of characters, themes, plotlines, worldbuilding, tropes etc... on such a scale that it's unimaginable. Like I would've never expected to like a book (ANY book) as much as I liked this???? AND AS AN ASPIRING AUTHOR IT WAS SO INSPIRING TOO OMG?!?!?!?!???? it's going to be on my top 3 favorite series of all time list FOR SURE. 2947293810191018492 STARS OUT OF 5
R. F. KUANG THE WRITER THAT YOU AREEE
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Grief, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, Death, Gore, Murder, Torture, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
finn_1312's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Confinement, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Rape
Moderate: Self harm, Eating disorder, Excrement, Vomit, Sexual content, and Animal death
historical fantasy, informative, challenging,aubreyprobably's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
If there was one thing written well was the passage of time. For a story that tales place over years it truly made the story feel years long not just bits and pieces of those years. However, I personally could never understand Rin and her motivations. Not even a matter of her being good or evil or whatever, I just don't understand what REALLY drove her and therefore made a boom almost entirely from her POV pretty hard to enjoy for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Addiction, Torture, Murder, and Rape
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
teresaelj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
This book is incredibly well written but it is also one of the darkest fantasy’s I’ve ever read. It’s addicting to read and filled with what it truly means to be great and terrible; it does not shy away from the horrors of war and the horrible choices that we sometimes think are right. It is hard to get through chapters at times and sometimes hard to truly connect with our characters but it is also a story I have never read and characters that are incredibly human. You definitely need to read something more lighthearted after this. I appreciate the one sentiment we get to at the end
Spoiler
that all of our choices are our own. There is no thing as destiny.Spoiler
This story is also such a departure from romantic fantasies that I tend to love. This a political war fantasy at its core with a young girl who is discovering who she is and the sacrifices she will make for those she loves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Torture, War, Drug use, Death, and Rape
melizzya's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I wanted to love this book and I did, with a small exception. I appreciated its social critique and historical inspiration from the second Sino-Japanese war and even did some additional research to verify the real events and their historical context. If you are interested, I highly recommend reading readbytiffany's blogpost about The Poppy War.
The narrative doesn't shy away from harsh realities, particularly the parallel to the Rape of Nanjing in Chapter 21. This section was especially difficult to digest due to its graphic depiction of war crimes, making me wish I could have skipped it. However, it did contribute to Rin's character development, and helped me better understand her character arc, so I didn't find it completely unnecessary.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect deeply with most characters, except for Rin, and I hope they'll develop further in the second part. Despite this, I couldn't put the book down and loved the blend of history, shamanism, and ancient gods. It is not an easy read, definitely not for the faint hearted but I still recommend giving it a try.
The narrative doesn't shy away from harsh realities, particularly the parallel to the Rape of Nanjing in Chapter 21. This section was especially difficult to digest due to its graphic depiction of war crimes, making me wish I could have skipped it. However, it did contribute to Rin's character development, and helped me better understand her character arc, so I didn't find it completely unnecessary.
Unfortunately, I didn't connect deeply with most characters, except for Rin, and I hope they'll develop further in the second part. Despite this, I couldn't put the book down and loved the blend of history, shamanism, and ancient gods. It is not an easy read, definitely not for the faint hearted but I still recommend giving it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Genocide, War, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Rape and Self harm
dragonflieshearts's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
tense
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Torture, War, Xenophobia, Addiction, Violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Drug use, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Rape, Islamophobia, Gore, Colonisation, Child death, and Body horror
namjin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Misogyny, and Vomit
This book contains the most detailed descriptions of brutal killings, torture and rape I have ever seen. Please exercise caution. Personally it came as a surprise, so be aware of that.lilureads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
That was intense
The first part was definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed Rin’s character and her arc, even though I have a hard time with morally gray characters.
Huge TW for anything violence related, I had a hard time getting through some parts because of that.
In more lighthearted news: Kitayyyyyy 🫶🫶🫶 love him dearly
The first part was definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed Rin’s character and her arc, even though I have a hard time with morally gray characters.
Huge TW for anything violence related, I had a hard time getting through some parts because of that.
In more lighthearted news: Kitayyyyyy 🫶🫶🫶 love him dearly
Spoiler
Also the scene at the beginning of part 2 where Rin and Nezha fight together? That was so epic
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Genocide, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Vomit, Xenophobia, Blood, War, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse
atomicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Animal death, Drug abuse, Death, Classism, Body horror, Blood, Infertility, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail