A review by elwirax
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

They were monsters!" Rin shrieked. "They were not human!" 

"Have you ever considered" he said slowly "that that was exactly what they thought of us?


War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains.


I know this book heavily draws on real historical events such as the Nanjing Massacre. By 'heavily draws' I mean, it is completely lifted from history and placed in a fantasty element. Therefore, it was very hard for me to reconcile these atrocities with a plot following drug-addled teenagers who made poor decisions. I understand they are meant to symbolise the fighting spirit of those who suffered and their deep resentment of those responsible for war crimes. However, the way this characterisation was portrayed just didn't work with the overall conflicts of the book nor did the real suffering of individuals any justice. I am aware this is not a history book but if you are to directly lift from history, it has to be done with a certain sensitivity and caution. 

Aside from this, the pacing was awful and the jump from the slow (and arguably better) Part I to Part II was shocking to say the least. There was no real build up to the war described in Part II and really all the lessons the reader sat through in Part I were just an excuse for worldbuilding info dumping. 

All the characters were deeply unlikeable and due to the considerable focus on world building, they felt undeveloped. I found it hard to care for their motives or their reasonings for committing atrocities themselves. 

There was some good philosophical commentary but a lot of it was lost on the actual plot. In general, the writing didn't do much for me and I found the the use of phrases like 'tiger's tits' and 'great tortoise' quite juvenile (but that is really a nitpick). 

Overall, unfortunately not my favourite. There were some interesting mythological elements and interesting themes (the horrors of war and addiction etc) but nothing else really worked for me. I have no intention to pick up the other books in this trilogy.
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