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

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. 
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