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The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

R.F. Kuang

Start date: March 21, 2021

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The Poppy War

The Poppy War *Completed*
By Skye · 7 posts · 5 views

last updated Apr 03, 2021 06:51PM

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Apr 03, 2021 Skye rated it really liked it

This book was a rather intense read, full of action, war and hateful gods. I honestly wasn’t expecting around a quarter of this book to be set in a school, nor was I expecting the . The pacing was a little difficult to follow. The important parts happened far too fast and the lesser parts were dragged out. The world building was a lot to follow, but it presented an interesting world full of history and politics that felt fleshed out and believable. I would have loved to have learnt more about th This book was a rather intense read, full of action, war and hateful gods. I honestly wasn’t expecting around a quarter of this book to be set in a school, nor was I expecting the . The pacing was a little difficult to follow. The important parts happened far too fast and the lesser parts were dragged out. The world building was a lot to follow, but it presented an interesting world full of history and politics that felt fleshed out and believable. I would have loved to have learnt more about the other gods, in a way that didn’t feel like an information dump (as the history often did).

That being said, It was refreshing to read a fantasy book where the author was not afraid of utilizing gore and getting dark. I was often slightly stunned by the creativity of the author when it came to the descriptions of death... and would suggest therapy but I enjoyed it... so maybe I need it too? This book delved into an array of topics that truly assisted in emphasizing the reality of the world, the war and the conflicts within it.

I know this book is praised by many for the lack of romance but I really missed it. The issue I have with the lack of romance is not that I want to see the characters in relationships or wish for the addition of elements that detract from the overall tone. I just think it was a little unrealistic. Within a book that strives to deal with tough subjects, to show the reality of war and life, pain and growth, it is odd to not see the complexity of relationships beyond that of friendship. I didn’t feel a huge amount of connection to the characters, but the author does a great job of creating morally grey characters that feel somewhat realistic and you can’t fully condemn, despite some of the atrocities that occur within the book.

This book was written really well despite pacing issues. The plot was unique and constantly evolving, setting the stage for the continuation of an epic series. I’m excited to see how the next book unfolds.

Side note: Jiang’s an icon!!! ...more

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Dec 10, 2024 Sarah Poisson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Apr 06, 2021 Blueblubloo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: buy-me-these-books

Apr 04, 2021 Lilyyyy rated it liked it

1 like · Like

Jan 07, 2025 Grace marked it as to-read

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