From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge…

The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

R.F. Kuang

Start date: February 11, 2020

Finish date: March 13, 2020

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What Members Thought

Jan 26, 2022 Nadine in NY Jones marked it as nope

I took a look at a sample from this and no way do I want to read this kind of overwrought writing. Not for me.

3 likes · Like · see review

Mar 19, 2024 Jaime rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: poc-author, fantasy-historical, china, war, 52-book-club-2024, around-the-year-2024, read-2024, characters-of-color

Unfortunately, this was not my cup of tea.

I had high hopes for the story. I really enjoyed the first part, with Rin overcoming the obstacles put in her way and being successful at Sinegard. But then things start to go downhill. War breaks out, and Rin is given very little choice about where she ends up or who she ends up working with.

One thing I struggled with was the pacing. Her first year at Sinegard was interesting; her second year was not. Things get interesting again once the war gets start ...more

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Apr 11, 2021 Loretta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, sci-fi-and-fantasy

This was very good - lived up to the hype and a very nice antidote to my last fantasy/scifi read. Strong, complex characters, a vivid pantheon of mystical beings, non-ridiculous references to meditation, and most of all: a really good look at the intractable and inevitable complexity and violence of war, race, colonization and empire. Definitely continuing on with the series.

Did the audiobook and, as always, Emily Woo Zeller is fantastic.

ETA: wow I have a short memory. I started the second book ...more

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Apr 05, 2021 Roman Colombo rated it really liked it

So, this book started with a very YA feeling. Even Middle Grade. But as it progressed and the character's age progressed, Kaung's writing changed with it. By the end, the scenes are just harrowing. However, there is one scene early on, when Rin is still a pre-teen, that is one of the most unsettling things I've ever read. I won't say what it is here, but if you need to know, look around the googles.

And for those reasons, I don't think this should be considered YA at all. Just because it stars a ...more

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