Kuang writes well but this was a grueling book

Kuang does a great job of pulling in history, citing philosophy, and best of all exploring spirituality. Her comment that “if you were in Rin’s shoes is it possible you would make the same choices?” I love the book and highly recommend but feel as though some more romance and comedy (which we got between Jiang and Rin) would make it more well rounded.

Exactly what the title says. Run becomes altruistic at will push to win the war by any means necessary

Amazing from beginning to end! Never been captured by a book just by reading the first chapter! I even went back to read past chapters just to get goosebumps again!

The lore was probably my favorite aspect of the story—I'm simple-minded that way. Watching Rin undergo her training, witnessing her growth, and learning to harness her gifts was captivating. She's the classic underprivileged character who thrives in a privileged society. She's not the best in her class, but—well, you get the idea, and so did author R.F. Kuang. Rin's character arc was straightforward, yet her development felt refreshing. It's not often that we see a protagonist driven by greed and a thirst for power. There was a wonderfully in-depth exploration of the world of the gods, the Pantheon, and what the gods want, or in this case, what they don't want. Of course, Rin needed this power to help win a war. Kuang was unflinching in her depiction of the consequences of war and how conquerors view the conquered: "...if your opponent was not human, if your opponent was a cockroach, what did it matter how many of them you killed? What was the difference between crushing an ant and setting an anthill on fire?" [The Poppy War, R. F. Kuang] The only issues I had were that I would have liked to have seen more of Rin's life outside school. We're told that Rin was raised by some cruel people, but unfortunately, we only get a glimpse of this, and it's mostly forgettable. The same happens with her younger brother—she reflects on him, but the emotional connection isn't fully developed. The side characters needed more depth; they came across as two-dimensional, which didn't engage us in their fates. I loved the passage of time in this story. We don't always need our hands held through lengthy training montages, so that was a plus. There were some very dark, morbid events, some revealed by a former classmate of Rin's. These revelations motivated Rin more than anything else and the impact was plausible, considering she was the only woman to express what she had endured. Kuang provided a "boots on the ground" feel with a character who was fantastical. On a side note, 'The Poppy War' made me wonder... what if Naruto existed in the world of X-Men? I think this is a strong opening novel for a series.

Spoiler alert: I loved his novel wholeheartedly, I hear the next books only get better. Still on the first few pages of the second book, i just needed to get this down. Rin’s story is captivating and grueling. Rooted in so much history and struggle; it’s easy to see where the historical influence came in during the creation of the story. The disturbing details and descriptions of a relentless war against a major enemy reflect the horrors of the Japanese occupation during WW2. This story is told in such a morbid and beautiful manner that it’s hard to look away. All the tiny flaws can be overlooked in favor of the marvelous characterization. Altan and Rin felt so genuinely passionate as characters, i felt myself feeling the anger they felt. By the end of the book you’ll realize what war and desperation do to a young fragile mind. Rin can be argued to be a fragile person at heart, doing drastic things just to put an end to her suffering. Her final act in this novel only serves to prove this point. It is because of her actions that I truly fell in love with this character. Not that I agree with her, but that through RFKuang’s writing, I could empathize with someone who had destroyed an entire country of innocent people. In the midst of tragedy and war, would you still be compassionate?

This is the first fantasy book to have me hooked from the first chapter, I loved this book so much. I was so fascinated with the main character Rin and her story. I was definitely emotional during some parts for sure! It gets dark and very real towards the end which just adds to the intensity of the story. I loved it so much and I’m excited to read book 2.

Regardless of your beliefs in eastern or western culture - the discussion on free will is on fascinating display with some fun personalities and strong heroin at the center.

loved this book and was captivated throughout its entirety :) there were some slight issues with pacing that other reviews talk about as well, but that shouldn’t deter you from reading this book because it’s genuinely amazing. The violent scenes that come in the later chapters were not there solely for shock factor or anything either, as they were all portrayals of real war crimes that occurred in China during the Second Sino-Japanese war. There were also a lot of cultural “Easter eggs” that I loved (as a Chinese person) coming across as I read, since I understood their origin :)

The story of Rin and how great the author enchants you with her story is an amazing book you will not be able to stop reading!