The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

by R.F. Kuang

I did not have high expectations going into this book. I couldn't have been more wrong. I adore this book. There were definitely no perfect characters, there was a 'magic' school, and the stakes were probably higher than any other book I have ever read.

It was new for me to see so many timejumps in a book. Personally, I liked this aspect of the book, but it had the downside that we did not really see Rin evolve as a character. We always just had to accept who she was, because people change a lot during these years, 16 to... 19? 21? I'm not sure. I did not mind it for a second, and I actually enjoyed it. However, it also meant that it is very action packed and some events could have used some more buildup or more explanation. It seemed like the book jumped from one event to another, which is probably something that does not work for everyone.
The shamanism was confusing in the beginning. It took me a long while to figure out exactly how it worked. However, it was explained well and I liked how using magic either drove you insane or addicted to drugs.

A lot of people have a problem with the way Rin handled her period. Personally, I believe that it was very much a thing that her character would do without thinking too much about it. She had dedicated her whole life for being at that school, no way she would ever let anything stand in her way. Yes, it ruined the representation of periods of strong women, but we don't need a representation of everything in every single book. Also, Rin is a very flawed character, I don't think I ever agreed with her choices and I was constantly thinking that she should stop acting so stupid. It is understandable why she acts this way and it is very much in her personality to do these things, but they definitely don't make for a perfect person. However, I do not agree that removing her womb is a plot device such that she is the last Speerly. To be honest, does anyone really care?

In the end, I can only conclude that this was a very dark fantasy novel with gruesome depictions of the aftermath of war. It is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It made the book very realistic, but also awful when you realize that these things happened in real life as well. It is based on truths and the author did her research very well. I highly praise it, but this book is definitely not suited for everyone.