The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

by R.F. Kuang

[leahrosereads]

There are so many reviews that will be more eloquent and better thought out than what this mess is about to be, that I recommend just checking out ANYONE else's review. At the end of the day, I'm a one taker who just likes to pour my thoughts out to look back on, and that's about to happen.

THE POPPY WAR is what I hope to read every time I enter a book's world. I wish for fantastically developed characters and intricate worlds to escape into, even if the world isn't exactly a wondrous place. That's The Poppy War.

When we're first introduced to Rin, she's this tenacious teen hell bent on creating a better life for herself. This isn't the typical Chosen One trope. Everything Rin accomplishes is from incredibly hard work (sometimes to the point of abusing herself) and her desire to absolutely NOT be stuck in a life as an orphan war child. She's ruthless and fearless and refuses to give up. She's one of the strongest female characters I've ever read to such an extreme level, I know that there will be some readers who don't agree with her choices. But they're hers. A young woman who knows that if she doesn't succeed here, her life and dreams and hopes will be over.

War is a better path. And that's one of the most tragic thoughts I think I've ever read in a story. Rin chooses a life of war over an arranged marriage.

I genuinely had a lot of respect for every character introduced here to some extent. Rin's teachers are training generals and have a lot on the line, especially with how volatile this world is. Her peers are her competition and see her as a quota that the school has to fill. Of course, Rin shows those fuckers.

And that's just the first part. The rest of the novel has Rin in WAR. And the brutality that comes along with it is written in such details that every horrific act is described explicitly and in uncomfortable details. But that's the point. War isn't a comfortable topic, and it shouldn't be glossed over to keep the reader's mind at ease. You should be just as horrified with what's happening as the MC. And that happens here. So while I was at times uncomfortable by what I was reading, I appreciated RF Kuang for going there and being as ruthless in her descriptions as war is on the world.

This is a fantastic story, and RF Kuang has herself a devoted reader in me. I'm anticipating the next part of this trilogy to be just as gruesome and hard hitting, but I definitely think it's necessary for the topic.