Okay, we need to talk about the latest book I read. This book is a viral book and lots of people in the book community have been raving about it. My favourite BookTuber says this book is one of her top books of all time and that she absolutely loves this trilogy. So you’re probably wondering – what did I think? Do I agree with the hype, or was it over-hyped for me? Let me try to explain my thoughts and feelings and review of The Poppy War.
Summary of The Poppy War
So, The Poppy War is the first book of a trilogy written by R.F Kuang. This trilogy is a historical fantasy based on Chinese history. In the first book we follow Rin as she tries to change her fate from being married to someone she doesn’t want to marry and become a soldier. Against all odds she makes it into the most prominent school for training soldiers. But things are not what she expects as she is an outsider. The school is filled with rich kids who have been studying and training all their lives for this. But things take a turn when the country plunges into a war before they were ready.
War is Ugly
Rin joins the war in a group that doesn’t fit in because they’re different. She realises quite quickly that she really didn’t know what she was getting into. And, with a new discovery on who she is, she is trying to wrap her head around that as well.
What I Liked
Let’s see. There were some side characters that I really loved. The story is captivating and does leave you wanting more. It was really well written and the scenes were so powerful. The heaviness of war was really poured into this writing and the emotions were raw and real. And I’ll say that The Poppy War doesn’t shy away from the weight of war. There was a character that I actually respected more as the story went on when he was written originally to be a disliked character. But I can’t go into that without spoiling the book for anyone who has not read this and wants to.
The Downside of The Poppy War
I hated Rin. I’m sorry if that upsets other Poppy War fans, but I have to be honest in my reviews. I couldn’t stand her. She was annoying and selfish, and sometimes came across as whiny. Her loyalties seemed to be all over the map and the decisions she made – I wanted to smack her upside the head. I really disliked her. Hopefully she has more growth in the rest of the trilogy, but she almost ruined the whole book for me. This next one is a personal thing. When there are dark themes and they go into detail about atrocities done to children and babies, I tune out. It’s a step too far for me.
My Rating and Final Thoughts
I gave The Poppy War a 4 star rating on Goodreads but it’s probably more of a 3.75 for me. While reading this book there were times I thought I was going to be one of the rare people who disliked this book. But other than the main character, the book wasn’t too bad. It didn’t put me off the rest of the trilogy. I don’t crave the next book right away, but I’ll pick one up if a prompt comes up for it. Honestly, I don’t have many other thoughts. I didn’t adore this book like others, but I didn’t dislike it. It was good.
Next Reads
So, I am currently reading two books from my May TBR picks. You’re probably wondering why I’m reading two at a time. Because one of them will take me a good portion of the month to read. Those who read my TBR picks for May blog know that I picked The Count of Monte Cristo as one of the books I’ll be reading. For anyone who has read it, you understand. For those of you who haven’t, it’s a thick book. The physical book is almost 1300 pages. However, I got this on ebook from the library and it’s over 3000 pages! If I don’t read a second book at the same time I don’t have a chance of finishing my TBR list. And I am determined to read all the books on my May picks list.
Won’t Give Up
I’m excited to see what happens this month and I’m determined to read 50 books this year. I once had this goal to keep pace with my favourite booktuber this year. Ha! That’s a laugh. She is over halfway to her goal of 100 reads. I don’t stand a chance. But reading and reviewing books is basically her full time job. So she has more time than me to read. But, I won’t give up. So, if I read all 5 books on my May TBR, I will be stoked. And we know that anything can happen if I try.
