The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1) | 
pickI loved the first half of the book as Rin goes off to battle school. Showing her in her classes and interacting with fellow students was interesting to me. The second half takes place as everyone goes to war. This is brutal and violent and many people die. We see Rin change dramatically over the course if the book. I can‘t imagine where the story will go from here.
Scavenger hunt: smoke maybe?
#HauntedShelf #RestlessSpirits
pickWow, this book beamed me straight into a dark, brutal yet spiritual and magic world. My highest respect for RF Kuang for telling such a dystopian story at such a young age. Can‘t wait to read more from her 🤩
pickI really love RF Kuang, but this isn't my favorite of hers. It felt a bit too formulaic - sad child works hard gets into elite school, is shunned, but triumphs. This is why I do not read a ton of fantasy while there were some side quests, and I loved the Chinese mythology she was able to weave through everything flushed out exactly as I assumed it would and it left me feeling like the book was good not great.
I still enjoyed her writing.
pickThis has been on my TBR for quite a while, and I finally picked it up on the recommendation of my teen. While it drags a bit in the middle, I did enjoy the connections to Chinese and Japanese history as well as the conflict between the desire for power and revenge and maintaining one's humanity (a theme that seems timeless and especially relevant in the US at the moment, especially the warning against dehumanizing one's opponents).
Reading during my breaks at work- I‘m slightly worried that book one is cruising through the test and school time, makes me wonder what else will fill this 500 page book up🤔
pick#serieslove2025 I am so excited to finally be reading this triology! I loved these characters and woah what a brutal war with hints of fantasy thrown in. Rin‘s only chance of changing her horrible situation is to pass a test to be enrolled in a special military academy. Once there she has to keep her spot and continue to prove herself and her capabilities. War comes too soon and everyone is tested. Can‘t wait to jump into book 2. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
pickI've been absent for a while and need to get caught up on my reviews. I ended 2024 and started 2025 with this trilogy and man oh man did I enjoy it. It was gritty and not happy feel good but it was refreshing to have a fantasy without a feel good hero. But be warned. The emotional whiplash in this story could kill lol.
pickI am still processing this book. I already know that I didn‘t enjoy it as much as ‘Babel‘. However, there is still much to recommend. First, it feels somewhat apropos. Second, the costs of overriding hatred are on full display. Lastly, there are many enjoyable characters.
pickIncredible writing. Author says much is based in factual accounts of China during WWII. Fantasy elements added to the story. Tone started light and descended into horrific. Recommended for those that can handle gruesome scenes. If you‘ve read this, did you read the other parts of the trilogy? How do they compare?
pick
My younger teen is reading a book and drinking tea! He used to be a huge reader, but he's preferred YouTube videos to books for the past couple of years. This spontaneous reading time warms my heart!
pickThe Poppy War by R.F Kuang. 8,5/10 rating
Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
What are you reading?
#boleybooks #thepoppywar #rfkuang #bookbeast #bookbuds #bookchat #libby
It's here & just in time for my bookclub reread. Considered one of Time Magazine's 100 best fantasy books OF ALL TIME & definitely one of my favorites from the last several years. I can't wait to dive into this illustrated edition. Be warned, the book itself is definitely not for the faint of heart.
HAPPY #BOOKSPIN DAY TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!
Honestly the second of the month is my favorite day because I love finding out what the latest bookspin picks are. My picks this month are the tagged and Stranger in a Strange Land which should be interesting. I'm also working on the backlist for the year because I'm a little bit (a lot) behind lol. TOaFK really stalled me but I press on!
so-soAugust 2024 #Book 2
Unpopular opinion but I didn‘t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I even felt uninterested in some parts. I like the world but there is something about the writing style, some annoying characters and I felt story was a little bit dragged🤷🏽♀️But I will try the second book because...yes, I have the other two books😳I want to know how it ends. 3.5⭐️
so-soI loved the first 1/3 of this book. After that, the characters and plot just didn't click for me. I struggled to finish. 3ish ⭐️ I have the next two books in the series, but I'm not sure I will read them.
#SeriesLove2024 @Andrew65
#WeekendReads @rachelsbrittain
Currently working on two books. I plan to start a third today. However, I first need to catch up on my reviews and do my monthly recap.
July #AuthorAMonth #ReadAway2024 #SeriesLove2024 I read Yellowface by this author last year and really didn‘t care for it. I‘m about 1/3 of the way through The Poppy War and it is a much better book. I had planned to listen to the entire trilogy this month but now I have my doubts that I will finish even the first book this month. I became distracted by a re-listen to another series and I really want to binge it.
pickTough one to rate. This started off really strong, maybe a little dry, towards the end it got very gruesome …&so much starts happening, some characters/plot points disappear &return.
I will likely continue the trilogy because I am pretty invested in Rin & where her choices may lead her.
#authoramonth @Soubhiville
I‘ve been slacking on my #authoramonth selection, I have about 150 pages left & I‘m not leaving here till I finish it.
#coverlove #orange Just finished this one last night for #authoramonth Babel is still my favorite for this author, but I had been curious about this one and now I can say I tried! I'm not planning to continue the series, there was more action than I prefer.
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Soubhiville
pickRin, an orphan adopted into a poor family illegally selling opium in a China-like world, tests into a prestigious school for warriors in the capital city. She discovers unusual talents there while facing off against bullies. But when the Federation invades, the students become soldiers. Rin must find her true calling. First in a trilogy, this book has enough of an ending that I‘ll unlikely read further. I liked the story but the more I read, ⬇️
One print book, one audiobook (#AuthorAMonth #AAM), and one ebook (#CampNetGalley #NetGalley #ARC)! I think I'm officially back to reading, after six months of barely reading at all. 😊📚
#WeekendReads @rachelsbrittain
@Soubhiville
My #bookspin is also my #authoramonth pick that I started last night!
My #doublespin is one I've been on hold for a long time through my library consortium, I may have to break down and buy it!
Thanks for hosting @thearomaofbooks
bailedBailing at 80%. Too much brutality and violence.
I haven‘t been around—haven‘t done much reading—the past couple of days as I work to unpack 100+ boxes of books. The process is…a messy one. Excited to start putting my library back together (after a months long renovation project) and even more excited that the tagged book was in one of the boxes I unpacked today. The Poppy War is at the top of my “I want to reread this one” list so finding it is a definite win!
I‘ve been thinking about this all day! I was so excited to come home to open it! Thank you so much @kspenmoll !! Everything is absolutely amazing - I feel so spoiled 😊 I‘ve heard great things about Legend and have been meaning to pick it up. I don‘t know that to do first: read, bake a sweet treat with the cookware or relax with the self care items! Thank you so much for everything! And thank you @KateReadsYA for organizing this!
pickEverything you‘ve heard about this brutal achievement of an epic fantasy is true—it‘s grim, dark, and will leave you gutted. Inspired by the events of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the most ghastly aspects of The Poppy War are horrific because they‘re based in historical truth. Through following Rin from child to student to soldier to shaman, R. F. Kuang graphically demonstrates the evils of imperialism and war, as well as rage and vengeance.
pickThere‘s a line from the TV show M*A*S*H: “War isn‘t Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse.” It perfectly sums up R.F. Kuang‘s hyper-realistic descriptions of the atrocities of war — so much so that it actually took away my enjoyment of the book and changed my mind about how I felt about the MC. I still overall really like this book.
Apparently my new favorite genre is Chinese military fantasy. Who knew?
I am not a fantasy reader but reading reviews of the Poppy War trilogy saying it is not a typical fantasy series and non-fantasy readers are enjoying this trilogy. What are your thoughts? Are you a non-fantasy reader that read this series? I would love comments as I am considering reading. Thanks everyone 🥰
pickI am just unsure about the words I can choose to talk about this book. It's horrifying, devastating, all consuming exactly like the Phoenix it speaks of. It's like a burning sensation I have swallowed. It turns my mouth into ashes. Yet, it was a necessary experience. To feel the pains of war. To know what man can do to man. And the horrors it wreaks.
Yes, late to this party 📚. Really enjoyed it, perfect no but went right out and bought the 2nd book in the trilogy. This was a debut 😯 pretty impressive 👏
#SummerSpecial Day 16: #SnakeDay seems apt for this first novel in the Poppy War trilogy with the betrayal, treachery, deception inherent in such a turbulent fantastical world. Kuang‘s world-building is exquisitely layered.
#MarchMagic Day 28: I am loving everything this brilliant #AuthorOfColor writes. I am reading her backwards - read her Babel first which I could not put down. Now this book has my heart racing like crazy. The plan is to read the trilogy while on Spring Break this week. Halfway through first book. I doubt I would be able to finish all 3 books this week, but good intentions count for something, methinks.
