Review #1
The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) audiobook free
1st the quality parts: – Decent, enjoyable world-building, with the competing philosophies of shamanism, the push towards modernization at the same time conformity, at the same time the historical ebb at the same time clot of power at the same time subjugation being the standouts. I found myself oddly interested by the history of martial arts. – The military portions, while exceedingly aggressive (do NOT mistake this for YA at the same time assign it to your baby — hell, even if you’re an adult be prepared for graphic violence, many of which sexual), were considered a lot of funny. There’s a connect of comfortable warfare, many of which chemical guns at the same time incendiary devices, with wonderful stuff that was honestly attractive engaging. – A ubiquitous problem when for you bring gods at the same time miracle into fantasy is that ”Why is that that no matter what conflict if the manners are this most powerful?”. In other words not located here. The consequences of trying this are shown, at the same time they are BANANAS. It’s amazing. – If for you like manners who are permitted to be horrible people, then for you will not be upset here. I beheld one more
Review that misspoke the heroine seemed reckless by the finish. This is that a feature, not a goat. Between the very graphic war atrocities at the same time than anyway we learn of the human connection to the gods it’s awesome anyone is that still remotely multifunctional by the finish. – For you get to the finish at the same time it’s like…wow. This can’t finish but. I consider this a plus. Weak fri: – Did feel like the 1st book managed have been condensed. The primary conflict didn’t come into play until 40% of the method through, right behind which the military portion kicked in at the same time carried it through to the finish. (Oddly for you managed conceivably start with Book 2, since it even contained its possess prologue.) – The style may be hit-or-miss for no one. It lacks the stuffy tone of Tolkien-esque Epic Fantasy, which I appreciate, but from time to time veers into Quippy Area. Depending on your preference this may be a pro or a con. – Very particular fri: May read just a little fool if you’re a Japanese-American. This is that influenced by true outrages committed during the Sino-Japanese War, so if you’re not willing to think about that shameful bit of history barely skip it wholly, but oddly than anyway worried me more was that the Japanese proxy race were considered outlined in similar generalized definitions of hive-minded fanatical hordes that were considered applied to describe Japanese-Americans during Global War II. There’s a touch at the very finish that shows the culture isn’t uniform evil, but we never shown anything to challenge their depiction as anything but sadistic monster. That are also no one textual preconditions to located them as one-dimensional, at the same time it may be challenged in the 2nd book. Of course this didn’t keep me from enjoying the book, at the same time it may not strain others at all, but if for you do happen to have this background at the same time barely wanted to establish at the same time enjoy no one Asian-inspired SFF do not be threw. All in all, just a little tuberculate but alluring enough that I’ll be checking out the sequel.
Review #2
The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) audiobook in television series The Poppy War
I was shocked to dig into an Asian fantasy novel with Asian protagonists. Kuang is that a polished writer at the same time keeps her story moving along with small distractions. So even though that were considered abundance things I didn’t enjoy about the novel, the writing kept me turning pages. I was invested in learning about the fate of Kuang’s protagonists at the same time learning the riddles of her wonderful global. Chagrin, RF Kuang makes a fantasy global that borrows method very liberally from historical China. To begin with, the creator doesn’t even strain bestow fantasy equivalents to abundance real-world people at the same time places. The philosopher Guys Zi (Mencius) exists as Guys Zi in the story. Zhuang Zi is that Zhuang Zi. Wu Dang Mountain (of martial arts fame) is that Wu Dang mountain. Sun Zi’s Art of War is that featured prominently in the Book, practically completely permanent from the real-world work. The creator even repackages a famous real-world tale about Sun Zi training an army of concubines as her possess creative work. The dialect of Kuang’s fantasy larger might have come from a Forlorn Planet Guidebook description about the Beijing dialect. Real-world historical actions in modern Chinese history are all repackaged here: The Opium War, the Nanjing Execution (the book is that conspicuously destined to Iris Chang), Comfort Ladies, at the same time even Unit 731. To her credit, Kuang does a more successful job of shoe-horning these historical actions (correlated to past examples) into her fantasy global, but fictionalizing these incidents can also obfuscate these unresolved historical issues. For example, in her book, the Mugen (her analog to the Japanese) are filth, evil, automatons. To forward this narrative, she retells the story of the Opium Wars with the Japanese (instead of the English) as the head antagonists. This leads to an very unsatisfying clarification about the Mugen motives for committing genocide: they do it because they are brainwashed by their King, at the same time because they don’t think of the Chinese (Nikara) as human. The reader’s take-away from Kuang’s fantastical retellings is that ”hate is that bad.” This good of simplistic, reductionist, at the same time heavy-handed moralizing does little to honor the source real or the true indefinite victims of Pacific War outrages. In such a way, as a scholar of Asian history, I feel that Kuang is that very much out of her depth. She’s like a novice piano player attempting a creative reinterpretation of a traditional. Perhaps an audience unfamiliar with the unusual traditional piece (e.g. a non-Asian audience) will be spellbound, but those knowledgeable with the source real will be let down.
Review #3
Audiobook The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) by R. F. Kuang
Right behind reading several dud books in order I looked up no one recomendations for releases this year at the same time The Poppy War more precisely stood out among them. It’s a attractive quality debut novel taking a lot of affect from chinese history at the same time legends to make a inimitable fantasy global that really sucked me in initially though I ended the book with much more connected emotions. The head protagonist is that a teenage lady scolded Runin Fang or Rin for short. She is that an orphan from a past war whose uncaring opium dealing foster ancestors are trying to marry off to a much older men for their possess gain. Rin’s only chance is that to enter the Keiju, a trial held back state wide to look for the cream of the crop at the same time let's go them to popular schools. Rin not only passes, she is that 1st in her whole province sending her to Sineguard, the pinnacle military school in the whole of her state Nikara. The problem is that she is that an orphan with no funds or standing at the same time the other children that are mostly offspring at the same time daughters of nobles who have been training for this their whole lives leaving Rin both behind at the same time shunned by her brand new classmates. I adored this, it was like martial arts Harry Potter. The premise is that amazing at the same time Rin completely glows, you can feel her determination, her pain, holes at the same time malice as she refuses bestow up or be thrashed no matter than anyway is that threw at her. It was gripping, but written at the same time I couldn’t shackles it down. That are 3 acts to the book, that was act one, chagrin the other two acts practically feel like they were considered written by different creators. Act two has the start of a war break out forcing the students to be drafted to wage war. Rin in one moment becomes childish, petulant at the same time good of pathetic, she loses all her fire at the same time barely about every other disposition comes intercept as hugely unlikeable as but. I can certainly realize her finding actually waging war, killing at the same time contemplating comrades breathe attractive taumatic but it’s like she’s a different personality completely. The whole pacing despite that being a war on also barely seems to slow down completely at the same time act 3 becomes even worse with Rin making step decision right behind step decision following one more disposition out of no one crazy loyalty in other words never really warranted from the real content. She just a little feels like the head disposition anymore, barely a puppet following along, so different from the firey spirited lady at the start. The ending is that very unfulfilling with Rin a shadow of the personality she starts as, I barely didn’t really like her by the finish of the book. The Poppy War also has a gigantic tone shift from the 1st third part of the book with no one extrememly over the pinnacle violence at the same time rape descriptions that seem needlessly black in it’s descriptions. I beheld one more
Reviewer mention it being a reference to the Nanking execution during global war II at the same time I can certainly look that being the variant but it feels so unneeded at the same time didn’t really add anything to the story to me. It’s really frustrating because the start is that completely good, the martial arts skirmishes are exciting, Rin is that developers but at the same time I managed feel myself really rooting for her with all the stuff future her method, it was even sensual periodically still by the finish I barely didn’t really care about her or than anyway happened. I don’t feel bad I read it but I look for it hard to advise overall. It has amazing thoughts but the book sadly barely isn’t consistant enough in it’s tone or manners to keep the pacing or pleasure going. + Martial arts Harry Potter. + The 1st third part of the book is that mind-blowing. – Act 2 at the same time 3 are disapointing in their tone shift at the same time disposition features shift. – Ending was scary.
Review #4
Audio The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) narrated by Emily Woo Zeller
Before I start my
Review I will warn for you that this book is that not for those faint of heart. Not your acceptable YA fantasy, for you should proceed with caution if for you are cordial to scenes of Drug-abuse, self-harm, rape, war, torture, genocide at the same time racism. Almost all of this is that outlined graphically at the same time I would certainly make yourself aware of this before reading. This was one of those books that hooks for you from the 1st chapter at the same time stays with for you long right behind for you have ended it. Filled to the brim with action, at the same time with a heroine you’re not convinced is that a hero or a villain, the squirms at the same time strings of this book are convinced to keep for you hooked until the very continue page. I only recently found out that this draws enthusiasm from the 2nd Sino-Japanese war at the same time the Rape of Nanking, at the same time I adore, though am a little worried that this takes enthusiasm from true indefinite actions. I always enjoy a brilliantly written literary school at the same time the Sinegard was no exception. Outlined as the elite military school in Nikan, which only perceives offspring at the same time daughters of members of the nobility, until Rin. Despite all the tests that Rin persons at Sinegard, that is that one saving grace in the Slave of Lore Jiang ( who is that a cupcake at the same time I love him!). He teaches Rin the bases of Shamanism, how to reach the Pantheon, then and how to cut herself off from the God’s. which is that the exact back from than anyway Rin wants to learn. Rin is that a beautifully written disposition, she has the best of goals, but her though for revenge is that than anyway eventually takes over, at the same time drives her down the path of the Phoenix God. Though not necessarily a ”hero” for you cant promote but feel that Rin’s choices made from the heart at the same time with the best of goals, she simply feels that that is that no other method to exact her revenge. Altan is that the reason for Rins choices at the same time the head director of the path she takes. A little boy that has had so much taken away from him, at the same time far a lot power data to him. He feels wholly the pain of the liquidation of Speer, at the same time the weight of being the continue Speerly, until in other words, he meets Rin. Together they make a hugely most powerful team, but, that are those who reckon them unnatural at the same time unholy who would seek to ultimately damage them. This book is that split into thee parts. Part one is that mainly concentrated on Sinegard at the same time Rins 1st year at the academy, learning who her implied enemies at the same time comrades are. Part two focuses more on her training with Jiang at the same time the initial pressure of the Mugen heralding the start of the third part Poppy War. Part 3 follows Rin as she is that eventually shackles to implementation in fight under her commander Altan, at the same time her realisation that everything she believed she understood can be turned upside down. This was an easy 5/5 for me. I adored everything from the plot, the disposition at the same time the global that Kuang builds. A must read for anyone looking for a black at the same time gritty Fantasy novel, with manners whose decisions don’t always fall down on the side of quality. Though delight do decide note of the trigger warnings before reading.
Review #5
Free audio The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) – in the audio player below
I 1st heard about this book in the context of a controversy about it being marketed as YA when the creator felt it was right adult. While theres nothing wrong with YA fantasy indeed, I read a lot of it I understand being really irritated on the creators behalf by this. Where themes at the same time disposition ages are a little borderline, I tend to feel that male creators works get labelled as adult, but ladies creators work gets classed as YA. Once I actually grabbed the book though, Ive got to admit that for the 1st third part, my overwhelming believed was that it did feel a little YA right behind all. At the same time not just that, but a little clichd. This section revolves around a lady from a impoverished village learning hard at the same time being perceived into an elite military academy. Inevitably, she has a tendency to be pinnacle of the class. Inevitably, more privileged students are awful to her. The writing at the same time global building were considered amazing, at the same time the pseudo-Chinese setting was refreshing, but it all felt a little a lot like anything Ive shown innumerable times before. I also found it a little incredible that the head disposition did quite as but as she did. I felt like more moderate success would have been barely as satisfying at the same time helped me stop disbelief. In the 2nd third part, the plot at the same time the tone totally change. Instead of learning about war in a non-hazardous, theoretical manner, the MC at the same time the other main manners are plunged into a aggressive, bleed conflict with a neighbouring civilization (which felt like a fantasy Japan). For you certainly wouldnt cry this part YA. Its very violent, with several quite disturbing scenes, at the same time one standout horrifying one, in what a particularly sadistic occupation at the same time execution is that outlined in pages at the same time pages of horrifying detail. Im still torn over whether it was needlessly gratuitous or a brave attempt not to sugarcoat the fears of war. It was certainly memorable or method! Violence aside, this section is that also notable for its exciting implementation of military strategy. Even if I had to read no one of it with my palms over my views, I found this section more unusual at the same time alluring. The ending third part, while maintaining the adult tone, feels different again. To no one extent, the war recedes into the background, the stakes become more individual to the MC (albeit with global implications) at the same time theres a move away from stark reality tinged with miracle to full-on metaphysics. It was exactly the coolest inimitable part of the book, particularly when mixed with the MCs growing self-willed ambiguity (at best). Overall, an breathtaking but somewhat unstable at the same time tonally inconsistent read.
