3.75/5

This was almosttt a 4 star read for me, but not for the reasons I am seeing in a lot of the other 3 star reviews.

This is the second book I have read by R.F. Kuang (the first being Babel), and I have to say I love her style. The way Kuang combines fantasy with history is gripping, compelling, and illuminating. Kuang's novels grip my interest from the first. She is an excellent story teller, and I can see every detail of the story as it unfolds. I also appreciate the pacing of her novels, as one of my biggest gripes with fantasy novels is they are either way too long and laborious, or way too short and fragmentary. Kuang wastes no time throwing you into Rin's world, but does so without sacrificing the quality world-building that is a necessary evil (imo) of the fantasy genre.

If you know me, you know I love an imperfect main character. I loved it in Babel and I loved it in The Poppy War - Kuang's main characters are always trying so hard to be good people, and I think the struggle of making the "right" decision while feeling wronged by the world at every turn is so well depicted in her characters. Did Rin make the right decision in the end? Maybe, maybe not, but that is the reality of this world, right and wrong are often not mutually exclusive.

I give The Poppy Wars 3.75/5 starts (if Goodreads would just allow partial stars already that would be F!&@ing amazing) because while I loved the pacing, writing, and historical context of this novel, I'm not sure it is one that I am going to remember 30 years from now past "yeah, I liked that book".