Armando Ramirez

So I am a bit conflicted about this second book of Rin's journey in not only discovering herself, but seeing how the world deals with outcasts. The sequel begins in the same manner as the first book left off. quick pacing which helps with drawing you in effortlessly. Here is where i have an issue; it flounders for a brief moment near the middle as it provides you an overview of the developing government system being put in place. While I enjoy the depth of information your given to help you understand the characters and their mindsets, I just felt this portion dragged on far too long and kept this from being a 5 star read for me. It truly is a shame as the remainder of the book takes you back to the swift pacing that I grew to enjoy from the first book. I will have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the story development with its twists. it gave me an appreciation for Rin as she starts to see that she truly is a pawn in this story. The friends to enemies and enemies to friends twists were very enjoyable, and honestly a surprise when they occurred as I had not expected them. Overall this was a solid read, and I cannot wait to continue on with the finale.

Wow, what an incredible read. The Poppy War absolutely blew me away. From the very beginning, I was hooked by the story and completely drawn into R.F. Kuang’s intense, brutal, and beautifully crafted world.

Rin is one of the most compelling protagonists I’ve ever read. You don’t just read about her, you experience her journey. Watching her grow from a desperate student into a powerful (and sometimes terrifying) warrior was both thrilling and heartbreaking. She’s flawed, fierce, and painfully human, which makes her transformation all the more powerful.

This book doesn't shy away from tough topics such as war, trauma, addiction, power, and sacrifice . The world-building is fantastic, the magic system is unique, and the stakes feel real. Every moment, every choice, has weight.

I’m honestly still thinking about some of the scenes days after finishing. I can’t wait to dive into the next book and see where Rin’s path takes her. If you’re into epic fantasy with deep character development, political intrigue, and real emotional stakes, The Poppy War is a must-read.

Ring Shout starts with a powerful idea. The book tackles deep and real issues, like slavery and the terrible history of how the African American people were treated by the KKK. These are important topics, and I could tell the author wanted to show how painful and scary that time was. I appreciated that part of the story.

But where it lost me was when it turned into a sci-fi, time-traveling adventure. The mix of history with monsters, magic, and other worlds made it really hard to follow. I kept getting confused about what was real and what wasn’t. The time jumps and fantasy elements made the main message feel less serious, which didn’t sit well with me.

Overall, I respect what the author was trying to do, but the way the story was told just didn’t work for me. I wish it had stayed more grounded in history instead of turning into something that felt more like a wild action movie.

The Burning God was a powerful and intense conclusion to The Poppy War trilogy. At the beginning, I still had a lot of empathy for Rin. She had lost so much and carried the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders. But as the story went on, I started to hate the person she was becoming. Her choices grew darker, her judgment clouded by power and vengeance. By the end, I wasn’t rooting for her anymore, and honestly, the final scene felt justified. It was harsh, but it made sense.

The worldbuilding was rich and colorful, full of culture, history, and war strategy. Kuang really knows how to create a vivid, brutal world. But at the same time, I think she tried to do too much with this book. There were so many subplots and side characters that the story felt overstuffed and dragged out. In my opinion, the same message and emotional impact could’ve been delivered in a book half the size.

Overall, while I respect the ambition, The Burning God left me feeling drained and conflicted; not because it was bad, but because it went so far that even the main character became hard to support.

After not being able to finish Witch King, I wasn’t sure if Queen Demon would be for me. I was nervous the story would feel just as slow, and honestly, at first, it did. The beginning took a while to get going, and I had a hard time staying focused.

But after a bit, things finally picked up. Once the plot started moving and the characters got more involved, it got easier to stay interested. It wasn’t super fast-paced, but there was enough going on that I was able to stick with it and finish the book.

Overall, Queen Demon was okay. Not amazing, but not bad either. If you’re into detailed worlds and slower builds, you might enjoy it more than I did.