this is such a quick read so :)

oh, to live to the fullest and not just to survive. this weird liminal space where people exist between who they are and who they’re forced to be.

"After all, with a world full of disagreeable people, he’d never run out of content – or villains."

"It was yours before I could admit it, and yours it shall ever remain."

i miss you, judecardan 💚💙

you can feel that influence in how the war is portrayed. leaders make cruel decisions, civilians suffer, and power is always tied to violence. it shows how war turns people into weapons and how politics often sacrifices people for strategy and pride. you can tell it’s inspired by real history, and the way leaders and generals make decisions feels painfully realistic. people are treated like tools, cities get destroyed, and nobody is truly innocent. rin also gets pulled into all these power struggles, where everyone wants to use her abilities for their own side. it made me think a lot about how power works in real life—how the people at the top make choices that others have to suffer for.

and you guys are definitely right about the chapter 21 and it traumatized me so much, the japan war flashed into my mind and it made me uncomfortable left me thinking about how war and its trauma changes people.

rin and nezha’s relationship is one of the most interesting and frustrating parts of the book, and not gonna lie—i expected them. of course, i've heard about them first while discovering this book so 😵‍💫 i really loved how REAL and INTENSE their trope being rivals to friends (or something else...) nezha comes from an elite, powerful family, while rin comes from /nothing/, so their rivalry already feels loaded with class and privilege differences, but guess what!

and that's what makes their dynamic compelling is that they’re not just enemies or friends—they’re something in between. they understand each other in a way others don’t. they’re both ambitious, both angry at the world in different ways, and both shaped by expectations placed on them. you can feel that they respect each other’s intelligence and strength, even when they’re fighting. nezha is tied to his family’s political power, and rin is tied to her god and the military, so they’re constantly pulled in different directions. it’s not just personal conflict anymore; it’s political and ideological. they’re both trapped by systems bigger than them, and that makes their connection feel doomed.

nonetheless, the poppy war ultimately stands out for how it blends political commentary with myth to explore the nature of power and violence. it quickly expands into a narrative about imperialism, nationalism, and the cost of war. the political systems in the book are shown as ruthless and pragmatic, where leaders prioritize strategy and dominance over human life, reflecting real historical conflicts. at the same time, the mythological elements—particularly the gods and shamanism—add a symbolic layer that turns power into something both divine and destructive. by connecting political authority with supernatural force, suggests that power, whether human or divine, is inherently dangerous when left unchecked.

the poppy war is not an easy or light read, but it’s very impactful i must say. what a story about how nations justify violence and how individuals are shaped, and often broken, by the systems they serve. definitely worth my time :)