The Poppy War

So this one is going to be kind of a 2-for-1 review and I'll try to keep it short! I absolutely ADORED Poppy War; the character development, the world-building (some of the best I've seen!), and the magic system all worked to create a GORGEOUS and unique world. The plot in the Dragon Republic expands on this world-building even more, introducing more complex political groups and some crazy twists! The books are full of action and it feels like every chapter there's another fight scene. The only negative that I saw, which became significantly more apparent in Dragon Republic, was the interpersonal character development. Sure, each character had such a nuanced and beautiful storyline, but I felt that the actual dynamics BETWEEN characters really suffered. The friendship between Rin and Kitty seemed forced, which made it difficult for me to empathize when they would fight (which happens often). It felt like Kuang relied heavily on her amazing action-writing skills and didn't do as much relationship-building as she could have done. Along the same vein, I felt that Rin's romantic interests were INCREDIBLY hard to believe. Rin seems to be infatuated with her leader, Atlan, for almost no reason? Then again, that honestly might have been purposeful on Kuang's part and the reader is SUPPOSED to question Rin's infatuation for Atlan.