The magic system is what really stands out to me in The Poppy War. I liked the spiritual aspects and the mythology behind it. And I loved how the magic system had very real consequences in exchange for power. I’ve read many fantasy books where characters are granted OP abilities without any sort of drawbacks and it takes away tension and drama from the story. The Poppy War grounds it’s magic into the world with high stakes that come with the use of said magic. I liked seeing the character’s weigh their options before deciding whether or not magic was worth using in their circumstances.

The first half of the story had a better flow to it then the second, where it felt like the book lost it’s footing a bit. I connected and cared for the side character’s from the first half more than I did the second and I thought the pacing and world building of the first half was smoother as well.

Though overall, the story had a good build to it. There was always a sense of impending doom lurking in the background of every page that made you wonder when something would go wrong and kept you reading to see how it would manifest in the story. I will be continuing on to book two.