Review – The Poppy War (The Poppy War, Book 1) by R. F. Kuang (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 545 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: May 1, 2018
ASIN: B072L58JW6
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in The Poppy War trilogy
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars
“When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Poppy War trilogy. I bought a paper copy of this book.
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. It was fast-paced and intriguing. I loved the world and the characters here and was completely drawn into the plot. This is epic fantasy at its best and I really enjoyed it.
The book follows Rin, a poor girl destined to be sold off into marriage for money…that is until she decides to take the Keju (an empire-wide test to find the most talented youth). When Rin scores the top score on the Kaju in her region, she finds herself admitted to the most elite military school in Nikan, the Sinegard. She thinks her problems are solved but starts to realize her problems are only beginning; she is far behind the other wealthy students at the school. However, she ends up finding out she has an aptitude for the lost art of shamanism (calling magic power from the gods). When war strikes, her training is abruptly stopped and she is left to fight in a group of special forces, pushing her powers far past where they were meant to be.
This book took my breath away from the first page with the fast pace and pretty much never let me have a chance to get it back. Rin is a tough, determined, smart girl and is thrown from one crazy situation to the next. At some point, her ambition starts to outpace her intelligence and she starts making some questionable decisions.
This world is well done and Asian themed. The descriptions, especially some of the war scenes, are incredibly gory and brutal. This is not a book for kids or YA. There is description of horrible rape and torture (which sadly the author says in the afterward are based on real events that happened in China historically). Parts of this book were brutal to read but did effectively get across the evil and horror propagated by the invading forces.
I am desperate to see where this goes. This book starts off like watching an amazing plane take flight (Rin getting amazing opportunities) and at the end it’s like watching a horrible plane crash (so many things go wrong and Rin is a complete mess). I need to know if Rin can pull herself out of all of this and if the Nikara Empire can survive, or if everything is just going to collapse completely.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved this. This book was incredibly engaging and easy to read. I loved Rin as a character, enjoyed the world and the fast pace of the story, and really loved the shaman magic. The plot is complex but not confusing. I am eager to see where things go from here. I would recommend to those who enjoy character-driven epic fantasy with a lot of action, war, and magic.
