The Poppy War by R F Kuang

The Poppy War by R F Kuang

I have had The Poppy War series by R F Kuang on my list for what feels like ages, but have put it off because I've heard it's a heavy read. Our book club decided to tackle the first book, The Poppy War, in May since May is a sunny month not plagued by seasonal depression and we thought that may counteract the soul splitting agony that we were delightedly signing up for. As such, we will be reading The Dragon Republic in June and finishing the series in July with The Burning God - so look out for those reviews. The Poppy War, the book, is one of Amazon's bestsellers in Asian Myth & Legends and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time. It won the Compton Crook Award and the Crawford Award in 2019 as well as the Astounding Award for Best New Writer in 2020. It was also nominated for The World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Locus Award for Best First Novel, and the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The Poppy Wars, the series, is well loved and considered a favorite of many. This book deals with like, a lot: addiction, animal cruelty and death, bullying, child abuse, death, drug use, rape, sexual violence, slavery, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence, forced institutionalization, blood, vomit, kidnapping, grief, murder, fire, colonization, war, and injury. The most graphic are the descriptions of death after a city is conquered, and to a lesser degree, descriptions of rape and sexual violence. This is a review of The Poppy War book but if you are looking for a summary or study guide, check out our The Poppy War trilogy page.

When Rin had to prepare for the Keju, an Empire wide test that determines which of the Nikara youth are promising enough to attend the Empire's most prestigious academies, she thought that the nights of rote memorization and cramming sixteen years of education into two years would be the hard part. But when she arrives at Sinegard Academy, where only the best and brightest are taught, she is met with prejudice for her skin tone, her gender, her upbringing, and even the Province she came from. Things do not get easier for her when she catches the eye of the Lore Master, Master Jiang, who is considered by everyone to be a charlatan and a joke. Meanwhile, the Federation of Mugen, with whom Nikan fought the first two Poppy Wars and just barely came out intact, bides their time.

Okay wow. This book was very intense. Thank goodness we read it in May because the whole thing has a depressing vibe. Studying for the Keju: hard. Learning at Sinegard: harder. Defending Sinegard from the Federation: certainly not a walk in the park. Everything that comes after: let's not even get into it here. That being said, the story was great. It grips you from the very beginning and it doesn't let you go. When you think things are bad, both you and Rin are in for a terrible surprise - it only gets worse! Plus, when it comes to impetuous teenagers thinking they know more than any adult on the planet, let alone adults who have fought in wars and are battle hardened and decorated, this book has some of the worst of them. And yet, you want them to be right. You want them to succeed. You want them to do well. And you do not like the battle hardened, decorated warriors so it would just be a cherry on top for them to be wrong. The setting in this book is detailed and immersive. The characters are nuanced and full of depth and I like (almost) all of them. Well, like might not be the right word. It's more like how you feel about that one family member that you just keep watching make bad decisions. I love you, but please get your shit together! The magic system is, ummm, interesting. I've certainly not seen it before although I may not be the right person to ask never having been invited to a desert drum circle retreat. At least not yet. The worst part of this book was that it was a bit confusing at times, but I powered through and figured it out - I think.

I'm giving The Poppy War by R F Kuang 4.25 stars out of 5. I really enjoyed it and am very excited for the next book. And this is one of the few fantasy books that I think could be adapted really well. Just a thought to all the Hollywood types out there. For a summary of the books in The Poppy War trilogy or study guides, click here.

For more from the author, check out https://www.rfkuang.com/

Pairs well with red bean cakes and learning how to meditate.

My favorite quotes:

"Youth, Rin thought, was an amplification of beauty. It was a filter; it could mask what one was lacking, enhance even the most average features. But beauty without youth was dangerous."

"'I believe in gods as a cultural reference. As metaphors. As things we refer to to keep us safe because we can't do anything else, as manifestations of our neuroses. But not as things that I truly trust are real. Not as things that hold actual consequence for the universe.'"

"'War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains.'"

Review of Katabasis by R F Kuang