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Trigger Warnings: Abuse, domestic negligence, self-harm (burning, abusing the body to study non-stop), Chapter 21 (graphic depictions of a village being destroyed by an opposing force, inclusions of decaying bodies, references to rape from multiple men, a pregnant woman being raped, tortured, and killed)
Synopsis: 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.
Review: The Poppy War is amazing, and I know I can't possibly do the book justice in this review. But we're gonna try. We follow Rin who is a dark-skinned girl trying to get into an elite military academy called Sinegard. As a way to keep herself alert to study, she starts to burn herself. I just want to throw that out there because I know some people can't handle self-harm. It gets brought back up later in the book so it isn't a once and done issue. Rin falls back into the habit of burning herself which can be rough to read about. I'm always going to be a fan of someone working their ass off to reach a goal and that's what Rin does. She knows that Sinegard is her only hope to get out of an arranged marriage, and she gets in. Throughout the story, she is constantly struggling to prove her worth against people who have had access to better schooling. I also loved seeing Rin fail at some things. She disappoints people and she even hurts some friends. She's a mess and I adore her.
The Poppy War is very dark and it's built on historical events between Japan and China. At the start of the story, Rin had never seen much of war. Towards the end, she has lost friends because of multiple battles. There are also some interesting conversations about religion in The Poppy War. As Rin is learning more about the history and culture of her land, she learns more about religion and shamanism. This changes her entire scope of the world and she quickly realizes that there's still much she doesn't know or understand. A large focus of the story is how drugs can affect people, situations, countries, etc. RF Kuang does an excellent job of showing how drugs can take different forms and can cause different things. The only complaints I really had are that the narrative jumps forward in time which doesn't make it the most cohesive story. There's also a bully Rin has to deal with at school, but they somehow end up friends near the end of the book. Rin even acknowledges that war and fighting together can change relationships. It was just the weakest friendship formed, in my opinion.
A rough, but incredible fantasy that deserves the hype it gets.
5 howls
If you liked The Poppy War, consider checking out the following books:
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Trigger Warnings: Abuse, domestic negligence, self-harm (burning, abusing the body to study non-stop), Chapter 21 (graphic depictions of a village being destroyed by an opposing force, inclusions of decaying bodies, references to rape from multiple men, a pregnant woman being raped, tortured, and killed)
Synopsis: 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.
Review: The Poppy War is amazing, and I know I can't possibly do the book justice in this review. But we're gonna try. We follow Rin who is a dark-skinned girl trying to get into an elite military academy called Sinegard. As a way to keep herself alert to study, she starts to burn herself. I just want to throw that out there because I know some people can't handle self-harm. It gets brought back up later in the book so it isn't a once and done issue. Rin falls back into the habit of burning herself which can be rough to read about. I'm always going to be a fan of someone working their ass off to reach a goal and that's what Rin does. She knows that Sinegard is her only hope to get out of an arranged marriage, and she gets in. Throughout the story, she is constantly struggling to prove her worth against people who have had access to better schooling. I also loved seeing Rin fail at some things. She disappoints people and she even hurts some friends. She's a mess and I adore her.
The Poppy War is very dark and it's built on historical events between Japan and China. At the start of the story, Rin had never seen much of war. Towards the end, she has lost friends because of multiple battles. There are also some interesting conversations about religion in The Poppy War. As Rin is learning more about the history and culture of her land, she learns more about religion and shamanism. This changes her entire scope of the world and she quickly realizes that there's still much she doesn't know or understand. A large focus of the story is how drugs can affect people, situations, countries, etc. RF Kuang does an excellent job of showing how drugs can take different forms and can cause different things. The only complaints I really had are that the narrative jumps forward in time which doesn't make it the most cohesive story. There's also a bully Rin has to deal with at school, but they somehow end up friends near the end of the book. Rin even acknowledges that war and fighting together can change relationships. It was just the weakest friendship formed, in my opinion.
A rough, but incredible fantasy that deserves the hype it gets.
5 howls
If you liked The Poppy War, consider checking out the following books:
Jade City by Fonda Lee
The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
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