The Poppy war - r f kuang review

 

Name - The Poppy War 

Author - R F Kuang

Rating - ★★★★★

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. 

I'm not really sure what I was expecting, going into this book. All I really knew was that it was about a war, and that it was supposed to be quite emotional. To say that I was not expecting this book to blow me away is an understatement. If someone had told me that this book was a military, grimdark fantasy based on Chinese history (more specifically the Second Sino-Japanese War) and includes Shamanic powers... I would've bought it on the day of release. This book should not be missed by fantasy lovers, especially grimdark readers. If you're someone who likes their book to be full of war, misery and magic with well-written characters and scenes that will make you sob then pick this up immediately, you won't regret it.

Now, onto more in-depths thoughts.

One thing that really stood out to me about this book was the world-building/magic system and how much thought R. F. Kuang had put into this world. Everything was so complex... the politics, the religion, the magic... Kuang really mastered the portrayal of a country that was delicately balanced on the brink of war. The intricate magic system, the building intensity... everything was written so well. I'm honestly shocked that this is her debut because her skill at writing is excellent.

I also really loved the characters. Rin is a dark-skinned orphan from the South, who, in order to escape an forced marriage, has her sights set on attending the most prestigious and renowned military school in the whole of Nikan. I LOVED Rin. Her character development throughout the book was brilliant and so polished, I thought she was written extremely well. She was brave, strong, powerful... and I just really admired her character. But the most memorable character for me, has to be Jiang (I know, random af). Honestly, Jiang radiated Mad Hatter vibes throughout the first/second part of the book, which I found to be so interesting. Jiang is an eccentric professor at Sinegard, who teaches lore, a subject that is often viewed as pointless and is ridiculed. His character progression was so interesting to read about. I won't say much more because we'll be heading into spoiler territory, but just know that The Poppy War is full of unique, nuanced characters who you'll grow to love. (I also loved Atlan omfg)

I can't believe I'm saying this... but I really appreciated the fact that there was no romantic plot-line in this book. There is no romance, just a lead female character kicking ass. As someone who loves the romance genre, it's rare for me to find a fantasy book that excludes romance and will still hold my attention. Usually, I find that I need a lighter, romantic plot-line to contest all the gory and death and violence. Somehow, Kuang managed to write a fantasy novel, and make me grateful that there was no romance. And that's because it wouldn't have really made sense to include a romance in a book that is deeply-rooted in the heavy and brutal realities of war. 

This book gets really fucking dark, and Kuang does not hold back on how sinister humans can be when placed in an environment where there are no rules and laws to be governed by. An accurate portrayal of how brutal and barbaric war can be is something that is difficult to find in fantasy. Usually, war details are glossed over, or the characters are unrealistically immunised to the real effects of murdering and killing. That is f the case in TPW. We see the horrifically savage way people are killed and treated, we see the other effects of war that don't involve fighting and death. The Rape of Nanjing, for example, happened during the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Kuang does not gloss over those details. She presents the war as it is, something that is vile and sickening and gruesome.

Additionally, I really appreciated Kuang's commentary on wider, social issues like colourism which is so prevalent in Asian culture. Rin is a dark-skinned girl from the South, and when she arrives at the North, she is a victim of discrimination because she does not have fair skin. In Asian culture, dark skin would be a visual sign that someone is of working/lower class. It would suggest that that person would often work outside, under the sun. Light skin would be a sign that the person is not labouring outside, and thus they would be treated with more respect. Unfortunately, colourism is a still very prevalent throughout Asia, and I think it's important that Kuang decided to include, and shine a light on, this issue in her books. 

“The women here are so white,” Rin marveled. “Like the girls in wall paintings.” The skin tones she observed from the caravan had moved up the color gradient the farther north they drove. She knew that the people of the northern provinces were industrialists and businessmen. They were citizens of class and means; they didn’t labor in the fields like Tikany’s farmers did. But she hadn’t expected the differences to be this pronounced. 

“They’re pale as their corpses will be,” Tutor Feyrik said dismissively. “They’re terrified of the sun.”

Another thing that I'd like to quickly point out is the forced marriage plot-line. In Asian culture, forced marriages were/are very common. Women are made to marry rich, upper class men in order to bring honour to the family or for money etc.. 🙄 I just thought it was a nice touch that Rin battled these horrific societal expectations for women and decided to take her life into her own hands, no matter how difficult it would be. 

“Well, fuck the heavenly order of things. If getting married to a gross old man was her preordained role on this earth, then Rin was determined to rewrite it.” 

Discrimination due to social class is also reproved by Kuang,

“The Keju is a ruse to keep uneducated peasants right where they’ve always been. You slip past the Keju, they’ll find a way to expel you anyway. The Keju keeps the lower classes sedated. It keeps us dreaming. It’s not a ladder for mobility; it’s a way to keep people like me exactly where they were born.”

 

Laced with references to social issues, Kuang subtly critiques and makes a stand against inequality that is still so prevalent in Asian culture.

Overall, TPW is so much more than another fantasy series. It discusses so many important issues that aren't talked about enough in books, she draws attention to Chinese history and the brutality of war and the suffering that people had gone through. TPW is a masterful start to the trilogy, and I can't wait to read the next two books. 

That's all from me, thank you for reading! ♡

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