The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang (Review)

Date of Reading: 23/6/2022

Author: R. F. Kuang

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date: May 1, 2018

Rating: 4/5

About the book:

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.

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 a 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:

        Well, it took me a rather long time; not only to finish reading this grim dark fantasy but also to decide whether I should open it or not. This is not a pleasant story as so many reviewers have already warned. You can read it as mere fantasy but considering the map presented at the beginning with its uncanny similarity to China and its neighbouring nations, that is going to be a bit stretching.

        Book 1 of the Poppy War trilogy is based on the second Sino-Japanese war and it is just the beginning. As I am nearing the end of the last book, I can say this with assurance . . . the worst is yet to come. The first half of the story focuses on Fang Runin's aka Rin's entry into Sinegard, the humiliations she faces as a dark-skinned southerner and her survival.

        War comes knocking soon enough awakening us from the dream of a happy-go-lucky fantasy. The sudden transition was a lot to take in and destroyed my reading pace. Hence the four stars. Unlike Jiang in the first half, there are no likeable characters. I didn't warm up to Altan like so many others and the same goes for the Cike team. I never quite understood Rin's infatuation with Altan (ok, maybe I get the appeal). Still, I was looking forward to Nezha and Kitay. Huh, there my premonitions prevailed.

        The first book in the series might be the one nominated for several awards, but I prefer the sequels. And I am sure many share this view as can be seen from the reduced ratings of the other two books. So if you are slightly disappointed, then my advice is not to give up. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Meet the author:

Rebecca F. Kuang is a Marshall Scholar, Chinese-English translator, and the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy Award nominated author of the Poppy War trilogy and the forthcoming Babel. Her work has won the Crawford Award and the Compton Crook Award for Best First Novel. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Chinese literature, and Asian American literature.