Book Review #56: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Hello Dear Reader!

Welcome to my very first book review of the new year! I really started off this year with a book over 500 pages long, and I do not regret it at all. However, before starting this review, I will say that it comes with a PLETHORA of trigger warnings including, but not limited to, genocide, violence, murder, substance addiction, abortion, rape, and human experimentations. This book is NOT for a YA audience because of the great and detailed descriptions and scenes depicting the above warnings. To give you an idea, it was mind-numbing to me and gave me a sort of delayed shock where what I read didn’t truly sink in until after I read it.

ANYWAY! This book review is on a traditional read, The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. Following the story of the young Fang Runin, or Rin for short, this book captures the beauty of the vast world of the Nikara Empire and the absolute horrors of war as the Federation of Mugen closes in. From peasant girl to student of the most elite military school in Nikan to a full-fledged soldier, Rin gains many experiences in her ever-changing life, both exhilarating and devastating.

But before I get deeper into that, here’s the back-cover summary (from Goodreads):

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.

Time for the review!

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang has so much to it that this book review is going to be structured differently. This is mainly because of its length and also because it’s split into three parts, which are all VERY different. But before that, a brief paragraph on the book’s world and magic system.

The magic system of the book is highly unique, as in order to access the powers of the gods in this book, you basically have to get high. As a result, the use of drugs, especially opium, is really common throughout. So, if that’s not something you want to see, you might want to stay away. Still, the world of Nikan and the shamanism that forms the base of the magic system of this book is so wonderfully detailed and fantastically structured. Easily, the world-building and its lore along kept me highly engaged in the story.

Now, for the actual story.

Part One starts off with 16-year-old Rin and her journey from country girl to student of the top military school in Nikan, Sinegard. It also includes her various experiences after she gets into the school, meeting her highly intelligent friend, making combat-talented enemies, and settling into her life as a student. It solidifies Rin as a character, it’s full of hope, and it has you cheering for her most every step of the way. She’s a strong character, she’s a flawed character, and she’s created exceptionally well.

Everything after Part One kills that hope.

Part Two and beyond has everything after the start of the third Poppy War, and Kuang does not hold back on the realities of what war can be like. Everything from Rin’s first kill to her getting used to killing to seeing awful atrocities just full of death and cruelty is pretty much explained in high detail. Disturbingly high detail. I hadn’t known this before I went into this book, but its wartime content was heavily inspired by events that took place in the Second Sino-Japanese War, such as the Rape of Nanking. Long story short, it was mind-numbing to read and absolutely awful when you realize that the events of the book were inspired by horrendous things human beings did in the real world. War is not glorified in this book at all, and Kuang does as great job of exploring the moralities of decisions made by characters in the book throughout this war, especially Rin’s. There is no clear good or evil in this book, and even the people who at first are considered good can have questionable morality by the end.

At the end of it all, though this is a fantasy book, it’s also extremely dark and heart-breakingly gruesome. The topics covered in this book are not meant for a younger audience, and the graphic violence and depictions of other sensitive content definitely backs that up. It’s an amazing read, but it also kinda left me wondering if I still had a soul. It was almost depressing, in a way.

So, The Poppy War rating:

5/5 and highly recommend! Though my soul left my body while reading this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really do caution reading this if you want to avoid any of the above trigger warnings. This book shows little to no mercy when it comes to depicting those sensitive topics, so it can be hard to stomach for some people.

Thanks for reading!