Thoughts on : The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Genre : Fantasy
Series : Untitled (book 1)
About the Book :
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. 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.
My Thoughts :
There’s been a lot of hype around The Poppy War, and I was anxious to discover whether I would enjoy this debut fantasy novel as much as others did!
As mentioned on my previous post, I was sick for the last part of July, and The Poppy War was my convalescence book. It was exactly the distraction I needed when I was going through the worst of it: I would sit on the porch, watch the rain fall and read in between naps. The Poppy War was my escape. It turned a terrible week into a somewhat cherished memory.
From the first page, I was immediately hooked. The pace was fast, the world colorful and the story constantly surprising in different ways.
I will say, the pace is both a strength and a weakness of the book. It’s not as much a negative than a personal preference. I love books that take their time, explore characters in and out, slowly delve into the world and its complexity. The Poppy War isn’t that book. It’s fast. It doesn’t stop. It skips weeks, months, and even years at a time. It’s a process that’s really good to avoid slow and boring parts though. It’s the book equivalent of a training montage, and it keeps you reading from one chapter to the next.
I also thought the writing sometimes felt uneven, with a bit of exposition. I feel that it suited the pace though, and once again, this might be more of a personal preference.
This being said, I absolutely enjoyed this book. It never shies away from the harsh realities of war, yet it never becomes a glorifying spectacle. It’s intense, but not unbearably so.
I absolutely loved the world building. It’s so refreshing to have a fantasy novel inspired by Chinese history. Everything was so well described, very cinematic, and I was immediately immersed into Rin’s world. I loved the gods, the pantheon, the military school, everything.
On top of that, I thought the characters were written just as well. They’re numerous, yet their personality popped through the page in colorful and precise descriptions. I enjoyed their dynamics and their interactions, and once again, I felt as though I could see the scenes take place in front of me.
Overall, The Poppy War was a wonderful surprise for me. It has its flaws, and these definitely became more obvious when thinking about the book a few days after reading it. But the experience of reading the story was tons of fun. It’s one of those books that I enjoyed reading so much that I don’t really care about its flaws, you know? I can’t wait to see where R. F. Kuangs brings us next!
I don’t do well with fantasy so I’ll probably skip this one.
Yes, I wouldn’t recommend this one if you’re not into fantasy! Some read almost like historical fiction, but this one, while inspired by Chinese history, is very heavy on magic, new world, etc.
I also felt the book was uneven, more in storyline than pace – it was as if it veered a bit off its arc to encompass actual events from history. That became more obvious to me as I thought about the book later. The pace didn’t feel as fast for me, though. I read it over a few days, maybe even a week (I can’t remember), and I had no problem setting it down for breaks. But looking back, I don’t think I loved it as much as I originally thought I did, and I certainly loved the section at the beginning (up until war met the school) more than the second half of the book.
That’s how I felt, too; I enjoyed it tremendously while I was reading it, but thinking about it after, I could see more of its flaws. I also enjoyed the school better, though I really liked knowing more about the gods and the shamanistic powers. I’ll be curious to see what happens in the next book!