Rebecca's Thoughts

Mini Book Review!!

originally in Top 5 books of July & August!

Goodreads 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.

The Poppy War is definitely a book that lives up to the hype around it! I think the story is engaging and fascinating. The setting of the book is also refreshing despite being an objectively overdone fantasies school setting. I think the second half of the book is where it fully embraces the the grimdark tag that is often associated with the series. The second half is violent, dark, and isn’t afraid to showcase the terrors of war and its effect on people and a society.

I think Rin is a fine main character, I think that she is often immature and can be a bit annoying at times but I think that is used to further the book and ultimately her interactions are valid and not out of place in the context of the book. I think that her growth throughout the book is also interesting and its cool to see her growth and her “hardcoreness” because at times she is hardcore and isn’t afraid to do what it takes to get things done.

The magic system in this book is fascinating and the incorporation of oppidum is cool and terrifying all at the same time. I think that the military focus of the second half of the book so so interesting and it is fascinating to see what the characters to next. I love myself a good military focus novel and I think that this book takes that trope and runs with it. It does an amazing job weaving magic school with military tactical plots and I think this is an amazing book especially considering this was a debut book for R.F. Kuang. I’m excited to see where this series goes in the future and the places that the author is willing to take it!