The Poppy War (The Poppy War, Book 1)

Books | Fiction / Fantasy / Epic

4.3

(1.3K)

R.F. Kuang

Winner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018 ‘The best fantasy debut of 2018’ – WIRED A brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic. When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – 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 had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. 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. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that 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 psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these 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 Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away...

Fantasy

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More Details:

Author

R.F. Kuang

Pages

544

Publisher

HarperCollins Publishers

Published Date

2018-05-03

ISBN

0008239827 9780008239824

Community ReviewsSee all

"the most well crafted novel and best writing i've ever read. not the biggest fan of fantasy but this book blew me away, i will recommend it to everyone"

Lila Sanchez

"OMG, OH MY GOD!!! This book was literally freaking perfection. I was super scared that the book was going to be overhyped but it is better than I ever could have imagined! My hands were shaking as I turned the pages, my hands had to cover the other half of the page so I wouldn’t skip ahead. This book has broken me and will probably send me to a book slump. I don’t think I will find anything better for a while. (I still love TOG don’t get me wrong). •MAJOR SPOILERS• Rin’s slow decent into madness was AMAZING. Heart breaking, head pounding, non-comprehendible. Altan’s death was soul crushing. I just can’t put my thoughts into words, nothing can describe how good this book is. "

KyKy

"Things I like: when the FMC is an absolute psychopath. There's a trigger warning list a mile long for all the war atrocities, esp against women and children. Themes of medical assault, etc... The book is incredibly well written and the world is impressively immersive with realistic villains. If you're an academic, you'll appreciate the earlier chapters. Oh, and there's absolutely no romance in this first one. Plenty of verbal edging, but no kissing or spice. Only trauma. We love it."

Kolika Simmons

"Best Trilogy I've ever read, I can't wait for babel to come out! I highly recommend this series, although if you have triggers look them up because this trilogy has a lot."

Lisa Flores

"So I have this on my TBR and I was wondering what people thought of it. I've heard good things from social media, but I've been led astray before. What do you guys think?"

ShojoDraws

"Rin has become my comfort character. I've fallen in love with her ride to to power and the wonder comrades along side her. I truly pray Hollywood NEVER finds these to ruin these works of art. This series has changed my life and the way I see spirituality So thankful to have found these 🥰🥰🥰"

Kia Lewis

"I just finished part 1 of this book in one sitting. That's never happened. The first part feels like a YA fantasy but I'm well aware it's not. I exclusively picked this book up because of the trigger warnings i saw online. Love a book that can bring the realities about war to life. So far loving it. "

Willow Iníon an Nádúir

"Heavily distressing, not intended for children, and most definitely the darker side of military fantasy. There were bits I didn’t enjoy, specifically the portrayal of an abusive relationship, that seemingly no one around them can see what we, the readers, are seeing. My other biggest complaint is bits of gore seemingly were only added for shock value and didn’t have any real sustenance, which feels sort of unauthentic. However, Rin’s (the MC) character arc was amazing. It has you on the edge of your seat because you defending her over and over in your head and you know what is coming, but you are just hoping you are wrong. It’s awesome. The symbolism of the poppies? Brilliant. There is obviously so many real-world references from history and so many layers to the story which show immaculate attention to detail and I’m a huge fan. I do want to stress that this book has a trigger warning list longer than my shopping list after a month of avoiding Walmart. It’s massive. EXPLICT SA, torture, war, gore, blood, heavy violence, MCD, abuse, child abuse, self mutilation, genocide, racism, medical abuse, sterilization, misogyny, captivity, animal abuse, and that is just off the top of my head. It’s a very impactful read and disturbingly brilliant and I highly recommend to anyone who can stomach the extremely harsh deglamorization of war."