Review of 'The Poppy War'
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Fang Runin (“Rin”) is from the poor south of the Nikan Empire who struggles against prejudice to achieve her potential. Against the odds she is accepted as a student into the prestigious military academy in Sinegard where she mixes with the children of society's elite. Excelling in her studies she ends up being the only student studying under the misfit Master Jiang who develops her shamanism talents though she struggles to call upon the power of the “Phoenix”. In year three the Mugen Federation invades Nikan and Rin learns she shares a common ancestry with a student she greatly admires: Altan, the last person remaining of the Speerley race that was previously eradicated by the Mugens. Will she be able to achieve her true potential and get the revenge she desires?
This is a troubling but brilliant first novel by R. F. Kuang, the first also in a series of books following the story of the anti-hero Rin whose main claim to fame (slight spoiler) is being a mass murderer. Indeed it is knowing of this aspect of the book that prevented me from picking it up in the first place despite it being very highly rated (it was a Nebula Award nominee). In addition to the incredible violence there are other aspects that may be troubling to readers including the use of psychedelic drugs. Rin herself is an interesting and very determined character though is quite hard to understand despite the story being told from her perspective, indeed, her unforgiving deep-rooted hatred is incredibly disturbing. The world Kuang has created is quite elaborate though falls back on some familiar troupes such as the divide between rich and poor along with the idea of a race who is so utterly evil their mass slaughter can be easily justified. This can be a bit hard to take as most realize that our world is not quite so simple but here it serves the story well.
A very readable and interesting novel that touches on aspects of human nature that may be troubling to many. “The Poppy War” is the first book of a series that deals with the troubled life of Rin struggling to find her way in a world in which she finds she is very much the outsider. Though a bit long and drags a bit in the middle, it is well worth a read.
Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”
Review Date: 2025-03-08
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: 2018
ISBN: 9780062662569