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Overview
Overview
"I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year ...] I have absolutely no doubt that Kuang's] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin." -- Booknest
A Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best Books of 2018 pick
Washington Post "5 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel of 2018" pick
A Bustle "30 Best Fiction Books of 2018" pick
A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China's twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu's Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy.
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.
- Format: Hardcover
- Author: Kuang, R. F.
- ISBN: 9780062662569
- Condition: New
- Dimensions: 9.20 x 1.40
- Number Of Pages: 544
- Publication Year: 2018
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Revenge and coming of age in a world of opium, imperialism, and brutal warfare.
Adam D. - 6 years 1 month agoA dark, visceral fantasy novel of war and revenge, the Poppy War features two main settings. One, Sinegard, is a military academy where an imperial elite study martial arts (and sometimes magic) in a school fantasy that owes more to Ender's Game than Harry Potter. The other is the frontlines of a war that dresses the drama of modern Chinese struggles (from the Opium Wars to World War 2) in the style of medieval epics. Kuang has a gift for surprising, startling setpieces to illustrate both, from the pit-fighting matches between students and a fiery swamp ambush to an unnerving monster hunt. Connecting them all is an angry, competitive rural farmgirl, Rin Fang, who aced the national exams to get away from corrupt foster parents, mysterious figures of national import, and a mixture of students and shamans with sharp-edged, clearly drawn personalities. Though occasionally strange in its construction, and lacking in explanations for some asymmetries that may nettle fans of detailed worldbuilding (the war features plentiful explosives and even chemical weapons, but no firearms), the book maintains a relentless pace and psychological focus that should thrill readers who enjoy its dark component parts.
HPB Staff Review -
2018 Debut of the year
Ashley N. - 7 years 11 months agoThis book surprised me in so many ways. It is the first of a trilogy and also this author's debut novel. It is told in 3 parts. The first part is mostly character backstory and general world building, but as soon as you get into part 2 the action doesn't stop. In this Empire, there is a test that is administered to the people to find the most talented to go to the academies, where they train military leaders. Rin is from the South and no one thought she would pass the test, but she does. This story goes from her taking the test to her studies at the finest academy in all the Empire and then into war. It is very descriptive of wartime and based on Chinese histories, such as the Rape of Nanking. It is a powerful novel to read and may contain triggers due to its graphic nature.
HPB Staff Review