Rating: ★★★★☆ 4.50 stars
Genres: Grimdark, Historical Fantasy
Trigger warnings: war, gore, self-harm, rape, drug use, racism, genocide, body horror
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.”
Non-Spoiler-ish Review:
“War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who remains.”
This book is not for the faint of heart: it’s classified as grimdark and has several trigger warnings (which are listed above). I love this book for so many reasons: the writing style, the setting, the story, and the character development. I was instantly hooked when I first read it and I had to constrain myself from reading it all in one sitting.
I really fell in love with Kuang’s writing style (although this might have been because I read this novel right after reading ACOTAR and the vast differences between writing styles made me appreciate this book even more). I realized early into the book that Kuang’s depiction of war between Nikan and Mugen is strongly influenced by the Japanese invasion of China in the 1930s, and specifically the Nanjing Massacre. The horrors of war are gruesome, and Kuang is able to depict this well while also building the plot at the same time. She is also really good at building tension, and I found myself not knowing when to feel excited or terrified, as I wondered if Kuang was going to pull a twist or turn in the plot that would leave me speechless yet wanting more.
I also found myself enjoying the magic system and the intricacies and vagueness in dealing with and making connections to the gods. I found the system of shamanism interesting and I liked how Kuang was able to integrate this into her historically-based story. I especially loved Rin’s character and some secondary characters! While Kuang’s characterization may not be the best (specifically for secondary characters), I nevertheless enjoyed how Kuang made no one character perfect; each character has their flaws that ultimately made them so much more human in the eyes of the reader. The characters have to make difficult decisions in times of war, and sometimes their decisions may not always be the “right” one, and they have to live with the consequences of their choices. I think what really made me love this book besides the plot and the characters are the emotions that I felt while reading it. I felt joy, disbelief, anticipation, grief, rage, disgust. I felt such a range of emotions that I usually don’t feel while reading other books (or maybe I just haven’t read enough books).
One criticism I have of this book is that the second part of it felt like it lacked direction in terms of where the plot is exactly going. It really didn’t connect much to the first part of the book and the pacing felt rushed at some parts and slow at others. Rin’s character was a little OOC for me, since the qualities she showed in the first part of the book didn’t bloom in the second part, and left her character lacking a bit. I also had trouble connecting to some of the secondary characters, as they were present in one part of the book and completely absent in the other (though, considering the war setting, it doesn’t surprise me that much but who knows, I might be giving Kuang too much credit). Yet despite this, I still immensely enjoyed reading this book and I am excited to see what Kuang has in store in The Dragon Republic!
I am now just going to ramble for the next couple of paragraphs about the characters and their development! There are definitely major spoilers ahead so just disregard this part if you don’t want spoilers!
“Was she now a goddess or a monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”
Fang Runin. My daughter, my love, my sun and stars, my incredibly flawed but strong female protagonist. Her development throughout the book was so riveting and well done in some aspects. There were times where I loved her, where I feared for her, and where I disliked her. One of Kuang’s strong points is her ability to make the main character multifaceted, flawed, and just human. I loved how determined and motivated Rin was during the Sinegard arc. Her love for praise and approval from her teachers was what motivated her to do better and validated her presence at the prestigious school. That praise told her that she deserved to be there, despite her upbringing, and that she was earning her place among her peers. I enjoyed seeing Rin build confidence in herself and her abilities throughout this time. Her further desire for power and control after summoning her god was also interesting to see! Being an orphan, Rin didn’t have control or power over her life; only when she was able to get into Sinegard and summon her god was she able to grasp power and control with her bare hands. She realized the power she holds but when she couldn’t summon the Phoenix, she struggled because she didn't know who she would be without her power, her connection to the gods.
“Rin had been tortured, bound, beaten, and starved, but her mind was her own. Her god was her own. She would die before she betrayed it.”
Rin’s further struggle with her emotions and just being able to feel was definitely interesting. Rin was apathetic to some of the events in the second part of the book and didn’t really connect with any of the Cike beside Altan. I think Rin seeing the aftermath of the Nanjing Massacre was well done because she finally came face to face with the horrors of war. Yet, her feelings, and mainly her rage, would later explode after Altan dies. Her commander, the only other Speerly, her obsession. Rin’s relationship with Altan was complicated in many ways. There were times where Altan praised her and others where he would just be angry with her. Yet despite this, Rin obsessed over him, and maybe even loved him, because of their connection to being the last Speerly alive. It gave her the connection with another person she so desperately needed.
“She was no victim of destiny. She was the last Speerly, commander of the Cike, and a shaman who called the gods to do her bidding. And she would call the gods to do such terrible things.”
I’m not sure how I feel about Rin’s anguish and rage over Altan’s death and Su Daji’s betrayal leading her to commit genocide against Mugen. It does make her a morally grey character and an even unlikeable character. Though I’m not sure if making Rin commit genocide was the best way to convey that; it definitely is not morally right. Although, Rin’s struggle with coming to terms with what she has done was touched upon well. I think this struggle will be more defined in the second book, but her initial realization with what she had done and her questioning whether it was the right thing to do was nice to see. I think if Kuang had made Rin completely apathetic to her act of genocide, it would have completely ruined her character and any real chance of good development. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed Rin’s character!
Altan Trengsin. Oh boy, I have so many mixed feelings about him, but at the end of the day I still don’t really like him as a character. It might be because of Kuang’s characterization of him or my interpretation of his actions, but I just did not vibe with his actions throughout the novel. Yes, Altan is flawed and his anger and fury is not without reason. His feelings are completely valid given that he witness the genocide of his people and was made to be a military weapon. He is so strong in how he is able to persevere and channel his fury and rage by controlling the Phoenix. And I understand how important Rin and Altan’s relationship was to him: he had been alone for so, so long and now there is someone else to share his history, his god, his sadness, his pain, his anger. Yet at the same time, I didn’t enjoy his bursts of anger against Rin and the rest of the Cike. I didn’t enjoy how he could be so warm yet so cold at Rin; there were times where they connected, and other times where he was a complete asshole. I do forgive some parts of his character because of the trauma he has gone through, but I didn’t like how he thought it was appropriate to push all of that onto the Cike and Rin.
This ends my rambling! Despite its many flaws, I still enjoyed The Poppy War and I am excited to read next book in the series!
- lian
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