The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang is an incredibly immersive and thought-provoking book. It was released in 2019 and has 4.5 stars. It draws heavy influence from the Second Sino-Japanese war and other aspects of Chinese history to highlight the horrors and injustices China has gone through.
R.F Kuang debuted the first book when she was 19 and the sequels followed in the coming year. She has graduate degrees at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and Oxford, and is currently pursuing a PhD at Yale University. She also has a minor in Asian studies and her education shows in her books. Her novels often depict themes of colonization as seen in her best-sellers, Babel and Yellowface.
The book follows Runin Fang as she attends Sinegard, an elite military college with the best scholars of Nikara. However, her education is interrupted by the looming threat of invasion from the neighboring country of Mugen.
Runin Fang is a brilliant protagonist –– she is fierce and determined and never stops fighting for what she believes in. Her relationships with her friends are thoroughly fleshed out and make any death –– and there is a lot –– absolutely devastating. I really felt for these characters when I was reading the book. It was easy to get into Rin’s head and see from her point of view how she thinks and how the events affect her.
The world-building is incredible. Nikara takes heavy inspiration from China during the mid-1900s but it also has its own unique aspects that make it a true fantasy. Every place featured in the book felt realistic and made sense in the plot and world, and that’s probably because the places take inspiration from real life.
The second Sino-Japanese war was fought between the Republic of China and Japan. It is considered the beginning of World War II and known as the “Asian Holocaust” and the Chinese Resistance against Japanese Aggression. One of the most impactful events in the first book reflects a real event in the war –– the Nanjing Massacre. The story realistically depicts the horrors of war and colonization and it does not shy away from dark topics.
The writing is engaging and memorable. I never felt lost in the book, everything was explained thoroughly, but also left some things up for the reader’s interpretation. She didn’t over-explain and state exactly what Rin was thinking or feeling, she let her details and description speak for themselves.
Overall, The Poppy War and its sequels quickly became one of my favorite series. The writing, characters, and plot are extremely well done and stand out among other popular fantasy series. R.F Kuang is coming out with another book, Katabasis, in August and I’m so excited to see how she creates yet another captivating and devastating story.
