Before we get into the review I want to start by saying that this book is not going to be for everyone. This book handles the topic of war in a realistic but brutal fashion, no detail is spared for the reader’s comfort. Many will find the content in this book to be off-putting at best and triggering at worst so make sure to check the trigger warnings before picking this one up. Now let’s get into the review!

Synopsis

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang is a coming of age novel following a young girl named Rin who is a war orphan following the second Poppy War. Rin is placed in the household of opium dealers in a poorer region of Nikara. At the age of 14, she dedicates herself to studying for the Keju, a national civil-service exam, to try and escape her fate. From there we follow Rin through Sineguard, the nation’s best military academy, and then through the horrific events of the Third Poppy War. This book explores how rapidly one must adapt to their reality in the face of war and adversity and how that rapid acclimation can have devastating effects on a developing mind.

Clearing Up Some Misconceptions

I was heavily involved with book-related content on the internet and when this book came out a lot of people posted their reviews about it. In these reviews the terms ‘enemies-to-lovers’ and ‘academy-based fantasy’ came up a lot. While these are technically true I believe that they are extremely misleading. There is no romance in the first book of this series and the dynamic between the two characters is very abusive and not to be romanticized. Also, while one of the settings is in an academy, it is not the primary setting and quickly becomes an afterthought as you continue reading.

What Makes The Poppy War Stand Out?

I was surprised when I found out this was R.F. Kuang’s debut novel. The writing in this book has a lot of qualities that are lacking in even the most experienced writers’ work. The way she writes is beautiful without taking away from the flow or readability of her work. The characters are fleshed out and memorable even with limited page time. What really stood out to me though was her mastery of the third person. At times I forgot that this book wasn’t written in the first person from how well she incorporated a character’s thoughts and feelings while still being able to maintain all the benefits that come with a third person perspective.

The amount of research and understanding of Chinese history, which this novel is heavily based on, also really elevates this novel. It allows for the reader to get fully immersed in the setting. This also allows for all the more fantastical elements of the novel to be more believable as it is strongly tied to elements of Chinese culture and religious practices.

One of my favorite parts of this novel though is the way R.F. Kuang writes her characters. She fully embraces the dark ways that war can affect a person and their morality and ethics. Characters are put in situations where the best decision isn’t the morally correct one and R.F. Kuang really delves into how these decisions affect the characters mental state. These characters will frustrate you and aren’t likable all the time, if ever. R.F. Kuang really prioritized realistic reactions and decisions in these bleak situations over ones you would typically associate with a fantasy heroine. Though if you need your characters to be likable, this novel probably isn’t for you.

Final Thoughts

I haven’t picked up a fantasy novel in a while, but this book reminded me what makes the fantasy genre so great. While I did have some problems with pacing towards the end, everything else about this book makes it something worth reading and I will absolutely be continuing with the series. If you looked up content warnings for this novel and are still interested I would absolutely recommend you pick this one up. It has every aspect of the fantasy genre that we all love while still being an original piece of media. 

Rating: 4.5/5 

Make sure to buy The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or support your local book stores near you!
Make sure to check out Ronny’s newest review of Shadows of Doubt!
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