The Poppy War - R. F. Kuang

The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) – R. F. Kuang

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.

My Review of The Poppy War

I really don’t like writing negative reviews. Although part of me just wants to shred some books to pieces, I understand how much effort goes into a book and so much heart and soul. Thankfully I seem to be in the minority with my dislike for this one. Hopefully I won’t get too carried away with my thoughts of the audio version.

Orphan Rin was destined to be sent off by her horrible adoptive family to marry an older man. To avoid this she studies for the Keju, a test to find the most intelligent kids to send them to the selective academies. She is accepted into the most elite, Sinegard. There she has to learn the art of war while dealing with being disliked and ridiculed. She is taken in by a reclusive teacher and taught how to conjure the gods. And when an actual war breaks out, Rin is called to action.

This is a very short synopsis to describe a story line that has a lot of depth and complexity. However, although it is marketed as an adult fantasy novel, it is NOT. This is not written like an adult fantasy book at all. From the very beginning it was obviously YA. Even when all the blood, gore, rape, torture and psychedelic drugs were happening, it was STILL written as YA. Even though the subject matter was far from it.

I admit, I really enjoyed the beginning. I put aside the notion that this was an adult fantasy, and pretended it was the YA it sounded like, and got swept up in the part Harry Potter, part King Killer Chronicles first half. Then it started getting weird. The drugs came into it and things started happening and I was still listening, giving it the benefit of the doubt.
Then, I got to a part where I realised I wanted to put this on my DNF shelf, I looked at my audible app and realised that I was 10 HOURS in! How could I give up on a book that I had spent 10 HOURS listening to? So I kept going. Unfortunately that was committing to further 9 hours. Not sure why I didn’t just quit while I was ahead.

The violence. There is a LOT of it. Not just your usual violence, we are talking some extreme violence. And although I have read some reviews defending it, saying it wasn’t put in needlessly, I have to disagree. Considering how YA the whole thing felt, the violence to me felt extremely out of place. I had trouble reminding myself that the first and second half were actually the same book.

Another thing was I also felt that the audio version was a good 8 hours too long. I’m not sure how many pages the paper version has, but its too many. I felt there were a LOT of pointless characters, and a LOT of WHINGING! Rin whinged about absolutely EVERYTHING! I didn’t really want to listen to 19 hours of whinging. I get that much and more every week with my 5 year-old.

What did I think of the audio version?

The narrator did a good job, but at times her over-dramatising got on my nerves. It also SOUNDED so YA. Still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that it is an adult fantasy.

Would I recommend the Poppy War?

I think I understand what the author was getting at. She has taken inspiration from many conflicts and conveyed the atrocities of war. But compared to the first half, and the YA style writing, it just didn’t work for me. The violence was extreme, even for me who LOVES a side of blood and gore with my reads. I actually cringed in one part. ME! Cringed!!! I said “WHAT THE F**K!!” out loud when I was halfway to driving to work and an extremely disturbing scene occurred. Those of you who have read the book will know what I am talking about.
Big no from me. I will not be continuing with the series.

(2 / 5)