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A review by abbyknud
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I first heard this book pitched as “Avatar, but if Azula was the main character,” and from that moment I was sold.
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily an accurate description, but the sentiment is there. And I suspect that the Azula comparisons will only become more accurate as the series progresses.
When we meet Rin in this book, though, she is nothing like Azula. She is an orphan who is constantly studying for the entrance exam to Sinegard, the prestigious military academy, where she is eventually accepted. While there, she is an outcast for her first year because of her social status, then she becomes even more of an outcast when she chooses to study Lore, the laughingstock of subjects.
But then war arrives, and things start to get very, very dark. Rin must use her Lore knowledge and her newly discovered identity to make decisions, for good or for evil, that will affect the fates of the people closest to her, her nation’s innocent civilians, and the enemy—if “enemy” can be so clearly defined.
This book does not gloss over the atrocities of war. It may seem from the description that this is a typical fantasy school book, but it’s not. It’s a war book. Many of the events are inspired by China’s twentieth-century wartime history, and knowing that these events are based in reality makes them all the more sickening. No character is a completely good person, and moral dilemmas are the driving force behind the conflict. What is a life worth? Who can be scarified for the greater good? Who deserves to choose who dies?
I ended up taking a long time to get through it because I’ve been so busy with school, but it honestly felt like the best way to read it. It’s a lot to take in. A lot to process. I highly recommend, as long as you’re up for something dark.
I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily an accurate description, but the sentiment is there. And I suspect that the Azula comparisons will only become more accurate as the series progresses.
When we meet Rin in this book, though, she is nothing like Azula. She is an orphan who is constantly studying for the entrance exam to Sinegard, the prestigious military academy, where she is eventually accepted. While there, she is an outcast for her first year because of her social status, then she becomes even more of an outcast when she chooses to study Lore, the laughingstock of subjects.
But then war arrives, and things start to get very, very dark. Rin must use her Lore knowledge and her newly discovered identity to make decisions, for good or for evil, that will affect the fates of the people closest to her, her nation’s innocent civilians, and the enemy—if “enemy” can be so clearly defined.
This book does not gloss over the atrocities of war. It may seem from the description that this is a typical fantasy school book, but it’s not. It’s a war book. Many of the events are inspired by China’s twentieth-century wartime history, and knowing that these events are based in reality makes them all the more sickening. No character is a completely good person, and moral dilemmas are the driving force behind the conflict. What is a life worth? Who can be scarified for the greater good? Who deserves to choose who dies?
I ended up taking a long time to get through it because I’ve been so busy with school, but it honestly felt like the best way to read it. It’s a lot to take in. A lot to process. I highly recommend, as long as you’re up for something dark.