Written by Hanaa Hameed
R.F Kuang’s debut novel The Poppy War has been one of the most buzzed about books so far this year. Book bloggers and reviewers can’t stop gushing about it and keep recommending it as a must-read!
What is it about? The book focuses on Rin, who is a poor orphan raised by foster parents that wish to marry her off. Her only escape is to get into Sinegard, a prestigious military academy that only accepts students with the best scores, but Rin manages to get in except that’s the easy part. Surviving at Sinegard as a dark-skinned, poor girl from the village isn’t easy. She must fight everyday to survive and there she learns of the drug infused shamanic powers that were believed to be myth—powers that she has. These powers might help her to win the war, however, sometimes the cost of power can be too great pay, even if it means winning a war that destroyed the nation.
Well, if that didn’t make you want to read it, here are 10 reasons why it should definitely be your next read!
1. IT’S REALISTIC
“War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who remains.”
Yes, the book is a fantasy, but the struggles that Rin goes through are very relatable. For instance, Rin has to work very hard to get into Sinegard. She is not special or the chosen one. She had to study, she had to pull all nighters to do it. Also, the author doesn’t hold back when it comes to the reality of war—the suffering, the pain, the grief, and the loss of humanity, compassion, and empathy.
2. THE WAR IS BASED ON REAL EVENTS
“They were monsters!” Rin shrieked. “They were not human!”
“Have you ever considered” he said slowly “that was exactly what they though of us?”
The war in this book is actually based on the Second-Sino Japanese War between China and Japan that took place from 1937 to 1945. Not much is taught about this war in history books, but it should be. The author has done an amazing job such as bringing subjects like the Nanjing Massacre, also known as The Rape of Nanjing, to light. It’s terrifying and it’s a shame that we aren’t educated more about it.
3. RIN
“Well, fuck the heavenly order of things. If getting married to a gross old man was her preordained role on this earth, then Rin was determined to rewrite it.”
Rin is the perfect protagonist for this story as there are so many things to love about her. Her determination to get what she deserved and she would not let anyone stand in her way. She wasn’t going to bow down to others just because they were richer than her, they had to earn her respect. She wasn’t going to be treated badly just because of the colour of her skin. She had worked hard to earn her place and she was going to keep it. Also, according to the author, her character was inspired by Mao Zedong. He was a Chinese communist revolutionary who became the founding father of the People’s Republic of China, which he ruled as the Chairman of the Communist Party of China.
No—they couldn’t just do this to her. They might think they could sweep her away like rubbish, but she didn’t have to lie down and take it. She had come from nothing. She wasn’t going back to nothing.
But if the Keju had taught her anything, it was that pain was the price of success.
And she hadn’t burned herself in a long time.
Success required sacrifice. Sacrifice meant pain. Pain meant success
4. MASTER JIANG
Jiang was an effective if unconventional combat instructor. He made her hold her kicks up in the air for long minutes until her leg trembled. He made her duck as he hurled projectiles at her off the weapons rack. He made her do the same exercise blindfolded, and then admitted later that he just thought it would be funny.
“You’re a real asshole,” she said. “You know that, right?”
He is beyond cool! Jiang is Rin’s martial arts instructor and teacher when her actual instructor refused to teach her. Honestly, he is one of the best parts of this book adding lightness and humour to what would otherwise be a dark and heavy book.
5. ALTAN
“But the boy already had a god of his own. And the gods were selfish.”
Get ready to fall in love with this boy. Not romantically, but all you want to do is love him and tell him he is loved. He is not the love interest (there is no romance in the book), but he will make you feel all sorts of things. He has shamanic powers and because of that, he is used and controlled from a very young age by other people. He is angry, vulnerable, and hungry for revenge. You’ll definitely get emotionally involved in his story and feel whatever it is the author wants you to feel.
6. THE WORLDBUILDING
This was done so well by the author. It was so intricate and beautiful, you will feel like you’re living the story, that you’re seeing the things Rin is seeing. It was based on Ancient China and felt so authentic. Not only that, but you will be introduced to society’s behaviour towards women, to those who were not of a higher class. Like it was mentioned before, the author does not hold out on details.
7. ADDICTION
Yep, this book deals with addiction to drugs, opium to be specific. It is believed to be used to call on the gods, but also it is addictive. Certain characters use it to just escape the world once in a while, to escape the pain and torment.
8. FEMINISM
This book is based in Ancient China, so there is inequality. Women are seen as weak and only to be used as a wife and to bear children. Especially poor women, such as Rin. Even at Sinegard, there are only three girls, but all of them were bad-ass since you had to be to survive at Sinegard. Unfortunately for Rin she wasn’t educated on topics such as her period and therefore proceeded to do a hysterectomy because she couldn’t bear the thought of having to get cramps every month. I just wish she had someone to fully explain the consequences of such a decision to her.
“She glanced down at the basin with a deranged satisfaction. Better to get the blood out this way, she thought, all at once, rather than slowly, every month, for years. While she continued to retch, she heard the door to the dormitory open. Someone walked inside and paused in front of her. “You’re insane,” said Venka. Rin glared up at her, blood dripping from her mouth, and smiled.”
9. THE POLITICS
“Great danger is always associated with great power. The difference between the great and the mediocre is that the great are willing to take the risk.”
One of the main themes of this book: power. What will a country do to gain power over another? What will they give up? What are they willing to become? The politics in this book is realistic and is like watching a game of chess: Who is going to make the next move?
10. THE WRITING
Get ready to be sucked into the page, and have the greatest adventures of your life, because the writing is amazing. For this being the work of a debut author, it is amazing! It grips you from the very first page and won’t let go until you’re done. It’s a breathless, edge-of-your-seat journey all the way through.
The Poppy War is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
