The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang

Fantasy

Rating: 8/10

Just a mere orphaned peasant girl, Rin discovers she is to be traded off by her foster parents to a middle-aged husband in exchange for the promise of riches. Her only means of governing her own destiny is by taking a formidable exam that could potentially land her a free ride to a prestigious school. One where only the nation’s brightest students are admitted in order to forge a path to a high-ranking military career. Through tireless dedication and focus she makes it in, likely trading one set of obstacles for another.

Immediately, her peers and teachers make it clear that Rin does not belong at the school, she is not from a family of high regard, nor has she experienced the extensive training that her classmates have. Clearly, she has her work cut out for her if she ever wishes to ascend to power in the military as her nation hovers on the cusp of war.

Rin is a gripping protagonist, one who is a deeply flawed underdog, one who teeters on the edge of villainy. And know this, she does slip up more than once. What makes her compelling to the reader despite this is that the author writes her with raw intensity and a brutal determination.

It’s important to note that this is a dark fantasy novel, full of detail on the brutality of war and the atrocities and bleakness that accompany it. Know that going in.

Book Pairing(s): The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Babel by R.F. Kuang, Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth