It's been a while since I posted a book review—sorry about that! I've mostly been reading sequels lately, which I don't write reviews for, but I just finished a new book that I am dying to tell you about.
The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang is an epic fantasy book on par with Alexandra Bracken's Lore. It follows Fang Runin, a war orphan who strives to elevate herself from her misfortunate, poverty-stricken life. When Rin passes the Keju—an insanely difficult test mostly taken by nobles—she is whisked off to the Academy at Sinegard, the most prestigious of Nikan's military schools. There, she learns that even though she escaped her old life, her troubles are far from over. Surrounded by the children of nobles and warlords who have trained their whole lives to attend the Academy, Rin struggles to prove her worth and justify her presence at the Academy—until the mysterious, seemingly insane Lore teacher Jiang Ziya takes her under his wing. With him, Rin learns that the gods are very much alive, and if she allows herself to be enlightened, she can commune with them—and even call them down to her world. This power is one Rin may need sooner than she thinks as war crawls ever closer to destroying all she knows.
This book keeps throwing curveballs at you no matter how well you think you know where it's going. It constantly kept me on my toes as it went further and further than I thought it would, far beyond the "typical" arc of the first novel in a trilogy. It makes me extremely curious about what will happen in the next two books, which I can hardly wait to begin reading (all three books have been released, so don't worry about agonizing cliffhangers).
All the talk about gods and shamans was confusing at times, but I learned to roll with it, and it mostly made sense in time. Kuang does a beautiful job of juggling many characters and giving each of them distinct, vibrant personalities that challenge each other and draw out their secrets. It was difficult to pin down a few of them, but I suppose that's just a testament to how nuanced they are.
The Poppy War is an intense, captivating book about war, morality, and the weight of life. Any fan of Lore, The Hunger Games, and even The Lord of the Rings will find something to enjoy about it. I rate The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang 5/5 stars. I hope you like gore!
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