Book of the Month Preview: ‘The Poppy War’ by R.F. Kuang
We are switching gears in March!
Our book choice for March is The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. This has been on everyone’s TBR in MBC for quite some time. And we are all excited to start reading the series. The novel was a nominee for Best Fantasy in 2017 and R.F. Kuang was nominated for Best Debut Author.
Kuang fused High Fantasy with Historical Fiction and it is one of the most critically acclaimed series of the decade. Join our Patreon today and discuss all the books in the DISCORD.
Rebecca F. Kuang is a Marshall Scholar, translator, and award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy and Babel: An Arcane History, among others. She has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale.
The Poppy war
By 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.
What the Poppy War Offers
military strategy
collapsing empires
mad gods
colonialism
classism
spirituality
harsh realities of war
*full list of trigger warnings for the novel here*
Join Our Book Chat
Maude and our community will dive into The Poppy War on Thursday, March 14th and Thursday, March 28th, 2024! Join us on Twitch from 5-7 p.m. PT.
What did you think about The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang? Let us know in the comments below or join our discord today!
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