Review: The Poppy War
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5 stars. I didn't expect this to be so complex, or so compelling. Not a perfect book, but the excellent reviews are warranted here. This is something new and different and it's styled wonderfully. I thoroughly enjoyed my deep dive into Asian-influenced military fantasy and I can't wait to see what comes next.
As many have noted, this book has a first half and a second half. The first half tracks Rin (our heroic and sparky protagonist) as she aces an entrance examination for the Sinegard, a military training academy, and tries to find her place as an outcast among her elite, privileged classmates. It's a little Harry Potter-ish, in a good way. Rin works hard and comes of age as a fierce warrior with a talent for shamanism.
The second half shows war. When Sinegard is attacked, Rin discovers that she carries within her a great power - the power to channel a god. With this power she leaves the outcast orphan behind and attempts to navigate the horrors of warfare, the reality of conquest and the threat of genocide. There is a lot of darkness here, and Rin is not left untouched. For this reason and more The Poppy War, despite being a fantasy with mystical elements, feels disturbingly realistic and occasionally difficult to read.
Rin is a fantastic protagonist. She works hard. She's perseverant and she asks questions. She's intelligent and tends toward action. I can't quite put my finger on it, but she feels different from your typical orphan-warrior trope. She doesn't waste anyone's time, including her own, including the reader's. She doesn't have a chip on her shoulder, she just does what she thinks is right in the moment. Did I fully support her decisions? Not always, but I understood them.
The minor characters are not to be overlooked. The elongated, quieter first half gives Rin's surrounding acquaintances a lot of screen time so when the real action hits, the stakes feel impossibly, incredibly high. I don't normally say this but oh man - I loved everyone. I cared about everyone. I felt comfortable with Altan, Kitay, Nezha, Jiang as people, not just characters. They existed with agency and not to simply serve the plot.
And the setting. Gorgeous. The world-building is complicated here, so be prepared, but it's rich and luxurious and intellectual. I was fascinated by the Asian influence and inspired by the Asian elements. The action sequences are carefully written and include enough tactics and strategy to be interesting but not enough to be dry. AND, to top it off with a cherry, this book is, just generally and delightfully, unpredictable.
I can't wait to read more. I have a feeling this book will go down in history and studied for ages to come. Its examination of warfare - all the questions, none of the answers - left me feeling sad and desperate and disturbed and utterly captivated. I will turn to The Poppy War again and again for its beauty and darkness.