"The Poppy War" brings to life a war orphan named Fang Runin or Rin for short, who barely makes a life in a deeply divided empire of magic, martial arts and angry gods. Author R.F. Kuang constructs a magical world reminiscent of medieval China, rather than the standard European tropes common to the genre, where monsters, both human and not, can wreak unspeakable havoc.
Kuang ambitiously begins a trilogy that doesn't shy away from the darkest sides of her characters, wrapped in a confectionery of high-fantasy pulp. Where the children's "Avatar" animated-series ultimately is about optimism in the face of unending warfare, "The Poppy War" delivers a tale more fatalistic, but still relatable. Frankly, it's also just wonderful to have more genre stories told through an Asian cultural tableau. The future of Rin in this world may appear quite dark, but that of the series seems bright indeed.
Book two is titled The Dragon Republic whilst the third is yet untitled.
Book two is titled The Dragon Republic whilst the third is yet untitled.
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