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In every universe, in every war, there comes a time when Rin and Nezha have to face each other. Preferably without reducing their cities to rubble. As fate would have it, she gets thrown into that same world she tried to avoid, her days now filled with civil unrest, secrecy, a strange growing power, and growing feelings for a certain infuriating prince. Language: English Words: 78,260 Chapters: 10/? Comments: 70 Kudos: 164 Bookmarks: 17 Hits: 1,978 This stunning sequel to The Poppy War is an epic journey of vengeance, friendship, and power […] Kuang has created a young woman torn by her connections to friends and family, searching for love and belonging, and given power beyond her imagining. Her story is unforgettable.” Library Journal Ultimately, she says, she loves the series for the ways it examines race and power. For instance, she has a quote from Rin in the second book up on a corkboard: "I've seen how power works. It's not about who you are, it's about how they see you. And once you're mud in this country, you're always mud."
The entire trilogy contains extremely fascinating character relationships and dynamics. Rin and Nezha; Rin and Altan; Rin and Kitay; Rin and Venka; Rin and Su Daji . . . Rebecca writes this ending to begin a discussion of what the world would look like if China’s current Communist regime were not the ruling party today. At the 48:42 timestamp in the interview, she shares her perspective on the multiple layers of Asian diaspora identity, including rejecting your Asian heritage, becoming comfortable with it, and understanding the nuance of loving a culture whose government your family may have opposed. Fang can be broken down to “Fah-ng” or “F + aww + ng” rhymes with “Song” and “Roo-nin” . Please do not say Fang like Rin’s a vampire or something. Yin Nezha The trilogy begins with The Poppy War, which introduces us to Rin, a war orphan from the Rooster Province who aces a difficult nationwide test to gain admission to Sinegard, the most prestigious military academy in the Empire. Once there, Rin discovers that her talent for shamanism – an almost extinct form of magic – can give her an edge in the coming war with the neighboring Federation. As the war progresses, Rin becomes increasingly powerful but must also confront the true cost of her abilities and the difficult choices they force her to make. What to Expect A complex, challenging, and incredibly ambitious novel.”— Vulture (The 10 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2018)
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That scene encompasses ... what the series overall feels like to me, this desire to come to terms with something that happened," they say. "Not all of it is happening to you personally, but you're having to deal with the legacy of it and asking that question of ... how, and why, and what next." aka, tpw but it's a great cities au) Language: English Words: 8,396 Chapters: 1/1 Comments: 8 Kudos: 14 Hits: 95 Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that 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 psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school. Kehe, Jason (2018-10-11). "Why So Many Fantasy Novels Are Obsessed With Academia". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028 . Retrieved 2019-12-27. Daisy Jones & The Six Inspired Language: English Words: 826 Chapters: 1/? Comments: 1 Kudos: 10 Bookmarks: 1 Hits: 51
Debut novelist Kuang creates an ambitious fantasy reimagining of Asian history populated by martial artists, philosopher-generals, and gods…Kuang highlights the horrors of war, especially the moral and emotional toll on combatants who employ scorched-earth strategies. Heroic responses pale in view of the collateral damage that they trigger, and the novel does not allow its characters to slough off their culpability for channeling godly powers. Readers may empathize with Rin’s desire for vengeance, but any thrill at her success is matched by horror at its costs. This is a strong and dramatic launch to Kuang’s career.” Publisher’s Weekly Hate was a funny thing. It gnawed at her insides like poison. […] Hate was its own kind of fire and if you had nothing else, it kept you warm. Rebecca F. Kuang, better known as R.F. Kuang, is an American author of Chinese descent known for her epic fantasy trilogy, The Poppy War series. Kuang was born in Guangzhou, China, and grew up in the United States, where she developed a passion for history and literature. She graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in International History and went on to complete her Master's degree in Chinese Studies at the University of Cambridge. Babel is the world’s center of translation and, more importantly, of silver-working: the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation through enchanted silver bars, to magical effect. Silver-working has made the British Empire unparalleled in power, and Babel’s research in foreign languages serves the Empire’s quest to colonize everything it encounters.Kuang pointedly underlines the ambiguous moral choices and personal costs of the path toward victory and lasting peace, sparing neither characters nor readers from the horrors and consequences of war. The result is a satisfying if not happy end to the series.” Publishers Weekly The author, R.F. Kuang, previously attended Oxford University and is currently bound for Yale. She wrote The Poppy War . . . when she was nineteen. Reading this book, you feel smart. Kuang began writing “The Poppy War” when she was nineteen and halfway done with college. It was during a gap year she spent in China, working as a debate coach, and was published when she was just 22 years old. She felt drawn to retell this part of China’s history in a fantasy novel because this was the type of story she was not seeing on bookshelves. A complex, sprawling, ambitious novel, part coming of age and part tragedy of power, that uses motifs and influences from the 20th century. It reminds me tonally of Lara Elena Donnelly’s Amberlough and Joe Abercrombie’s Half a King, [and]in setting of K. Arsenault Rivera’s The Tiger’s Daughter.”— Tor.com The second book, The Dragon Republic, continues Rin's story as she becomes a powerful leader of the rebel forces fighting against the Mugen Federation. As she struggles to come to terms with the atrocities she has committed in the name of war, Rin must navigate complex political alliances and decide where her loyalties lie. The book also delves deeper into the lore and mythology of the series, revealing more about the gods and their powers, as well as the history of the world.
I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year [...] I have absolutely no doubt that[Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin. Booknest I can safely say that this will be the finest debut of 2018 and I’d be surprised if it isn’t one of the top 3 books of the year full stop. Spectacular, masterclass, brilliant, awesome [...] Simply put, R.F. Kuang’s “The Poppy War” is a towering achievement of modern fantasy.”— Fantasy Book Review The first book in the series, The Poppy War, introduces readers to Rin, a poor orphan who lives with her abusive foster parents. Rin is a brilliant student and has dreams of escaping her life of poverty by passing the Keju, a rigorous exam that grants admission to the prestigious Sinegard Military Academy. When she miraculously passes the exam, Rin discovers that life at Sinegard is not what she expected, as she faces discrimination and bullying from her fellow students. However, Rin's fortunes change when she discovers a forbidden power that could help her become the greatest warrior in the land. As a result, it will be up to readers to interpret her actions and decide whether they are good, bad, or ‘for the greater good’. Some readers will lean more lenient, others more harshly. And that is the entire point of the novel and the series.Mason, Everdeen (2018-11-13). "The 5 best science fiction and fantasy novels of 2018". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2019-12-27. Haunted by the terrible choices she had to make to save her people, Rin's only reason for living is to take revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold her homeland to its enemies. Ng says that as a child, they went to the Memorial Hall in Nanjing, but that visit did not make them think about what had happened in the way that Kuang's book did.
Of course, it’s called The Opium War(S) for a reason so the second war was fought between China and Britain and France. Again, the Chinese lost this war, resulting in further concessions of territory. Shanghai, for example, was split between the English, French, etc. The Second-Sino Japanese War (1937–1945) The first thing to understand is that Rin is intentionally written as an anti-hero. You’re not supposed to fully support all her actions because Rin is actually inspired by Mao Zedong, one of history’s most controversial figures. Mao Zedong was known to have a very ruthless approach with a notable quote being “When there is not enough to eat, people starve to death. It is better to let half the people die so that others can eat their fill.” But Rin — unhinged as she is — now has critical acclaim and passionate fans around the world; Kuang recently won the Astounding Award for best new writer at the Hugo Awards ceremony. I asked some of her fans what resonated with them. This looks like a good match for readers of Red Rising. Omnivoracious (10 Highly Anticipated New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books) In The Poppy War, RF Kuang draws on history and myth to tell a relentlessly unforgiving story of war, vengeance, power and madness, with larger-than-life characters that evoke sympathy and rouse terror. Brace yourself. Fonda LeeIf there is a divine creator, some ultimate moral authority, then why do bad things happen to good people? And why would this deity create people at all, since people are such imperfect beings?” The Poppy War was a fun, engrossing, journey to a world I wish I could visit and a school I wish I could attend. With its strong characters, interesting world building, and intriguing plot it is a great read that I would recommend to anyone. The Quill to Live Now that you have a grasp of the history, let’s talk about our main character, Fang Runin. Fang Runin, or Rin, is a war orphan who, after acing the Keju—a nation-wide exam—is accepted to the most elite military academy in the nation, Sinegard. There, Rin discovers that she possesses an aptitude for shamanism and can call the power of the gods. Nam, Michael (2018-05-10). " 'The Poppy War' book review: A magical, brutal coming-of-age tale in a medieval Asian fantasy world". New York Daily News . Retrieved 2019-12-27.
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