The Poppy War

  • Author: R.F. Kuang
  • Page count: 545
  • Started on: 2025/05/17
  • Finished on: 2025/06/11
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • ★★★★☆

Book cover of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. The title is in large black and red letters over a background of swirling black and red smoke. At the bottom left, a monochrome illustration shows a young woman in motion, holding a drawn bow and arrow, with wind-blown hair and robes. The tagline reads: “They trained her for a war. She intends to end it.”

The Poppy War is the first book in R.F. Kuang’s historical fantasy trilogy inspired by 20th-century China, especially the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Opium Wars. The title references a series of devastating wars and the central role of opium in the plot - tied to power, addiction, and divine possession.

In this book, peasant girl Rin passes the Keju test to get into a prestigious academy, where she doesn’t fit in but wins the first year’s main trial against all odds.

Many of the plot elements reminded me of The Fourth Wing, but I guess there’s only so many ways to write a book about ‘coming of age at a school of magic’. No Potter wands, bonded dragons, or extended ‘romance’ scenes here though! 🪄🐉🙈

As with Kuang’s Yellowface, I found it difficult to connect with Rin. She comes across a bit too whiny, and self-pitying - and I found most characters lacked emotional depth. They’re interesting archetypes though and the plot itself sped along really nicely. I have the rest of the audiobook trilogy ready to go on my Libro.fm app, so expect reviews of the other two books in the coming months.

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