War's Toll and Magic's Price: A Review of R. F. Kuang's 'The Poppy War'

I, like many others, came across “The Poppy War” by R. F. Kuang due to its frequent appearance on social media. I did not know much about this novel other than the fact that it contains a lot of graphic material and that it was set in a Chinese-inspired fantasy world. I’ve been hesitant to read this novel as I have heard some people describe “The Poppy War” as one of the most depressing books they have ever read. Now, I’m not afraid of grittier novels, but it did intimidate me.

Context

“The Poppy War” is a fantasy novel set in early 20th-century China. The events told in this novel are inspired by the real-life atrocities that took place during the Nanjing Massacre carried out by the Japanese army in the late 1930s. This event has been remembered as one of the most heinous military crimes in modern times as, during this war, the Japanese forces were responsible for wiping out entire villages and holding killing contests. There are lots of references to murder, rape and violence in the novel, so I do suggest heeding any warnings if you are a sensitive reader.

Summary

At its core, this novel is a coming-of-age story in pre-war China. The main protagonist, Rin, is an orphan who is determined to escape an arranged marriage by any means necessary. She sets her sights on furthering her education at the Sinegard, an exclusive military academy. To get into the Sinegard, hopeful students must undertake an entrance exam whereby only the top student in each village is invited to enrol. Rin, despite all odds, places first and joins the academy. She soon discovers that her hard work is not yet over, and she still must make it through the intensive training program. Despite enrolling in an elite military academy, Rin never accounts for the likelihood of being drafted into a war. That is until war breaks out across the land. From this point on, much of the novel centres on death and despair. We see Rin discover the true nature of her abilities as well as the true price of being a soldier.

First Impressions

Going in, I did not have many expectations for this novel, but I was surprised that I struggled to get into it. If I were not listening to the audiobook, I would have easily DNF’d it about one-third of the way in. I did not like Rin’s character at all. I found her to be petulant and this is why it took me a couple of attempts to get through the novel.

Characters and Structure

This novel is told chronologically through Rin’s perspective, so we get a lot of insight into her character. Yay.

I hoped I’d grow to understand her, but Rin lacks depth. I struggled to empathise with her or to form any emotional bond other than annoyance.

I do not believe that every protagonist needs to be likeable. I just don’t feel that she is interesting in any way. I did not care what happened to her in this novel at all. Rin lacked any qualities that would make me pay attention to her. This is a huge letdown since I would argue that “The Poppy War” is evenly distributed between plot and character-driven. We see Rin navigate through extreme hardships, but she undergoes next to no character development. Not seeing any type of progression in Rin dampens my overall opinion of this novel.

Writing Style

Kuang tells this story well. The plot continues to march forward where many other novels tend to stagnate. With novels like this, it is easy to info-dump onto the reader, but I do not feel that that ever occurred in “The Poppy War”. You are constantly fed lore, but it is easily digestible. You learn about the courses offered at the Sinegard, the history of this China and its mythology. I found Kuang’s writing to be very descriptive. It is easy enough to immerse yourself into this world and that is by no means, a small feat.

Themes/ Messages

From time to time, “The Poppy War” would touch on social issues such as racism. This specifically happens during Rin’s time at the Sinegard, but there are some underlying tones throughout the novel.

Most prominently, I think “The Poppy War” deals with the reality of war and it does not glamourise magic. During the early days at the Sinegard, it was obvious that most of the students wanted the prestige of attending such an academy without having to experience a day of battle. They all receive a rude awakening. The thought that the techniques and strategies that they are learning in the classroom would mean actually killing real people when practised never occurs to any of them. This bothered me a lot, especially when it came to Rin. I think it is fair enough that the students are young and naïve, but when war does eventually break out, everyone seems to quickly fall into line and unwillingly accept their fate, except for Rin. But we’ll come back to her in a second.

As mentioned in the beginning, most reviews of this book mentioned the graphic imagery. I did not think that it was as gruesome and horrific as it was made out to be. With being said, I can imagine that sensitive readers would find certain descriptions upsetting. I do applaud Kuang for not shying away from these scenes. In the novels I have read that centre around war, the actual death and destruction that comes with it is brushed aside. We’d rather focus on the handsome hero or the Chosen One fulfilling their destiny. What Kuang does here is show you that the “glory” we experience with the main character comes at a very real very morbid price. I think this is especially true when looking at the fantasy genre. When magic is involved, the true nature of war is diminished. We focus on how powerful the main character is, or our attention is more focused on how the magic system operates. Kuang, on the other hand, shows the aftermath that follows war. Magical abilities are not something to lust after. I do think Kuang could have delved more into the effects of the magical abilities on the wielder. Since the magic system relies on digesting poppy seeds or being injected with heroin, I would have liked to have seen this explored more. The novel does hint at a possible opium crisis, but I think that it could have played a greater role.

Going back to Rin and her view on war. I can appreciate a character who’s tormented by their sense of duty or self-preservation over the need to kill. However, Rin seems unable to morally justify the actions of others, while having no personal struggle with killing. Essentially: “It’s wrong to kill people unless I do it”. It was in moments like these that I grew to dislike her.

Who Should Read This?

Genre-wise, this book will be an enjoyable read for anyone who is looking to break away from traditional European fantasy novels. I think this would also appeal to those who are passionate about mythology. Chinese myths are a solid foundation for this novel, and the reader is exposed to a lot of lore throughout, so it is important to keep that in mind.

Thematically, this novel is for a more mature audience. Sensitive readers will struggle with the descriptions of violence and death, while the rest of the subject matter is fairly typical of the genre.

Closing Thoughts

Since Rin’s attitude at the start of the novel was off-putting, I was hoping that her character would develop as the novel progressed, but alas, this was not the case. The more I read, the more I expect this to follow the typical conventions of the bildungsroman: where we see the protagonist undergo a series of trials and tribulations until they reach maturity, and finally discover their identity by the end. Spoiler alert, Rin seemed to get worse. Since this is the first book of a trilogy, there may be a chance that Rin does achieve some personal growth, but I am hesitant to read the next instalment. From a critical point of view, “The Poppy War” is not a bad novel. It has a lot of great elements in terms of its writing style and storytelling, but my dislike for this novel is the driving force behind this review. As with any review, it boils down to individual preference.