Get a free audiobook
-
The Poppy War
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Series: The Poppy War, Book 1
- Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, World Literature
People who bought this also bought...
-
The Dragon Republic
- Written by: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 23 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix - the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.
-
-
Stunning
- By Maryann on 2021-01-31
-
The Burning God
- Written by: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead. Despite her losses, Rin hasn't given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much - the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges - and unexpected opportunities.
-
-
wow
- By missrennyp on 2021-02-13
-
Breach of Peace
- Written by: Daniel B. Greene
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An imperial family is found butchered. Officers of God are called to investigate. Evidence points to a rebel group trying to seed fear into the very heart of the empire itself. Inspector Khlid takes the case and begins a harrowing hunt for those responsible. But when a larger conspiracy comes to light, will Inspector Khlid be able to trust those working within her own precinct?
-
-
Great despite the lack of goblins
- By Anonymous User on 2021-03-20
-
The Unbroken
- Written by: C. L. Clark
- Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
-
Red Sister
- First Book of the Ancestor
- Written by: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Heather O'Neill
- Length: 19 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the international best-selling author of the Broken Empire Trilogy comes the first in a brilliant new breakout fantasy series. A searing novel set in a brand-new world, this series follows a young girl who enters a convent where girls are selected to train in religion, combat, or magic. Nona is selected to learn combat and finds herself at the center of an epic battle for empire on the outer reaches of a dying universe.
-
-
A great book with a great voice
- By RioYan on 2018-09-18
-
The Fires of Vengeance
- Written by: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tau and his queen, desperate to delay the impending attack on the capital by the indigenous people of Xidda, craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all-out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the "true" queen of the Omehi. If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne, and if she can reunite her people, then the Omehi have a chance to survive the onslaught.
-
-
An alright book for a new reader.
- By Anonymous User on 2021-02-20
-
The Dragon Republic
- Written by: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 23 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix - the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.
-
-
Stunning
- By Maryann on 2021-01-31
-
The Burning God
- Written by: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 23 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead. Despite her losses, Rin hasn't given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much - the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges - and unexpected opportunities.
-
-
wow
- By missrennyp on 2021-02-13
-
Breach of Peace
- Written by: Daniel B. Greene
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 3 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An imperial family is found butchered. Officers of God are called to investigate. Evidence points to a rebel group trying to seed fear into the very heart of the empire itself. Inspector Khlid takes the case and begins a harrowing hunt for those responsible. But when a larger conspiracy comes to light, will Inspector Khlid be able to trust those working within her own precinct?
-
-
Great despite the lack of goblins
- By Anonymous User on 2021-03-20
-
The Unbroken
- Written by: C. L. Clark
- Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
-
Red Sister
- First Book of the Ancestor
- Written by: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Heather O'Neill
- Length: 19 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the international best-selling author of the Broken Empire Trilogy comes the first in a brilliant new breakout fantasy series. A searing novel set in a brand-new world, this series follows a young girl who enters a convent where girls are selected to train in religion, combat, or magic. Nona is selected to learn combat and finds herself at the center of an epic battle for empire on the outer reaches of a dying universe.
-
-
A great book with a great voice
- By RioYan on 2018-09-18
-
The Fires of Vengeance
- Written by: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tau and his queen, desperate to delay the impending attack on the capital by the indigenous people of Xidda, craft a dangerous plan. If Tau succeeds, the queen will have the time she needs to assemble her forces and launch an all-out assault on her own capital city, where her sister is being propped up as the "true" queen of the Omehi. If the city can be taken, if Tsiora can reclaim her throne, and if she can reunite her people, then the Omehi have a chance to survive the onslaught.
-
-
An alright book for a new reader.
- By Anonymous User on 2021-02-20
-
Jade City
- The Green Bone Saga, Book 1
- Written by: Fonda Lee
- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
- Length: 19 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning author Fonda Lee explodes onto the adult fantasy scene with Jade City, an epic saga reminiscent of The Godfather with magic and kung fu, set in an Asia-inspired fantasy metropolis. Jade is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. It has been mined, traded, stolen, and killed for - and for centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their magical abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion. Now, the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon's bustling capital city.
-
-
Interesting take on modern fantasy, I'd recommend!
- By Chris Conrod on 2020-09-19
-
The City of Brass
- A Novel
- Written by: S. A. Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 20 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th-century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trades she uses to get by - palm readings, zars, and a mysterious gift for healing - are all tricks, both the means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles and a reliable way to survive. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to reconsider her beliefs.
-
-
3 stars
- By Man v Wild Fan on 2018-11-19
-
Grey Sister
- Written by: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Heather O'Neill
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Behind its walls, the Convent of Sweet Mercy has trained young girls to hone their skills for centuries. In Mystic Class, Novice Nona Grey has begun to learn the secrets of the universe. But so often even the deepest truths just make our choices harder. Before she leaves the convent, Nona must choose which order to dedicate herself to - and whether her path will lead to a life of prayer and service or one of the blade and the fist. All that stands between her and these choices are the pride of a thwarted assassin, the designs of a would-be empress wielding the Inquisition like a knife, and the vengeance of the empire's richest lord.
-
-
Excellent
- By Patrick on 2020-08-23
-
The Sword of Kaigen: A Theonite War Story
- Written by: M. L. Wang
- Narrated by: Andrew Tell
- Length: 24 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire's enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name "The Sword of Kaigen". Born into Kusanagi's legendary Matsuda family, f14-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: To master his family's fighting techniques and defend his homeland.
-
-
voice actor needs help
- By Peter Montrait on 2020-12-31
-
Holy Sister
- Written by: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Heather O'Neill
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this third book in the thrilling and epic Book of the Ancestor trilogy from international best-selling author Mark Lawrence, powerful novice Nona Grey must fight to survive in "a fantastic world in which religion and politics are dark and sharp as swords, with magic and might held in the hands of wonderful and dangerous women".
-
-
Fantastic series
- By Mike on 2020-08-18
-
Rogue Protocol
- The Murderbot Diaries, Book 3
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sci-fi's favorite antisocial AI is back on a mission. The case against the too-big-to-fail GrayCris Corporation is floundering, and more importantly, authorities are beginning to ask more questions about where Dr. Mensah's SecUnit is. And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good. Martha Wells' Rogue Protocol is the third in the Murderbot Diaries series, starring a humanlike android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, though it just wants to be left alone, away from humanity and small talk.
-
-
I love everything about this series
- By L. Beck on 2021-03-12
-
Artificial Condition
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It has a dark past - one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself "Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more. Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don't want to know what the "A" stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.
-
-
Such a great follow up to the first Murderbot
- By A. on 2018-05-11
-
Promise of Blood
- Written by: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Christian Rodska
- Length: 19 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stretched to his limit, Tamas is relying heavily on his few remaining powder mages, including the embittered Taniel, a brilliant marksman who also happens to be his estranged son, and Adamat, a retired police inspector whose loyalty is being tested by blackmail. But when gods are involved....Now, as attacks batter them from within and without, the credulous are whispering about omens of death and destruction. Just old peasant legends about the gods waking to walk the earth. No modern educated man believes that sort of thing. But they should....
-
-
Surprising find
- By Micheal on 2018-10-25
-
The Rage of Dragons
- Written by: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost 200 years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every 2,000 women has the power to call down dragons. One in every 100 men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, giftless Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are murdered....
-
-
Worth sticking with
- By Chris Smythe on 2019-07-22
-
Jade War
- Written by: Fonda Lee
- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino
- Length: 24 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the island of Kekon, the Kaul family is locked in a violent feud for control of the capital city and the supply of magical jade that endows trained Green Bone warriors with supernatural powers they alone have possessed for hundreds of years. Beyond Kekon's borders, war is brewing. Powerful foreign governments and mercenary criminal kingpins alike turn their eyes on the island nation. Jade, Kekon's most prized resource, could make them rich - or give them the edge they'd need to topple their rivals.
-
-
Less fun, slow, lots of filler
- By marcus on 2019-10-17
-
Rhythm of War
- Book Four of The Stormlight Archive
- Written by: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 57 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar’s crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move. Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin’s scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals.
-
-
50 hours of wheel spinning.
- By Devin Harrigan on 2020-11-22
-
All Systems Red
- Written by: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
All Systems Red is the tense first science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans.
-
-
A series worth re-reading!
- By Lindsay B. on 2020-05-02
Publisher's Summary
A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s 20th century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N. K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.
When Rin aced the Keju - the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies - it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard - the most elite military school in Nikan - was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the South is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers 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 a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive - and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away....
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity...and that it may already be too late.
R.F. Kuang studies modern Chinese history. She has a BA from Georgetown University and is currently a graduate student in the United Kingdom on a Marshall Scholarship. The Poppy War is her debut novel.
More from the same
What listeners say about The Poppy War
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Spectrum Photography
- 2021-02-01
Jumped the shark harder than any book I’ve read
This book begins as one of the coolest, engaging pieces of fiction and then swan dives into a flaming dumpster like there’s Pulitzer for giving up half way through a book.
There’s the first half which is like Patrick Rothfuss’ “The Name of the Wind” except with martial arts and an author that doesn’t abandon their readers 2/3 of the way through the trilogy. Wow, was it cool. I was raving about how great this book is and couldn’t wait to make an excuse to listen to it.
Then it’s like the author was writing this book for a creative writing class, got dumped by their significant other half way through, and spiralled into a storm of whining and complaining only to spew it all into the second half of the story.
I’ve never read a book that jumped the shark quite so hard or ended quite so impressively badly as this one. It would be like if you’re watching a Marvel movie and Wolverine spends the whole second half of the movie whimpering, complaining, and tripping over his own feet only to have the producers run out of money and dream up some convenient ending that magically destroys all the bad guys but still leaves just a little time at the end to complain about destroying the bad guys.
Just don’t. Go read Abercrombie, read Erikson or Sanderson before he strips all his characters of any resiliency and starts waxing poetic for 52 hours. Don’t waste your life minutes on this one it’s bad.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sasja
- 2020-12-15
Gets very dark but a fantastic story
wow! this book starts off slow but picks up with a bang right before part 2. will definitely listen to the next one.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrew77
- 2020-07-06
Wasn’t looking for Asian Fantastic Historical Fiction - was very good 75% through...
Was interested in the historical Chinese cultural aspect... really enjoyed the story until final 20%. Really powerful stuff. as well. when dealing with atrocities. Seemed a little juvenile and hysterical at the end (at the mountain and beyond). Hard to listening to after the story jumped the shark. Turned into a kinda Chinese x-men. If that’s your thing, I’d say you’ll love it. I’d say I didn’t enjoy the narration.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- matthew watkins
- 2021-04-01
Damn that was good!
This is an excellent story. A story built on a real foundation of history with fantastical elements thrown in. Rin is a very complex character. Starting book 2 right away!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Maryann
- 2021-01-16
Fantastic!!!
The story is complex, and the characters wonderfully unique. Everything about this was amazingly well-executed.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sarah Robles Silva
- 2020-09-03
Loved it!
The story is engaging with a protagonist I loved. It takes some unexpected turns while still hitting satisfying beats. The narrator does a wonderful job of bringing the story to life as well, each character's personality shining through.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- superstardrifter
- 2018-07-01
Wow. Just... wow.
Wow. Where to start?
This one started out with Rin taking her exam, and I thought to myself ‘this isn’t so bad’ because, of course all ten of the people that recommended this book to me said that it ends a lot differently than it starts. Yeah… uh… not a lie, that.
This is the story of Rin, who is a a war-orphan in a small village in the south of the Nikara Empire, which is more-or-less China. She works in her foster-parents’ shop, which is a cover for their opium smuggling operation. She’s regularly beaten and starved by them, and all she dreams about is a way to get out. She dreams of taking the Keju exam, which, if she does well on it, could get her into a school far-far away from her village where she could thrive. She aces the exam, which nobody expected, and gets to go to Sinegard, which is a prestigious military academy in the north. When she gets there, Rin finds that it’s certainly not easy to be the one dark-skinned peasant southerner among the beautiful, pale, rich AF nobles who all attend Sinegard.
As Rin gains her military education, she finds out that she has a link to the gods through shamanic powers. These powers, as it happens, can be brought on and enhanced by psychedelic drugs, so she’s got that going for her. Her Master at the academy is slowly teaching her how to meditate to reach the gods. At the same time, Nikara and Mugen (more-or-less Japan) are getting closer and closer to another Poppy War, of which they have had two previously. It can probably be said that this book is based around our own world, most especially around the second Sino-Japanese War. And this war does come, and Rin finds herself directly in the middle of it and thrown head first into not only the military, but a very special branch of it known as the Cike, who are shamans, each with a different power from a different god.
There are plenty of influences from Asian mythologies. The twelve provinces of the Nikara Empire are named after the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The Kirin/Qilin was mentioned a couple times, which is a sort of antlered dragon type creature (though, they’re also considered to be unicorns depending on where you are) said to arrive with either the arrival or death of a great ruler. There are mentions of the Four Holy Beasts, or the Four Symbols in the Chinese constellations. the Black Turtle in the North, the White Tiger in the West, the Vermilion Bird in the South, and the Azure Dragon in the East. I know them as Genbu, Byakko, Suzaku and Seiryu respectively, which is what they are known as in Japan, but they have different names in Korea, Vietnam, and in China. Is my mythology nerd showing again? >.>
The characters in this story were fantastically developed, and I found myself rooting for some and hating others, and then making entirely instantaneous switches here and there. Other than Rin, who is a pretty complex and awesome character herself, I really liked Nezha, who is Rin’s rival at school, and Altan, who is Rin’s commander in the Cike. Rin changes really profoundly as this book went on, but so too does one of the other major characters.
This book starts out light. That’s the only way I can put it. Part one is a rather… maybe not typical but… certainly not super-dark romp through a military academy. Rin goes to school. There are fights. There are rivalries with other students. There is tension with certain teachers. There was nothing inherently new about the idea, but I didn’t not enjoy it. I thought it was slow at times and at one point I said to myself ‘everyone told me this was the best debut of the year… and it’s good, but I’m not so sure about best…’ It’s not that I thought it was bad. Not at all, it’s well written from beginning to end. And it wasn’t boring, but it was fairly standard military school fantasy fare.
Then we get to part two. Part two definitely ramps up the action, as this is when the war more or less begins. There are some actual military maneuvers here, and Rin, along with her new compatriots in the Cike, go out and actively fight people from the Federation of Mugen, and fight actual monsters. And it gets a bit darker here for sure. Characters definitely start showing some truer colors here and characters I hated I ended up liking, new characters are introduced and I really liked a few (especially Ramza). But, I mean I was told this book was pretty bruuuutal, and while part two was moderately brutal… it wasn’t super duper dark….
And then came part three.
..........part three.
This book gets bruuuuutal in part three. Just… wow. Hold on to your butts. If you’re opposed to reading books with themes and events that are very savage, things like crazy violence against everyone, including children, with rape, torture, and genocide on top, um, maybe skip this one. Because yeah. You’re not going to have a good time.
All told, I started out being not so sure I was going to love it. I originally wasn’t planning on writing a full review when I was done, but maybe throwing up a few sentences and a rating at audible, amazon, and goodreads and calling it day. But, I ended up just having to sit here in solitude for a while afterwards just thinking about what I thought about it, which led me to my keyboard, and so here we have it. Any book that I started out rather indifferent about, but in the end had me sitting here like ‘gods above and below what in all the worlds even was that?’ is probably looking at being pretty good. Any book that has me being like ‘WHAT?!?!’ more than once during the last four hours has to be good. Admittedly, the subject matter in the end made it hard to listen to at times, but all the feelings and responses it evoked despite or because of those things made it very easy to know that this is a damn good book. Damn. Good. This book surprised me. I had warnings about it, and it still surprised me. This book -ruined- me. And books that do that can’t possibly be bad.
Bad books don’t make me ugly cry. I’m just saying.
The narrator, Emily Woo Zeller did a really great job. I was on the fence about that too because while I listened to the sample before I bought this in audio, and thought it fine, I have previously not really liked a book she narrated, and I wasn’t sure, thinking back, if it was the book or the narration or both put together that I didn’t really like. Well, no worries here, because she was awesome. Characters’ voices on point, areas where feeling needed full of feels. Well done!
If this book had went along with the same tone as part one had, it would have been a 3 or a 3.5. But no, this one got more and more stars as it went, ripping stars out of my poor feels. So, it ended pretty strongly with 5/5 stars. I’ve heard it called the best debut of 2018 by more than one person. It doesn’t quite make it there for me, but man, it’s close. I’m definitely, definitely looking forward to more from R.F. Kuang.
66 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Riley
- 2020-03-09
Massive tonal shifts + character derailment
I was initially interested in reading this book, as it was recommended to me by my local bookstore, due to my interest in the fantasy genre.
After the strained intro, this book was shaping up to be a promising read, until the end of part 2, when the character development is thrown out the window and Runin (Rin) is reduced to a shadow of her former self.
The intro is a mess. While I am not one to shy away from vulgar language, the usage in the intro is used for one reason: to be vulgar. Although it does lend to the atmosphere and historical context, it does not add any substance.
Once the narrative leaves the intro, Rin's character is presented as a person with strong convictions and willpower. Which is expanded upon during her struggles in studying for the Keju, while living under her, Cinderella's stepmother stereotype, foster mother, and her schooling at the Academy at Sinegard.
However, once a man (read: Altan) is introduced to Rin, she is reduced to a whiny, mentally feeble, and single dimensional character that seeks out approval and a pat on the head.
On top of the huge and unexpected character derailment of Rin, there are huge tonal shifts within part 3, mostly dealing with Rin's interactions with anyone she comes across. While others cite the sudden jump to war, war atrocity descriptions, and overwhelming feeling of hopelessness as poor writing (Part 2 to part 3), I find that the shift in Rin's demeanor from eager puppy looking for approval from, now, Commander Altan, to despair at not being able to use her powers, to strong-headed and intelligent enough to understand how a certain monster works, all within the span of one chapter, is more jarring.
It got so bad that during a pivotal point in the story when Rin is straight up told about her heritage, I refused to believe it until the end, when she discovers the truth on Speer. The fact that it was just declared, out of the blue, is the most blatant "tell don't show" instance I've come across, in literature. And the fact that it comes down to skin color feels so out of place in a modern fantasy book, even if it is historically accurate.
Additionally, I find that the jump to the war between the Federation and Nikara to be rushed. Instead of expounding on how the degrading political relations between Mugen and Nikara were affecting Rin and the other students, it just jump cuts to war.
Emily Woo Zeller did a fantastic job with her narration and she was the only reason I was able to finish this book. If I was reading the physical book, I probably would have stopped around the end of part 2 or the beginning of part 3.
Hopefully Books 2 and 3 of this trilogy will be better, as the current state of the series leaves much to be desired.
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- grumpy old blind guy
- 2020-03-12
90% internal drama
I got this book looking for interesting culture and world building. This book is not about that. It is mostly about internal sniveling and drama.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michael Jennings
- 2018-05-17
Engaging, Gruesome, but sometimes misses the mark.
R.F Kuang did her audience a service by bringing such a cool, fun, and foreign setting to us. I was thoroughly engaged throughout the three acts of this novel. It hits some of the more popular, albeit overused, tropes of contemporary fantasy like studying in a school or joining an army. Frankly, if you enjoyed Name of the Wind you will love the first half of this book.
This book definitely falls in the category of grimdark. Kuang struggles with tone throughout the novel. I think sometimes she forces a darker tone instead of letting the tone bring itself out. For example, in the first five minutes of the novel, a student asks if they can go to the bathroom during the exam, but asks “what if we have to shit?” Instances like that serve to disrupt immersion in a novel that rather engaging. This book gets very dark in the latter half. There is one chapter will be singed in my memory for a long time, comparable to the Siege of Capustan or Y’Gatan in Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Reasons to read: tropey in all the right ways, Awesome and remarkable setting, and emotional impactful.
24 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- scotchbroth
- 2020-03-09
Starts strong. Finishes weak.
Good narrator, and the first 2 parts are good. Ending is weak and the main character flip flops all the time.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SarahH
- 2019-12-06
DNF after ch 22 - gruesome violence & bad reader
Grimdark isn't even close. I get that war is awful, and the writer was trying to convey the real effects of the brutality of war. But I couldn't stomach it. There is no break from constant suffering, death, and misery in this book. The main character is inconsistent. It's a long slog. I just couldn't keep going.
Also this reader os awful. She whispers the narration and has a strange choppy cadence. This isn't the first book I've read where she did that. I won't be purchasing any more books where she's the narrator.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- pogue
- 2020-03-03
ugh
voyeuristic tragedy porn mushed awkwardly together with derivative ya
if you want to read about the rape of nanjing, buy a history book
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lee Friedman
- 2020-02-16
One of the worst books ive listened to
Narrator did as good as a job one could do with a manuscript this awful. The plot is plodding and transparent. The dialog is painful. My God, how is this book popular?
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James
- 2018-12-04
whiniest character
I bought this book because it was compared to Red Rising, one of the best new series to come out the last few years. Couldn't be farther from the truth. The main character is fatally flawed, paired with both stupidity and incessant whining. She fails over and over to understand basic concepts that people she supposedly idolized are trying to teach her, then acts totally shocked when the predictions they made come to pass. She is flighty, whines all the time and is only concerned with power...for the sake of it. I found myself deploring her and the screechy way the narrator would interpret her outbursts. She would break down into these near screaming crying sessions that would make me cringe. The best characters and interactions, the novel avoided with near surgical precision, instead focusing on abrupt reintroduction of characters that didn't appear connected to the storyline at all. I will not be reading the next installment of this series.
40 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris Hoggard
- 2020-03-05
Shallow characters and absurd moralizations
I cannot remember when I have encountered an Asian protagonist who was depicted as such a simplistic, selfish, and undisciplined western-styled caricature of a person. Similar faults were manifested in nearly every major character in this story and the moral quandaries that the author dished up were equally absurd.
I genuinely regret the loss of so many hours listening to this story.
4 people found this helpful