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The Poppy War
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 19 hrs and 27 mins
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The Poppy War
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The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.
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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.
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What listeners say about The Poppy War
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cheryl Martin
- 2022-07-25
Amazing Asian Inspired Military Fantasy
I love the world built in this book, the magic, the characters, and the story. The cast is full of standout characters. I love magic and mysticism and was totally enamored with how it works in this universe. The plot never fell flat, disappointed, or jumped the shark to me. It was hard to stop listening and I have already started the second novel.
Don't read this book of you're looking for a light, happy read though. War is atrocious and is portrayed as such throughout the later part of the novel.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- 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.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- 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.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Hannah
- 2021-05-21
Good, but I likely won’t continue the series
3.5 stars!
*spoilers*
I picked this up after months of having it pop up in recommended feeds. I’m not disappointed I read it, but for one reason or another, or a combination of things, I checked out half way through.
It’s a compelling story, unique to the fantasies and sci-fi epics that I’m used to, and I found that refreshing.
The protagonist, Rin, is an admirable, driven, yet flawed character. The sort of hero that makes for great reading and storytelling because of those flaws, those morally grey decisions/tendencies.
The world building is fantastic, the detail, systems, histories and magic are written out in interesting, expansive ways, but don’t bog down the story.
The presence of drugs, prevalence of addiction and brutality of a large portion of the book was tough to read at times. There are parts where the writing was intensely gory, horrifying, disturbing and I had a lot of trouble getting through those inventive scenes of horror. Perhaps that’s where I turned away from really enjoying the story. The earlier horror lays the groundwork for the human atrocities that take place at the end of the book, but I still found it difficult to connect Rin to the decision making she does, her reasoning seeming too shaky and not deep-rooted enough to warrant the scale and cost of her decision.
I guess it felt a little like the end of season 8 version of Daenerys Targaryen in the TV adaptation of Game of Thrones. Though there’s certainly a lot of horror and turmoil for Rin to work through in the remaining books of the series. I’m just not sure if I’ll continue reading at this point?
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- PS
- 2022-11-01
Not bad
Unnecessarily gruesome (I actually skipped part of the book without missing any of the story), could use more character building and the ending was disappointing and unsatisfying. The narrator did a fantastic job with the voices but I found the occasional wheezing distracting. That should have been edited out. I’ll read the next one but I hope it gets better.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Priscilla
- 2021-07-26
I should have listened to the warnings
The book started off really well, and reminded me of Name of the Wind, as some have pointed out. I enjoyed the writing style, how driven and determined Rin was, and the relationships between each of the characters. However, the last portion of the book took a disturbing and graphically gruesome turn that didn't sit well with me.
(Minor spoiler warning)
I believe the later events were inspired by the Nanjing Massacre, if you needed to be tipped off on the tone it adopts (also, trigger warnings). If you can stomach it, the book will be a good read/listen, but it just wasn't for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Benjamin
- 2023-01-04
Love this trilogy
I have listened to all three audio novels 2 times and I’ve just bought the books to re read it.
So it’s safe to say I love the story. The only things I have that’s close to a complaint is that it doesn’t really expand the world, and the third book ends abruptly (imo) but it stays focused on Rin’s story and it is a rollercoaster worth riding!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- hmccaw
- 2023-04-06
Thick and Juicy Novel for History Buffs
I read RF Kuang's Babel first and couldn't wait to dive into something else by her. I really enjoyed this book at the beginning and dove right into the world, feeling like my Asian Studies degree finally paid off. I was trying to draw the parallels from her novel to the history as I know it and it was very interesting to see how Rin develops as a character. I agree with other reviewers that it started to drag through part 2 and I definitely had to pause and take a break from the blood and gore in the middle; I was getting a bit bored by the repetition of similes and descriptive language too.. Emily Woo Zeller is stellar and such a pleasure to listen to. While there were some downs, I am looking forward to see where the story goes in Book 2.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy Braun
- 2023-04-18
Merciless and Intense
THE POPPY WAR Is one of the most intense and vicious books I’ve ever read. It’s a spellbinding story about claiming power and fighting oppression, led by a complex morally grey hero whose boldness will reshape the world.
I enjoyed Rin’s character. She begins at the bottom, desperate to get out of an arranged marriage by passing a complex test. That, of course, is only the beginning of what becomes a harrowing journey to become a martial artist and warrior with the power of gods.
Almost all of the characters share this same morally grey aspect. No one is all good or all evil. They simply act based on the choices presented to them. As such, I found their relationships with Rin to be one of the best parts of the book. She trusted, had her trust betrayed, and saw new sides to her friends, not all of which were good. It made for some gruelling scenes and dialogue, which I ultimately enjoyed.
I really loved the magical elements and world building. It’s fresh for the world of fantasy and I loved how certain folklore was involved.
There are plenty of action scenes, yet this is not a book for the faint of heart. There is a particular section that is quite gruesome in its descriptions and almost took me out of the story completely.
However, the writing is very, very solid and I was engaged throughout. I’m invested in everything that is happening and can’t wait to see where it goes from here. Recommended for anyone who loves dark fantasy, morally grey female characters, folklore, mythology, and history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Maryann
- 2021-01-16
Fantastic!!!
The story is complex, and the characters wonderfully unique. Everything about this was amazingly well-executed.
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