Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the series by the deadline, however, I feel like reading 1,623 pages of an author’s writing should mostly qualify me to talk about their work!
Say what you want about junior year, but it’s hard to deny the hefty workload that comes along with it. Said assignments have unfortunately left me with little energy to read books outside of the mandatory AP Lang readings—until the Poppy Wars series by R.F. Kuang. I was gifted the first book for Christmas, and since then I have scraped together bits of free time to (almost) finish the series and I have a review!
I must first mention Kuang’s ability to write nuanced characters. From the first chapter, I found few characters I genuinely disliked for what they did (except for Jun, sorry not sorry). Despite the countless times I wished a character didn’t make a certain choice, the reason for their decision always made sense within the context of the novels. From Nezha’s upbringing as the second son of a warlord to Kitay’s brilliant and loyal personality, it was tragic how I wished for them all to live happily ever after despite knowing all their drastically different ideals could never coexist. Kuang does a masterful job of showing how no one is perfect, especially in an age where romances tied up in a bow are expected.
Next, and perhaps the most important, is the plot. I am a glutton for historical fiction and I loved how Kuang highlights the Sino-Japanese War in the story, as it’s not as well-known in Chinese and Japanese history. There are certainly times when Kuang describes the war crimes in brutal detail, but it almost forces you to acknowledge that this really happened to people rather than leaving a sort of vague understanding of violence. The plot is supplemented by Kuang’s artistic world-building and integration of Chinese mythological characters, especially regarding The Investiture of the Gods (shortened to FSYY), a fantastical retelling of the overthrow of the last ruler of the Shang dynasty. I didn’t know of this beforehand, but after a quick Google search, I was sucked into the world of Chinese deities—I loved seeing the parallels between FSYY and Kuang’s novels. Of course, the characters contributed to the complex plot, providing sickening plot twists right when I thought everyone would be happy.
Obviously, the book isn’t perfect, many critics cite Rin’s personality as a major factor of their dislike for the books. While Rin isn’t ‘relatable’ per se (obviously I’m not a war orphan running away from a child marriage), I disagree with claims that she’s a selfish person. From my interpretation, she gives and gives and gives all for the continuation of her country, and many times she snaps because she is so tired of not having someone to take care of her. Yes, she makes some morally dubious choices, but I can sympathize with her need to prove herself to those around her while they all think she’s just a stupid girl. On a more lighthearted note, I would appreciate having another book on the First Trifecta (Yin Riga, Jiang Ziya, and Su Daji) because seeing how they grew up and how their dynamic shifted during the Second Poppy War sounds interesting. In addition, so much happens in each book, so you definitely don’t want to pause for a while in the middle of the book in case you forget something. Overall, this series is definitely not for everyone, but I am super glad I read it as it got me out of my reading slump and introduced me to R.F. Kuang’s writing.