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Cover of The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

The Poppy War

Book 1 of The Poppy War

  • 522 pages · about 9 hours
  • First published 2018
  • 12 editions

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1 About this book

A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth 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.

Good for readers who want: epic fantasy, magic, and a long read.

  • Fantasy
  • Magic
  • Fantasy, epic
  • Fantasy, paranormal
  • Epic
  • Cultural heritage
  • Goddesses
  • Imaginary wars and battles

2 About R. F. Kuang

Born 1996

Rebecca F. Kuang (Chinese: 匡灵秀; pinyin: Kuāng Língxiù; born May 29, 1996), writing as R. F. Kuang, is an American novelist and short-story writer. She is known for her fantasy novels, which include The Poppy War trilogy and her novel Babel, or the Necessity of Violence (2022), which placed first on The New York Times Best Seller list and won the 2022 Nebula Award for Best Novel.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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