Buy Now, Pay Later
As low as
$4
/ mo
Learn more
- – 4-month term
- – No impact on credit to apply
- – Instant approval decision
- – Secure and straightforward checkout
Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout.
Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay, Zip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Free shipping on this product
30-day returns
Learn more
30-day refund/replacement
To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
Availability:
Only 2 left in stock, order soon!
Arrives
Sunday, Oct 25
Description
As new, binding tight, corners and covers uncreased and stiff, pages fresh and clean, an excellent copy. Read more
Publisher : HARPER COLLINS
Publication date : October 18, 2018
Edition : International Edition
Language : English
Print length : 527 pages
ISBN-10 : 0008239843
ISBN-13 : 48
Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.08 x 1.34 x 7.8 inches
Book 1 of 3 : The Poppy War
Frequently asked questions
If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is:
Sunday, Oct 25
Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.
View our full returns policy here.
- Klarna Financing
- Affirm Pay in 4
- Affirm Financing
- Afterpay Financing
- Zip Pay in 4
- Financing through Apple Pay
- Financing through Google Pay
Learn more about financing & leasing here.
Top Amazon Reviews
“When had she last been this scared? Had she felt this paralysis, this numbing dread before she stepped into the ring with Nezha two years ago? No, she had been angry then, and proud. She had thought she was invincible. She had been looking forward to the fight, anticipating the bloodlust. That felt stupid now. So, so stupid. War was not a game, where one fought for honor and admiration, where masters would keep her from sustaining any real harm. War was a nightmare." By now, I’m sure most people who are even remotely a part of the bookish community have heard about The Poppy War. This book came out in 2018 and has been talked about pretty much non-stop ever since! It appeared on my TBR after a severe case of FOMO had me adding a bunch of book community darlings on Goodreads. And there it sat… collecting dust and shaming me as I continued to pick up different, newer books. That was until I joined a buddy read with some awesome bookish folks on Twitter! It was just the push I needed to finally give this book a go and see if I would like it. Y’all. This book destroyed me. I was in such a book hangover after finishing it that I barely got through three other books in October. It was a struggle! After all that waiting, I finally realize why everyone was raving about this story! We’re following a young war orphan named Rin, who is in the care of drug dealers who use her to help them with their seedy business. When they decide to force Rin into an arranged marriage, she decides that she needs to GTFO. She starts studying for the Keju, a test used throughout the Empire to pick people to send to the numerous academies. Rin figures if she gets a good enough score, she can escape to an academy instead of being stuck in a marriage she does not want. Well, not only does she receive a good enough score, she aces the test and is sent to the most prestigious academy in the entire country: Sinegard. Once there, she has to fight against prejudice, her classmates, and her own mind to prove she’s more than what she seems. I always have issues writing reviews for my five star reads. All I want to do is scream at everyone to read the book! Of course, a lot of people already have read this book, so I suppose I should try and be a little more coherent 😂 So let’s try breaking this down into the main things I loved about this book. Besides everything. First, the writing. Oof, the writing! Talk about being captured in a narrative through beautiful writing alone! I’m not talking about purple prose… there’s nothing purple about Kuang’s writing. I’m talking about writing that flows and twists in such a way that you soon find yourself lost in the pages. There are so many quotable passages that it took me forever to pick a favorite! I just loved everything about her prose. It made the pages fly by! That and the incredible pacing. I was kept on the edge of my seat even when nothing particularly exciting was happening. I was so wrapped up in Rin’s development and her journey that even her running up and down a mountain with a pig on her back seemed fascinating, lol. Speaking of Rin, can we talk about how R.F. Kuang crafted such compelling characters??? I’m honestly in awe. Not only Rin, but Jiang and Kitay and Nezha and Altan and all of them practically leap off the page! Rin makes a lot of… questionable choices, but I connected with her so much. I was completely invested in her journey. I felt her anger and I felt her pain. I wanted to shake her and I wanted to hug her all at the same time! She’s just such a dynamic and vibrant character who will pull you even further to the world. And, as I said, the characters that are pulled into her orbit are equally brilliant and intriguing. They all have such depth and color that they can’t help but shine! I haven’t been so invested in a bunch of fictional characters in quite some time. Last, let’s talk about the world-building. I love when an author can weave the world-building into the story so that it doesn’t feel like you’re reading a textbook. R.F. Kuang managed this throughout The Poppy War. You learned about the world almost subconsciously, picking up tidbits of information as Rin goes on her journey from the Rooster Province to Sinegard to war. It made it really easy to fall into the world and lose yourself as you read. It made the scenes come to life in my mind, vivid and bloody and haunting. And I think this is the main reason I had such a massive book hangover! I was so trapped in the world that every other book I picked up felt boring and flat in comparison. Makes me nervous to finish the sequel, The Dragon Republic, this month before all the other books I’m reading… Overall, this book is incredible and I cannot wait to continue the series! Even if I’m scared to do so at the same time 😅😂
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2020 by Kerri McDonald
A wonderful start to a series with tons of potential. It was very easy to get sucked into the story, and I found myself reading a good chunk of it in one sitting. The writing is accessible and engaging. You get a wonderful sense of Rin's desperation and her masochistic, obsessive drive to push herself beyond normal limitations. "Pain in exchange for power" is an overarching theme of the novel. Rin's early actions foreshadow the significantly larger stakes that unfold later in the novel. She's not an idol. She's not a pure hero that people would necessarily want to emulate. She's a highly flawed survivor who hangs out in that moral grey zone that's fun to roll around in. The novel is split between a competitive academy setting and brutal warfare. Both sections of the novel have a distinct tone. Readers may find themselves preferring one above the other. The two settings are linked together by one of the story's strongest elements: shamanism and magic. The way this novel handles the use of "magic" is refreshing in its peril, as utilizing it comes with considerable and potentially cataclysmic repercussions. You quickly understand why they're referred to as "The Poppy Wars." The Poppy War itself is brutal, unforgiving, and heavily inspired by real life events in all their horror. Kuang pulls none of her punches in these grim sections. My only critique lies in the fact that it doesn't always feel like a self-contained story that will naturally build into something more complex. You can easily see that elements of the story are left hanging for future sequels to resolve. Teasing is good, though some of the unresolved elements are pretty major and/or are rapidly introduced and then just as rapidly dropped in the last quarter of the novel. So it's less like teasing and more like someone smacking you in the back of the head and then running away really fast. Some of the B-string characters also take a hit here, especially Rin's merry band of superhero shamans, as they are introduced too quickly to really build comprehensive personalities and backstories. All in all, though, it's a highly satisfying and enjoyable read. I especially like how the ending isn't conventional. I won't spoil anything, but you expect the "good guys" to behave in certain ways courtesy of excessive TV shows and novels dealing with these struggles. Rin, in keeping with her masochistic and borderline manic character, ignores all of these expectations and does her own thing with all the repercussions that comes with. And it's a highly refreshing tease of things to come. Definitely looking forward to the sequels. "Hello, I am praying," and "Please leave," formed into one of my favorite dialogue exchanges in a long time.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2018 by Jessica Brady
“War doesn’t determine who’s right. War determines who remains.” War isn’t black or white, it’s not all or nothing, and I think R.F. Kuang showed that in such an amazing way by demonstrating what happens when you have that mindset. There are very few books that genuinely impact my mental health while I’m reading them and this is one of those books. This book deals in a lot of heavy topics, especially ones regarding war, and when you’re reading these terribly gut wrenching chapters you can’t even tell yourself ‘it’s just fiction’ because it’s not. This book pulls a lot from East Asian History and the horrific Second Sino-Japanese war. It’s so different learning about it from an in person perspective and R.F. Kuang truly wove such a beautiful blend of fiction and nonfiction. Now let me just say I love Rin but she is also a very morally flawed character, especially as the book goes on, but that is the entire point of her. She’s a kid whose people have been oppressed, she’s constantly ridiculed for her darker skin, constantly overlooked because of where she came from, forced to fight in a war and forced to become a weapon. It makes it hard to stay mad at her, LIKE SHES JUST A KID WHO DIDN’T WANT TO GET MARRIED. But on top of all of that she’s a very empowering character because she broke every barrier against her and never stopped trying. And yk what? DONT even get me started on Speer because I might cry and I have cried consecutively for hours and days. It’s such an amazing story of war in the way that it shows you how it changes people, how it forces you to make hard decisions, and how barbaric people can be when they view you as an animal more than a person. THE WORLD BUILDING AND FRIENDSHIP IS ALSO SO ELITE. I think my favorite character has to be Kitay because how can it not be? He’s such a cutie pie. (And Nezha scares me…) I’m about 30% into The Dragon Republic and I just know that it will break my heart (I know because I’ve had every plot point spoiled for me) BUT AT LEAST IM READY FOR BOOK 3 AND NOT GOING IN BLINDSIDED.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2026 by Grace Duke
Format: Audiobook
First the good parts: - Solid, enjoyable world-building, with the competing philosophies of shamanism, the push towards modernization and conformity, and the historical ebb and flow of power and subjugation being the standouts. I found myself oddly intrigued by the history of martial arts. - The military portions, while exceedingly brutal (do NOT mistake this for YA and give it to your child -- hell, even if you're an adult be prepared for graphic violence, including sexual), were a lot of fun. There's a mix of practical warfare, including chemical weapons and incendiary devices, with magical stuff that was honestly pretty engaging. - A common problem when you bring gods and magic into fantasy is "Why is there any conflict if the characters are this powerful?". That is not present here. The consequences of trying this are shown, and they are BANANAS. It's great. - If you like characters who are allowed to be horrible people, then you will not be disappointed here. I saw another review that said the heroine seemed insane by the end. This is a feature, not a bug. Between the very graphic war crimes and what we learn of the human relationship to the gods it's amazing anyone is still remotely functional by the end. - You get to the end and it's like...wow. This can't end well. I consider this a plus. Weak points: - Did feel like the first book could have been condensed. The primary conflict didn't come into play until 40% of the way through, after which the military portion kicked in and carried it through to the end. (Oddly you could conceivably start with Book 2, since it even included its own prologue.) - The style may be hit-or-miss for some. It lacks the stuffy tone of Tolkien-esque Epic Fantasy, which I appreciate, but occasionally veers into Quippy Territory. Depending on your preference this may be a pro or a con. - Very particular point: May read a little weird if you're a Japanese-American. This is influenced by real atrocities committed during the Sino-Japanese War, so if you're not willing to think about that ugly bit of history just skip it entirely, but oddly what bothered me more was that the Japanese proxy race were described in the same generalized terms of hive-minded fanatical hordes that were used to describe Japanese-Americans during World War II. There's a touch at the very end that indicates the culture isn't uniform evil, but we never seen anything to challenge their depiction as anything but sadistic monsters. There are also some textual reasons to present them as one-dimensional, and it may be challenged in the second book. Obviously this didn't keep me from enjoying the book, and it may not bother others at all, but if you do happen to have this background and just wanted to settle down and enjoy some Asian-inspired SFF do not be thrown. All in all, a little bumpy but intriguing enough that I'll be checking out the sequel.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2018 by Amazon Customer
In my review of Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon, I proclaimed to be an avid student of Napoleonic History. If there’s one era that fascinates me even more, it is China’s transition from imperial rule, through the Republican Era, and the establishment of the People’s Republic. When I heard R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War was an epic military fantasy based on the Second Sino-Japanese War (known by the Chinese as The Oppose Japan War, by Imperial Japan as The China Incident, and the ignored by the rest of the world as a prelude to World War II), and it was receiving rave reviews, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The Poppy War gives us a lot to love: The main character, Rin, is an orphan you cannot help but to root for. Raised by opium dealers in the southern countryside, her lot in life is marriage to an old but influential merchant. However, she has not only been secretly learning to read and write, but also studying for the prestigious civil service exams. It lands her into a top military academy, where she faces a brand new set of challenges when pitted against classmates who’ve grown up training in martial arts and studying classical literature. Her failures and growth as a shaman and as a character, as she learns her true identity, make for a compelling story. Her personal and professional connections feel textured and complex. Among my favorites included her rivalry with a snobby, martially talented classmate, Nezha; her friendship with a brilliant classmate Kitay; her combative student-mentor bond with the perpetually high Master Jiang; and idolization of senior and later commander Altan. What I found beautiful about these relationships is how they evolve as circumstances change and Rin grows both as a person and in power. Inasmuch as James Maxwell’s Shifting Tides series seems based on a Hellenistic world and the Peloponnesian Wars, The Poppy War is not quite China and Japan; yet has real-life Chinese locations and names such as the Wudang Mountain; philosophers Zhuangzi and Mengzi; and famed tactician, Sunzi (the modern Romanization of Sun Tzu). The author has clearly researched the Gua (Trigrams) of the Book of Changes (I Ching/Yijing) as she infuses the story with lore and a rich history. The illicit drug-related magic system harkens back to real life shamanic traditions, and the infighting among warlords mirrors late Imperial and Republican China’s historic weaknesses. As such, the setting feels real and lived in. Solid and engaging, the plot moves along at a decent pace. It includes elements immediately recognizable as Japan’s “comfort women” system and ruthless research Unit 731. The story is not for the weak-stomached, due to brutal depictions of torture and murder, and recounting of systemic rape. Yet, the graphic violence doesn’t feel gratuitous. Not only does it move the story forward and contributes to Rin’s character development, but also paints a picture of real war, unsanitized or ignored by basic history books. These scenes might be the closest thing to a visit to the Rape of Nanjing Memorial in China many readers will ever get. (On a side note, the author listed the late Iris Chang as one of her literary inspirations. Ms. Chang wrote the highly acclaimed book, The Rape of Nanking. It is well worth the read.) All that said, I really really wanted to love The Poppy War; and I think had I approached it with zero expectations, I would have. My major complaint with the book is the military setting. I had seen references to the Second Sino-Japanese War, which to me implied tanks, steel warships, fighters, and bombers; the title The Poppy War reminded me of the mid-19th Century Opium Wars, where Britain’s steam-powered gunboats demolished Imperial China’s wooden junks and proceeded to bombard coastal defenses with cannons that China’s primitive artillery could not match. As such, I was looking for cues as to the technological level. Although Rin trains in martial arts at the military academy, it did not immediately imply a technological level for me (after all, even modern armies practice unarmed combat; and even though she is depicted with a bow on the cover, even Rambo used one in First Blood). Forty-percent of the way through the book, when hostilities between Rin’s homeland of Nikara break out with the island nation of Mugen, I was frustrated at still not knowing. Was the “lightly built,” “elegant” ship an Age of Sail ship of the line, or a steam-powered gunboat? Was the “armored column” a line of panzers, or men in mail? Are the soldiers’ “armor” Chinese fish scale lamellar, Japanese yoroi, steel cuirasses, or flak jackets? When all males were rounded up and “shot,” was it with pistols, or crossbows? Were “munitions” musket balls, jacketed bullets, grenades, or mortar rounds? Though Nikara’s soldiers shoot volleys of arrows at Mugen’s troops, is this because they are technologically inferior, or because that’s what both sides use? I felt much of this could have been conveyed more explicitly if not earlier, during Rin’s tenure at the military academy, then as she hears reports about the progress of the war—as is, we know Nikara is losing, but not whether it is due to just organizational inferiority, or also a wide technological gap. It isn’t until Rin faces several warriors hand-to-hand, and then a mounted Mugen general wielding a halberd, that I felt certain that both sides fought at the pre-firearm level. Despite these complaints, the rest of the story shines. Kuang’s writing style is unembellished, unpretentious, and easy to follow. At times, the dialog feels modern-colloquial, which gives it a young adult feel. With all these factors considered, I rate The Poppy War 8 stars out of 10.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2018 by John Kang
Format: Hardcover
This was absolutely insane and incredible and I can't stop thinking about it. Basically, I've been looking forward to this book for quite a while, and then when it finally came out I started seeing rave reviews for it everywhere about how wonderful and brutal this book was, so my excitement skyrocketed up and I ended up picking it up way sooner than I expected to. If you've seen anything about this book, then you have probably already seen people calling it extremely dark and intense, and well, they're not wrong. It's also incredibly riveting and an exceptionally exhilarating experience. The Poppy War spends the first portion of the book in the sort of school setting that we all tend to love in fantasy books. There are, of course, rivalries among other students and the protagonist, Rin, since she isn't overly welcome and doesn't fit in, which leads to very few real friends. However, this school setting is still very fresh and exciting and it works really well with the atmosphere of the book. There's a lot of variety within the school itself and what is taught and it's not your average 'fun school setting,' but rather is a harsh environment where you're sort of left to fend for yourself for the most part. I really liked that the rivalries among the students didn't take up too much time and energy and that the school period wasn't just filled with savagery and revenge like in a lot of books. Instead of focusing on this, everyone was too busy actually studying and trying to focus on their own work and grades, which was oddly nice to see As mentioned, this school setting only lasts for the first half or so of the book, so if you don't like school settings then don't worry because it's not the whole thing, but if you do like school settings then I promise you'll enjoy it. The Poppy War takes inspiration from China's brutal 20th century history and draws many similarities between various events and themes/ideas between the two. I liked knowing about this inspiration before reading the book because it added some extra curiosity to my reading and actually inspired me to get back into learning more about China's history. The world itself that Kuang crafted in The Poppy War is incredibly realistic and it truly felt like it was a place that actually existed. There were strong mythical and cultural elements that built up this world extremely well and added so much to it. I love when there are such strong elements like these in books that allow the culture to bleed into the story through a variety of ways that, again, make this world feel so real and interesting. As with many fantasy books, there is a pretty decent sized cast of characters. Every character had really strong characterization and development overall and I really didn't think that there were any characters that were purely one-note; each one had many different sides that were interesting to explore. Rin, our protagonist, is truly an interesting person that constantly had me wondering what she was going to do next. She's a bit reckless, but this didn't annoy me as much as in other books because I sort of understood where her recklessness came from based upon where she grew up and what the current stakes in her life were. I loved watching her grow throughout this book and I think Kuang did an excellent job at creating such a fascinating character that, although we might not always agree with what she's doing, still has an engrossing journey that I am fully invested in. Among other characters are Altan, a top student at Sinegard and the last known member of the Speerly race still alive; Kitay, one of Rin's only friends; Jiang, a professor at Sinegard who is not widely respected and is a bit of a wild card, and Nezha, Rin's immediate enemy. Kitay and Jiang were easily some of my favorite characters. I felt that they both had such interesting personalities that were explored in very different ways. Kitay comes across as a rather normal type of student, but there's much more to him than expected. Jiang is a very complicated person, but he's also an especially intriguing person and is one of those that you can't help but be drawn to due to his great mystique and many unpredictable and strange actions. There are honestly a lot more characters that I could touch on, but I fear discussing them could give away minor spoilers about future plot points in this book, so I am going to refrain from doing so in this review. Although there are some dark elements in the beginning of the book, it isn't until the second half of the book that things really take a turn for the truly dark and difficult. There are some images described that are so hard to imagine--and honestly, I didn't want to imagine them most of the time-- and really make you wonder at the depravity of humans and how low they can get. At times, the last part of the book actually felt like a completely different story from the first half, almost as if I was reading multiple books in a series instead of just one, and I actually loved that. There is so much going on that you hardly ever even have a chance to feel bored or think that the book is dragging; something new or intriguing was almost always going on. Overall, I loved The Poppy War. This book is beyond thrilling, fully compelling, and one that I once again cannot recommend enough. I've given The Poppy War five stars.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2018 by Jordan
Rather than be married off by her opium-dealing stepmother, war orphan Fang Runin (Rin) studies for—and passes—the Keju, an empire-wide exam known to identify the most promising youths, and secure her place at the prestigious Sinegard Academy, a military school filled with the rich offspring of nobles and warlords. Despite the bullying from classmates and instructors alike, Rin succeeds beyond anyone’s expectations and discovers within herself a power she never knew she had. Through her training with a discounted Master on campus, Rin hones her ability and learns that the gods aren’t just stories. They’re real. One of them has chosen her. As the country is plunged into war and students from the Academies are drafted into service. Rin learns not only the true nature of her role as a warrior, but the heavy price of calling down the power of the gods. The Poppy War is R. F. Kuang’s debut novel, and what a fabulous start! This ambitious military epic wraps the horrors of war into the cloak of fantasy, which only sharpens the edges of cruelty like a honed blade. Settings are gritty, realistic. I could smell the peppercorns and hear the vendors’ cries in the markets, feel the mud sucking at my shoes, taste the bland gruel. In the Khurdalain scenes, I could see the maze of narrow back alleys, smell the brine and the fish from the waterfront. In the Academy scenes, I could see the differing levels and the pagodas with their curled roofs and icy steps. And the scenes in Golyn Niis—well. You need to read it for yourself to see those. Characters, too, came across in clear imagery. Each one’s personality shone distinct from the others, and they all worked well together for the narrative, even when they were fighting. Especially when they were fighting. Rin’s trials and accomplishments ring true, as do her self-doubts and little lies aimed at achieving her personal goals. Most of the story is told from Rin’s point of view, but the reader gets an apt feeling for the other characters as well. As a refreshing change from the more common fantasies I’ve read where Western concepts rule, there is a distinct Eastern flavor to every element in this story. Unsurprising, since Kuang’s BA in International History focused in part on Chinese military strategy. She wrote her thesis on the 1937 Rape of Nanjing, so she knows her subject inside and out. In fact, that’s what The Poppy War is based on, so even though Rin and many of the other characters are in their teens, this is no Young Adult fantasy. As a student of history, Kuang paints brutality in bold colors and holds it up for examination by the reader. Violence, cruelty, murder, rape, genocide, mutilation, torture, human experimentation, all the grotesqueries of war hold space in these pages. Kuang’s own blog warns that if you are triggered by these things, you should not read the book. But as the author points out, healing only comes from honest analysis of the past. She didn’t want to gloss over these atrocities, hide them behind curtains where no one would think of them again. She wanted to wave them like a banner so that we would never forget. I can say with confidence that she has succeeded in that goal. Because she did such a good job at depicting all the scenes, those most likely to give nightmares will not dissipate easily or quickly. And that’s exactly the point. The Poppy War is the first book in a trilogy. It was only released earlier this year, so I’m not sure when the next book is due out. It is a riveting, enthralling, edge-of-your-seat ride, but it is not an easy read. Even so, I highly recommend it for those who can face painful truths and an in-your-face tale.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018 by Double D
Hmm. So I've been told for a couple of years now about how great this book was, and I was so excited to finally start, so I suppose my high expectations might have clouded my judgment a little on this one as I was not blown away. The Poppy Wars is a story with a rich tapestry of more modern history weaved together (WWII, opium wars) as the backdrop. Nikan is China. Mugen is Japan. And if you know your recent history, then it is no surprise that Mugen and Nikan begin warring. Topics such as intense testing stress, skin color bias, regionalism, classism, drug addiction, and others are brought up early on. And I might say that early on, one might be forgiven for thinking this is a fun YA book as there is a war school and a rivalry between Rin (our protagonist) and a rich kid, which seems relatively benign and may remind one of certain other such schools. However, after Mugen invades, this story seems to drop the YA act and go full war with ample grizzly descriptions, which seemed to be more prevalent than any other description in the book. (Sure, I may not know what the Nikan city looks like, but I know what everyone's brains look like.) The story continues darkly to its conclusion, which ends in a supernatural event akin to an atom bomb going off. Ok. I may sound annoyed in the description, but I really did like this book. There were many unique aspects of the world's history that I enjoyed. I liked the pantheon of gods. I liked wise, crazy Jiang. I liked the stone mountain where the mad Cike go. The world-building was great. But I thought that (personally) there weren't enough descriptions of things such that I couldn't really picture much of what was going on, except the violence, and actually found myself confused at times. I also wished that the plot could have slowed down a bit so that we could have gotten to know more of the characters better. When I think back on the great cast, I feel like I only got to know Altan and Jiang well. Rin, even, seems a bit of a mystery to me. Sure, she is angry and wants revenge, but I just wished there was more on her. I also thought Altan kind of took over the plot for the second half, and Rin was left in the backseat, which annoyed me because I didn't really care for Altan much. When I read the ending segment of the book about Nanjing, I kind of realized that I think the over-focus on history might have derailed the story for a bit, and maybe that's what felt a bit strange about this book to me as well. I like reading history, so most of this book sounded familiar in a strange way, but I felt like it got carried away at times, and so instead of remembering this as a fantastical book with war occurring, the impression I'm left with (that will likely be the only thing I remember) will be of pointless violence occurring to people that were never developed. So, in general, this was an enjoyable book, but don't think the "war" in the title is for nothing, and maybe this book could even be classified as war-fiction. I might also say to not come in with over-inflated expectations as that probably detracted from my enjoyment. I would recommend this for pretty much any epic fantasy reader. I think it will probably hit the mark for most of us. People who don't like graphic violence might avoid this book.
...
show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2021 by Star