🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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.
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.
I've heard amazing things about The Poppy War and since I have been trying to read more adult fantasy novels I thought that I would give The Poppy War a try.
Let me just begin by saying that I thought that the world building was amazing not only in the beginning when readers learn about where Rin comes from but also when the book enters the world of Sinegard and beyond. It was interesting to witness the contrast between Rin's poor, downtrodden society and the rich, fast paced world of Sinegard. Readers get to experience the prejudice first hand through Rin's experience while at Sinegard. I thought that the way that the information is given out was both well paced but also done in such a way that the reader is not overwhelmed or confused by what is happening in the book.
I thought that the trials during Rin's first year of schooling are interesting and it almost reminded me of Divergent or The Testing. The lengths that all of the students including Rin were willing to go to to receive a bid from one of the professors added a certain level of desperation that made them all seem similar regardless of each of their backgrounds. Rin's schooling was interesting particularly that of her time learning from Jiang but I felt that the pacing of the book took a hit because I felt that it slowed down somewhat.
With what we learn about Rin and her background, I was surprised by the directions that the author had her take within the story. I have to say that I'm not sure that I particularly liked the choices that she makes at times because they didn't make sense with what the author tells us about her towards the beginning of the book. There were times when I wanted to shake her and yell at her that she was being so stupid.
My only other issue with the book was the disconnectedness of the parts of the book. It is split into different sections, the first being Rin's journey to reach Sinegard, the trials, and so forth. At first, the was a flow to the sections one into the other but then that seemed to change and I felt that I needed to take a minute to reorient myself to where the book currently was at in the story. Admittedly, I did end up putting down the book more than once I reading something else due to frustration with the main character and the disconnectedness. I'm not sure that I loved the way that things progressed. However, with there being a sequel I can understand why the author wanted to take things in certain directions to have some sort of conflict not only within characters but outside of them to work with for the sequel.
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