The Poppy War: A Novel

The Poppy War: A Novel by R. F. Kuang

I enjoyed Yellowface, and thought Babel was decent. I had high hopes for Poppy wars. Alas, it was "too" fantasy. It takes place in a world resembling 13th century China, with events closer to Maoist China. A country finds itself oppressed by a larger federation. A peasant girl studies so she can have the chance to go to the elite military school. She gets the highest score and makes it. There she makes friends (and enemies) and studies the forgotten "magic" of the gods. There are battles and wars, with the other side pretty much dictating terms. The girl learns to channel more magical power, and even seeks to help free locked away gods to help fight for her. 

The novel proceeds slowly with the characters spending a lot of time questioning their motives. I had trouble caring enough. There is also drug use (hence the "Poppy" in the title.) However, it seemed more a side action than a core part of the book. 

At the end of the audiobook, there is a brief interview with the author. (Surprisingly, they also included "fluff" from the podcast episode.) The quick summary and the interview were my favorite parts. I enjoy it when an author describes part of their process and what they were trying to acomplish.