"The Poppy War", by R. F. Kuang | "Los! Los! Los!"

Welp... it's been a while since I devoured a book in about five days. I had this one on the shelf for a few months, bought it on a whim after seeing a lot of recommendation videos on youtube (while I should be working on the thesis ofc. . . ), "The best fantasy debut of 2018" was the most used sentence. 

To begin, Rebecca F. Kuang did something fantastic, she wrote a book (and an excellent one) at a young age during university! I have all my projects on hold until I finish this cursed thesis! I honestly think that I've mentioned this demon in almost every entry in the blog... I'm going insane... I need to finish this. Oh Rebecca... I envy her determination so much. And this gives me an even bigger appreciation of the book.

One thing is certain, once I started reading, I only stopped once my eyes were hurting. But anyway... let us begin. I think this one is going to be shorter than most of the other entries here. That tends to happen when things are actually good, depriving me of the ability to rant about everything.

**Warning: The text below might contain spoilers and a fair amount of sarcasm**

**Disclaimer: All of this is purely my personal opinion. That means that it's not worth anything for anyone but me.**

I'll begin the rant (I've given up on actually calling these things "reviews") by... actually not beginning. This will make sense in a few moments.

A few weeks ago I watched "The Letter for the King" on Netflix, and I actually started writing an entry here about it (because oh boy it has some issues), but then the good old "thesis depression" hit me and I never finished it.

When I started reading "The Poppy War", my dumb brain kept imagining Rin (the main character) as Iona (portrayed by Thaddea Graham). So now I can't picture Rin without Thaddea's face... why is this relevant? No idea. 

I don't even know where to begin! This book was really good! I'm amazed at the entire journey that the reader can share with Rin in only one book! When Rin entered the Sinegardian Academy I thought: "Ok, this is the core of the book. We will follow Rin until she graduates and then the real shit happens in the next book." But then... woah, woah, woah. Nothing of the shorts! It's remarkable how the author manages to spend just the perfect amount of chapters in each setting. It never gets boring, everything is constantly moving the plot forward at considerable speed! The pacing of the story is great! 

Now, one important detail, the fight scenes (relevant because I'm mentally sacred from the ten-page fight scenes in Filipe's Faria's Books). This is how fight-scenes should be paced, (in my opinion that is), it's not minimalistic, the author gives us plenty of details (that will be the subject of this rant later), enough for the reader to imagine the scene without having to use "slow-motion". The text is fluid, it keeps the reader interested in the flow of the fight/battle (though we see more fight than battle... later).

Actually, not later, let's do it now. I understand that we are experiencing the story from the perspective of Rin, so it is natural that we follow her fights, and not the general battle around her. But, from what I remember, the siege of Sinegard is more or less the only "battle" where Rin is directly involved, when she is defending against Mugen's assault on the city. The rest are basically "fights", the Academy "pit-fights", the ambush on the (crap... was it the Murui?) river, during the siege of Khurdalain the fight with that monster (whose designation I don't remember), then the fight on the Chuluu Korikh, and then the escape from the research facility... and I think that's it (I probably missed some). My point about the battle rest upon what Rin says about the Mugen (also known as "Notjapan" º.º) troops, the character says that Nikara's (also known as "Notchina" ^.^) soldiers were better martial artists, but Mugen's soldiers were better trained at fighting in formations... but then, we don't really feel the weight of this when the protagonist is fighting Mugen's troops, it seems like they come at her one or two at the time, sometimes a bit more when she is fighting along with someone else. If they fight in formation, I would imagine something like a shield-wall, or at least some kind of unit cohesion, and it seems that they do this against the "background Nikara's soldiers", but when it comes to fighting the "relevant characters" Mugen's soldiers lose a bit of their brains. I see why this "must" happen, if it didn't happen the plot would have to change a bit at certain points. If you have two great warriors/martial artists against a formation of (let's say) forty soldiers with basic training, those two great warriors have two options: flee or make a stand and die. As long as the formation keeps its cohesion, the two great warriors would have trouble even killing one opponent. If they invested against one, they would be stabbed by the one on his right, by the one on his left, by the one behind him, if not more. But anyway, I'll move on, because this is just me nitpicking at details and dreaming of absolute realism in a fantasy setting. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Back to the main story, (and to wrap this up because it's already past 2 in the morning). The world-building is great, I especially like the way that "classes" and having the protagonist study, allows the reader to enter into the lore of the world (wouldn't say "history", because many things are myth or mutations of what really happened - and that's a positive point - nothing can be taken without thought). I particularly loved Chuluu Korikh, the idea that the shamans lose control or their actions to the gods that possess them and have then to be locked down, not to on a rampage is brilliant! Although I think that most of them are just waiting for the Winds of Winter (GEORGE!!! 😭 ).

The supporting characters are great, of course, some more than others, but I guess that more of their stories will be explored in the next two books.

The main character, Rin, is spectacular! She is not the typical character that only wants good, or that has to save the "world". She has her own plans and ideas, she is not bound by the typical "chosen one" trope. She makes decisions and it's up to the reader to "judge" her choices. And she makes some heavy-hitting choices... some I can't forgive... she basically deprived this fantasy world of having anime in the future... shame on you Rim! I hope that there's "Notkorea" somewhere outside the map (really nice map btw), maybe they are the only hope to invent anime in that world, may the gods help them.

The way that Rin deals with the ever-changing situations around her was what drove me to keep reading at this pace. Her slow descent (or ascent - depends on the reader's views), into what she becomes at the end keeps reminding me on Tanya... and with that, I'll try to make my predictions for the next two books (one is already out, the other is coming out in a few months - but I don't know when I'll have the funds to acquire them). I think that Rin will have her war against the Empress, but at the same time, she will have an internal war against the Phoenix. Again somewhat become like Tanya, fights with the power of a god in physical war, but then fights with that same god inside herself. My question is... can she win both wars?

If she becomes completely "mad" like Tanya (Tanya Degurechaff is not really "mad"... but ye... she's a bit genocidal) it would be cool... basically, the story would be from the PoV of a villain wreaking havoc across the country, more worried with her internal war than with the damage that she is creating around her.

I'll end this here, it's almost 3am so the text must be full of mistakes already.  And I didn't even got to talk about the dichotomy of the idea of "usVSthem" that is very well explored in this book.

Anyway, I'm giving this one a 4/5, with the indication that it is a "upper 4" (whatever that means... I just made it up).

Rin's story reminded me of this music (hence why I relate her so much with Tanya).

Lyrics translated to English (just in case the subtitles become unavailable in the video):

Fire! Take Aim! Fire! Los!
Attention! Take Cover! Get down! Halt!

To the battlefield! The front lines! Then the edge of death!
Show your commitment born from casting your life away!

Fire! Take Aim! Fire! Los!
Attention! Take Cover! Get down! Halt!

I'm sure you can hear the sounds of their guns
The voices of maggots trying to resist.
Stomp them out! Stomp them out!

Men, what is our mission?
Extermination!
Not a single enemy is spared!
There is only one thing to do:
Create a living hell!

Why do we advance deeper into the flames?
Charge head on into a rain of bullets?
What a ridiculous question! It's for the sake of the empire!

To the battlefield! The front lines! Then the edge of death!
Show your commitment born from casting your life away!
Offer your loyalty! Your obedience! Then your very soul!
Offer every fiber of your being, rising a triumphant shout!

Go forth! Prove that we can build
A pile of bodies that can reach the heavens!

Fire! Take Aim! Fire! Los!
Attention! Take Cover! Get down! Halt!

Where's your fear now?
Look at all the blood and flesh: It's like fireworks!
It splatters and splatters!

I haven't forgotten my thousands of scars.
The flame's heat... spilling organs...
Final cries... clouded eyes...
Ahh, those are the things I truly seek!

Peace and tranquility, let alone reconciliation,
Are the acts of domestic dogs who've forsaken their fangs!
Sheer madness, brought on by despair and disturbance,
Sounds more like Paradise than it does Hell!

Those four limbs are made for dancing.
They're made for dancing madly!

Humans are worthless!
Everyone fighting here is worthless,
So show them that your fruitless lives can still bloom!

Law and order... are constructed by madmen.
Nothing but a farce. Utterly absurd from the beginning to the end!

To the battlefield! The front lines! Then the edge of death!
Show this commitment born from casting your life away!
Offer your loyalty! Your obedience! Then your very soul!
Offer every fiber of your being, raising a triumphant shout!

Go forth! Prove that we can build
A pile of bodies that can reach the heavens,
And an explosive sound,
That can even drown out their lingering hatred!

Fire! Rain Hell! Fire! Los!
Attention! Take cover! Get down! Halt!

Btw, I think there's a pandemic going on outside. . .