Series: The Poppy War

The Burning God

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The Burning God
,

, Book # 3
Harper Voyager
Published November 17th 2020
Hardcover
654
English
August 17, 2022 October 24, 2022
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After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

What I think

I didn’t like the ending. With this ending, the author justifies the conquest of the East by the West and even if progress is right, erasing an entire culture just to make room for the “Creator” is not right and I expected more from a person with Chinese origins (but what do you want me to do, she lives in America and therefore she has been brainwashed with the thought that “Americans are the best in the world and that everyone must be like them” with their 600 year old culture).

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The Dragon Republic

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The Dragon Republic
,

, Book # 2
Harper Voyager
August 6th 2019
Hardcover
658
English
January 14, 2022 January 22, 2022
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In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, shaman and warrior Rin is on the run: haunted by the atrocity she committed to end the war, addicted to opium, and hiding from the murderous commands of her vengeful god, the fiery Phoenix. Her only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold out Nikan to their enemies.

With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.

But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance.

What I think

I liked the beginning of this book, but the middle was quite slow, nevertheless I liked it, too. The final part. . . eh. . . not so much, or rather I found it quite mediocre since the ending was obvious. I mean everyone told Rin that “thing” and then it happened. . . Then, the final part is so fast! Comparing it with the middle I would have preferred a smaller middle and a more detailed finale.

I do think this book was so hyped that I had higher expectations, but don’t get me wrong, I still liked it and I will finish the serie (especially because the last book has purple stayed edges and I love purple, it will be nice in my room).

Bye the way, in my first review of the series I said that I didn’t know that the Japanese did experiments on foreigners during the period this book is based on, now I know, they did and I’m going to read more about this subject because I do want to know everything about Japan, the good and the ugly. Every population has its bad behaviour and in every war there are bad things happened so it is right to know the ugly, too. A long time ago, my teacher said that we study history so we won’t repeat our ancestors mistakes, but I see that’s not the case. We are repeating the same stuff over and over again.

The Poppy War

LauraLeave a Comment on The Poppy War
The Poppy War
,

, Book # 1
Harper Voyager
May 1st 2018
eBook
531
English
May 29, 2021 June 4, 2021
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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.

About the book

We follow the story of a war orphan, who despite living in a remote province, Nikan, and despite not having an excellent education, manages to pass a very difficult exam to enter the military academy in the capital. At the academy, however, she clashes with the prejudices of the empire’s elite, boys and girls of her age, but who have studied for years for this very purpose. Obviously not everyone accepts that a simple girl from a peasant province can be better than them. Here, Rin discovers that she has a power that few others have, but will she be able to use it or will it only lead to the destruction of the world?

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