Rob

R. F. Kuang's writing is a min-maxed D&D character with all the points dumped into world building. This is the second book by Kuang I've read (the first was Babel). I started each book hooked on the world, and ended each book annoyed with the plot and tired of the characters. I think the world is so good that The Poppy War was worth the read, although I don't plan on picking up the rest of the trilogy.

To me, The Poppy War feels like an early work of an author you love, written before they really hit their stride. Almost amazing, but it feels like some of the ingredients are missing. I hope Kuang's writing evolves with future works, and can't wait to read what happens if it does.

Like Asimov's Foundation, the premise of the novel (or rather, series of novels) is that a vast, galaxy-spanning empire is on the verge of collapse. In this case, the collapse is largely due to the imminent disappearance of an astrophysical phenomenon which allows travel between star systems. Since settlements in individual systems are overly dependent on each other to survive, the fate of humanity is not looking great. This interdependence is codified as a moral and religious virtue in the empire, which, by the way, is literally called “The Interdependency.” In this sense, the real danger to humanity seems to stem from imperial arrogance and mismanagement a la Gibbon's “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire,” so the genetic link to Foundation seems real.

Unlike Foundation, however, the characters can say “fuck” as often as they want. So there's that.

While “collapsing galactic empire” is a well-trodden sci-fi trope at this point, Scalzi's telling of the story feels fresh and fun to read. The characters bounce off each other in satisfying ways, and the plot is in the regular habit of thickening as various personal agendas and political machinations unfold. If you like space operas, John Scalzi, and a good old fashioned galactic imperial implosion, this is definitely one to pick up.

DNF. The story cuts between a dating-app-centric mystery and an exploration of the protagonist's family dynamics, and I found myself struggling to maintain interest in either plotline. I understand there are many people who loved this book, but it wasn't clicking for me.