The Poppy War

‘The Poppy War' has been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years now and I'm so annoyed I didn't pick it up earlier. I have read Kuang's other works and absolutely loved them and her debut fantasy novel did not disappoint! The novel retells the events of WW2 specifically the Second Sino-Japanese War between China and Japan with a fantasy spin including a war college and powerful God's whose power can be harnessed in battle. The political storyline was so engrossing and easy to follow, and I love that Kuang didn't shy away from how when we experience extreme trauma we don't always come out the other end better from it. Our protagonist Rin witnesses some truely horrendous actions and it's makes total sense for her to then make decisions out of anger and revenge as a result of her trauma rather than taking the high road which so many characters fall prey to in fantasy stories. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can't wait to continue this trilogy!