Review: The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic

Since Booker was born, I’ve had a lot of time to read, especially because his bedtime is 7pm and we need to be quiet after that. I used to enjoy reading as a kid, but high school Honors and AP English classes ruined it for me. Analyzing 20+ books over the summer for motifs, themes, symbolism, instead of actually enjoying the readings – it got very tiring, very fast.

But over the past half-year or so, I’ve rediscovered my passion for reading and have caught up on seminal books like The Hunger Games and The Martian. Heck, I even reread Harry Potter. Also, I’ve started reading new releases, like Where the Crawdads Sing. One of my recent favorites is The Poppy War, by R.F. Kuang. I enjoyed the first book so much that I had to pick up the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the second book in the series, The Dragon Republic, at Comic-Con. In honor of The Dragon Republic’s release on August 6th, I thought I’d write a spoiler-free review and my thoughts about the first and second books of this trilogy.

The Poppy War: Spoiler-Free Synopsis

The trilogy follows a girl named Rin who lives in Tikany, part of a poor province in the vast Nikara Empire. She is a foster child of war to an abusive aunt, who deals in opium. Her only sense of happiness comes from her younger foster brother, Kesegi. Needless to say, she wants to escape. The only option for her is to test into the elite Sinegard Academy, where her tuition would be covered and she would be free of Auntie Fang.

After acing the Keju exam, she’s ecstatic to leave Tikany. She travels there with her mentor, Tutor Feyrik, only to discover that the city is not all civilized and wealthy. In school, everyone immediately recognizes that she comes from a poor province because of her skin color and accent. She gets especially bullied by Nezha, a son of the Dragon Warlord, and even faces prejudice from the instructors. Like in Tikany, she has to try harder than everyone else just to succeed.

During her training, she discovers something deep within her, wanting to emerge. Is it magic? Close. It turns out that she possesses fiery shamanic powers, and as the Third Poppy War rapidly approaches, Rin might just hold the power necessary to win the war. Her god, the Phoenix, continually lingers in the back of her mind, willing Rin to turn into an explosive power that she might not be able to control. If she calls the fire, she might lose her humanity and her mind. On the other hand, she might save her people. Is it worth the cost?

The Poppy War: Spoiler-Free Review

Kuang weaves an intricate story, balancing historical fiction with fantasy in a way that doesn’t make the story seem fantastical. One of my favorite aspects of the book is the writing Kuang uses to distinguish between the physical world and the spirit realm, where Rin can come face-to-face with the Phoenix and other spiritual beings. In these sections, the writing itself turns ethereal. The flow becomes seamless with fantasy. The imagery Kuang elicits transports me to the spirit realm along with Rin. The scenes blur, as though the spirits are in a constant struggle to return to the material world. Intrusions into the spirit realm read like an interrupted dream. By far, these are my favorite scenes.

The relationships in the book between friends, enemies, master and student, shaman and god, are so well-written and intricately linked. Kuang writes every character with intent and each contributes to the story in unique ways. My favorite, by far, are the relationships between everyone in the spirit realm. When Rin, the Phoenix, and other spirits or spiritual manifestations, all meet and interact with each other, the result is captivating. This is especially true with the dreaded Vipress and another intriguing shaman named Chaghan, who may or may not have Rin’s best interests at heart.

All of this in the backdrop of the opium war that has torn the nation apart multiple times. The Poppy War has so many elements, but Kuang is able to synergize them into one of the best historical fantasy books I’ve ever read.

The Dragon Republic: Spoiler-Free Synopsis

When one war finishes, another begins. Such is the cycle of the Nikara Empire.

Rin has committed unthinkable atrocities thanks to her relationship with the vengeful Phoenix. Although she drowns herself in opium and can’t live with herself, she also wants to see an end to the vicious cycle of war that has plagued Nikan. To do that, she has no choice but to align herself with the powerful but manipulative Dragon Warlord in his quest to overthrow the Empress and “unite” the provinces in Nikan under a republic.

Rin quickly becomes recognized for her shamanic powers and turns into a powerful weapon. However, the Dragon Warlord has strict rules on the use of opium, which poses a problem since Rin relies on opium to dull her pain and call the fire. The Dragon Warlord also only seems to be pleased with Rin when she obeys his every command. So what happens when Rin not only wants to do things her way, but lets a growing frustration with the Phoenix impede her duties as a soldier?

Here’s the problem: Rin hates the Empress. However, when she gets caught in the Empress’s gaze, she feels entranced. She begins to see things through the Empress’s eyes. She’s forced to challenge her perception of the Dragon Warlord and his vision. Is she making the right decision, or is she simply being manipulated? And by whom?

To gain some semblance of control, Rin has one option: to forge a powerful bond with someone close to her to help her control the fire and tame the Phoenix. The problem? Whatever she feels, the other person feels as well. Can she subject another to the pain that comes with calling the flame, especially when she already feels tremendous guilt over her war actions? She may not have a choice.

The Dragon Republic: Spoiler-Free Review

Wow, what a book. Rin’s attitude and her hatred of the Empress are fully uncaged here. Although Rin isn’t my favorite character, I feel for her. She’s caught between two worlds. First, the young girl from Tikany with a horrible foster aunt and nothing to live for. On the other hand, a shamanic Sinegard-trained warrior who calls on the most impulsive and destructive god: the Phoenix. She belongs to neither world completely, and both shun her very existence. She fights for a republic that she knows will turn against her. The rhetoric Kuang uses echoes a lot of stereotype threat that exists in our world today.

Kuang continues to wow me with the difference in narrative between the physical world and the spirit realm. To peer so deep into Rin’s mind and soul shows that Rin still has some humanity left in her, even after the atrocities she committed in the first book. The way Kuang portrays the Empress and the Dragon Warlord as almost untouchable deities just adds to the mysticism. What motivates each? How have they been successful thus far? How are they both still alive when the other is a powerful opposing force?

Relationships continue to develop between the main characters. The most intriguing character, in my opinion, is the scholar Kitay. He lost so much and doesn’t trust authority figures anymore. But being arguably the smartest person alive means he is very valuable from a militaristic standpoint. He lost a good friend in Rin in the first book, but it might be necessary to work with her once more. Kuang navigates this complex relationship with a tenseness that I felt throughout the book. Other relationships are strengthened, and important ones are weakened. In the end, who really has Rin’s best interests at heart? What about the empire?

Conclusion

When I started this series, Minhan warned me. She warned me that starting a series where only the first book is published is dangerous. What if there is a cliffhanger that left me wanting for more?

Kuang has written two masterpieces that makes me want to keep coming back. However, at the end of both The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, I felt like I could wait for the next book. Each book has unanswered questions. However, each book also has a conclusion. And while I’m really looking forward to the final book in the series, Kuang’s writing left me satisfied enough to patiently wait. This type of feeling is rare for me when I read books as part of a series.

On a related note, how is it that she released The Dragon Republic, finished a draft of the third book, and submitted her dissertation, all around the same time?