Status
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang's acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect. 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?… (more)
User reviews
All that said, I'll also admit that about the first third or so of this book felt like the middle of the series, as a little bit of the "are we there yet" feeling finally arrived for me; particularly after Runin makes her "heel" turn and we enter the "Long March" analog of the narrative. At that point one then learns the real nature of the "Trifecta," the great shamans who had previously saved the Nikarans from foreign conquest, and the dynamite really goes off. From there the plot of the novel becomes a gallop, as Runin achieves victory and revenge, only to find that she has really achieved nothing. The live question is whether anything can be salvaged, and I'm reminded of another Asian nation's twentieth-century disaster.
Kuang is fond of reminding people that the truth will set you free, not make you happy, but there is no denying that she achieved her main goal, which is an examination of how a normal human, capable of empathy and understanding, goes off the rails and creates a social disaster. This trilogy is a great achievement and while the winning of awards is not a contest Ms. Kuang certainly has a dog in the fight.
A long and very involved end to the Poppy War trilogy. Rin is back, as angry as ever, becoming more paranoid towards the end of the book. Kitay, her anchor in reality when she
The country is in chaos, famine is everywhere, but Rin is looking for a final war, and refuses to negotiate with the Hesperians in return for grain. Ever angry and filled with angst, she realizes during a parley on Speerly that she is bringing fire and ruin from the Phoenix that she cannot stop, and she finally uses Neshas' weight during the parley to end her own life with a knife thrust to her heart. Very dramatic, but the narrative and conceit pulls the reader along. As an old guy, I would wish for a little less young people's angst in exchange for more strategy, world building and details.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed how this series wrapped up. The ending was very in keeping with the feel and themes of the whole series.
In this final novel in The Poppy War
This is very well written and engaging. The pace is fast and, even though there are a lot of places and people to follow, Kuang does an excellent job of making this easy for the reader.
The tone to this remains grim, with a lot of violence and war. There is a lot of discussion of what (and how many people) is okay to sacrifice in order to provide the country with what Rin thinks is a brighter future. There is some great insight into leaders and war and how these leaders justify some of their horrendous actions. There is also a heavy theme of an invader with better technology and what should be done when a society could really benefit from that technology but doesn't want to be ruled by the invader.
If you enjoyed the first two books in the series, you will enjoy this one as well. I thought the way everything was wrapped up was very appropriate and in keeping with the tone of the series.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and really enjoyed the series as a whole. The whole series has wonderful world building, amazing characters, intriguing magic, and a well done political plot. I would recommend to those who enjoy epic fantasies and don't mind a lot of war and violence. This book does an excellent job tying up the series and stays true to the series' themes and tone. I am excited to read Kuang's book "Babel" at some point in the future.
Original publication date
Local notes
DDC/MDS
Fic SF Kuang |