This book is a unique blend of history & fantasy. Set in a world inspired by 20th-century China & the Second Sino-Japanese War, The Poppy War follows Rin, a war orphan who rises to attend an elite military academy & becomes entangled with rageful gods & the horrors of war, turning her from a hopeful student into a vengeful weapon of destruction.

Kuang’s writing is unflinching, capturing the devastating impact of warfare & the brutal depths of human cruelty. Her graphic depictions of violence are absolutely harrowing, & the fact that some are pulled straight from textbooks makes it all the more disturbing. 

Bold & powerful, this novel is haunting reminder of the choices that define humanity.