A Review of “The Poppy War” Trilogy

Real-World War & Chaos Explored Through Fantasy

For about a week and a half, my life was consumed by The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang. I’ve never been so excited yet nervous to write a review. This trilogy affected me in a way I didn’t expect, and I loved it so much that I almost don’t even want to talk about it, just to keep my thoughts on this series to myself, stashed away in a pocket of my brain that’s free from critics. But I need to share, because not only have I been obsessively trying to process it since finishing the final book a couple of days ago, but this series also feels incredibly important, especially in today's world.

The trilogy consists of three books: The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God. It follows a young girl named Rin (short for Runin) in the fictional country of Nikara, which is heavily based on China. Rin is a dark-skinned war orphan from the southern region of Nikara. When her foster parents threaten to marry her off at 14, she defies expectations by testing into the prestigious Sinegard Academy, a military school that trains the best strategists, soldiers, and generals. As Rin navigates the challenges at Sinegard, she discovers that she possesses powers she never imagined, just as Nikara teeters on the brink of the Third Poppy War against the Republic of Mugen, which is based on Japan.

I’ve seen many people describe The Poppy War as just another fun fantasy series, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m not typically drawn to fantasy as an adult—I loved it when I was younger, but the adult fantasy books I’ve picked up recently just haven’t resonated with me. The Poppy War, however, is fundamentally different. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. It’s brutally honest about the horrors of war, colonization, racism, and drug addiction, often presenting painful scenes that are hard to read. It doesn’t indulge in the "spicy romance” that many popular adult fantasy novels are known for, and honestly, I appreciate that.

One of the reasons I’ve struggled to connect with adult fantasy in recent years is because many books in the genre feel shallow (obviously not all, just the couple I’ve read from Tiktok recommendations). When I was younger, I loved series like The Hunger Games because they explored deeper themes of government corruption, survival, and morality. There was substance, and it stayed with me. I felt the same way reading The Poppy War. The series doesn’t just deliver a fantasy story; it dives deep into psychological and moral complexities, particularly through Rin’s character. Rin is not a morally upstanding main character. She is sometimes the victim, and sometimes aggressor, and there are many times that you wonder if you should even be rooting for her. But this is a direct reflection of the moral ambiguity that often exists in wartime. There’s rarely a truly happy ending. People make questionable decisions, thinking that they are making the right choice. Rin had two choices: become a child bride or become a soldier. So she commits to being the best soldier she can be, even if that blinds her from the truths in front of her, because it’s the only way she could save herself. 

I came to care so deeply about the story and these characters that it made me into a crazy person. I listened to Folklore by Taylor Swift on repeat, pairing each song with different situations from the books. I’ll never be able to hear “Illicit Affairs” without thinking of two of the characters (if you know, you know). I even found myself casting and directing a hypothetical television series adaptation in my head (I’ve decided that with so much detail in the books,  it would be better suited to TV rather than a movie). 

The Poppy War reignited something in me that I hadn’t realized was missing. I’m obsessed with this series in a way I haven’t been for a long time, and now, it’s ruined every other book, movie, and TV show for me. I fear I will never find anything as good as it. Of course, I will keep reading and watching other stories, but I need a few more days to fully process my thoughts before diving into anything new.

I was not surprised at all when I found out that the author R.F. Kuang is pursuing a PhD of East Asian Languages and Literature at Yale. This book is intelligently written, and the author’s unwavering knowledge of real-world history makes this book series wildly more compelling than other fantasy books. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang was actually one of the first books I read this year. It’s extremely different, a literary fiction work that takes a satirical look at cultural appropriation. After finishing The Burning God, I immediately went out and purchased her book Babel, which is a dark academia fantasy. Kuang is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

The Poppy War is a series I’ll never forget. It’s challenging, emotional, and thought-provoking, shedding light on the devastating effects of war in a way that was difficult to read but ultimately necessary. It made me think more deeply about the psychology of its characters, and about the world itself. I genuinely feel smarter for having read it. This trilogy challenges you to understand the characters and their actions on a deeper level, and it doesn’t shy away from making you uncomfortable. It has changed my life in ways I can’t yet fully articulate, and I can’t wait to read everything R.F. Kuang writes in the future.