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The Poppy War
- The Poppy War, Book 1
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 18 hrs and 57 mins
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The Poppy War
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Summary
Winner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018.
A brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut, inspired by the bloody history of 20th-century China and filled with treachery and magic.
When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating, to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off and to Rin herself, who realised she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away....
Critic reviews
"A blistering, powerful epic of war and revenge that will captivate you to the bitter end." (Kameron Hurley, author of The Stars Are Legion)
"A thrilling, action-packed fantasy of gods and mythology...The ambitious heroine’s rise from poverty to ruthless military commander makes for a gripping read, and I eagerly await the next installment." (Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns)
"In The Poppy War, R.F. Kuang draws on history and myth to tell a relentlessly unforgiving story of war, vengeance, power and madness, with larger-than-life characters that evoke sympathy and rouse terror. Brace yourself." (Fonda Lee, award-winning author of The Green Bone Saga)
What listeners say about The Poppy War
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- darrin
- 06-03-24
not sure
couldn't get into this audible book, struggled to finish it. The main character was way to whinging and woe be me all the time and most of the secondary characters weren't much better either. The storytelling kept jumping around to the point I'd thought I'd miss something important or maybe it was just me not enjoying the story so much, perhaps the second book may be better, so I might just give it another go.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Joshua Elliot
- 18-11-22
Great story but obvious pacing issues
The story about a girl who learns magic to try and stop a war is great and has pacing issues. BUT I'll still listen to the next one.
The plot and it's twists on magic are great. The side characters are all interesting and loveable in various way. However our main characters all drop 50 IQ points when the plot needs it. This is annoying and takes away from the believability of the characters.
Pacing is great for 4/5 of the book then it RAPIDLY escalates and changes tone (for one horrific chapter) completely.
Overall, it's a fun ride. The hype is overblown and obvious story issues are there, but I will try the next book so who knows..maybe I'll be a big fan.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Michal
- 27-04-22
good start, loooooong finish
The start of this book was quite entertaining. I couldn't put it down. However after about half point, it become increasingly boring. Towards the end, I started checking how much is left and if it's worth me slogging through it. I'm not sure if I'm going to bother with next volume in series
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-07-20
amazing!
loved it! such a great story and interesting worldbuilding. very unique and different. a bit hard to get through for anyone triggered by japanese actions in ww2
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- bernadette ojo
- 06-02-21
Good but long
Interesting and dark, but a long read that sometimes is way too slow paced.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Conor de Barra
- 25-03-22
A bit too much trauma
The performance was good so no complaints there and the story was by in large compelling and engaging I just found the long drawn out descriptions of trauma a bit much including one very graphic description of SA. It was good to listen to a fantasy story not based on a European setting though and I did enjoy the character development over all.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Aimee R
- 23-03-21
The characters lack consistency and depth
There are quite a few reasons I enjoyed this book. The world building was interesting, the protagonist starts as a strong female with skill and determination and I felt as though I may have actually learned about warfare. However, as the book progresses I find the Rin get weaker and weaker. In the early days she is capable of making drastic decisions, big leaps of faith and shows so much perseverance at any cost. As I came to the half way mark I found myself exhausted by her constant self doubt, feeling sorry for herself and not standing up for people around her. How had she come so far pushing her limits and thinking for herself only to be made into a whiney mess?
Other characters also didn't feel too fleshed out. It felt like as soon as they gained enough 'screen time' to be memorable they were only introduced back into the story at random and short intervals, never really interacting with Rin though she is the only perspective we see.
Again though, I enjoyed the picture painted for me in terms of the world building. I just wish Rin had kept her (for lack of a better word) fiery personality
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Patrick Harwood
- 16-12-20
not my cup of tea
Good story just not my preference. Pace really drags in the middle. Don't remember any content warning. diffinately needs one.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- lloydy272
- 19-11-21
A fantastic and gripping story
I cannot wait to listen to the he sequel, this was a brilliant and gripping story with interesting characters and world.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Charlotte
- 07-12-20
Great story but couldn't finish
The Poppy War is a fantastic story which I've read before but was looking forward to listening to whilstbdoing other thibgs but I cannot stand the narrator, os much so that I was unable to even reach the end of the first chapter. Such a shame and a.waste of money.
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