R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War
This is the first of a new trilogy that is getting a ton of buzz--it's a really well-written fantasy story set in a world much like early 20th Century China. It centers on Rin, a war orphan, who works herself to the bone to make her way to an elite school, where she will learn to be a military leader--and learn from a mysterious, eccentric shaman that some folklore is real. And then she must decide whether to heed her teacher, or do anything to get power for her country. Parts of this were a bit slow, and the war scenes were just awful and brutal to read (trigger warnings for descriptions of rape and torture). It also ends in a fairly grim place. I am curious to see where the story goes, though, so will probably read the next volume when it’s released. B+.
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