“I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year […] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” — Booknest
A Library Journal, Paste Magazine, Vulture, BookBub, and ENTROPY Best Books pick!
Washington Post “5 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel” pick!
A Bustle “30 Best Fiction Books” pick!
A … Science Fiction and Fantasy Novel” pick!
A Bustle “30 Best Fiction Books” pick!
A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.
When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—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 believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. 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. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers 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 a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those 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 militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
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I saw this book described as “Avatar: The Last Airbender, but if Azula was the main character” and that’s one hell of a way to make me move a book up my TBR pile. The world-building was phenomenal. Rin is an amazing main character. She’s constantly choosing her path, for better or worse, but also being forced into difficult situation after difficult situation. The last third had some rough stuff to read through (TW: war crimes), but it all served a purpose to drive these characters to the climax of the book. And that last page? Gods, I re-read it 3x and then just had to sit with it for a bit because it was so powerful. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series!
Loved this book and the following volume. I was SO bummed to find out I had to wait until November to read the next book?
Fun read. But not very original.
Not quite there yet in terms of a true epic – rushes the best parts of the youth Growing into her magic phase to get to a very complicated war, re-war and third war coming a little more time on world and main character development would make this a keeper series
Excellent, very fun, read. Kuang pulls from ancient Chinese history and tactics that can be identified with a satisfiable sense of accomplishment. The development of the protagonists pulls the reader into her life as we see her grow more and more into the story and immerse into the war the story follows.
Complete with fantastic world-building and the development of almost insurmountable stakes and an entire country of menacing antagonists, we see the MC battle with both internal and external factors that threaten to burn her alive.
One of the best books I’ve read these last few years
Wonderful fantasy debut made better with the setting in a non-western culture, i.e. ancient China, which breathes new life to an age-old chosen-one trope. Rin is a war orphan who works hard to get into a prestigious military academy (i.e. isn’t admitted on a whim/command from a king or such-like), works hard to be the best of her class, chooses a disipline no one else studies only to learn that it may allow her to channel the power of gods. Which she then doesn’t use right away, because her master tells her not to. A war breaks out, which is brutal and makes her feel helpless, and her friends die, which angers her. At the climax of the book where a western fantasy hero would rise against the odds to save the nation in a morally sustainable fashion, Rin chooses a different path. The message of the book, clearly stated, is in fact that there are no chosen ones; only the choices we make. The book ends at the point where she has to come to terms with her choice. An excellent setting for the next book in the trilogy.
Rin was a complex character who struggled with anger issues and insecurity, her low background among the offspring of warlords, and her need for power and revenge. Drugs (opium mostly) play a heavy role in her ability to communicate with gods, which in turn leads to addiction. Side characters were similarly torn by many issues, especially the addicition, which made them difficult to root for. The narrative style was slightly distancing, so apart from Rin, there wasn’t a deep connection with other characters. The plot progressed in a steady pace, with no slag (two years in the school was covered in a couple of chapters), and the world came to life effortelessly with no unnecessary exposition. All in all, a compelling read.
i like this book
An interesting blend of fantasy and history. Not for the faint of heart but thought-provoking and compelling.
good read
Very violent.
Wonderful take on the nameless orphan taught by experts trope. Highly original and truly entertaining!
As an actual Chinese person,
This book is an unapologetic, quasi-propaganda, personal politics piece from a white-bread, cookie-cutter, well-to-do Chinese American in fantasy form that panders to popular social trends – in this case, “exposing real historical events” of “my people” that are “hard to talk about”, in the most nauseating way possible, setting herself up as a victim that can do no wrong and beyond reproach by merit of the implied claim that this is ‘more’ than just a fantasy story, and all of this with the irony that the end result of this seemingly timely, relevant, social-justice-championing piece only benefits one person, with the actual Chinese population that have not achieved affluency through immigration knowing absolutely nothing of this book, let alone gaining anything through “talking about” the Nanking Massacre, that the author callously and with complete disregard to the actual people affected by it (of which again she is not) uses as a gratuitous excuse to ‘elevate’ her political and value message relevancy for social justice points from the progressive-minded readership that are less versed in actual Chinese history.
The narrative itself is loaded to the brim with copious amounts of shiny bells and whistles serving to maintain its main facade of a mystical orient, that are either ripped straight from certain periods in actual Chinese history – but without any of the deeper connotations or context (Keju, Su Daji, Nezha), or shallow ‘adaptations’, if one could even call them that, often rebranded under hilarious anglo-han mashup names (Sinegard, Golyn Niis). To a Chinese reader, it is overall akin to a middle-school fanfiction with incredibly mediocre writing and prose, but with a mile-thick patchwork topping of ripped terms, places, ideas and storylines from a child’s understanding of history.
Amazing storytelling. The saga of a different time and different people.
A superb magical war school with a wonderful female lead.
This ambitious debut novel has received a great deal of much-deserved attention. It combines a classic coming of age narrative with an epic fantasy take on some of the bloodiest events of China’s recent history — exciting, brutal and often very funny.
Wow! This book is awesome! I’d recommend it to anyone.
A decent read loosely associated with the opium wars at the turn of the century in China. By the end one was getting tired of the story.
This was a weird book at times! It stated out so interesting at first with the orphan Asian girl trying to get into a prestigious academy. There is was fairly interesting as she tried to prove she was as good as the Warlords children, but then it got weird. I’ve read lots of books on the Chinese belief in their gods and their war machine, but this started going off the deep end! It wandered and didn’t really explain much other than the opium wars and how people became opium addicts. I can’t really recommend this as a very interesting story, but if you are interested in learning a little about their Warlords and how they kept their people subjected, it is a compelling read. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever finish this book, but I’m glad I did.