NEZHA.
frick me. ( )

Second book in The Poppy War trilogy.
Rin's attempt to seek vengeance against the
Dragon Empress.

this was almost entirely a war book, which was hard for me. cruelty on the battlefield, betrayal in the warroom, generals around a roundtable discussing tactics. not really the kind of book i want to read, and the parallels to what is happening right now in israel and gaza is too obvious to make this easy to gloss over. (really, though, i'm sure the parallels are there with any war that so highly involves the murder of civilians.) way, way too much battling and fighting and blood for me, in a way that advanced the story but marginally.

i did like the cike division and the way they developed. i liked the way the white christian missionaries are only there to convert the masses (even if the masses are subhuman) but not actually help anyone, and i really like kitay and how he is the moral compass for both sides. it's hard to me to always remember how young these characters are, and some of their missteps make sense in that light.

there was, somehow, enough interesting character stuff to keep me mostly engaged, but this was hard for me until the end. the end was a whirlwind of surprise, and bumps this up a star (or half star) for me. i could not believe nazha's betrayal, who of the cike didn't make it out alive, and how she wrapped this up.

emily woo zeller gives another fantastic audio narration. ( )

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Poppy Wars trilogy. I got a copy of this in paperback for my birthday as a gift.

Thoughts: This was an amazingly easy read that was so hard to put down. I loved this just as much as the first book in the series.

The story is told mostly from Rin's POV. After the events in the first book. Rin and her crew are adrift. Rin is hooked on opium in an effort to control the Phoenix god that tries to take over her thoughts and body. Rin doesn't want to live but she wants to see the Empress killed before she dies. In an effort to get her revenge on the Empress, Rin and her team end up joining the Dragon Warlord and fighting for his vision of a Republic.

I continue to enjoy Rin as a character. Rin is put through difficult situations again and again, and she makes some flat out awful choices. However, she is tough, single-minded, and determined. Despite the number of times she is hurt and betrayed, she somehow manages to survive and power through.

There are a ton of amazing side characters in here as well. I never had trouble following all the characters or remembering who they were, even though it had been some time since I read the first book. Kuang does an amazing job giving you little hints and back story bits to jog your memory without dragging down the story.

I think this story also does a wonderful job of bringing up larger philisophical questions too. For example, what do you do with people who are raised to be good at war when there isn't a war? Do people in power have a right to destroy thousands of lives in pursuit of a vision that they believe will make everyone's lives better in the long run?

I am usually not a fan of books about war and conquest. However, the way Kuang writes the story it completely draws you in. I think some of this is how amazing all the characters are, they really make a lot of the story. I also think the fast-pace and all the action in the story contribute to how hard it is to put this book down!

My Summary (5/5): Overall this is really amazingly well written. I loved the characters, the world, the magic and how easy it is to fall into this story and stay engaged in it. Very well done and I can't wait to read the third book! ( )

One of the best sophomore books of a trilogy I've ever read. Engaging, well-paced, great balance between character-building and plot development. Absolutely give it a read! ( )