The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1)

by R.F. Kuang

The Trifecta—the Vipress, the Dragon Emperor, and the Gatekeeper—were three heroic soldiers who had unified the Empire against the Federation.

“Good answer, but false. That’s just propaganda they put in the countryside textbooks.

Well thats not fair

“We won because we lost Speer.”

We did such a terrible job defending our country that it took genocide for Hesperia to intervene.

Sounds like some countries now except no one is intervening

a fleet of Federation ships razed the Dead Island overnight. Every man, woman, and child on Speer was butchered, and their bodies burned. An entire race, gone in a day.”

But the Speerlies weren’t really Nikara at all. Tall and brown-skinned, they were an island people who had always been ethnically separate from the Nikara mainlanders.

Hesperia

Hesperius is the evening star i believe

The heroes of the Trifecta have been reduced to one; the Emperor is dead, the Gatekeeper is lost, and only the Empress remains on the throne.

Rin found herself crammed between Niang and the wiry-haired boy who had spoken up in History class. “I’m Kitay,” he introduced himself, once he’d finished inhaling his stew.

“Yes. And I’m Runin. Rin,” she said, once he let her get a word in. “Oh, you’re the one Nezha hates.”

LMAO

“His father is the Dragon Warlord and his aunts have been concubines to the throne for generations. You’d be a prick too if your family was both rich and attractive.”

“We grew up together. Me, Nezha, and Venka. Shared the same tutor. I thought they’d be nicer to me once we were all at the Academy.”

Damn what assholes

Why, what did you do?” “I gave him that black eye,” she admitted. Kitay raised an eyebrow. “Nice.”

We stan Kitay

And when the Medicine Master, Enro, assigned them to learn the names of all the bones in the human body, she also expected them to know the most common patterns of breakage and how to identify them.

This sounds like when ur getting a masters degree

“This thing is massive!” Han complained. “How are we supposed to do the rest of our homework?”

ME IN GRAD SCHOOL

“Jiang, I’ve got a class,” Jun snapped. “So teach your class,” said Master Jiang. “Leave me alone.” “We need the courtyard.”

Lmaoooo this is gonna be rins fave teacher no doubt

She jerked forward, knocking Venka in the head by accident.

Yeah sure "on accident"

Jeeha blinked in confusion. He turned his head to ask her what she meant. And Kureel raised her knee and jammed the ball of her foot into Jeeha’s groin.

This is a baddie

Mandatory drill sessions lasted for only two hours, but the first-years

For a second i thought i was reading fourth wing

“I’m sure you’ll be the terror of the school,” said Rin. “You can dance for donations. I’ll toss you an ingot.”

I LOVE HER OK

Nezha, mortally offended, made it clear that associating with Rin meant social alienation. He pointedly refused to speak to her or acknowledge her existence,

This big time reminds me of Damien and Anya from spy x family and im SAT

“Power dictates acceptability,” Kitay mused. “If the capital had been built in Tikany, I’m sure we’d be running around dark as wood bark.”

have permission to go back to bed?” asked Kitay. “Consider me bullied and intimidated, just let me sleep.”

Kitay is a taurus

Can you piss over the wall into town? Altan can.

Lmao

“I am Bo Kobin, apprentice to Master Jun Loran,”

Not a bokoblin

Altan convulsed under Tobi’s grip and coughed. Blood sprayed from his mouth.

Jfc

Red Emperor had taken the island by storm and forced the Speerlies into military service, turning the island warriors into the most feared contingent in the Militia until the Second Poppy War wiped them out.

“Speer was annexed under Mai’rinnen Tearza, the last warrior queen of Speer. The Old Nikara Empire asked her to give up her throne and pay tribute to Sinegard.

Damn near sounds like Hawaii

The truth is, we don’t know why Tearza died, or if anyone killed her. We know only that she did die,

PRob Rins long loss ancestor

“Don’t mind her,” Nezha said. “Tikany still thinks we lost the Poppy Wars.”

You always wrong about everything and constantly embarrassing urself shut ur ho ass up

“The Speerlies were a barbaric, war-obsessed race,” he said. “They trained their children for battle as soon as they could walk.

Not the spartans

Now, the rumors of shamanism probably have more to do with their religion. Historians believe they had bizarre rituals in which they pledged themselves to their god—the Vermilion Phoenix of the South. But that was only ever a ritual. Not a martial ability.”

“The Speerly affinity for fire is well documented,

Nikara and Federation alike, who thought the Speerlies could mani...

“So why couldn’t our army copy them?” Rin asked. “If the Speerly warriors were really so powerful, why couldn’t we emulate their tactics? Why’d we have to enslave them?”

“Speer was a tributary. Not a slave colony,” Yim said impatiently. “And we could re-create their training programs, but again, their methods were barbaric.

SOUNDS LIKR ALOTTA HOOPLA

If the Speerlies prayed to their god, it clearly didn’t save them.”

Damn a bit harsh

It’ll be months before you can channel the ki that sort of technique requires.”

Near the end of class one day, Jun lined them up in rows and ordered them to spar.

Rin found herself standing across from Nezha. Of course she was. He shot her a nasty smile.

SHe could totally kick his pompous ass again also hes so obsessed w her

“On my count,” said Jun. “One, two—” Nezha launched himself forward.

Shocking, he cant exactly win fairly

“She started it,” Nezha said quickly. He rolled to a sitting position and pointed at Rin. “She dropped her—”

Is he five

“You skip into Sinegard from your little village, thinking that this is it—you’ve made it, you’re going to make Mommy and Daddy proud.

Ayyooo shut yo ho ass up

That boy”—Jun jerked his thumb in the direction Nezha had gone—“may be an ass, but he has the makings of a commander in him. You, on the other hand, are just peasant trash.”

This isnt a blantently discriminatory situation or anything, its is infuriating…you ner gave her the chance to be anything

Rin’s ears rang, drowning out Jun’s words. She felt so small. She felt as if she might crumble into dust. Don’t let me cry. Her eyes throbbed from the pressure of forcing back her tears. Please don’t let me cry.

From now on you are banned from the practice facilities. You do not touch the weapons rack. You do not train in the studio during off-hours. You do not set foot in here while I am teaching a class. You do not ask older students to teach you. I don’t need you causing any more trouble in my studio. Now get out of my sight.”

What the actual fuck is this shit??? now shes gonna get kicked out of the school at some point

She cried from the pain. She cried from the embarrassment. But mostly she cried because those two

Jun’s punishment was as good as an expulsion. She was done. It was over. She’d be back in Tikany within a year. But Nezha attacked first.

I think that professor that Jun hates is gonna take Rin in maybe

“The Keju is a ruse to keep uneducated peasants right where they’ve always been. You slip past the Keju, they’ll find a way to expel you anyway.

Facts

“You’re sweating.” Sweating? She wasn’t sweating. “I’m fine,” she said.

I think my gorl is a FIREBENDER