The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang follows Fang Runin (Rin), a war orphan in the Nikara Empire, who escapes an arranged marriage by acing the imperial exam and entering Sinegard, the elite military academy. There, she faces prejudice but discovers she has shamanic powers, a gift from the gods, which she learns to control with the help of eccentric Master Jiang. As war with the rival Mugen Federation looms, Rin's fiery rage and burgeoning power lead her into the brutal realities of conflict, forcing her to confront unimaginable violence and the devastating cost of war, inspired by mid-20th century Chinese history.
