The Poppy War

Content Warnings: This section of the guide discusses self-harm, drug addiction, racism, classism, colorism, explicit wartime violence, sexual assault, human experimentation, suicide, and genocide.

The book is narrated through Rin’s third-person point of view. When Rin tests into Sinegard Academy at 16, she seems like a classic fantasy protagonist. However, it soon becomes clear that she is an antihero: a protagonist who lacks standard heroic qualities. Rin lacks empathy for her enemies, she thirsts for power, and she enacts brutal war tactics for her perception of the greater good.

Rin demonstrates the brutality of war at Sinegard Academy. She suggests tactics in Strategy class that would devastate her own nation, and she dismisses Kitay’s attempts to humanize the Mugenese. She uses Addiction as a Tool of Control; since she lacks educational resources, Rin bribes Tutor Feyrik with opium so that he will train her for the Keju. After she accidentally calls the Phoenix in her fight with Nezha, Rin manipulates Jiang to regain access to it. She has an addiction to power and praise, and she weaponizes anger as she relentlessly pursues both.

Rin also shows