The Poppy War: Book 1

Winner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018.
The best fantasy debut of 2018 – WIRED

A brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut by the author of Yellow face and Babel, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic.

When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – 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 had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realised she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.