First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?
- Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
- Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
- Finally… reveal the book!
First Lines:
“Take your clothes off.”
Rin blinked. “What?”
The proctor glanced up from his booklet. “Cheating prevention protocol.” He gestured across the room to a female proctor. “Go with her, if you must.”
Do you recognize the lines?
Here’s a hint:
It’s the first book in a trilogy.
Still not sure? Here’s another hint:
It’s written by R.F. Kuang.
The First Lines Friday book is:
The Poppy War
About the Book:
Title: The Poppy War
Author: R.F. Kuang
Series: The Poppy War #1
Page Length: 545
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Synopsis: A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy.
When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—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 believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
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I’m so excited because later today I’m attending a guest lecture with R.F. Kuang!!! She’s at Brown University tonight, and she’s signing books. I can’t wait!!!!
Have you read The Poppy War yet? What do you think of the first lines? Comment below!
Yes I knew I recognized the name Rin! Great book!
I met the author last night and she signed my copy of the book and of Babel!!!
A book I loved and actually knew what it was from the first lines!! That doesn’t happen very often😂
Yay! I love when that happens!
Ooh! Yaas, I recognised these lines. Great pick 😍
Thanks! 🙂