The son of a librarian, Chris M. Arnone's love of books was as inevitable as gravity. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri - Kansas City. His cyberpunk series, The Jayu City Chronicles, is available everywhere books are sold. His work can also be found in Adelaide Literary Magazine and FEED Lit Mag. You can find him writing more books, poetry, and acting in Kansas City.
At Book Riot Arnone tagged "eight book series (yes, they’re all series) [featuring] fantasy worlds [that] are bloody, dangerous, destitute, and so much fun to read." One title on the list:
The Poppy War by R.F. KuangRead about another entry on the list.
The world of The Poppy War is East Asian, roughly based on the Second Sino-Japanese War (known in the West as the Asian Theatre of World War II). As a result, it’s a picture of a nation under siege and being subjected to horrors at every turn. Yes, there’s magic here, but the most brutal aspects are very human in nature and mostly based on actual historic brutalities. This is definitely one of the worst fantasy worlds to live in.
The Poppy War is among Isabelle McConville's seven favorite book villains, Hannah Kaner's five top novels featuring gods, Sasha Peyton Smith's six magical schools you wish you could attend, Aigner Loren Wilson's five thrilling SFF books to motivate you while exercising, Megan Whalen Turner's eight SFF books featuring deities, Jennifer Giesbrecht's top five fantasy books steeped in history, and Ross Johnson's twenty-five epic fantasies for fans of Game of Thrones.
The Page 69 Test: The Poppy War.
--Marshal Zeringue