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The Phoenix
Niang is one of Rin’s female classmates and one of her two roommates. Unlike Venka, Niang is open and friendly—though in public, she goes along with ignoring Rin. Chatty and insecure, Niang desperately wants to study Medicine with Enro and talks endlessly about whether she’ll qualify to do so. She ultimately does.
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Niang Character Timeline in The Poppy War
The timeline below shows where the character Niang appears in The Poppy War. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...explains their schedule. Rin discovers that she’s one of only three girls in her year. Niang seems friendly, but Venka immediately insults Rin’s darker skin tone. The following morning, Rin’s class...
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...Poppy Wars of the last century, in which the Federation of Mugen—a former tributary—invaded Nikan. Niang asks why the Federation of Mugen invaded in the first place. Yim explains that Mugen...
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Chapter 4
...For this, all her classmates except for Kitay bully her when they’re not ignoring her. Niang still speaks to Rin in their dorm, and she encourages Rin to apologize. But Venka...
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About a week later, Rin, Venka, and Niang have just fallen asleep when Raban knocks on their door and tells them to get...
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Chapter 7
...apprentices sell study aids of varying efficacy to the first-years. Rin identifies a “magical” herb Niang bought as simple ginger, and some students try to buy exam questions.
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Chapter 11
Rin wakes up to Niang saying she’s feverish, but Rin can’t tell her the truth: she’s hot because she’s channeling...
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Chapter 12
Niang visits sometimes, and Kitay visits often. He tells her how the battle ended soon after...
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