I finished this like three weeks ago and I still don't know how to review or rate it. I didn't love everything in it, nor was I happy about everything that happened. But I won't forget it. It's one of those series that will have a lasting impact on me. I can't remember the last time I had such a book hangover. *sobs*

We start The Burning God, the last book in R. F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy, at the beginning of a battle. It’s an appropriate start for a trilogy rife with war. And though the sides have changed—Rin is now the head of the Southern Coalition after she was imprisoned by the Republic she once fought for—the brutal nature of warfare remains the same.

This unrelenting toll of battle, like in the two books before it, remains an overarching theme in The Burning God. In war, those with power commit horrific acts, justifying it as a necessary evil to achieve their ultimate aims. Both sides are often corrupted in this way, and Kuang makes sure to remind us that our protagonist, Rin, is no exception.


Rin is far from a pious do-gooder. She is driven throughout the trilogy by vengeance; vengeance at first against the Mugenese, who wiped out her people, and then against her former rival-turned-friend Nezha, who leads the Republic she once fought for. Her vengeance has given her power—it’s why the Phoenix god was able to give her control over fire–but it has also corrupted her to the point where, at the beginning of The Burning God, she decides burning dozens of civilians to death is worth it if it means she’ll also kill the Mugenese troops trapped with them.

Without spoiling too much, it’s fair to say that things get darker from there. There’s nary a silver lining to find in The Burning God’s 560 pages, and those looking for a lighthearted book won’t find it here. What readers will get, however, is a gut-wrenching ride, especially for those who have come to care for Rin, Kitay, Venka and the other characters Kuang has created.

[rest of review on tor.com link below]

I understand, truly I do, that this saga was never going to end well. not in a “oh wow the writer really screwed this up” way, more in a “wow no one got even a semblance of a happy ending”. and yet. the ending was just still so depressing to me. not the way the characters went, but the future that is so clear to the readers. I hate it. It was perfect.

Rebecca Kuang is a genius, and the way she wove history and military policy into these books has been so so so masterful. I’ve ready plenty of books that show the basic tenet of power as a corrupting influence, but I don’t think I’ve ever read a series as brutal in its depiction of exactly how corrupting it can be, and the way war devastates. knowing that most of the events in the series were based on real life events is actually gag inducing, but that’s just another sign of Kuang’s excellence.

I’ve heard Kuangs next series is going to be dark academia. i will read anything she writes but I hope to god it’s lighter than these books. I loved them so much but I am never getting some of the images from these out of my head.

People talk about "good" endings for fantasy books, and that there's a certain criteria for things to actually end well, that fits with the story arc, and makes sense.

But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

The descent into (somewhat) madness, and chaos at the end made it feel like I wasn't reading anymore, and when I reached the end it took a minute to sink in.

I'm heartbroken, honestly, at the brutality that is referenced in this novel, but it's still amazing to see how the characters have grown. It just hurts my feelings.

Words truly cannot express the pain I felt when reading this book. RF Kuang masterfully wraps up the Poppy War trilogy as Rin continues to descend into madness and questions everyone around her. I honestly could not breathe the entire time I was reading, nor could I stop because I had become so incredibly invested in everything that was going on. The ending can simply be summarized by pain - I saw so many different options and each one scared me, but what was finally chosen to wrap up this trilogy was done with so much sophisticated brutality. I cannot sing these books enough praises!

This was my least favorite of the trilogy, primarily due to Rin. I understand she was "running the show" and had no one to lead her, and let's face it, Rin is a terrible leader, and a worse follower, but this was almost an insult to the character development we got in book 2. Rin completely forgot all of her training at Sinegard, she was shit at strategy and tactics-many of her mistakes and ideas were laughable at how pathetic it was. But then again, Rin kind of fell into the same trapping of Daenerys in that she was no longer listening to council and knew better than anyone else while going power hungry and forsaking everything else.

I did appreciate the ending though and felt it was the only suitable ending.

i love nezha so much he’s my favorite character. i really enjoy rf kaung’s writing and she has so much potential to be my favorite author. i’m sad to see the series end but i also can’t wait to see what she does next

One of the best books of the ear. It's a mammoth of a book in terms of rounding up and finishing such a great and amazing series. I loved this entire story. A great end to a great tale.

I truly cannot say enough good things about this devastating conclusion to the trilogy. R.F. Kuang has an incredible ability to craft a world of people, places, adventures, secrets, and emotions that leaves the reader wishing the last page would never come. I was never bored and always engaged with the story.

Excited to see Kuang's next series. A very accomplished debut series, and while Rin wasn't my favorite character, I thought Kuang did a great job in propelling her where the story needed to go.

The Burning God by R.F.Kuang is easily one of my top 3 books of the year. This series holds a very special place in my heart and I truly adore it so much. It gave me on my favourite literary characters of all time, Rin and she’s been my comfort character ever since I first read this series last year. I was confused on how to write this review because I wanted to talk about how beautifully crafted this book is and at the same time also just put 200 heart eyes emojis to express the love I feel for this series. So this post is kind of going to be a mix of both.

The Plot and Story
The Burning God picks up after the events of The Dragon Republic and right from page one there is an anticipation building because you know this is it and the feeling only increases as you read further and get lost in the beautiful world R.F.Kuang weaves with her words and world building.

I loved the way the story took place and it was so well done, detailed and completely enamors you. Every page gives you a feeling whether its tears, happiness or sadness and it invokes a feeling of reading an actual war which is playing in front of you. I loved how the author has taken all the themes and issues which this series deals with and makes it even more interesting and better and you can’t help and be impressed with it. I am not giving any kind of details because of spoilers so all I can say is that I loved the direction the plot took and it kept me hooked to it and at the same time made me want to read it slow and savor it. I really wish it was a little longer because I would’ve wanted to read some parts in more detail but I wouldn’t say it affected my love for it much. This book will make you cry so just be ready with tissues and comfort books because you are definitely going to need them for this finale.

The Characters
This series has some of the most well-written and complex characters. Fang Runin aka the murder queen is a comfort character for so many of the readers. Rin’s journey from The Poppy War as the poor girl studying for the Keju so that she could make a better future for herself to The Burning God’s Rin who has gone through hell and worse will make you emotional. Rin has done so much wrong stuff which I hate and at the same time you can’t help but root for her because you know why she does what she does. She is intimidating, scary and a badass but also equally vulnerable and afraid filled with rage, determination, need for revenge and all these multiple shades of Rin are especially highlighted in The Burning God so well. Her character goes through so much and her decisions and actions will make you go through a myriad of emotions too. She’s a resilient person and her determination will forever remain iconic. I love her character and she will always remain a favourite.

Kitay is my favourite character. He is the resident nerd and strategist and the yin to Rin’s yang. They are platonic soulmates and their relationship warms my heart. Kitay’s character growth is so good but also the kind of growth where your worry for him grows with every book. Kitay’s character is also my favourite because there’s nothing remotely romantic about him and Rin. We don’t always get to read about such iconic platonic friendships and theirs is simply the best. Being Rin’s sanity controller is not an easy job and Kitay not only does it well but also truly loves Rin and this book proves that even more on how precious their bond is.

Nezha’s character has been one of the most complex and his character graph has the most ups and downs. Nezha was not my favourite character in the start but The Dragon Republic did make me like him and then..yeah. I think in this book also Nezha’s character remains complex and mysterious. He is definitely the most hated character in the fandom as he should be but at the same time I can’t help but also think about the kind of person he truly is. Nezha’s character is one which is questionably bad but also makes for a more detailed character analysis (maybe I will write about this someday)

I loved how Venka played a major part in The Burning God so for all the Venka fans, brace yourselves because she’s in this book being the amazing queen she is. The Burning God introduces new characters and brings back quite a few old characters giving the story the full circle it deserves. The author truly does a phenomenal job in wrapping up every characters’ story.

The World Building and Writing
This series has arguably one of the best world building I have ever read in a book and The Dragon Republic was so good that I thought that how can it get better than this, but dear readers, it gets so so much better. The Burning God is intricate in its details and beautifully crafted in its scenes. This series is inspired by actual Chinese history and the way R.F.Kuang toes the line between fiction and the reality aspect of the book is truly impressive. The depth in every scene and even in the writing is so amazing that some of my highlighted paragraphs just have the notes “wow” written with them. It is also really interesting where you read about the actual history from which the inspiration is taken and then the book and it makes you truly appreciate and understand the way it is written.

The writing in this book is splendid and I have highlighted atleast 90% of the book. I am so excited for the book to release so that I can tweet and talk about some of my favourite quotes and cry with everyone else over the beauty of the words. I am also really excited for my physical copy because the thought of annotating this book makes me so happy.

The Themes
This series deals with a lot of heavy themes which the author handles beautifully. The themes of racism, war, genocide, imperialism, colonialism, sexual assault, abuse, trauma is dealt with so well. This book truly takes it to the next level. Every small scene or quote is so well done and the way the author has written about the military tactics and warfare and plans is so incredibly smart that 70% of me was just in awe of it while reading. You know that feeling of utter impressiveness mixed with awe, love, fear for your favourite characters and the feeling of never wanting to stop reading the book? The Burning God does all this and more. I can never stop talking about how incredibly well done every aspect of the book is. Reading this series has made me a life long fan of R.F.Kuang and her writing has only got more impressive with every book and The Burning God is just *chef’s kiss* mixed with *heart eyes emoji*.

The Burning God and The Poppy War series as a whole is an incredible series for me and I feel this is a series which should be a MUST READ (of course after considering all the trigger warnings). Its smart, awe-inpsiring, well-written with morally grey and complex characters you can’t help but root for and discusses so many important themes without any romanticization. I have read roughly 70 books this year but this book is one of the top 3 books and that should tell you just how truly amazing this book and this series are.

Honestly, even though this series makes me cry I am going to read it again once I get my copy of The Burning God because no matter how many times I read it it impresses me and makes me fall in love with it even more. This review is different from my normally structured reviews because there is so much I want to talk about this series but at the same time words fall short to express what it means to me. I want to write so much about how much every character means to me and how this series is one of the best books I have read in the recent years but I fear I might just write an essay instead of a review. Writing reviews for the final books is always bittersweet and this was no different.

Overall, The Burning God is a stunning finale to an incredible series and remains one of my all time favourite books. It deserves all the praises and love and if you haven’t read this series yet, I highly highly recommend it and I promise you’ll fall in love with the excellence of this series too.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an e-ARC of the book through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

» If you are looking for a series that is full of military strategy, gruesome battles, political intrigue, brutality, internal struggles, and back stabbing, look no further! The Poppy War series is all this and so much more. This series will go down as one of my favorite fantasy series of all times. I cannot wait to see what R.F. Kuang puts out next!

» Rin’s character arc over the course of this series was absolutely brilliant. While Rin isn’t always a likable character, you definitely understand her reasoning and motivation behind her actions. Rin is probably one of the most complex and dynamic characters I’ve ever read.

» The plot, throughout the entirety of the series, was beautifully executed. Despite these books all being 500 – 650 pages, I flew through each book in a frenzy because I just had to know what was going to happen next.

» One of the constants throughout this series was Rin & Kitay’s friendship, and it was one of my favorite aspects of the series. Kitay has been a favorite character since book one. I loved that Kitay balanced Rin out and kept her grounded.

» The way Kuang chose to end this trilogy was absolute perfection. I always knew deep down that this conclusion was going to be soul crushing, and I was absolutely right, HOWEVER I felt very satisfied with how everything was wrapped up.

› Recommended to ⇒ readers that enjoy political intrigue, military fiction, and morally gray characters

› Trigger/content warnings ⇒ war; graphic violence; colonization

› If you liked this book, try ⇒ Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

*Big thanks to Harper Collins for a copy of the eBook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This series is the most stunning and well written series I've ever read. I'm stunned. The storytelling gets stronger with each book. This finale was absolutely stunning. I don't even have words....R.F. Kuang is amazing. I'm not even someone who reads a lot of fantasy and I am obsessed. The way Kuang weaves Chinese history into the fantasy is so important and so well done. I just can't say enough about these books...compelling plot, well-rounded characters....it's simply the best.

The last installment completely destroyed me. The entire time, especially the last 150 pages. All I can say is that it left me wanting more. I need more!!!!!

This series has gotten me thinking a lot about the concept of a Moral Event Horizon. The basic idea (for those who don’t want to fall into the TV Tropes rabbit hole) is that sometimes a character takes an action from which there is no going back - they cross a line from which no redemption is possible. The classic example is probably Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars Episode IV: from the moment he orders the destruction of Alderaan, his character needs to die.


I’ve come to question the concept, and realized I was always thinking about it wrong. I always thought of it as a thing that left it virtually impossible for a reader not to hate a character - someone like Tarkin or Joffrey Baratheon. But I’ve come to realize that it is entirely possible for a character to cross a moral event horizon and still retain sympathy. Consider someone like Jaime Lannister, or nearly every character Joe Abercrombie has ever written.


Rin didn’t step over the moral event horizon so much as take a flying leap over it way earlier in the series. She then hit the ground running, and kinda just sped up from there. I never stopped liking her and sympathizing with her (except for a few moments towards the end of this book). And yet she was, nonetheless, irredeemable. Credit to Kuang for pulling that off and sustaining it for most of the series.


This book picks up right where the previous book left off. A great deal of the book’s emotional energy is spent on Rin dealing with her feelings towards Nezha following the ending of book 2. Most of the plot energy of the book is Rin (and Kitay and Venka) trying to figure out a winning strategy (or at least a survival strategy) for their part of this very messy multi-sided civil war they are in the middle of. The biggest challenge is the Hesperian-backed Republic with all their advanced technology - firearms, airships, etc. (Parallels to actual 20th century Chinese history continue to be very clear.) Rin has her link with the Phoenix god, but she’s only one person and can’t be everywhere.


I’ve been worried since the beginning of this series about how it would get wrapped up, given that Kuang was explicit in saying Rin was inspired by the rise of Mao Zedong. As Mao was responsible for tens of millions of deaths, basing a book on him was a bold thing to do, and a difficult thing to pull off appropriately. I think Kuang managed it.


In the end, the Poppy Wars trilogy was both a fresh read and a horribly brutal one. I strongly recommend it, but it’s not something to be read lightly.

This book was absolutely devastating. There’s no question RF Kuang writes impeccable prose and this novel is a masterclass in fantasy writing. I also feel like the ending was the only ending that made sense as sad and heartbreaking as it was. And I think the whole story raises a lot of messy (and realistic) questions about colonization and the way that invaded countries are ultimately forced into working with the west. Thematically, this was absolutely on point.

However I am left feeling a bit bereft. This book was almost dizzying in how much it tried to achieve leading to a plot that felt rather disjointed, from the hue rolls warfare to the sudden reappearance (and then disappearance) of the Trifecta. What I loved so much about the dragon republic was in between all the high stakes military scenes there were down moments of character development. I felt like that was missing in this book. There was no relief from the anxiety so I couldn’t process each new gut punch. And I felt like we didn’t get as much time to engage with the Rin and Nezha dynamic because they were separated from one another for the entirety of the book. This was never going to be a book with a happy ending. And while I think RFK nailed the ending, I do wish the journey in this final installment hadn’t felt so rushed and hopeless

The Burning God is a perfect ending to a perfect trilogy. I truly recommend The Poppy War trilogy. The books are everything.

4.5 stars

To any reader anxious about this epic finale, or intrigued enough to pick up book 1 for the first time: Good luck.

The Burning God is the thrilling conclusion to the Poppy War trilogy, and when I say thrilling, I truly mean it. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I read it, so scared for what was going to happen yet unwilling to put the book down and have to wait another second. It was an exhilarating feeling to be engrossed in this book, and upon finishing it, all I could do was let out a slow exhale (before the tears fell), in awe of the threads RF Kuang had woven in this book. While not my favorite of the series, and not perfect in my eyes, The Burning God was a fantastic way to end a brilliant trilogy.

Rin. Rin. Fang Runin, my favorite murderous, vengeful, and very stupid antiheroine. I can’t start this review without talking about her first and foremost. I fell in love with her and her arc from the start of the series, and she continued to impress me with how angry, motivated, and dumb she is. Following her throughout the book was riveting but painful, both for her foolish decisions but also for how she somehow managed to grow more and more terrifying.

She’s changed so much from her time in Tikany and Sinegard, and like in The Dragon Republic, she learns how to heal from her trauma in her own way throughout the book and find agency that she was never allowed. Though I couldn’t get enough of Rin finding thrill in her darkness, I was equally scared by her, especially knowing this time that she was based on Mao Zedong. (I hadn’t looked into the historical connections before reading books 1 and 2.) Her arc is so well-written, and as one of my favorite fictional characters, this book did her complete justice and she got everything she deserved.

I am also deeply obsessed with the dynamics and relationships Rin has with other people, particularly Kitay and Nezha. First of all, Rin and Kitay’s love for each other… I’m going to cry. I’m genuinely going to cry. I want what they have—that all-consuming, burning love for someone that makes you feel like something essential to your ability to live has been ripped from you if you’re away from them. And as for Nezha… I was excited and anxious to see what would happen between him and Rin after the ending of The Dragon Republic, and I was not disappointed. So many scenes involving them made me lose my mind, and I live for their complex, complicated dynamic. If I say anything else I will just end up screaming, so I leave you with that.

On top of Kuang’s excellent character work, the prose in The Burning God is absolutely lovely. I devoured the entire book in a matter of three days, which is a feat on its own considering its size but even more so after I had been struggling to read anything for over a week. I made nearly four hundred highlights, by far the most I’ve ever made in a book. (Scrolling through all of them now is how I feel alive, and by alive I mean in monumental pain.) I’ve said before that Kuang’s writing is easily readable, which I greatly appreciate in the adult SFF genre, and I think her prose has gotten even better in this book. It flows so beautifully yet cuts into you in all the right places.

This novel, and this trilogy, is one of themes. The Poppy War painted the story of a girl, a war, and the terrible journey that led her to commit an atrocity; The Dragon Republic followed her in the aftermath, witnessing her grapple with trauma and a new war; and now, finally, The Burning God watches her become an even more menacing force to win an impossible war. And throughout it all, war is unending, trauma is pervasive, and the terrors of imperialism and colonialism loom overhead. The book’s ties to Chinese history adds even more meaning—to know that all of these horrors are inspired by or sometimes even specifically modeled after events in the past—for even in a fantasy world, the true villains are not whatever nightmares can be conjured by gods and shamanic magic, but the humans who take and never stop taking.

The main goal for so many of the characters in this book is winning the war. For some of them, it feels like a gaping thing essential to their survival. But what is heartbreaking is that even though one side could come out of the war slightly less unscathed than the other, there is no real winner. Not when the West has sunk its claws in so deeply that all you can do is learn how to live with it breathing down your neck. And I think that’s the true beauty of this series (if you could call it beauty): the way it explores what people do to survive in a world where they must exist with their oppressors.

Amongst all of this, Kuang writes some brilliant warfare and strategy, making the book all the more entertaining and exciting. I loved seeing how the military tactics changed throughout the series as they adapted to new enemies, and you can really feel the pages dripping with Kuang’s intelligence. And the fight scenes in particular were… thrilling, to put it one way. Some of the best combat scenes I’ve ever read that were somehow full of both hatred and yearning, to put it another.

I know many people are anxious to see how this book ends, just as I was, and I can assure you, no matter what you think, you are not prepared. I was vaguely tearing up as I read the last chapter and epilogue, but as soon as I finished the book, I went back, reread them, and immediately started crying. I was genuinely sitting on the floor of my bathroom, hugging my knees to my chest, and full-on sobbing into my arms.

It is an emotional ending, but one that is so, so fitting, and I am deeply satisfied by it. I think there will be people who don’t understand it, who don’t love it at all, and I’m going to be upset that those people don’t get it. Because ultimately, no matter how harrowing or upsetting, it is a realistic and beautifully, poignantly written portrayal of the certain kinds of horrors in this world and Rin’s, the people who inflict or become victims to them, and the consequences they have to face. It is truly the only ending for these characters and this world, in my eyes—it broke my heart, and I loved it.

I won’t lie: to me, this book was not perfect. Though overall it was an amazing novel and conclusion to the series, as evident by my high praise, this was the least well-written book of the trilogy, in my opinion. I wish it had been longer, especially near the end. There were a lot of scenes that I think would have benefitted from being more developed, especially with specific reveals or twists, and some parts weren’t wrapped up in a way that completely satisfied me. There were just certain plot points that I wanted more development from, and I was sad that I didn’t get to see that.

All that being said, The Burning God was undoubtedly an excellent book. It’s a bittersweet feeling to have reached the end of this blazing trilogy, one that I have only known for a year yet hold so dearly, but I am happy with its ultimate ending, even if there were some rough parts on the way there. RF Kuang has certainly made a name for herself in the adult SFF genre, and I can’t wait to devour her next masterpiece.

If you are looking for a fantasy series that draws on Asian history, explores colonialism, imperialism, and war, and creates compelling and complex characters and dynamics, I highly recommend this one. This trilogy has been a breath of fresh air, from an author who doesn’t shy away from the more gruesome parts of history and writes with so much intensity. Kuang laces pain in her every word, and I can’t help but love it. I likely will never recover from these books, but I don’t think I am meant to. This is a story that demands your attention, demands that you listen and breathe it in, and refuses to let you go.

I must bow down to R.F. Kuang for creating a poignant, beautiful ending to this beloved series. This is a series and an ending that I will be thinking about for a long time to come.

What I love most about this series is that the real meat of the story lives in the subtext. The book rewards reading closely, and there is a lot you can pull out and interpret in reading between the lines. This series belies easy answers and straightforward interpretations, and that fascinates me to no end. You can also get a lot of reading it and ignoring the subtext; it's all up to how the reader wants to approach the story. But if you go into fantasy for the traditional battle of good versus evil, you won't find that here. And while I'm not too fond of the notion that moral ambiguity automatically equals a more intelligent story, I think RF Kuang does moral ambiguity right. She brings such nuance, sensitivity, and power to her discussions of colonization, trauma, and the effects of war on both soldiers and citizens. And most importantly, she carries these themes while remaining true to her characters, their flaws, and motivations.

Along these lines, this book is brutal, and certain scenes are challenging to get through. But what I find so powerful is the scene that haunts me the most isn't one with gore, but one involving Ren experiencing the alienation of entering a space completely changed and foreign. And that right there is the power of what R.F. Kaung has created in this series.

One thing is that I wish there had been even more of the dynamics between Ren, Kitay, and Nezha. However, without getting into spoilers, the plot's progression limited how much they could interact in a way that felt realistic and inevitable. And what interactions we did get, I ate up. I've seen complaints that this book was too focused on war and not on the character dynamics, and honestly, I'm not sure what series of books these people have been reading. This series has always been about war, - it's price, it's effects - with great character dynamics to add spice and interest. But I'm not going to complain when the plot necessitates that these characters interact differently. Perhaps I'm not explaining this right, but I just can't justify that criticism with the series as it has always been.

The ending does feel abrupt in some ways, but in others, the book's events were snowballing to a point where it's the only conclusion that makes any sense. I feel like this is a series I could read and read again and still get something new each time, which is satisfying to me. An all-time favorite series for sure, full stop.

This is one of the best high fantasy series that I have read. There are not too many East Asian fantasy stories on the shelves but there series proves that there should be more. This conclusion was good but also frustrating. It is not my favorite end to a series but it was not the most disappointing. Rin as a main character is both infuriating and refreshing. She makes rash decisions time and time again that put everyone's lives at risk with little to no remorse. I think it is exhilarating to have a main character who has such a grey moral compass but not in a wildly selfish way. She is not fighting for herself most of the time, but for the idea of her countries future and ideals. I think it was a good look into the head of some power hungry leaders we have seen in the world and will probably see again in the future. I did not love the ending to the story because it felt a bit rushed but I do believe it stayed true to the heart of the story.