Before I begin, I just want to give a little bit of background on why I love this series so much. I grew up reading high fantasy. I needed to get my hand on every book possible, but while I loved every moment reading everything, it was also my downfall. I grew tired of the genre and seemingly reading the same story over and over again. I stopped for about 10 years until picking up The Poppy War last year, reigniting my love for the genre again.
That being said, I love all three books but The Burning God is a masterpiece. It is hard to humanize a character like Rin in a book so concentrated with war and strategy. Despite all of the detail, the relationships that Rin builds within the story shines through. Despite her hate and stubbornness and pain, you feel the need to love her. It would have been easy to just speed through and end the book at the end of the war, but I am so glad that didn't happen, because in reality that wasn't the story. It was a story about how 3 teenagers who loved and hated each other could upend a country because of that. This book was painful in the best way. Best book I have read this year.

Are you kidding me? That ending. An epic conclusion to an epic trilogy. This series has made my top books each time a new one has been released and now we are at the end. R.F. Kuang is a fantastic writer that creates characters that makes you think and brings emotions to the surface with each flip of the page. I can't wait to see what she does in the future.

It was such a privilege to read the entirety of this trilogy. Never before has a book left me feeling so deeply emotional. Kuang is an excellent storyteller and writer; I felt an attachment of some kind to nearly every character on the pages, and oftentimes it was difficult to decide whose side I was even on. This was a brutal, visceral book -- and series -- that I cannot recommend highly enough. It is thought-provoking, emotional, and incredibly written. This series will stick in my mind for a long time to come. And I will be reading anything else Kuang writes regardless of the subject matter.

This book was received as an ARC from HarperCollins Publishers - Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

At first, this plot was a little confusing. I was not sure if this was going to be an action drama/war novel or a overcoming adversity novel where the protagonist is stuck in a rut battling her way to victory. It was both and it was a triumph in the making. The determination Rin faced while seeking her new allies and then figuring out people aren't always what they seem and you could even be part of a war in the making and not even aware of it. When I finished the book, I could not believe the outcome. I was so shocked and frozen with excitement that I could not wait to hear the thoughts of our teen book club.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

I have no idea where to start for this review. This book was absolutely incredible, and is undoubtedly Kuang’s best work yet.
This was such a wonderful way to end this incredible trilogy. I am nowhere near recovered from that explosive ending, but I think it handled the end of Fang Runin’s story wonderfully. After having reread the first two books, followed by this one in the span of about a week, it was incredible seeing Rin’s development throughout the trilogy, from a terrified war orphan going into an incredibly hostile environment, to an immensely powerful and confident soldier. I loved how every situation was handled in a way that felt very real, and how you could see the consequences of every action and decision taken in the books.
I would love to one day return to Nikara and see how things have fared after the events of this book, but I could not have asked for a more fitting end to this story.

This was an utterly well-done conclusion to a hell of a trilogy.

If you're reading this, you're probably already familiar with the bones of the story. Rin is a young woman who grew up as a peasant and worked hard to test into the most selective military academy in a haunting fantasy version of early 20th-century China. She's also a shaman who can call on the Phoenix to burn anything she wishes. When we meet her again in this volume, after we saw Rin defeat foreign invaders and betrayed by her allies, she is still at war.

This was a satisfying concluding volume in myriad ways. The battles are high-stakes and exciting. We see Rin return to her home. The end of the book is foreshadowed really nicely.

My largest (perhaps only) complaint is how much I've forgotten about the plot since I read the first and second volumes. A quick summary at the front of the book would have been a godsend, especially since the character list in the back of the book isn't helpful. Some of the character interactions would have definitely benefited with a fresh knowledge of the earlier plot. That said, the book still flows well and I devoured it. And there's a good reason to reread the entire trilogy!

The fangirl side of me deeply wishes we had seen more interactions between Rin and Kitay, Altan, and Nezha.While I love how so much weight is embedded in every interaction, I really wanted even more time with these characters. Here's hoping the author's tweets about pre-order goodies comes true.

P.S. Go watch Ms. Kuang's acceptance speech for the 2020 Hugo Awards. It's a cutting critique of the industry's treatment of people of color.

The Burning God is the stunning conclusion to The Poppy War trilogy. I went into this book expecting nothing less than being completely and utterly destroyed. The first two books were brutal and unrelenting to both the reader and its characters.

Rin has become such a strong character. She is hardened by battle, rage, and has sacrificed so much to get to the point she is at. Yes, she is unlikable at times, but I feel like that only adds to the complexity of her character. I don’t think we are supposed to be rooting for her at this point, but at this point the reader is so invested in her story it’s hard to not want her to be happy.

This book is complicated, and it’s only understandable that the ending is nothing less. The pacing is well-done. I never felt that there was a lull in action or too much action. It was masterfully executed, and I highly recommend you pick this series up.

This is a solid, if bleak, finish to the trilogy, and very much in the same vein as the 2nd book. It's very well written, and well told. We have more or less the same cast of characters, and there is very little character re-development so it's better if you've read the previous books recently or it would probably feel pretty hollow. Many people are mentioned briefly and without having the history fresh in your mind you miss out on a lot. In fact, nostalgia is a prominent theme. Rin even becomes nostalgic for Tikany, the city she hated and gleefully escaped in the first book. People who love truly bleak tragedy should love this book. I don't want to give too much away, but this story is basically about making the best of all really terrible options, without the skills or resources to do it well. The complete, overwhelming evil portrayal of the Hesperians gives me some perspective on how Asians might view Americans or Europeans. The complete, overwhelming corruption of anyone with any amount of power is disturbing. This book is disturbing, overall, but with some benefit of forcing me to think of uncomfortable things, which can be good sometimes.

Before going into The Burning God, I was ready for my heart to be destroyed. That is how I'll always feel going into a series that's not only one of my favorite, but also is from an author who I associate with emotional destruction. I will forever be amazed at the plotting and character development of Kuang. Having been a fan of this series before The Poppy War released, I've been able to witness this amazing character, and world, development throughout the series. It's been a privilege.

Seeing the ways Rin has been shaped by her past, her mistakes, her vengeance, and her pain. The ways she's been turned into a weapon, embracing the Phoenix within her, consistently trying to fight for what is right, especially when it's hard. It makes me question what the world makes of us. Not only what they think about us, judging our decisions when they profit of the blood we spill, but also what the world turns us into. The monstrous names, the prejudices rained against us, the fear steeped in desire. The infinite ways stories can be erased, removed, and retconned to destroy an entire group of people. To excuse an entire genocide. But at the same time, how we see them not as humans, not as individuals, but as something abstract, non-human, to make the killing easier, and the guilt that comes at night wears their shapes, but not their faces.

The Burning God tells the story of a bloodied revolution that cleanses itself with fire, retribution, and screams (mostly of mine while reading). Despite my review, and just my general state of emotional destruction, The Burning God also has moments of happiness, laughter, and humor. Because while this series is incredibly masterful, there's also a strong sense of character and friendship. One that gives Kuang's characters heart, emotional angst, and tear potential. It asks us what mark we will make on the world, on a society that might revere us, or be revolted by us.

The Burning God is the finale of The Poppy War Trilogy and my most anticipated release of 2020, so obviously I dropped everything to read it immediately, hoping it would leave my heart stomped on and I'm thrilled to report it's currently smeared all over the floor. I won't post any details but it's a fitting end for the series and all I wanted. Just perfect.

A lot happens. Similar to The Dragon Republic, the story takes Rin to many different places and through many different situations and the plot progresses at a relentless pace. There are the usual plot twists, betrayals, and fake outs that we have come to expect from Kuang's books. The Burning God was certainly exciting and it brings the trilogy to a satisfying conclusion. I felt the book does somewhat successfully show Rin's growth from the first book and does not shy away from her shortcomings. Many of the side characters are not so lucky and feel very thin. We never really get a good look inside the head of Kitay and Venka, who have been with us since the first book. In many ways, all the plot in the book has overtaken the characters. There are new characters introduced and then taken out of the story that were difficult to emotionally invest in. Some characters from previous books make cameo appearances that have minimal impact on the plot. I do like that it's clear no character is safe; anyone can die at the drop of a hat, so the reality of war feels very real. Perhaps it is a good thing to not be too attached to any of the characters?

I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. I think The Burning God managed to avoid many of the cliches and traps of other fantasy series and always kept me at the edge of my seat. There is good social commentary on war and political regimes and what it takes to build a nation. There is no clear good or evil -- every side in the conflict has its own vision and goals. Fang Runin is definitely a force to remember. Unfortunately, it was harder to invest in some of the other characters and that detracted from the overall experience.

Some of the scenes featuring both Nezha and Rin felt very out of place in the context of the war they are fighting in. I think there are a few scenes that explore Nezha's motivations, but he remained a rather abstruse character to the bitter end.

thank you netgalley and Harper for my death. when I tell you I SCREAMED when I saw the acceptance email I’m barely exaggerating. (got it earlier today, threw myself through and stayed up until 3am)

all the stars I can give, genuinely. The Burning God has been one of the books I’ve been most looking forward to this year.

Content warnings that I can remember: gore, riots, immolation, cannibalism, child death, eye gore, slight body horror, war crimes, mentions of rape, mentions of mutilation, mentions of torture, self-harm, substance use, mentions of substance addiction, starvation. All are treated respectfully in-narriative.

Like The PoppyWar and The Dragon Republic, The Burning God rips a hole in your heart and burrows deep inside, leaving you staring at whatever blank surface you can find.

R.F. Kuang truly has a gift for making you feel. She relies not on shock value but human thought, and how processes are twisted. She does not excuse Rin’s actions in previous books, for all that Rin makes excuses. Kuang agonizingly keeps us in Rin’s mind while Rin does what she feels she must.

There are some bright spots in relationships (another thing Kuang is exceedingly talented in), and dynamics are bonds of beauty and characterization. Rarely is a character one-dimensional, the impacts of their environment always shaping them.

Rin, Kitay, and Venka’s relationship is a bright shining core of this book, and the complex relationship of Rin, Kitay, and Nezha set the stage for more. All are given the page time they deserve.

I didn’t want it to be over. And yet, I can’t see any other way it might have ended. I loved this book with my whole soul, and I cannot wait for the release.

The Burning God is an unflinching, astonishingly powerful conclusion to a series that is a must read for fans of fantasy and military fantasy novels. Throughout the entire series, R.F. Kuang has never shied away from looking at the brutalities of revolution and wars that have defined these books, and fully explores the consequences of the actions our protagonists have taken in their attempts to win them. This book is no different, and as Rin's story comes to a close it becomes readily apparent that in a world where so much has been set against her that more things are going to have to break before she can find the peace and stability that she has fought to bring to her country.

A truly fantastic read, and one that series fans will find themselves coming to the conclusion by the end of the book that the series could have not ended better in any other way.

I want to thank Harper Voyager US and Netgalley for granting me an arc of The Burning God by R.F. Kuang.
R.F. Kuang did it y’all. The Burning God is, in my opinion, the best finale I’ve ever read. When I read The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, I thought there was no way I’d like the third book more than the previous ones just because I ADORED them. But I was mistaken, The Burning God is truly the best book R.F. Kuang wrote so far.
This book is really filled with blood, death, destruction, war, complicated relationships and lots of fires.
I want to start with the plot. A lot happens in this book, you follow the characters through a really long journey. It’s not just a war story, it really is so much more. You follow the characters fighting while also unraveling some secrets that were hidden in the history and insides of Nikan which makes this book so mysterious and full of plottwists. This is the kind of book where you find yourself feeling that something is wrong until you get hit by the harsh realities of war and destruction.
The characters and relationships were so well written. Rin is still my favourite character although I do think she goes too far in this book and becomes blinded by revenge. She really wants to lead, she wants to be the one who saves the day without realising that she might destroy everything. Rin is so unique, the way she looks at things and judges them is very interesting and daunting. Her relationship with Kitay was so so so good. I love both of them so much. Kitay was always the one who helped Rin think logically and cause less damage in the world. He kept reminding her of her real goals and who she is and I loved how she saw him as her other half. They really became some of my favourite characters of all time. And then there is Nezha. I actually never liked him and I hoped he would lose everything but I was shocked by how my opinion changed. I, now, like Nezha. He’s one of my favourites in this series. I started to understand him and see where he was coming from. His relationship with Rin was so well written and you could see his real intentions through the dialogue that is so beautifully written. So Rin, Kitay and Nezha are really well written characters that will always stay with you and let you feel different emotions towards them.
The way this trilogy ended was perfect. I couldn’t think of a better ending. I loved how all my questions were answered and how you could see all the consequences of different actions from characters and their beliefs. You really see that Kuang tried to give every single character an ending and that really worked as everything that happened felt right. When I finished The Burning God I was feeling a lot. I needed to walk and narrow all of my thoughts down in a row. Then I concluded that this ending is heartbreaking and beautiful. This book really makes you feel different emotions and I loved that.
I’ll never forget this trilogy. Rin, Kitay and Nezha will always remember me of this devastating journey that taught me a lot. I want to thank R.F. Kuang for writing these books and I can’t wait to read her next novels that will for sure be good.

I think something that this series has done well was being consistent - with the brutality, the writing quality, the imagery. I was not at all ready for this finale but also the hints and foreshadowing throughout was stellar. This was a satisfying ending to a powerful and captivating series.

Well. I can't say I didn't see something like that finale coming, but I was still not entirely prepared for it.

This series has been so consistently strong. And consistently brutal. God, some of the stuff is just GNARLY. Content warnings for mentions of rape, sexual assault, gore, body horror, violence, and CANNIBALISM. Lord.

But what an incredible look at violence and politics and the machinations of war. As harsh as Rin's conclusion is, it's the natural end of her character arc. Kuang has wrapped this up brilliantly. This series has become an all-time favorite.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." She leaned down close until her lips brushed his skin, until her breath scorched the side of his face. "I’m not Sinegardian elite. I’m that savage, mud-skinned Speerly bitch that wiped a country off the map. And sometimes when I get a little too angry, I snap."

Oh, Rin... What a ride it has been. The Burning God was well worth the wait. R.F. Kuang certainly delivered. The conclusion to The Poppy War Trilogy was well written and action packed. Kuang’s depiction of war continues to be some of her strongest writing.

Rin has come a long way from the girl we knew in the beginning of The Poppy War. She has clawed her way to the very top and not without sacrifice. Her ruthlessness to achieve her single-minded goal of ruling becomes even more present in The Burning God, and Kuang does a really great job of showing Rin’s continued, if not, losing battle with her conscience and her desire to win at whatever cost. Her character arc was very well developed, and I enjoyed every horrifying step of the way. Nezha and Kitay are further fleshed out as well, and I really missed the comradery in The Dragon Republic with Rin’s old classmates. After Nezha's betrayal, I knew it would be unlikely, but I was sad that they shared very little time on the page together.

The ending was satisfying—if not heartbreaking—conclusion to this series. Rin’s story has always been that of an antihero so I had a feeling where her story was headed, but I still couldn’t help but feel a bit upset at her fate regardless. There were some aspects in the book that seemed a bit rushed or not fully explained, but I still loved it nevertheless. I’m going to miss this world and the characters. I can’t wait to see what Kuang writes next!

Enjoy your Republic, she thought, fingers curling against the cold armrest. Enjoy it while it lasts, Young Marshal. Take a good look at your splendor and remember well how it feels. Because I’m coming to burn it all down beneath you

Thanks to Harper Voyager for providing an e-arc. This review will contain spoilers for The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, but it will not contain spoilers for The Burning God.

I appreciate that Kuang never shies away from showing us reality of war and the costs on human beings. The Burning God opens with Rin and Kitay working with the Southern Coalition and attempting to fight back against Nezha and his father's force that has combined with the Hesperians. Throughout this series we've seen Rin grapple with her roots, and how she has been treated by northerners. At the beginning of The Burning God we are introduced to the consequences of Rin's choices to stay in the northern provinces in The Dragon Republic.

Kitay continues to act as Rin's conscience, which is furthered by the anchoring Rin and Kitay completed at the end of The Dragon Republic. Even when Rin is falling into a spiral of bad choices, you still root for her and hope for her to find a way out of everything. The ending of this book was incredibly well done, showing how far Rin has come without shying away from acknowledging Rin's mistakes along the way.

This final installment is just as strong as the first two, and I'm still thinking about the ending and all of its implications within the book's world. Kuang has once again created a true masterpiece. This is one fo the best books I've read all year.

I had to take a few days to fully form my thoughts on this book because so much happens and I read it so quickly that I needed more time to process everything. I adore this series and The Dragon Republic was one of my favorite releases this year, so I was unbelievably excited for the finale. Fast-paced and unapologetic, The Burning God brings a thrilling end to Rin’s story.

This review will have spoilers for the first two books; please do not read this if you have not read the rest of the series!

After the events of book two, Rin has returned home to the south, joining their army and ready to fight for their independence from Vaisra’s rule. She’s hurt and angry from Nezha’s betrayal, and she’s ready for revenge. It’s hard to summarize even just the beginning of the book without spoiling a lot of things, so I’ll just leave it at that.

This series very much marks the origin story of an antiheroine. Rin has always been able to do whatever it takes to win, whatever your definition of winning may be. She doesn’t care about the repercussions; she just wants to be the one to come out on top. Her character arc was always one of my favorite things about this series, and I’ll just say that I was not disappointed by her path in this book.

Frankly, I’m not sure what I can say about the plot other than: a lot happens. A vague statement, yes, but genuinely so much happens that you forget another big even just happened. I never knew what was coming; this book took so many twists and turns and I was just along for the ride honestly. The pacing is so relentless. I stayed up till 2 AM reading the first half because I couldn’t put it down.

We see the return of some beloved characters. Kitay and Venka help Rin plot and strategize throughout their war against Nezha. There are so many betrayals, but at least Rin has a few people she can depend on. Nezha is…there, I guess; I mean, it’s a war against him so. Fortunately we don’t have to see as much of the Hesperians in this book although their presence is still felt. We also get to uncover a few secrets along the way about the past that’s been hinted at.

I think the first two books struggled to find an equilibrium between focusing on the gods and the war, and the war eventually won. I’m not saying this is a bad thing; Rin is finally more comfortable with her powers and her anchor bond with Kitay. There’s also a whole plot line or two focusing on shamans! I just found that there was a lot less of Rin’s personal struggle with her power than the other books. She’s finally mastered it, so as a consequence, we focus on more pressing issues, namely beating Nezha.

Again, unfortunately I really can’t say much more without accidentally spoiling something.

Although I very much enjoyed this book and rated it highly, I did have some issues with it. I said earlier that the pacing is relentless, and I mean that in both a good and a bad way. The book is split up into three acts and I thought everything flowed very smoothly while I read. Thinking back, though, I realized how unbalanced the pacing was. However, I think the issue lies not in the sequence of events but the sheer amount of them.

Like I said before, so much happens, but so much happens that you become almost numb to certain events. There were two fairly important scenes that occur, but afterwards, they are simply not brought up ever again. I just think these two scenes in particular should have had more repercussions than they did; instead, we just moved onto the next thing.

Also, in the past year, I’ve read some thought on the nuances of this book that I hadn’t previously thought of, so I went into this book thinking more critically. The series is rooted in Chinese history, specifically the the rise of communist China and Japanese Imperialism. I don’t know much about this history, so I was able to read and enjoy the books at a very surface level.

However, having learned a bit more, I grow a little uncomfortable at how starkly some of the events are approached, especially how the countries other than Nikan are portrayed very flatly. Mugen and Hesperia have maybe a handful of traits between them, and while I understand artistic license, sometimes you have to remember that this was actual history and actual people. It’s not necessarily horrible, and I know the author is a scholar of Chinese history, but I just felt that there could have been a little more complexity to it.

Again, I do love this book and this series! You can like something and still critique it.

Overall, The Burning God was an incredible finale to this series. While I might not agree with everything that happened, I did think the way the book plays out makes sense. I liked Rin’s character arc as well. Much like its protagonist, The Burning God is unflinching and unapologetic; it’s a ending that you won’t see coming.

As anticipated, a complete five writing and story-telling.
I have to admit, this one I probably my less favorite part of the story, compared to the first two books, but it still holds very strong.
A further detailed review will be provided as we approach to release date, spoiler review after release, however, this work of fiction presented in such a beautiful and poetic manner the beautiful and yet breaking ideas of progress, development, war and peace, distraction and creation at the same time, ideas of supernatural and far more developed, ideas of physically needs being so much superior to spiritual ones when not satisfied, ideas of control and responsibility, ideas of strategy and desire, time and eternity...
At times, it seemed a bit rushed, but I truly enjoyed the story and all the thinking it gave me for the future and I can say for sure, the story and master story-telling are going to occupy my mind for a very long time.

Let me start with appreciation of some theories, that were presented to us in books one and two, that were confirmed in the finale, regarding relations: Runin questioning why Jiang is kept in Sinegyard, knowing that he is not really performing academic activities and trying to figure out why is Empress still keeping him, her and Kitay speculating on Daji being Vipress… these were beautifully escalated. I really appreciate the idea of formal power and strategies being referenced to academic textbook of “The principles of war”, as well as having Daji being a perfect manifestation of soft power and her references throughout the books on skills of control and soft power. At times, the author was presenting really morally gray characters in a light, that we can sympathize. Also, great, amazing escalation of ideas of mono and polytheism and the conflict of rational and irrational and transition feeling and thoughts one may have in the transition period and true domination of physical needs upon higher, spiritual needs. The work done on presenting religion combined with science as a true force for immense progress is astonishing, and I appreciate author’s amazing work on it.
The final book of the trilogy seemed a bit more rushed, especially war and victory scenes:
1- Trifecta defeat would need to be a bit more elaborated and escalated, in my opinion, it was described a bit in a rush, I believe several details and an escalation of Runin’s thoughts and actions, as well as defeat of Trifecta was way too fast. Maybe some final thoughts or words/confessions prior killing Trifecta would be great.
2- Rin’s initial defeat of Nezha could have been elaborated a little bit more.

I would appreciate if we could have an acceptance of theory of Runin’s relations with Jiang and Tseveri, we got a reference that she has some theories, however if we would have a proof or a reference, it may have been a bit more dramatic, of her killing her father.
Also, it is really interesting to bring up youth and inexperience in the plots of removing womb, though Runin was the last Speerly, as well as her pushing Nazha to his God, without thinking about consequences and basically causing all the chaos we see in all books.

There is only one critique for all 3 books, that is the use of slur and F-word, which was bothering me and cutting reading delight. Even without the use of F-words, the author does an amazing work in presenting emotions and feelings at the moment and without F-words we would still be able to fully consume the dramatization. Unfortunately, for me this trilogy can considered modern classic with no issues at all, but the F-bombing just gives this work not to say cheap undertone but breaks the complexity which author did great job building. Maybe it is just my personal opinion, but I truly enjoyed the first part of “The Poppy war” where the author was not using any F-words and the writing was still bringing an amazing world. However, I do understand that for broader masses the use of F-work may allure.