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.

I finished reading The Burning God several weeks ago and I still haven't figured out how to write this review. I literally do not have the words for the things in my heart.

If you are reading this, you have likely already experienced The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic. You are likely well aware of the yearning and the agony, the action and the soft moments that simultaneously take place throughout this series.

All I can say is that the series ends perfectly. It's tragic. It's beautiful. I can't imagine a better way for every loose end to wrap up. I will miss this world and its characters. I'm already looking forward to the next time I pick up this series from the very beginning, to cry and throw things all over again.

Literal perfection. I can't wait to see what Rebecca Kuang does next.

The Burning War (The Poppy War #3) by R.F. Kuang is the perfect finale to what has been an outstanding series. I'm so lucky to have been approved for this ARC! Let's just say that my expectations were through the roof for this and it totally lived up to them. This might actually be the best installment of the series. I loved seeing what was next for Rin. She gone through quite a journey over the course of this series, hasn't she? I knew this was going to be absolutely brutal with such high stakes and it really was. That final showdown - holy moly! After I finished this, I stared at the wall in shock and then yelled at my Kindle in shock. In a good way, honest! I know my review doesn't do this fantasy novel that's based on real world history justice at all, but I can't recommend this entire series enough because it's brilliant. Brutally ruthless, but brilliant.

I finished “The Burning God” as part of a roughly one-month splurge of all three books of the Poppy War trilogy, and good heavens, what a ride it has been. To put it gently, I wouldn’t call these works an escape, or at least not in the style of escape I usually indulge in when I go for fantasy reads. The series kicked into a high-gear intensity in the second half of the first book of the series that genuinely did not let up until the very last few pages of this final one. Then again, what else could I expect from a world that was clearly heavily influenced by the viciousness and the atrocities of the Second Sino-Japanese War and Opium Wars? What else should I have anticipated from a series where the main character is a girl who wields the fiery and destructive power of a literal phoenix-god and finds herself at the center again and again and again of all the numerous factions and powers brutally battling for control of the war-ravaged land of Nikan?

But although these haven’t been the most relaxing of reads - and were actually downright stressful at points to the point of being emotionally exhausting - I couldn’t put them down, because they were also some of the most gripping reads I’ve encountered. And while I don’t believe I will be dabbling in the world of grimdark fantasy again anytime in the near future, I give kudos to R.F. Kuang for sticking the landing and bringing this series to a satisfying conclusion.

The Burning God, the final book to the epic trilogy— a 600 + page novel (heavily) inspired by 20th century Chinese history mostly about war, brutality of war, effects of war, colonialism, classism, colorism and power. I’m still thinking about the book so this post isn’t quite a review post, more of a I just want to ramble while I gather my thoughts.

I LOVED the book! Kuang does not shy away from the devastating results of war. The Burning God especially looks at the results of war, especially on the innocent citizens of Nikan. Rin struggles with knowing exactly how much she’s willing to sacrifice for revenge. Rin is an interesting character. You root for her in the first book until the end. In Dragon Republic, while you don’t agree with her decisions, you empathize with her. In The Burning God, Kuang proved to me I could still love a book so much yet despise the main character. She was so irrational, impulsive and unreliable. I didn’t understand her WHY’S. But then again, I think that’s what Kuang was trying to prove. There is no right or wrong, black or white, hero or villains when it comes to war.

While I do have some complaints (can’t share here bc spoilers), I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I’m still thinking about the ending. I did shed a tear or two, more so because the series ended. And while I can foresee some unhappy with the ending, I for one, was relieved. The Poppy War series inspired me to learn more about Chinese history as well. Kuang, you were so brutal till the end, but I still love you and will read anything you write🤍!

The Burning God is the final book in the The Poppy War trilogy, and it was an epic, stunning conclusion that is definitely going to stick with me.

The Poppy War has been a trilogy that I've found has really set itself apart from other fantasy books in its genre. It's not uncommon for a series to lean on the darker side--after all, grimdark has been rising in popularity over the past few years--but there's something about The Poppy War that meshes this idea of grimness with the reality and rawness of what living a life under warfare, poverty, and near-constant discord, (which is its own form of grimdark) in a way that somehow feels even more intense and unpredictable. The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic were both striking installments that I didn't think could be improved upon, but somehow The Burning God was just as, if not more, intense and captivating than the previous two. The stakes are also somehow higher (despite the fact that they've been incredibly high this entire trilogy), which only added to my struggle to put this book.

Something that I have to comment on before continuing this review is the evolution of Kuang's writing and storytelling over the course of this trilogy. Kuang herself has said in various interviews how much her writing has matured from writing The Poppy War until now, and I very much agree and am impressed with how much her writing has developed. That's not to say that the early books aren't well-written, as they absolutely are, but you can see her character developments, plotting, writing style, and exploration of war and strategy gradually deepen in scope and meaning as the trilogy progressed, which really made for a fantastic reading experience. The historical inspirations that played such a large role in the development and creation of this entire trilogy also seems to have become stronger and has been expanded upon in brilliant ways.

Our protagonist, Fang Runin (Rin), remains of the most compelling parts of this story, as she is incredibly brash, often unpredictable, and willing to go just about any lengths to accomplish her goals. She's not exactly someone I would describe as "likable" or easy to get along with, but she does know how to get things done and she's not one to ever choose to give up--Rin would truly rather die fighting than ever give up. Although I'm not usually big on revenge in general, Rin's fire for vengeance and destruction of her enemies is one of her most captivating and almost admirable qualities. It's not that I think merciless destruction of those who are against you is a great idea or should be encouraged, but Rin just has such a strong level of determination and anger and hatred that she so finely directs towards her specific enemies that I can't help but find myself compelled to see how it all plays out and to admire the sheer dedication and drive that Rin contains within herself.

There are also a myriad of supporting characters that stand out, though I hesitate to include their names for fear of spoiling who has actually made it to the end of the story Kuang is telling. I loved seeing how all of these different characters' relationships with Rin had so many different moments of push-and-pull throughout the trilogy and how carefully Kuang always kept a focus on the true motivations and emotions that would affect their interactions. As much as this book is filled with cruelties, brutality, and a lot of darkness, it also has some really warming moments between characters and some relationships and scenes that will make you smile--and some moments that will probably break your heart. You can't ever really get comfortable with anything in this book because there are constantly changes and unpredictable turns that leave you never completely sure what anyone is doing.

Something that has held true through all three books is how Kuang incorporated the gods and magic in this trilogy, and I particularly loved their role in this book. Magic in this book is not a guaranteed thing, and there aren't any specific rulebooks associated. However, there is still a level of "rules" that are part of it, and I really appreciate how much risk goes hand-in-hand with having any level of power, as I always think there should be some sort of balance or sacrifice required when stories offer that kind of power to a character.

The last thing I'll touch on is the pacing, which was once again spot-on. The final book in a trilogy is often filled with a lot of action and big battles, and although this book certainly contained those elements, it also still focused a lot on strategy and discussions of conquering and ruling and so many other important themes to consider. We get to explore even more of the world-building and history of this world and its inhabitants, and I think Kuang incorporated all of those elements smoothly into her narrative that together created an incredibly enjoyable read. There were a lot of discussion on military strategies, and I really thrived on these because I felt like they offered a lot of really interesting insight into the characters involve in these discussions, as well as military strategy itself.

As with the previous books, I feel like this book should also come with a small content warning for violence and brutality--these aren't easy books by any means. The topics dealt with are intense and some extremely moral questions are explored in ways that may be difficult for some people to examine. Rin is honestly a bit ruthless, so that's something important to consider in how she will react to both wanting, taking, and using her power.

The ending of this trilogy was utterly perfect and flawlessly executed. I am so impressed and excited by what Kuang did with this trilogy and will absolutely be re-reading it in the future to continue to discover what else there is to get out of it.

The Poppy War is sure to be a trilogy not soon forgotten. As I said in my review for The Dragon Republic, "This book will punch you in the face, laugh at you when you're shocked, pretend to make it better...and then stomp all over you again with a smile. And you'll love every second of it." And that hasn't changed a bit with this final installment. I cannot wait to see what Kuang writes next. As of my writing this review, I believe she has mentioned that she is currently writing a book set at Oxford, and I can't wait to see what that entails.

Loved this finale to the Poppy War trilogy. It's really hard to end a series like this because Rin in many ways is a villain. Kuang handles this like a veteran writer and creates a book that thrives on its heartbreakingly realistic characters.

Well, that’s not what I was expecting. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but I don’t think that was it. I really enjoyed this last installment, though. There’s a fluidity to this series that I really admire. It’s clear that the author mapped out the story from start to finish and stuck with her plan. While this made many aspects of the story predictable, because of the unique, unreliable nature of the characters that the author has culminated over three books, there were definitely a number of shocking moments, too.

Rin is quite possibly the most interesting protagonist I have ever come across. She is so flawed and this makes her feel so real. In this book, we see this character go to places that ultimately were unsurprising, yet it hit so hard because, despite all of her flaws, you still want to root for her because she just feels so dang human.

This series is not for the faint of heart. These books are dark. The fact that I made it to the end of the series is a testament to the author’s brilliant writing; I almost quit 75% of the way through book one because of a scene so gruesome, it legitimately made me ill, yet I held on because I was still so captivated by the story the author was weaving. Book three didn’t contain as much of this gruesomeness as I had come to expect from this series, yet it still had a number of moments where I had to put it down because it was just bumming me out hard. (I blame 2020 for my increased sensitivity to dark subject matter.)

I would recommend this series to almost any fantasy fan. I think it’s brilliantly written and contains some of the most interesting characters and character arcs I’ve ever witnessed. I also think it’s an important story to tell. The ending left a bit to be desired for me, but it was still an interesting conclusion to a wholly original story.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Warning: this post will probably contain spoilers for The Burning God, as well as previous books in the series.
I've been extremely excited about this book basically since finishing the last one. It's been a while since I've stumbled across a series as it was publishing where I had to literally wait a year between each book. With everything that's gone on, and with the length of the previous books, however, I hadn't found time to re-read the first two iterations between each release. This meant that I didn't necessarily remember immediately what had happened in the last one. I will say that it wasn't so much a problem between The Dragon Republic and The Burning God as it was between The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, and I think that's because TPW covered such a huge amount of time, while TDR was a much more compact period.
So, onto this edition of "Rin and Friends Commit War Crimes", it picks up a few months after the end of TDR, where Rin is in an uneasy alliance with the Southern Warlords against the new alliance between Yin Vaisra and the foreign forces he has traded access to the country and its shamans in exchange for military support. Rin has continued to be her oh-so-charming self and thus made absolutely no friends whatsoever. Meanwhile, her conflicted feelings about Nezha and her now missing hand from injuries in TDR have her off-balance.
This is by far the longest of the trilogy, and, honestly, by far the most bleak. Where the previous two instalments both had moments of hope, moments where you thought things might possibly turn out okay, there's none of that here. While the whole series has been categorised as grimdark, this is the first book where it really felt grimdark. For the characters, for the conflict, for the country, this is literally the lowest point. To the point that even the ideas they have for saving themselves don't seem like they'll be enough, or that they'll make things worse.
It was a difficult read. It was really hard to read a book where there wasn't really any gasp of hope for a happy ending. But here's the thing, the ending of The Poppy War made it clear that there was no way that we could get that traditional, easy happy ending because how can you redeem a character from committing genocide? The Dragon Republic made it clear that Rin wasn't going to work for redemption in the way she needed because the only way she knew how to handle a situation was with aggression, or drugs. The trauma she has been through, the things she has done, and the way she has dealt with them have seen her become more desperate and, as a result, more aggressive.
In here, Kuang really shows the impact of trauma, of conflicting advice from people in power, and long term narcotics use. The threads become tangled in Rin's mind, and she becomes increasingly less capable of choosing the correct path. Having been burned so many times before, she doesn't know who to trust, and naturally this fuels a paranoia. The tragedy of Rin has been sown in the previous two books, this book is the final act of her story, the inevitable outcome that couldn't be prevented in this volume because it was written in the months and years before.
Kuang is a fantastic writer, and her research and dedication is really clear in every book. This is based on a dark period of world history, there was never going to be a magical happy ending, a solution that fixed every problem and gave Rin a fairytale. But the power of the first two books was that you could almost believe there would be, and it's only by the final part of the trilogy that you're faced with the inevitable. Things are too far gone before you've even realised they can't be fixed, and all you can do is watched.
I read somewhere that Rin is loosely based on Chairman Mao. I'm unsure how true that is, however given as Kuang has based scenes on historical events before, I can easily believe that the section that seems to run parallel with The Long March is meant to be so. I wouldn't be surprised if other battles and attacks in the book are based on specific historical events too. I remember Kuang discussing around the publication of TPW that she wanted to examine and draw attention to trauma and war crimes in a way that had been done at length in Western literature, but had been glossed over in discussions of Chinese history. That means they were never going to be books that were going to be comfortable reading, but they're definitely ones that had an impact on me.
As someone who generally reads books that make me feel good, I've found myself pondering whether I would re-read these in the future. It's a series that genuinely blew me away, but the weight that builds up as it progresses isn't insignifcant, and rightly so. I wonder if there's too much for me to process in one reading though, and whether they would land differently if they were read one after the other rather than with a year's distance in between.
Briefly:
The final book of The Poppy War series, it's the resolution of everything that happens in the previous books, and also, to a point, an escalation. I wasn't kidding with "Rin and Friends Do War Crimes".
I found it difficult to read a book that I found so utterly devoid of hope and potential positive outcome from the beginning. Was this because of the writing, or a Pavlovian response against loving that Kuang has trained into me through previous instalments?
Regardless, I think these books will rightfully become part of epic fantasy canon, because they have done something weighty, meaningful and utterly spectacular in their pages. I can't wait to see what Kuang has planned to break my heart next.

This book was a truly phenomenal conclusion to this incredibly tragic series about a girl turned soldier. A girl raised on spite and revenge, forced to experience unimaginable atrocies and indignities, and how these thing corrupted her spirit and turned her into a monster. I truly cannot overstate how brillantly R. F Kuang conveyed this devolution arc, Rin is one of the most wonderfully crafted characters I've ever experienced and Kuang's ability to make her sympathetic despite the crimes she commits and the bad decisions she makes, is truly a marvel. This book made me run the emotional gamut and I truly loved it. I do have a minor critique in that I feel like some plotlines were a smidge convenient and certain plotlines felt like they were under-explored which was disappointing but understandable. I personally think the book could have benefitted from being a bit longer but truly this was fantastic and R.F Kuang is a genuis of historical fantasy in my humble opinion.

One of the best, if the best, trilogies I have ever read. When I reached the last page (that epilogue!), I am hesitant to close my e-reader and say goodbye to all of these characters I have grown to love for the past two years. It is also good to say that I am crying.

R.F. Kuang's prose remains to be my favorite. The descriptions of the scenes really feel like it's a movie reel playing flawlessly. I am forever in awe how Kuang write scenes that are dark and brutal and sad, and yet make them something that would tug at your heart.

I don't know what R.F. Kuang's next books will be but I am definitely on the lookout.

A great conclusion to a great series. There were a few unsatisfying plot points in the second half of the book, but overall this was enjoyable an ended the only way it could. Highly recommend this series.

“Nezha,” she whispered, “what the fuck?”

I am a corpse. A husk of my former self. I have withered away.

I have finished The Burning God, and the Poppy War trilogy. And it was a masterpiece.

Instead of giving a detailed play-by-play of the plot, I’m just going to talk about the things I loved. And the things that made me cry. And the things that made me want to eat my book. This may be slightly incoherent. My apologies.

THE FIGHT SCENES. Listen, I know you’d expect some bomb ass skirmishes in a series that’s a military fantasy, but what I’m still flapping my arms about is the psychological warfare. Rin and Nezha make me feel like a rubber band that is about to snap. Their relationship is gut-wrenching, unpredictable and nuanced. I never knew what to expect whenever Nezha would show up for battle. What SIDE is he on!? What side is Rin on!??! What is everyone doing!??! There is an actual DRAGON!? I can never figure out how I feel about Nezha. I know I should despise him, so why do I find myself rooting for him sometimes? For someone who consistently betrays Rin, he sure does tug on my heart strings. I don’t like that. It goes to show how exquisitely he’s written.

RIN THE SADISTIC ANTI-HERO. I love Rin, I do. But there were so many parts of this book where she scared the living daylights out of me.

“She felt a similar kind of pleasure now, the sadistic glee of watching lives evaporate and knowing she’d done it. Of knowing she had that power.”

Rin was all about vengeance this time around. She wanted to watch the world burn.

“Hate was a funny thing. It gnawed at her insides like poison. It made every muscle in her body tense, made her veins boil so hot she thought her head might split in half, and yet it fueled everything she did. Hate was its own kind of fire and if you had nothing else, it kept you warm.”

Rin’s character arc was one of the most fulfilling. In the Poppy War, she was an insecure, meek child from Rooster Province that didn’t know want she wanted or what her strengths were. We got to watch her slowly grow into a courageous women with a purpose who’s confident in her abilities (sometimes a little too confident). While this pacifist was often stressed out over her murderous inclinations, I still got it. I was still rooting for her. Even when I was shrieking alone in my bedroom.

RIN AND KITAY. Friendship goals. Is my Kitay one of my favorite characters of all time now? Firm yes. Rin and Kitay went through it in this book. Their honesty and unwavering support for one another is truly something to behold.

“Do it. Take what you want... I’ll hate you for it. But I’ll love you forever. I can’t help but love you. Ruin me, ruin us, and I’ll let you.”

PARALLELS WITH THE TRIFECTA. We got more backstory on the Trifecta in this one and boy, was it fulfilling. The parallels between the Trifecta and Rin, Kitay, and Nezha were *chef’s kiss.* The final scene with the three of them, sitting in a triangle, holding hands in silence? That broke me.

“It felt like a moment carved out of time, a refuge from the inexorable progress of history.”

I know I just finished, but I’m already planning on re-reading the series again. Soon. Like, in ten minutes. I’m just not ready to say goodbye. I want to stay and sit with these characters. They already feel like home. R.F. Kuang has truly created a masterpiece here. I can’t wait to recommend her work to every human I know.

A gigantic thanks to Harper Voyager for gifting me a copy of this book.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.</I>

“Endings are hard. Any monkey with a keyboard can shoot out a beginning, but endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. The fans are always gonna bitch. There's always gonna be holes. And since it's the ending, it's all supposed to add up to something. I'm telling you, they're a raging pain in the ass.” - "Swan Song," <I>Supernatural</I>

I've been re-watching this show recently and thought about this quote a lot while finishing Kuang's epic trilogy. So much emphasis is put on endings and the longer the series, the more important the perfect ending becomes. On top of that, there is the instinct for the ending to be happy - good resolutely triumphs over all evil, all sacrifice is deep and meaningful, and our heroes walk away hearty and whole into the sunset. Often this type of Disney ending prevails even when the book/series doesn't match it, as was most notably seen this year with Chakraborty's <I>Empire of Gold</I>. And this was my biggest concern going into <I>The Burning God</I>. I was deeply concerned that Kuang was going to do some last minute swerving to make the ending neat & tidy, pleasant, and/or worst - to soften Rin.

I need not have worried as Kuang beautifully sticks the landing. I appreciate that Kuang does not tie up every lose thread and that the ending is a bit open. It felt satisfying and complete, but not as if the life of all of the characters were truly over. There is still work to be done at the end of this book because that is the world she built. Evil still exists because it always will. The end is fiery and brutal and is the only kind of end Rin could have truly had. And does it all add up to something, in the end? I think so, but I love that the question is left to the reader to answer and not hammered home by the author.

I'd say that Poppy War fans are going to be happy with the end, but I won't lie to you.

You're going to be devastated and you're going to love it.

By the end of this book, did I think I was going to be physically in pain as a manifestation of all the psychological trauma, injustice, and anger that Rin has undergone over the course of three books? Yes. Did I actually feel said pain? Yes. My chest hurt because <i>wow</i> R. F. Kuang has truly dragged my emotions into the mud-ridden tunnels of rock bottom and brought them to the highest peak of Tianshen mountain. <i>The Burning God</i> is no exception.

Rin has made choices that no girl. let alone woman, should have to make. She has sacrificed so much, and lines that should've been drawn long ago never were. Rin thus enters deeper into an abyss, full of self-loathing and aggrandizement and loneliness and fury. She has grown into a person whose very personhood has been stolen and reshaped to wholly encompass war and violence. If not a soldier, who is she? She is a character you don't, and arguably shouldn't, sympathize with, but war treats no one kindly and certainly not judiciously. It is a singular kind of tortue to watch through Rin's eyes the suffering of an entire nation, where alliances are blurred, amorphous things and a single life can be at once a cockroach being crushed or a deep and soul-wrenching loss.

Every single character in <i>The Burning God</i> is so flawed that they are collections of jagged edges, grating on you and making you cringe at the sheer awfulness. At some point, I had to remember that humans are <i>so</i> horribly and beautifully flawed. And really, the emphasis is on the former. Humans do terrible things, but most of all, we are not allowed to forget it. We have to stop at some point, and say enough is enough. Kuang has taken us on a journey riddled with bad decisions and heartwarming friendships and crushing failures. Doesn't that sound like life? The dread of the ending is an inevitable experience, but I don't think anyone but Kuang could have been so masterful at bringing us to this explosive conclusion.

<i>Many thanks to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

*Received via NetGalley for review*

I lOVED the first book of this trilogy - it really portrayed the horrors of war and a believable anti-heroine in a way that was both enthralling and horrible. The second one didn't quite live up to it, but I was still so eager to find out how it concluded. And I'm left feeling... mixed. This third book is as action-packed and dark as I expected, but it was a let down in some places.

As always, there is an abundance of plot, and Kuang manages to move everything along quickly enough that it doesn't feel overstuffed. But here it did feel rushed (we spend two whole books talking about how powerful and unbeatable The Trifecta is, only for the plot line to be dealt with quickly and unceremoniously). Rin continues down her dark path, determined to free the South no matter the cost, and she stays determined as she sees that cost rising higher and higher.

While the second half of the book was not nearly as engaging, it did bring up some very interesting points (such as what happens once the war is "won," and Rin's inability to function in peacetime). But the climax a lot on how the reader feels about the relationships between the characters that I never really felt (mainly, Rin and Nezha. Yes, they might have had something, but nothing strong enough to base the whole climax/conclusion on).

Still definitely a series worth reading and discussing overall.

<p>This is seriously one of the best series endings I have <strong>ever</strong> read. It felt inevitable, and even though it made my chest physically ache, it felt like the perfect ending for the series.</p>
<p>It's going to be really hard for me to talk about this book without spoiling anything, but I promise this review will be spoiler free! I'll probably have a discussion post up later that will get into spoiler territory.</p>
<p>One of the things I loved about this series is how it is technically a fantasy series but is so undeniably rooted in our real world history. Colonialism and its traumas, genocide, war, political scheming, mistrust of people who don't look like you...so much of this series delves deeply and unflinchingly into these very difficult topics and uses the veneer of fantasy to critique and acknowledge how all of these forces shape the world we live in. </p>
<p>Where The Poppy War was about war and genocide against invaders, The Dragon Republic was about political instability and dreams of a more democratic government, The Burning God is about civil war and shifting alliances. It is thematically the most complex of the three books, and also I think the most deftly written. I highlighted <em>so</em> <em>many</em> passages because of what they had to say about these large forces but also about characters and the growth they have undergone throughout the series.</p>
<p>One of the hardest things to read about in this book was also the driver of many of my favorite scenes in this book. It's heartbreaking when two characters who used to be on the same side are now irrevocably pitted against each other, but the cinematic and epic scale of the battles in this book were incredible! We've seen Rin's self-destructive behavior and incendiary personality throughout the series, but now it is at an all time high. There were some scenes that took my breath away because it was so empowering and fulfilling to see her reach her full potential, and other scenes that broke my heart to see how Rin kept falling prey to the same weaknesses and self-sabotage that she's been succumbing to throughout the series. Kitay remains one of my favorite characters of the series, and he really has transformed from the quiet, scholarly boy in The Poppy War to an iron-willed young man whose contributions to the war effort could truly never have been achieved by anyone else. There were some new characters that I also really liked, but I can't say much about them without spoiling things!</p>
<p>Not only was this book emotionally and thematically satisfying, it was incredibly well-written and I really admire RF Kuang's growth as a writer in this series. The Burning God is much more complex than the previous books and deals with such heavy topics, and at times it was difficult to read. As much as you love Rin and want her to succeed, you know that she is, at the end of the day, the anti-hero of the series. At the same time, you kind of want everyone you have grown to love to succeed even though they are on opposing sides. I think it takes a truly skilled author to make you want to root for a character even as you watch the inevitable trainwreck of the decisions they've been making, and hope that they will come to their senses.</p>
<p>I cannot recommend this series enough!</p>

You know you have read a really good book when all you can do when you sit down to write a review of it is stare at a blank document for hours, trying to remember how to make words and turn them into coherent sentences. The Burning God was one of those really good books. It shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces, and it was, without a doubt, the most fitting end a series like The Poppy War could have.

With the numerous themes wonderfully explored in the book, once I truly start talking about The Burning God, I risk writing a whole (very spoilery) thesis. I’ll try my best to be very brief, but here’s what this review basically says: The Poppy War is the most amazing book series ever written, and if you haven’t read it yet, you must drop everything and do so immediately! You can thank me later!

At the beginning of The Burning God, we find Nikan in the middle of a civil war, as Rin lets the Phoenix run rampant and leads the Southern Coalition into a rebellion against the Dragon Warlord Vaisra and his Republic. Rin has come such a long way from being the naive, vulnerable girl who was manipulated into being a weapon of mass destruction for influential men to use and then toss away; this time she has her own people to protect and an entire nation to take back. As Rin makes her way back home to Rooster province, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to bring down the Republican and Hesperian armies. 

First and foremost a historical and political allegory, the Poppy War trilogy has always primarily been about the cycles of violence and trauma, and about the effects of colonialism and the erasure of entire cultures and identities. However, where the first two books were mostly cantered around the sheer chaos and devastation in a war-ravaged country, in The Burning God we also get to see the aftermath of a war. Kuang doesn’t flinch away from drawing real life parallels here once again as she portrays the deep trauma of being the survivor; how even as you try to move on with your life after a war is over, the past never really stops haunting you.  

In The Burning God, Kuang also acutely discusses how violence has a way of recreating itself as long as dehumanising narratives are carried forward. The Nikara have always considered themselves better than Rin’s people - the Speerlies; in turn, the Hesperians have never thought of the Nikara as human.

“Who decided who counted as human? The enemy was not human— fine. But if they were animals, then they must be inferior… Maybe no one was truly a beast. Maybe that was just how murder became possible. You took away someone’s humanity, and then you killed them.”

To me, the absolute best thing about the whole Poppy War trilogy is Rin’s character arc. Her journey in The Burning God can be best described as horrifyingly fascinating. Witnessing her slowly spiral out of control and descend into paranoia is absolutely terrifying, because it’s shaping up to be a familiar narrative you have seen repeated many, many times over the course of history, and you know it never ends well. But it’s also undeniably cathartic to see Rin finally letting her rage and indignation turn her into the ruthless leader her people need to win their war for them. As Rin’s saga comes to an end, you are left questioning whether she is a monster or a goddess, and if, at the end, those two things really are that different, after all.

Kuang has always excelled at writing vividly rendered, immensely gripping battle scenes, but with The Burning God, she has genuinely outdone herself. The military strategies and tactics employed were once again compelling, and it never stops being amazing to me how Kuang manages to interweave the shamanic powers wielded by Rin and some others so realistically into the action sequences. One particular combat scene from chapter nine is quite possibly one of my top 5 favourite moments in this trilogy, and while I can’t really talk much about it, I will say this: be prepared to cry a lot. This scene is destructive in a gorgeous way, and it’s going to ruin you.

In conclusion, if there exists a perfect book series, The Poppy War might just be it, and  I’ll be forever grateful to R. F. Kuang for creating this heartbreakingly beautiful masterpiece. If you haven’t read The Poppy War yet, you should definitely consider checking it out at once. I won’t say you’ll enjoy it, but it’s going to be an experience you truly don’t want to miss.

What a trilogy. This is such an amazing story that has filled me with so many emotions. I literally knocked a star off the first book review because Rin made me angry. And she made me angry throughout the entire trilogy, but her journey was incredible and this series deserves every accolade it has received and then some.

This series highlights each of this incredibly well: war, colonialism, power, choices, history, abuse, violence, friendship, betrayal, love, religion, technology, military, gods, family, privilege, strategy, pain, addiction, struggle… LIFE.

The last chapter.. there are just no words. I was in a funk for a whole day after finishing it. I can’t believe it’s over and I don’t want it to end, even though it’s an incredibly long series.

I feel how I felt when I finished the Red Rising trilogy (back when it was still a trilogy). Everyone should read this, it’s brilliant. It’s not difficult to read like some fantasy books and it showcases war and the effects of it on those who must lead it. Just like Darrow, Rin had to learn how to balance friendship and strategy, although Rin’s journey was a little different since she was walking chaos all emotion and reactions, whereas Darrow was ruthlessly cold. But when I say it’s like Red Rising, I mean that only on that level. In every other way, it’s different and wholly its own story.

This is must read if any of the topics interest you. And for the romance fans, it doesn’t have that in the ways we all would want, but it is still so heart wrenching and emotional. The characters come alive on the page and you feel their bonds to each other. I felt Rin’s love for everyone in her life (except Altan, I freaking hated him with every fiber of my being) and when they were lost or broken or betrayed her, I felt it in my chest.

I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to read the ARC from Netgalley.

Having been betrayed by Yin Vaisra, Rin and the Southern provinces have joined forces in rebellion against against Yin Vaisra and his Dragon Republic. Rin now chafes under the conservative, indecisive, survival-focused leadership of the Southern Coalition, which patronizes her and refuses to elevate her to a leadership position alongside them. She's still a tool of the powerful, but she has decided to take steps to change that and force the Southern Coalition on the offensive against the Mugenese ex-soldiers who still control much of the south, to secure their land in preparation for Vaisra's inevitable attempt to conquer them.

Rin's character arc over the course of the series has been fascinating. She's an angry, self-righteous, arrogant, vengeful woman, and now she has started to shed her guilt and self-doubt. This is not precisely an improvement, since she becomes ever more fanatically convinced that the choices she's making are necessary sacrifices and or righteous purging of harmful elements. It's a gripping emotional journey, and one that is so painfully believable in its escalation.

I love the political complexity explored in this novel, from the ethnic and regional tensions to Nikara's relationship to Hesperia, a Western nation bent on colonizing Nikara through missionaries, uneven trade agreements, and military aid that comes with significant strings attached. This is a series that examines what it means to have power and the difficulties of holding onto it.

I won't spoil the ending, but it was fantastically fitting for the series. I didn't see it coming, and yet, it felt right. This is one series that has gotten better with each book. It's dark and gritty, deeply emotional and introspective yet epic in scale, and the pacing will keep you glued to the page. If you're intrigued by the idea of a grimdark fantasy with shamans and dirigibles, and inspired by the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Opium Wars, I highly recommend this series.