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.

The Burning God is a must-read for any fan of the military fantasy genre. Anyone who read RF Kuang’s previous entries in the series would be able to surmise that fact without setting eyes on the first page. Kuang’s evocative descriptions of combat, given an additional dimension with the inclusion of the Hesperian air fleet, will more than satisfy readers looking for action, strategic planning, and the occasional column of shamanic fire.

For readers worrying about their favorite characters, your anxiety is justified. As Kuang cautions in the novel’s dedication, come prepared with a bucket for your tears. Yes, a lot of people die, and often, their deaths are curt, messy, and unfair. But they are never unsatisfying, nor do they break the spell woven over the course of hundreds of pages, one that tells the story of a soldier overcome with fury by the injustice of war, and a girl who struggles to carve out her own place in history when the people she loves best betray her.

But more than that, The Burning God tells the story of the messy work of revolution. Of what a nation ravaged by violence, much of it inflicted by the government that promised to protect them, must endure to rise above the cycle of abuse. Throughout this excellent capstone to the Poppy War Trilogy, Rin faces the difficult truth that no matter if she wins every battle, the hardest fight is the one to piece her shattered country back together.

The Burning God asks the question, “What should leaders of a revolutionary movement do to prevent themselves from becoming the next authoritarian regime?” I was certainly surprised by its answer, which is sure to spark a discussion about anti-colonialism and pragmatic activism. Kuang leaves few cliffhangers; you will know who lives, who dies, and who is left to deal with the aftermath. I do not know myself how I feel about the book’s end, but I promise that those mixed feelings are the product of hours of personal investment into this story of heartbreak, abuse, and revenge. I do not regret that investment for a moment. This novel is a welcome end to the trilogy, and I absolutely cannot wait to see what is next for RF Kuang.

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.


"Here’s a prophecy for you, she’d said.

One will die. One will rule."

Like the first two books in the Poppy War Trilogy, The Burning God pulls no punches in it's depiction of war and the cycle of violence that occurs as a result. Writing this review right now I am full of emotions as following the character of Rin, Katay, Nezha, and everyone else has been an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. What has also blown me away is the level of consistency the Poppy War series has had. One after the other each book has blown my mind to smithereens, unsurprisingly this one has wiped me clean off the map.

The Burning God sees Rin again reunited with her best friend Kitay as the South wages war on the Mugenese and Hyperion's. She has been fighting this never ending war not only with the enemy but also with her inner self. In the process of everything she has lost many of those who are closest to her leaving her feeling nothing but rage and anger. Now she is the most feared shaman across the empire leaving her enemies pishing themselves at the mere mention of her name.

Having saved the nation of Nikan from Hyperion in The Dragon Republic and going toe to toe with the former Empress of Nikan, Su Daji. However, Rin is left for dead having been betrayed by her allies and friend Nezha.

This doesn't mean Rin has called it quits however as she recoups joining forces with the Southern Coalition. Rin has sacrificed much of her military life for the south most particularly the village of Tikany. Rin having already been betrayed must keep her wits about her as her gut tells her the Southern Coalition leadership are not to be trusted. Rin has been betrayed before in the past which means she is always on guard.

"She’d laid her loyalty at the feet of two masters before. Each had betrayed her in turn."

With the southern masses backing her and her Southern Army in toe, Rin will all the weapons at her disposable to defeat the foreign enemy of Hesperia and the Dragon Republic.

In her quest to totally obliterate her enemies, Rin must together join forces with new and reunited with companions of old. Her trust will again be tested as she must decide who is with her and who is against her.

One character that had Rin's full trust is Kitay, Rin's best friend and compatriot. Since the very first book both of them have been through so much together, lost so much together. But their bond had remained unbroken to the extent that in The Dragon Republic Kitay became her bridge and single connection to the Phoenix god inside of her.

"Rin wished she didn’t have that vulnerability. If she could cut out the part of the soul that endangered Kitay—that was endangered by Kitay— then she would."

Rin is also reunited with one of my favourite characters from the series. I can't mention who but God it made me sooo happy. This character was my favourite in the first book and the fact that they weren't in book two as much was sad. But seeing them come back really made things extra special 😊.There are also some new inclusions which really ramp up the storyline.

Throughout the series Rin has formed and broken relationships with various characters. I feel without many of them we wouldn't have been able to see Rin evolve into the person she has become. Not by her own fault, but the events of the whole series have shaped Rin who she is. She has had to make loads of tough decisions leading to some bad choices. This has led to many times where I was like "Rin staaaahp what are you doing?".

I guess the saddest and most heartbreaking aspect was her friendship with Nezha. Although i feel nothing but anger towards him, I also felt kind of sad for him because like Rin, Nezha has also been pushed into a life of war and violence.

Anyway, enough of the feels lol. Another aspect the series and this instalment thrives in is the intense and utterly ruthless action sequences.

"The last time Rin had been near Arlong’s Hesperian quarter, she’d killed a man by burning off his testicles."

Rin has had to evolve what she learned at Sinegard in order to beat her enemies. The way Rebecca Kuang incorporates military tactics into the story was like watching a violent game of chess unfold. It makes you realise that war isn't just about battling it out with combat, it's about the psychologically of getting an upper hand over your enemies and staying two steps ahead.

"The battle for ______ had become a game of warring tactics, a puzzle that Rin had to admit was highly entertaining. It felt like the sort of exam question she might receive from Master Irjah. ______ was the field of engagement."

So what are my final thoughts? The Poppy War trilogy is by far one of my favourite fantasy series of all time. I felt like I've seen Rin grow right in front of my eyes. I've seen her wins, her losses, her rage, and her heartbreaks. The depiction of war throughout the series has been spot on as Rebecca Kuang doesn't sugarcoat the true nature of war. It is horrific, bloody, and traumatising. Rin and many of the characters lose so much throughout the series. It's nothing short of heartbreaking.

Even though Rin wasn't the most likeable of people, I was mostly definitely invested in her story and journey throughout all three books. The ending to this book has left me feeling so empty inside as Rin didn't deserve the life she was pushed into. She deserved so much better.

I recommend this series to all lovers of adult fantasy and grimdark. You'll be in for a rough rough ride as Rebecca F Kuang pushes no punches. She will leave you winded with what is install for you.

Thank you so much to the Harper Voyager US team and Pamela Jaffee for allowing me to read an early ebook copy. Really grateful for the opportunity to read the final book in one of my all time favourite series 😊.

To Rebecca Kuang, thank you so much for writing the most brilliant series I have ever read. You're a fantastic writer and I can't wait to continue reading your books and the journey of your characters. Your growth as a writer has gone from strength to strength. Looking forward to you breaking my heart again in your upcoming books 😅😂.

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.

I’ll admit that after reading this series I’m done with war stories for a while, but the depth and detail of this fantasy world made my own personal discomfort well worth it. Highly recommend the whole series.

There are going to be words to describe how I feel about this book! It's epic and devastating and violent and heartbreaking.... and I loved it so much. I immediately wanted to start reading it again as soon as I finished, but my heart can't take that. I'm surprised by how invested I am in Rin - I don't like everything she does; sometimes I really hate the choices she makes, and there are times when I really don't like her - but I care so much. She has sacrificed and lost so much throughout this trilogy; it's not hard to understand her burning rage.
The ending completely gutted me - this entire trilogy is perfect.

This is the final book in the 'Poppy War' series, full of explosions, battles, shifting loyalties, all-consuming gods, and the toll that war takes both on the country and on the individual.