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The Burning God
(The Poppy War #3)
by
The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.
After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allie ...more
After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allie ...more
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Hardcover, UK Edition, 640 pages
Published
November 26th 2020
by Harper Voyager
(first published November 17th 2020)
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November 19th 2020 :)
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Start your review of The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3)

Jun 25, 2020
Petrik
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
grimdark/Asian-inspired fantasy
Shelves:
arcs-and-review-copies,
favorites
ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
Bursting with violence, devastation, death, and profound emotions. The Burning God is by far the best book R.F. Kuang has written in her career so far.
My claim might sound like hyperbole to you, but I can’t help it, I’m genuinely astounded by how far Kuang has improved in her craft as a storyteller. Do not misconstrue ...more
Bursting with violence, devastation, death, and profound emotions. The Burning God is by far the best book R.F. Kuang has written in her career so far.
“Here’s a prophecy for you, she’d said. One will die. One will rule. And one will sleep for eternity.”
My claim might sound like hyperbole to you, but I can’t help it, I’m genuinely astounded by how far Kuang has improved in her craft as a storyteller. Do not misconstrue ...more


ARC provided by Harper Voyager
1.) The Poppy War ★★★★
2.) The Dragon Republic ★★★★★
2.) The Drowning Faith ★★★★★
"Rin had spent so long hating how she felt when she burned, hating her fire and her god. Not anymore."
The Poppy War trilogy is truly once in a lifetime and this conclusion was honestly a work of art all itself. This series is a military epic fantasy that is ownvoices and inspired from the authors family history and the stories she learned from them. Heavy themes o ...more

Dec 31, 2020
Emily (Books with Emily Fox)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2020-releases,
arc
This was amazing.
Too often, I find the last book in a series is the weakest. Not enough answers, too short... I'm happy to announce with this one you finally get a good ending to an Adult Fantasy series!
I loved the world building, the magic system, the morally grey main character...
If you haven't read The Poppy War series you need to! ...more
Too often, I find the last book in a series is the weakest. Not enough answers, too short... I'm happy to announce with this one you finally get a good ending to an Adult Fantasy series!
I loved the world building, the magic system, the morally grey main character...
If you haven't read The Poppy War series you need to! ...more

I worked harder than I ever have before to pull off the ending. I'm heartbroken to say goodbye. I'm so proud of how far I've come in my storytelling abilities–I really do believe TBG is the best thing I've ever written, and I hope you think so too. I can't wait to share this book with you all in November. <3
...more

Nov 16, 2020
chai ♡
marked it as to-read
I love how the early reviews for this book range from "this was such a great book!" to "I'm but a shriveled husk of my former self. I will never meet happiness again. All therapy bills must be forwarded to R.F. Kuang."
Can't wait. ...more
Can't wait. ...more

i don't think i'll ever recover from this.
this was perfect. this was so fucking perfect.
oh fuck i'm crying again ...more
this was perfect. this was so fucking perfect.
oh fuck i'm crying again ...more

The Burning God (The Poppy War,#3) by R.F. Kuang

A phenomenal and a tear-jerking conclusion of the series with more action-packed. The way Kuang reconciled Chinese mythology and fact history of Sino-Japanese War in the whole series was enthralling. Amazing character crafting as any may feel the characters' emotion, guilt, anxiety, triumph, rage. Besides dealing with humanity, eagerness to achieve power and the horrible aftermath of the war made the story so realistic. Profoundly unpredictable, th ...more

A phenomenal and a tear-jerking conclusion of the series with more action-packed. The way Kuang reconciled Chinese mythology and fact history of Sino-Japanese War in the whole series was enthralling. Amazing character crafting as any may feel the characters' emotion, guilt, anxiety, triumph, rage. Besides dealing with humanity, eagerness to achieve power and the horrible aftermath of the war made the story so realistic. Profoundly unpredictable, th ...more

R.F. Kuang fuck you and I mean that sincerely
You can hear more thoughts here https://youtu.be/8NtUPX_koyY ...more
You can hear more thoughts here https://youtu.be/8NtUPX_koyY ...more

Apr 05, 2020
may ➹
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
please-step-on-me,
fantasy,
rep-bipoc-asian-author,
diverse,
my-soul-hurts,
my-heart,
earc,
ownvoices,
pov-3rd,
pov-female
— find this review and others on my blog
4.5 stars
To any reader anxious about this epic finale, or intrigued enough to pick up book 1 for the first time: Good luck.
The Burning God is the thrilling conclusion to the Poppy War trilogy, and when I say thrilling, I truly mean it. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time I read it, so scared for what was going to happen yet unwilling to put the book down and have to wait another second. It was an exhilarating feeling to be engrossed in thi ...more

It’s so much harder to stay alive. That doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to live. It means you’re brave.
It's difficult for me to write a review for a book I enjoyed enough to like it but didn't love it as much as I thought I would. It's worse when that book was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It's even worse when I stayed up until 4 AM finishing it only to then realize I would have preferred the beauty of sleep.
Look, 3 stars for me means the book was good. It wasn't pe ...more

This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷

⬆️⬆️ Level Up: Book #100 in 2020 ⬆️⬆️
WOW! JUST WOW! I don’t know where to start this review with because whatever I say, I don’t think it would do this book just. Kuang is a prodigy and I am pretty sure she will be one of the hugest names in fantasy in the years to come! How can someone my age write something this excellent like she has been writing books for decades. Kuang is al ...more

“One will die. One will rule. And one will sleep for eternity.”
⬆️⬆️ Level Up: Book #100 in 2020 ⬆️⬆️
WOW! JUST WOW! I don’t know where to start this review with because whatever I say, I don’t think it would do this book just. Kuang is a prodigy and I am pretty sure she will be one of the hugest names in fantasy in the years to come! How can someone my age write something this excellent like she has been writing books for decades. Kuang is al ...more

Fuck this.
I knew there was no fixing things but seriously? *breathes in a bag*
******
Update #14
If you preorder you can submit your proof here and get a story from Nezha’s pov:


Biggest incentive I’ve ever seen in my life!!!
Update #13
On the back cover, in all its glory:

Update #12
QUEEN RIN IN ACTION

Update #11
“Not a single person I’ve seen online or anywhere has correctly predicted how it’s going to end” she notes, “and I think I’m really happy with the ending, I think it’s going to be very satisfy ...more
I knew there was no fixing things but seriously? *breathes in a bag*
******
Update #14
If you preorder you can submit your proof here and get a story from Nezha’s pov:


Biggest incentive I’ve ever seen in my life!!!
Update #13
On the back cover, in all its glory:

Update #12
QUEEN RIN IN ACTION

Update #11
“Not a single person I’ve seen online or anywhere has correctly predicted how it’s going to end” she notes, “and I think I’m really happy with the ending, I think it’s going to be very satisfy ...more

‘i am the force of creation. i am the end and the beginning. the world is a painting and i hold the brush. i am a god.’
rin has bled across the gradient from morally grey to the most vicious black.
i knew the conclusion to this series would be unforgiving. it takes even the strongest characters and breaks them. it takes their hope for a better world and extinguishes it. and as i found myself reaching the final chapters, realising how this story would unfold in its ending, i couldnt help but t ...more
rin has bled across the gradient from morally grey to the most vicious black.
i knew the conclusion to this series would be unforgiving. it takes even the strongest characters and breaks them. it takes their hope for a better world and extinguishes it. and as i found myself reaching the final chapters, realising how this story would unfold in its ending, i couldnt help but t ...more

If Rebecca Kuang's intention was to give us all trust issues then she definitely accomplished that.
This could be the end of their story or the beginning of a glorious chapter.
This book had a different feel to it. Knowing that it is the last installment and that the fate of Nikan is in such peril fills the reader with undeniable dread. You don’t know who to trust. Walking on tiptoes, peaking around corners waiting for the next hit to your heart.
I’m going to be honest here and tell you that I ...more
This could be the end of their story or the beginning of a glorious chapter.
This book had a different feel to it. Knowing that it is the last installment and that the fate of Nikan is in such peril fills the reader with undeniable dread. You don’t know who to trust. Walking on tiptoes, peaking around corners waiting for the next hit to your heart.
I’m going to be honest here and tell you that I ...more

I don’t think we could’ve asked for a better conclusion to this phenomenal series. Yes this was ruthless, and yes, it messes with your emotional stability, but this was so profound and intelligently crafted. It manages to take you by surprise right until the very end.
There was betrayal and vengeance, brutality and gruesomeness, angst and violence, and what not! Kuang does not fail to amaze with this finale. Can’t help but feel sad this is over, since I’d actually come to love so many of the cha ...more
There was betrayal and vengeance, brutality and gruesomeness, angst and violence, and what not! Kuang does not fail to amaze with this finale. Can’t help but feel sad this is over, since I’d actually come to love so many of the cha ...more

☆ 5 / 5 ☆
“And if southerners were dirt like all the legends said, then they would crush their enemies with the overwhelming force of the earth until they could only dream of breathing. They would bury them with their bodies. They would drown them in their blood.”
This book is a tragedy in three acts and has left me thoroughly shattered. I kind of just want to quote the entirety of this book because I’m not quite sure how to do justice to how perfectly R.F. Kuang weaves all of these topics of ...more
“And if southerners were dirt like all the legends said, then they would crush their enemies with the overwhelming force of the earth until they could only dream of breathing. They would bury them with their bodies. They would drown them in their blood.”
This book is a tragedy in three acts and has left me thoroughly shattered. I kind of just want to quote the entirety of this book because I’m not quite sure how to do justice to how perfectly R.F. Kuang weaves all of these topics of ...more

I don’t even know what to say. In a series that has consistently knocked the wind out of me, I know I shouldn’t be surprised that its grand finale has left me an empty void of emotion, but I’m in complete shock right now. Rebecca Kuang you utterly brilliant bastard, I hate how much I love you and your work.

This has been the year where so many of my favorite series have ended. The Daevabad Trilogy, The Arc of Scythe and now The Poppy War. But unlike some other authors, Kuang refuses to give her r ...more

This has been the year where so many of my favorite series have ended. The Daevabad Trilogy, The Arc of Scythe and now The Poppy War. But unlike some other authors, Kuang refuses to give her r ...more

Nov 26, 2019
✨ jamieson ✨
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2021-reads,
owned-books,
adult,
audiobook,
favorites,
favourite-covers,
completed-series,
series,
fantasy
DO NOT SPEAK TO ME...... NO ONE EVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN
...more



4.5 stars
I've been scared of reading The Burning God since Kuang revealed that Rin is based off Dictator Mao. He was an awful person who did awful things, and I’m not going to bother justifying his actions. Rin, for all her monstrous actions, I could still sort of root for, because I understan ...more
“You don’t fix hurts by pretending they never happened. You treat them like infected wounds. You dig deep with a burning knife and gouge out the rotten flesh and then, maybe, you have a chance to heal.”
I've been scared of reading The Burning God since Kuang revealed that Rin is based off Dictator Mao. He was an awful person who did awful things, and I’m not going to bother justifying his actions. Rin, for all her monstrous actions, I could still sort of root for, because I understan ...more

Nov 27, 2020
Althea | themoonwholistens ☾
is currently reading it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-physical-copy,
2020-releases
I haven’t finished it yet but you know what we should be talking about: THE PLATONIC LOVE CONTENT 😭💖 there’s a conversation that could be told discussing if it really is selfless love from Rin’s perspective or if it’s just because of the power she gains from it. Which either way, is so compelling to read and analyze.
Most of the negative reviews I see about this series is always talking about how they don’t like Rin but I mean— you’re not supposed to?? A well-written character does not always hav ...more
Most of the negative reviews I see about this series is always talking about how they don’t like Rin but I mean— you’re not supposed to?? A well-written character does not always hav ...more

She was a goddess. She was a monster. She’s nearly destroyed this country. And then she’d given it one last, gasping chance to live.
5*****
That was pure devastation in a book but absolutely amazing at the same time. This book put me in a reading slump as I just can’t get over it.
Did this end how I wanted it to? No. Did it end in a way that made sense given the limited choices Rin faced? Yes.
War is bleak,rough, messy and unhappy and this book explored facets of that. This book is based on the re ...more
5*****
That was pure devastation in a book but absolutely amazing at the same time. This book put me in a reading slump as I just can’t get over it.
Did this end how I wanted it to? No. Did it end in a way that made sense given the limited choices Rin faced? Yes.
War is bleak,rough, messy and unhappy and this book explored facets of that. This book is based on the re ...more

i only know pain

Aug 16, 2019
˗ˏˋliaˎˊ˗
marked it as to-read
me: hasn’t even read the second one yet
also me: OHHHH MY GOD THERE’S GONNA BE A THIRD BOOK?????
update 24/11/19: IT HAS A TITLE WHY AM I RANDOMLY SEEING THIS? oof it sounds so good and i’m so hyped for this, i can’t believe.
also me: OHHHH MY GOD THERE’S GONNA BE A THIRD BOOK?????
update 24/11/19: IT HAS A TITLE WHY AM I RANDOMLY SEEING THIS? oof it sounds so good and i’m so hyped for this, i can’t believe.

Dec 17, 2020
Romie
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
2020-releases,
in-edinburgh,
adult,
all-time-faves,
asian-rep-i-loved,
fantasy,
owned-books,
poc,
favourites-2020
ruin me, ruin us, and I'll let you.
everything hurts. nothing is sacred anymore. i want to disappear. ...more
everything hurts. nothing is sacred anymore. i want to disappear. ...more

I received an ARC via an ARC fairy and this is an honest review!
CW: drug use, rape, death, gore, and general violence
It's over. I can't believe that this series is finally over. It's just... wow. I really don't want to say too much about the book because of spoiling things, but it was amazing. Rin was her usual self. Kitay was a cinnamon roll who doesn't deserve this pain. Venka was always interesting. Not to mention Nezha and the dynamics that he and Rin have. Add onto that, appearances of old ...more
CW: drug use, rape, death, gore, and general violence
It's over. I can't believe that this series is finally over. It's just... wow. I really don't want to say too much about the book because of spoiling things, but it was amazing. Rin was her usual self. Kitay was a cinnamon roll who doesn't deserve this pain. Venka was always interesting. Not to mention Nezha and the dynamics that he and Rin have. Add onto that, appearances of old ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Taking a break before finishing a trilogy | 1 | 14 | Nov 26, 2020 12:27PM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: The Burning God [November 17, 2020] | 25 | 77 | Nov 23, 2020 10:40AM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Burning God (The Poppy War #3) by R.F. Kuang - Starting November 1st 2020 | 6 | 28 | Nov 11, 2020 02:28PM |
Hello! I use Goodreads to support books I really loved (I don't review or even always finish books I don't like) so it's mostly 5 star ratings here. I don't check GR very often so I don't respond to friend requests or messages. If you'd like to get in touch, find me on Twitter or at my author website–thanks!
...more
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“Ruin me, ruin us, and I’ll let you.”
—
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“You can’t do this for me,” he said. “I won’t let you.”
“It’s not for you. It’s not a favor. It’s the cruelest thing I could do.”
—
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“It’s not for you. It’s not a favor. It’s the cruelest thing I could do.”
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