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A review by violetlunablossom
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Out of the three books in the Poppy War trilogy, The Burning God is probably my least favorite. It's by no means a bad book and I was emotionally invested from beginning to end. But compared to The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, this conclusion to such a heavy series was so underwhelming. Ending a series is hard, and while I do think that R.F Kuang did a great job in doing so, there was so much that I wanted too.
On one hand, I loved seeing Rin quickly realize how hard it is to appease a mass of deeply traumatized people who want vengeance against the people who brutalized them, just as she did. On the other, I thought the decision to have her train a new group of shamans for her growing army was a poor plotline that really didn't need to happen. I loved Jiang's return and Rin's reckoning with the fact that he's not the master she knew and love, but I'm also extremely disappointed that the juicy potential of the Trifecta was just wasted and discarded within a single chapter. I believe the ending to be a perfect finale to such a beautiful and impactful trilogy while also being annoyed that everything that happened in the final pages felt more like a summary than a proper send off to three of its main characters.
Overall, I love this trilogy. The themes of colonization, classism, and grief hit home for me and I see myself in so many of these characters, in both their struggles and their small victories. I feel so grateful that such a wonderful series exists in a publishing industry that doesn't prioritize stories like this. I'll be buying up all the special editions that I can and singing R.F Kuang's praises from my rooftop. Can't wait to read Babel :)
On one hand, I loved seeing Rin quickly realize how hard it is to appease a mass of deeply traumatized people who want vengeance against the people who brutalized them, just as she did. On the other, I thought the decision to have her train a new group of shamans for her growing army was a poor plotline that really didn't need to happen. I loved Jiang's return and Rin's reckoning with the fact that he's not the master she knew and love, but I'm also extremely disappointed that the juicy potential of the Trifecta was just wasted and discarded within a single chapter. I believe the ending to be a perfect finale to such a beautiful and impactful trilogy while also being annoyed that everything that happened in the final pages felt more like a summary than a proper send off to three of its main characters.
Overall, I love this trilogy. The themes of colonization, classism, and grief hit home for me and I see myself in so many of these characters, in both their struggles and their small victories. I feel so grateful that such a wonderful series exists in a publishing industry that doesn't prioritize stories like this. I'll be buying up all the special editions that I can and singing R.F Kuang's praises from my rooftop. Can't wait to read Babel :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Cannibalism and Religious bigotry