A review by literarydumpling
The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

If you thought the first two books of The Poppy War were intense, hold your horses. I wasn't sure how the series would end, or how I wanted it to end, but somehow The Burning God has managed to finish off the series in a way that makes sense.

Overall, a great conclusion to an already fantastic series.

SpoilerI really enjoyed Rin's character development throughout the three books, but The Burning God topped it off with her almost going mad at the end. Even with Kitay trying to help her, her paranoia and the flaws that have always been present in the books come bubbling to the surface and become what the readers can see could be her downfall. Really well-written.

I'm glad Kitay for more of a limelight in this and the small amount of light where Kitay, Rin and Venka are discussing their dreams for the world give you that moment to consider how young they all are when in the last three books you sometimes lose sight of their age. It's also interesting how Rin's relationship with Jiang, Altan and her Speerly heritage evolves throughout the book, which I think has been cleverly done and alluded to without just shoving it all in your face in one go.

I'll also add that the back and forth between Nezha and Rin and whether they're enemies or allies has been consistent in the series. If the series has shown anything is that there isn't anything that is black and white, it's all gray.
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