The Burning God
The Poppy War, Book 3
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Buy Now for £19.99
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Narrated by:
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Emily Woo Zeller
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By:
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R. F. Kuang
About this listen
The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R.F. Kuang's acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of 20th-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 allies and left for dead.
Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much – the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges – and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.
Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners.
As her power and influence grows, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s voice, urging her to burn the world and everything in it?
©2020 R. F. Kuang (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limitedkinda disappointing ending to a strong first book
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I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying Rin is annoying and unhinged, and that’s the point. She’s not a good person, she’s a monster and an unreliable narrator and completely unhinged. She’s wilfully committed genocide and she’d do it again if it got her results.
Her character development is not of growth, it’s of corruption, of a descent into madness and paranoia, as the Phoenix takes over more and more of her mind. Every time she had a choice to make, she chose the worst option, and it cost countless lives. The only good thing she intentionally did was at the end.
You are not supposed to ~like~ her, all you’re supposed to do is care about her story.
(She was also inspired by a real dictator, so do with that what you will.)
As an aside, Kitay and Venka were my favourites, I’m heartbroken by their endings. And no, they weren’t good people either, I don’t think any of the mcs were actually good. Which is honestly refreshing to see in fantasy, there’s so much “we’re the best and we’ll save the day because we’re just so morally righteous.” It’s nice to see a more grounded and realistic (if morally bankrupt) cast of characters, especially when the whole trilogy ends in a bitter resolve to survive rather than a glowing victory and happily ever after.
Emily Woo Zeller is honestly one of my favourite narrators, she’s so talented!
Long, dark, but refreshing!
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Rin accomplished nothing
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Fantasy at it’s best
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Emily Woo Zeller does a fantastic job on narration as per usual.
10/10
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