Was that the point? A fantastical retelling of Chinese history? A loss of innocence, ideals, and a fatalistic embracing of any means - no matter how many 'peasants' are killed, or nations dealt genocidal blows - justifying individual ends? That feels one-sided. Including the integrity of all the characters. But everything set up as 'could this be a thing.?' just gets smashed, broken, maimed, and left for dead. The first book had so much promise, with lots of cool stuff kind of foreshadowing awesomeness. I lost all sympathy for everyone and everything they were trying to do. Everything anyone tries to do goes wrong, presumably for dramatic effect but it feels like 'the manual on novel writing says make bad stuff happen here'. Everyone is awful with zero redeemable qualities. Everything is grim for the sheer grimness of it. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix's intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it? While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realises 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.īacked by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonising Hesperians and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges and unexpected opportunities. 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.Īfter 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.ĭespite 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.

The exciting end to the Poppy War trilogy, R.

The burning god series