The Burning God by R.F. Kuang — Review and Content Warnings

Author: R.F. Kuang

Genre: Military Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

Series: 3rd of The Poppy War trilogy

Age Rating: Adult

Synopsis

Rin returns to her home province, determined to lead the South in a war for independence against the Dragon Republic and foreign invaders. She continues her slow descent into all-consuming vengeance as she must decide whether to save her country or burn it to the ground. The finale explores the devastating effects of ambition and the cost of war.

Content Warnings

General Rating: Adult (18A / R / TV-MA)

• Spice Rating: Severe—Suggestions of prostitution and rape of minors, non-explicit, but the implications are still disturbing

• Violence Rating: Severe—Bloodshed, war, starvation, famine, cannibalism, exposure to elements, murder, suicide

• Profanity Rating: Severe—150+ uses of f*ck, handful of uses of c*nt

• Other Trigger Warnings: Starvation and famine, drug use, xenophobia, misappropriation of religion and religious abuse, colonization, panic attacks

While the protagonist is a young adult and often portrays young adult-like behaviour, the thematic elements of this book are decidedly adult and require reader discretion.

Overall Rating: 4/5

A dark, unflinching military tale reminiscent of 20th-century Chinese warfare that explores questions of morality during warfare, though its bleakness may not be for every reader.

What I Liked

• The complicated descent into moral darkness: Rin’s descent toward evil is nuanced as she makes decisions that protect herself and her people. It’s difficult to read, though, as it asks deep questions of the reader’s own worldview.

• The complex question of justice: Is violence required for justice to be enacted toward those who have hurt us? Is peace possible in a war-torn land? These are the questions asked by The Burning God.

• Mythology based on Chinese history: Kuang openly refers to several events in recent Chinese history—the Long March, the Civil War, the genocide of Taiwan. It was fascinating to learn about these moments of Chinese history through the lens of mythical fantasy.

Themes and Reflections

• Theodicy—Where is God during immense suffering? The age-old question of the intersection of faith and suffering. Rin takes on the power of a god in response, while others seek logic or the Hesperian monotheistic religion.

• Vengeance or Justice? It is difficult to pull the two apart. At what time is it appropriate to pursue personal vengeance in the name of justice? Rin’s actions ask the reader to evaluate our positions on justice and who holds the power to see it through.

• Reversing systemic corruption: Is it possible to reverse systemic corruption without wiping it all out and beginning anew? This is a key question that Rin and the other political leaders ask.

The Burning God is not for the faint of heart. It asks all the big existential and moral questions, and readers may choose to reflect and engage with them as they desire.

Writing Style

Kuang pulls no punches. Her writing style is brutal, direct, and unflinching, suitable to the book’s themes of the brutality of war. It reflects the harshness of wartime decision-making and the worst of humanity.

Tropes

• Descent into darkness

• Endgame sacrifice

• Fractured found family

• Alliance with the gods

Books Like This

• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

• The Dandelion Dynasty (The Grace of Kings) by Ken Liu

Publisher Info

• Publisher: Harper Voyager

• Release Date: November 17, 2020

• Read on Kindle Unlimited

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