Left Unread Books | The Burning God (The Poppy War, 3)
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The Burning God (The Poppy War, 3)
R. F Kuang
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The exciting end to the Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-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, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?
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Posts about this title from Left Unread Books
Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 30 2024
The Secret Power of Literature... and spoiler alert, it's not escapism.
Escapism is lovely, but that is not what reading does for me. So I thought I would share a little bit about one of the biggest things I get out of reading.
***Trigger warnings: grief, slavery, trauma, parentlessness, broken family, racism***
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024
I shared about a manuscript that I am really excited about a few days ago. Here is the latest update! And make sure you give it a read... it's an exciting one.
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 16 2024
[As you know, I have been searching for the perfect manuscript to be our first Left Unread book! And I have been STRUGGLING. Over the last month, I have read SO many incredible books. I read a chapter from each of the 30+ books submitted to us through the Pitchfest and the 10+ agented books that I found interesting. And out of all of those books, I've come across 13 total that I thought had potential to be the kind of story I am looking for.\ \ So I have been BUSY for the last month, reading through manuscripts, searching for the PERFECT manuscript. And honestly, a lot of these books really spoke to me, for various reasons. Some of them for the incredible writing, some of them for the ambitious storylines or the dynamic characters, etc. I feel so privileged because I've been able to spend the last five weeks reading some truly incredible authors. But I was struggling, because while many of them were really good books, they just weren't the very specific thing I am looking for. And honestly, I was getting a little discouraged over the last week, wondering if I was even going to find one! Because while many of them interest me, and I think would do well in my hands, I really really wanted our FIRST publication to have some really big conversations. That has been the mark of my content. Books that say something challenging about the world. And I wanted that for our first one! Something dystopian or a fantasy that was heavy on the dismantling of systemic oppression.\ \ And don't get me wrong, that's not ALL I want to publish. I am very open to publishing a wide variety of stories. But I wanted the first one to really dive into some of the themes I built this community talking about! (And some of these books did that on a smaller scale, which is fine! I am not diminishing those stories or saying they don't say important things.).\ \ I found one during pitchfest that really did what I was looking for, but after speaking to the author, it seemed a better fit to pursue for a later publication! (Which, no promises there, but at this point, I am very eager to figure out a timetable with that author so that we can stamp the Left Unread seal on it--meaning Snow White Burns the Patriarchy, of course). But that left me without a sure manuscript for the 2025 Fall season.\ \ Well...the one I just read is a strong contender. So let's talk about it:\ \ This is a dual POV fantasy, following three women in a small nation that has spent the better part of a century fighting for it's independence from a larger aggressor:\ \
- One of them is a warrior who was taken as a child from a neighboring nation and raised to be a soldier in the Queen's war for independence. She is a ruthless warrior who is not only accomplished in battle, but has built her entire identity around her ability to kill for a Queen who robbed her of her own family, home and culture. She has no public name of her own, no identity outside of her service, and is forced to wear a mask at all times to ensure anonymity and conformity.\
- The second POV is a more senior member of that warrior sect who, despite being a second-class servant as well, has somehow risen to one of the highest positions in the nation as advisor to the Queen. She is fighting between advocating for her people and fighting to distance herself from the shame of being one of them. Her entire life is about nudging the Queen in the right direction while helping her to oppress her own people for a kingdom none of them are quite allowed to exist in.\
- And the third POV is a small child who is rescued from their larger oppressor because of her potential for supernatural power. She knows there is a chance that, if her power ends up being unhelpful, she will be left for dead. But if it ends up being helpful...she will be turned into a weapon just like everyone else under the Queen's rule. Because at the end of the day, her only value is as an asset in a war that has nothing to do with her.\ \ This story follows these women as they pursue their own aims, while their stories interconnect and weave together a tale about colonization, oppression, and the perpetual victimhood of the people under empire, regardless of empire's aims. While reading this story, I found myself wrestling with questions about freedom, oppression, and the concept of empire. Because in the hands of empire, even liberation is a weapon against the oppressed. This book had me unsure who the good guys are, who the bad guys are, and what it means to truly be free.\ \ I took plenty of notes on areas where I thought the story could expand, grow and develop, but overall, this story was masterfully told. And my brain is already churning out all of the incredible conversations that I could have with this story!\ \ Here are some of the comparisons I drew as I read:\ \
- Watching our characters be reduced to their service to empire reminded me a lot of the primary conversation happening in The Name Bearer by Natalia Hernandez. Throughout that series, we are following a young woman who was taken by her family and stripped of everything that made her her own person. She has no family, no home, no posessions...not even her own name. She exists only to fulfill her role to empire. And that is a major theme in this story. No one--not even the Queen--has real atonomy. Everyone exists as a pawn in the all-consuming fire of empire.\
- Engaging with our FMC's reminded me a lot of the way NK Jemisin navigated The Broken Earth series. We know early on what players hold power in this kingdom, what their aims are, and just how hopeless its people are. We are watching as they suffer, hoping with them as they fight against the system...while knowing just how little chance they have of actual escape. It reminded me of the absolute hopelessness of Jemisin's characters, and just how desperate they had to get to actually get freedom within reach.\
- One of the things that impacted me most about The Poppy War series by RF Kuang was just how willing Kuang was to confront us with the horror of war. She never asked us to focus solely on the powerful. She let us see as the common folk suffered under the weight of war. This book does that as well. We are not just watching our main characters fight in a war. We are seeing the effect their war has on the people who have no power to fight for themselves. And i find that so powerful. Because that is the position our readers are in in the real world.\ \ One of the things that makes me hesitate is that it is a duology. The book had a very strong conclusion to this story, but it opened the door to a massive development that I am VERY CURIOUS ABOUT. But I would want to know where the second half of the story is going before I could really commit to it. Because colonization and oppression are massive conversations. I would hate to commit to a story this ambitious and then find out later its heading in a direction that I couldn't co-sign. But based on THIS story, I'm not too concerned about that. (I have asked our team to reach out for some clarity there so we can make an informed decision).\ \ Let me know what you think about what I've shared in the comments below, and over on discord!\ \ I am very interested in both of the stories mentioned here, and if our stars are aligned, we could absolutely release this story in Fall of 2025, and then have just as strong of a follow up with Snow White Burns Down the Patriarchy in Sping of 2026. (Don't quote me on that, because obviously neither author has actually signed on. I am dreaming here, not announcing how things will go.)\ \ But yeah...I am pretty interested in that thought. Putting out two very strong female driven stories back to back, written by women of color who have a lot to say about challening empire? Kinda a good vibe, right?\ \ Let me know what you think. Like I said, there are some others I would be interested in the future I think. Some, as is. Some, contingent on some redirection. But here is where I am looking for our debut and second launch...assuming both authors are interested.\ \ I am not SOLD yet. But I could be. How do y'all feel about these two stories? Would you be in for helping me chamption two strong FMC stories in a row? Or should we keep looking? It's really not the end of the world if we don't find something immediately. Agents will continue submitting manuscripts, and there will be future pitchfests as well! We can take our time if the stories we have in front of us aren't speaking to us!\ \ Share your thoughts and ask your questions! Let's talk this out for real! I meant it when I said I want to do this together. I don't want to make a decision without considering your thoughts and ideas!!!\ \ \ \ ](https://leftunreadbooks.binderybooks.com/item/Kp1hHIcCwwhlKKRAM9W8/)
Publishing Update: Finger's Crossed... we might have something here!!!
I am feeling really really good about the manuscript I just finished reading this morning and I wanna talk about it! Click down below to read about this manuscript and what next steps may look like...because this might be it, y'all!!! So make sure you engage. I want us to talk this out as a community!!!
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 24 2024
Writing Tip: Never Betray Your Character's Voice
Writers, as a reviewer, I can tell you. that nothing draws me into a story faster than a main character who has owned their own voice. Read more about that down below!
11 books
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Posts about this book from across Bindery
Last Book Club on the Left\ \ Last Podcast Network\ \ • Jul 28
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\ \ The votes are in, Fiction it is! This series was picked by our beloved Marcus\ \
While Babel usually gets a lot of the attention when people talk about Kuang, the Poppy War Trilogy is an incredible series too. Instead of a fantasy world based on a European medieval setting, the Poppy War has a decidedly Eastern perspective. These differences create fascinating characters and situations that make the fantasy genre feel new again. Kuang has also created a difficult and sometimes unlikable main character whom you truly root for and care about, which is a near impossible task. I devoured this series.\ \ What should our next recommendation be?](https://lastpod.binderybooks.com/item/XocchjU9mZramao8gjsn/)
3 books
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Sarah Does Bookish Stuff\ \ Sarah\ \ • Jun 1
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[Dang, May was a decent month for reading. I ended up at 16 total books and I want to write a little bit about them! 16 is a lot so I won't go into too much detail. In the future, I'll be sharing longer-form reviews that give a lot more of my takeaways so be on the lookout for those!\ \ Toothsucker by Kaden Love\ \ I was fortunate to listen to the audiobook of this and I enjoyed it a lot. The narrator had the perfect cadence for the book. It surprised me! It wasn't what I expected and significantly more cyberpunk than I realized. The world is fun, weird, gross, and weaves in a lot of political themes. Kaden is clearly just having a blast writing this and I feel like authors who have fun always make something incredible.\ \ Headlights by C.J. Leede\ \ I could write a dissertation on the beauty of this book. Truly. I read the ARC, cried my eyes out, and preordered a signed copy. This book lives in me. It did something to my brain. Leede has a magnetic writing style I couldn't stop devouring. How she threaded in folk horror to her work was creative and considerate. Her characters and how they're connected, their pasts, and the way they find meaning in each other, however, was so beautiful. Also, I am having a hard time explaining why a woman eating a man's finger during sex is heart-achingly romantic.\ \ The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang\ \ I don't understand why people didn't adore this book. I mean, I do, but I don't. Kuang is incredibly good at making it less clear what it means to be a hero. This book showed the horror of genocide and the aftermath of Rin's destructive meltdown at the end of The Poppy War, plus the lingering ghost of Altan coloring her view of the world. Kuang is fantastic at showing Rin's imperfections and giving us depth and color to Nezah that made me fall in love with him - yes, even in the ending. Every character is their own ecosystem of motivation and an exploration of nature versus nurture. I LOVE her character work. \ \ The Burning God by R.F. Kuang\ \ This was my favorite in the series, just fantastic. It's bleak, but its raw and visceral and real. Rin isn't a moral paragon and I think people disliked that, but I absolutely loved it. Rin begins to realize she has no foresight and no plan, she struggles in the way a young person with too much power and no guidance would struggle. She has nobody left to turn to and has to figure it out, which makes her struggle and suffer in personal ways. It turns the war from abstract to overt and she has to contend with the different facets of having power. The power of a god, an army, a country... and she does not handle it well. I thought the ending was deft, Kuang tells you how it has to end the entire time and people just weren't paying attention. \ \ A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab\ \ Holland mt love. My absolute perfect book husband. This book was an extraordinary sequel and gave us such a fun experience. Schwab is a master of character work, it's impossible not to fall in love with all of them. I really enjoyed how she showed Holland's history and why he is the way he is. I think he is one of the most complex, beautiful characters I've read in a long time. I could write a treatise in his defense. He didn't have what Kell had and if he did, he would have been extremely similar. Holland knew only suffering in his world and still he only ever sought to change it for the better. \ \ A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab\ \ A phenomenal final entry into the first era. Just amazing. Deep characters, meaningful arcs, all knots tied with enough left to come back. I love how fantastical and whimsical this world is while feeling threatening and deep. I stand by all my previously sung praises for Holland, they could never make me hate him. It could only ever end one way, even if it broke my heart. Still, no matter what, I will always be delusionally hopeful Era 2 might change something about it.\ \ Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne\ \ This was a significant bar-raise from Malice and Valor. I know The Faithful and the Fallen is a crowd favorite, but I'm only finding it alright. Nothing about it sticks to me. I liked Shadow of the Gods, but I don't get the cinematic click everyone else seems to. It's fun, predictable, with distinct characters, but nothing about it really blew me away. I like Orka, but she isn't a favorite in my house. I'm not sure if Gwynne's writing style is just not for me? \ \ Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao\ \ I wanted to love this. I did. I loved Iron Widow so much, it was a neck-breaking fever dream that played out like a dramatic anime in my mind. Zhao just bogged this down in so much theory and interjected way too much modernism that it drowned the story for me. Eventually, hearing the fifth iterative explanation of communism versus socialism just turns to white noise in my head. Plus, the introduction of the Emperor and the disappearance of Yizhi and Shimin for most of the story made my interest in the three of them fade. \ \ The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling\ \ Okay this was exactly the kind of weird medieval cannibal lesbian nun book I was hoping for. Starling makes you work for it. People described it as "slow", but I disagree completely. Starling makes every sentence matter, she forces you to focus and pay attention to what she is saying. Her commentary on weak leadership, the fallibility of man, isolation, duty, honor, disconnection, community... all of it was perfectly captured in this claustrophobic horror novel. Plus, I would let Ser Voyne do unspeakable things to me, but she would never. Too much honor. \ \ The Starless Crown by James Rollins\ \ This book is AMAZING. Sci-fantasy peak. I can't believe more people aren't reading and loving it. This trilogy is incredibly inventive and creative, the world is realistic and strange. Rollins built characters who are insightful and a villain that truly shocked me to my core. I didn't expect a surprise villain because who does that?! Rollins is known for his sci-fi thrillers, so I think people expect this to be the same, but I assure you it's anything but. I can't wait to continue this series!\ \ The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten\ \ How I wanted to love this, but I only felt okay about it. I loved The Foxglove King and enjoyed The Hemlock Queen, but this one felt a bit messy and crowded. The added perspective for Alie was great, I wish it had been included starting in Book 2. I didn't love the ending, but I loved that we got to see so much change and see how Lore's enduring love for her men carried her through the worst losses of her life. I wish we had more explanation about why Lore's arc ended the way it did, the Fount's motivations felt dubious to me. However, I still read it in two days and Whitten has a beautifully addictive style of writing no matter what. \ \ The Daughters' War by Christopher Buehlman\ \ Galva dom Braga is my book wife and I will follow her to the ends of the earth. Buehlman wrote something so special that this book is basically family now. The tone is completely different from The Blacktongue Thief, first in the series, but it should be and it works wonders for this story. His world is so gritty and intense, it's creative and sharp and still funny in a different way. Galva's story is a harrowing, tragic explanation about who she is and how she came to be the Ispanthian warrior we know and love. I adored this book. This book was magical. It feels like listening to a story at a campfire and I urge people to try this series. \ \ The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo\ \ What a unique read this was! I love foxes and all the mythology around them, but Choo did something fantastical with it. This story was not just about Snow overcoming her grief and her thirst for revenge, it was about the subtle differences in fox mythology around East Asia and how the British occupation was slowly erasing the cultural identity of so many countries. Bao's tale wasn't just solving the crime of a peculiar death, it was teaching readers about cultural practices and regional differences and how women were oppressed in more ways than just foot binding in China. \ \ The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes\ \ This book was a miraculous work of weird fiction. I am so emotional about it it's bizarre. What masterful storytelling and unbelievable prose! Ennes is a stunning writer that manages to make stab wounds into poetry. This world wove art and politics together until they were not separate from one another. They showed you how tyrants are born in a slow drip, not a flood. So much more went into this. The ease around trans identity, control versus love, how sociopolitical rot destroys a society, our unresolved mistakes always come back to us, and so much more. I can't even speak about the characters because to do so is to reveal the story, which I would never want to do. I didn't expect a story about extermination to move me like this. \ \ House of Chains by Steven Erikson\ \ Erikson really flexed on his readers with this one. He proved he can hold a single character POV in his hands and simply chooses not to because that's not what the story demands. This book was a real open-faucet torrent of his background in archaeology and anthropology. He has so many poignant things to say about cultures formed on the bones of each other, changing worlds and ever-changing societies, etc. Plus he managed to pull off one of the greatest redemption arcs I've ever read. Lookin' at you, Karsa. \ \ A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett\ \ Convinced RJB isn't capable of writing anything short of fantastic. This mystery was wild and the world is so bizarre and fun, I never want to leave it. I love how Bennett's goal isn't to solve this world's ills or take out its Empire or change the leviathans, it's just to show you a glimpse of the bigger way the machine of it functions. We learn a bit more about Ana and who she is every book through these mysteries that feel like a fever dream. Dinios Kol remains my disaster bisexual son who misses the love of his life and just won't admit it to himself. The problem is that if he won't, Ana will. \ \ This was an amazing month for reading! I got through a lot of books and only didn't squeeze ONE from my original TBR into the mix. I am so fortunate to have walked away loving so many of them this month, too. I actually changed The Works of Vermin from a 4.5 to a 5 because it sat with me that much. I had TWO 5-star reads this month:\ \
- Headlights by C.J. Leede\ \
- The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes\ \ \ June will be a deviation from my regularly scheduled reading programming as I'm doing my very first read through and analysis of Throne of Glass! I'm calling it June of Glass! Which is ridiculous! \ \ I'm looking forward to analyzing what about this series speaks to people and trying to piece together how Sarah J. Maas was able to captivate a generation of woman readers from multiple ages and bring them into reading again. Be on the lookout for my analysis of the first book - Throne of Glass.](https://sarahdoesbookishstuff.binderybooks.com/item/KqlWx7tQrzNV0FlNt9ut/)
15 books
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Written Reveries\ \ Krystal\ \ • Jan 17 2025
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Where to start with R. F. Kuang’s work.
Where to start with R. F. Kuang’s work.
The Poppy War Th Dragon Republic The Burning God Yellowface Babel Katabasis
#rfkuang #thepoppywar #babel #katabasis #bookish #bookrecommendations #readingorder #bookstagram
6 books
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Nov 30 2024
The Secret Power of Literature... and spoiler alert, it's not escapism.
Escapism is lovely, but that is not what reading does for me. So I thought I would share a little bit about one of the biggest things I get out of reading.
***Trigger warnings: grief, slavery, trauma, parentlessness, broken family, racism***
20 books
8
Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 19 2024
I shared about a manuscript that I am really excited about a few days ago. Here is the latest update! And make sure you give it a read... it's an exciting one.
4 books
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Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Aug 16 2024
Publishing Update: Finger's Crossed... we might have something here!!!
10 books
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Skies Press\ \ Emma\ \ • Jul 19 2024
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Books you may not know are on Kindle Unlimited
I had no idea about any of these 👀 These are on KU in the US at the time im posting this. If youre in a different country or seeing this video six months from now i got nothing 📚
13 books
Left Unread Books\ \ Michael LaBorn\ \ • Jun 24 2024
Writing Tip: Never Betray Your Character's Voice
11 books
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Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Jan 25 2023
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i don’t know what this says about me, but my favorite books tend to hurt me the most 💔😭 #fantasybooks #ifweeverbrokeup #bookrecommendations #fantasybooktok #booksthatmademecry
9 books
Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Dec 31 2022
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Today I'll be following in the steps of Daniel Greene and creating a tier list of all of the fantasy books I read in 2022! How do you think I did?
The Fantasy & Frens Book Club will begin reading A BROKEN BLADE by Melissa Blair in January! Join us and read along through the link below!
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47 books
Fantasy & Frens\ \ Zoranne\ \ • Dec 29 2022
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THE BEST BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR! ⚔️ sheeeeesh this was difficult 😅 #fantasybookrecs #bestbooksof2022 #zorannereads #fantasybooktok #contemporarybooks
13 books