June 10, 2019
Kuang brings brilliance to this invigorating and complex military fantasy sequel to The Poppy War. Soon after the Third Poppy War ends, Rin and the Cike are captured by the Dragon Warlord, Yin Vaisra, who instructs Rin to destroy Empress Su Daji and unite the empire under one republic. As their assassination plans commence, Daji seals Rin’s power and escapes, while the Warlord’s negotiations force Southern warlords, such as Vaisra, to leave the Empire. Vaisra starts his campaign to unify the provinces first by starving the North and then by sending soldiers to occupy Northern cities. As the campaign continues, the Republic comes across the powerful shaman Feylen, who’s been sent by Daji to destroy their ships. Rin and her command are the only survivors, and they know a big battle is just around the corner. Using events from 20th-century Chinese history, Kuang builds an enthralling military fantasy brimming with betrayal and bloodshed. Each battle scene is prefaced by detailed planning stages that only heighten anticipation and help to create a realistic and well-composed world. Focusing less on Rin’s personal issues and more on war and intrigue, Kuang keeps series fans riveted. Agent: Hannah Bowman, Liza Dawson Associates.

Starred review from July 1, 2019

The third Poppy War has ended and Nikan is in pieces. Shaman and warrior Rin used her power from the Phoenix to turn the tide at tremendous cost. Now she and the rest of the Cike are in hiding from the empress who betrayed them, and they want revenge. Ridden with guilt and the destructive whispers from the Phoenix, plus deep in addiction to opium, Rin is in no shape to lead them, even as the Cike continue to follow. The Dragon Warlord wants Rin and her friends to join him in a revolt against the empress, to retake Nikan for the people and create a new republic. Yet as Rin sees more of the path that leads to the downfall of her betrayer, she realizes new lines may be drawn, ones she never thought she would cross. VERDICT This stunning sequel to The Poppy War is an epic journey of vengeance, friendship, and power wrapped in the folds of gods and monsters. Kuang has created a young woman torn by her connections to friends and family, searching for love and belonging, and given power beyond her imagining. Her story is unforgettable. [See Prepub Alert, 2/18/19.]--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2019
At the end of The Poppy War (2018), Rin earned victory for her country by causing a volcano to destroy the enemy's homeland. She should feel relief, but she learns the Empress, the monarch she is sworn to serve, allowed their adversary to invade in the first place. Rin is horrified by this betrayal and appalled by the power she herself wields. Wallowing in guilt, she keeps the force within her at bay with drugs. But she is an Academy-trained warrior and recognized by all as a shaman who draws on the power of a god. Rin can begin or end wars, but in order to do so she must maintain control of her gift, even though others with similar abilities were eventually driven mad. Now there are those who seek to use Rin to turn the empire into a republic. But can she trust them, her power, or even herself? And does she want to use her God-given ability against her own people? Kuang's descriptive storytelling reveals the grueling psychological and material cost of war on combatants and those they are supposed to protect. Fans of epic military fantasy will be eager for the next volume.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)