The Burning God by R.F. Kuang | Book Review

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang wraps up the Poppy War trilogy with a bang, literally and emotionally. It doesn’t try to soften the harsh reality of war or offer any comforting lies. Right from the start, you’re thrown back into the war-torn chaos of Nikan, where there’s no room for heroics, just survival and the ugly side of power. This book throws heavy questions in your face and dares you to look closer the morally gray reality of war and human nature. If you’re looking for a fantasy that’s more "hard truths" than "happy endings," this one will ruin you in the best way possible.

(The Burning God oleh R.F. Kuang jadi akhir trilogi Poppy War yang penuh ledakan, baik secara harfiah maupun emosional. Nggak ada usaha buat melunakkan kerasnya perang atau munculin hiburan palsu. Dari halaman pertama, kita langsung dicemplungin lagi ke kekacauan Nikan yang porak-poranda, di mana nggak ada ruang buat jadi pahlawan, cuma bertahan hidup dan lihat sisi gelap kekuasaan. Buku ini melempar pertanyaan-pertanyaan berat dan menantang kita buat merenungkan realita kelam perang dan sifat manusia yang nggak hitam-putih. Kalau kamu nyari fantasi yang lebih ngasih "fakta pahit" daripada "ending bahagia", siap-siap aja, buku ini bakal menghancurkanmu, tapi dengan cara yang bikin nagih.)

BOOK INFORMATION

Title                       : The Burning God - Sang Dewi Api

Author                  : R.F. Kuang

Translator            : Meggy Soedjatmiko

Language             : Indonesian

Publisher             : Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Released             : January 2023

Read                      : February 15-20, 2023

Length                  : 666 pages

GR Rating            : 4.33

My Rating            : 5.00

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TL;DR: A tragedy that’ll make you question power, justice, and your life choices. Brutal, beautiful, and will emotionally wreck you, like your toxic ex. No happy endings, just war trauma, pain, and a finale that’ll live in your head rent-free.

CONTENT WARNINGS

• Graphic violence

• War and its consequences

• Trauma and PTSD

• Self-harm and substance abuse

• Sexual violence and abuse

• Profanity

⚠️ SIDE EFFECTS

• Sleep deprivation: "Just one more chapter" turns into 3AM existential crisis

• Emotional damage: You’ll swing between "YAS QUEEN" and "Rin NO—" every 20 pages

• History class flashbacks: Colonialism, propaganda, and war crimes feel too real

• Book hangover: Nothing will hit the same for weeks

✅ PERFECT FOR YOU IF

• You love morally grey heroines who yeet ethics out the window

• "Enemies to lovers" is boring, you want "allies to enemies to war criminals"

• You think ATLA needed more blood, trauma, and war crimes

• You have extra buckets for your tears

🚫 AVOID IF YOU

• Need a happy ending (this is not that kind of party)

• Get triggered by graphic violence or PTSD depictions

• Prefer clear-cut heroes vs. villains (everyone’s problematic here)

• Can’t handle political/war strategy talk (Kitay will mansplain battle formations at you)

BOOK REVIEW

The Burning God is the explosive finale to R.F. Kuang's Poppy War trilogy, and wow, does it pack a punch. We follow Rin, our fierce but deeply flawed warrior shaman, as she fights to take back her homeland no matter the cost. After everything she's lost, Rin's got enemies coming at her from all sides: the Mugenese invaders, her own backstabbing government, and these high-tech colonialists called the Hesperians. But brute force alone won't cut it, she has to wrestle with her unstable god-powers and team up with what’s left of the Trifecta, the old rulers of Nikan. 

Rin's transformation in this book is wild to watch. She's not that scared kid from book one anymore, now she's all power and fury, but man, is it painful to see how far she's willing to go. Her slow slide into paranoia and tyranny makes you question: when does fighting for freedom become just another kind of oppression? The war scenes are brutal (like, nightmare-fuel brutal), but what really hits hard are Rin's personal relationships. At the end of the day, it's not gods or magic deciding fates, it's messy, desperate people making terrible choices.

Kuang's world-building is next-level, especially how she handles colonialism. These Hesperians? Total villains with their "we know what's best for you" colonial attitude and scary advanced tech. Every scene with them is like watching historical imperialism play out in fantasy form, how cultural erasure and exploitation happen in more than one way. And the shamanic battles mixed with military tactics? Absolutely insane - there's one fight in this book that'll leave you emotionally destroyed (in the best way).

Even with all the epic battles and political drama, this story stays intensely personal. Rin still isn't your chosen one hero, she's a messed-up person making increasingly questionable decisions. You'll constantly be torn between rooting for her and being horrified by her. Kuang doesn't give us the clear right and wrong, just a brutally honest look at how power corrupts and war destroys. It's not a comfortable read, but it's smart, raw, and full of things worth thinking about.

Watching Rin try to hold onto power is like watching someone juggle knives, you know it's gonna end badly, but you can't look away. Every choice she makes, from battle tactics, political decision to personal betrayals, blows up in ways she never expects. Kuang shows how winning one fight just sets up the next disaster. The real tension isn't just in the battles (though those are brutal), but in watching Rin slowly lose herself. That alliance with the Trifecta? Her growing addiction to the Phoenix's power? The way she pushes away everyone who cares about her? It all adds up to one harsh truth: the more power she gets, the more alone she becomes. By the end, you're left wondering if her revolution was ever really about freedom, or just becoming the new tyrant.

This book gets scarily real about how leaders use pain and trauma to justify doing horrible things, and rewrite history to make themselves look like heroes. The Hesperians are the worst with their "we're helping these poor savages" colonial BS, but Rin starts doing her own propaganda to her people. Kuang's genius is showing how everyone is the hero in their own story, even when they're doing awful things. That moment when someone asks "Who decided who counted as human?" hits so hard, especially when you realize how much that still happens today. In a world where everyone's rewriting history and facts to fit their agenda, this book couldn't feel more relevant.

Honestly, the emotional beats in this book is chef's kiss. Kuang writes these huge battle scenes that'll leave you breathless, then stabs you with these quiet, heartbreaking moments between Rin and Kitay that hurt even more. Their relationship goes from "ride or die" to something way more complicated, and you surely need a bucket for your tears. The ending doesn't give you that typical fantasy wrap-up, no cute wrapping paper here. Instead, it leaves you sitting with the wreckage, wondering if anything was really worth the cost. It's brutal, beautiful, and will stick with you for ages. Not many books can pull off an ending that hurts this good.

(The Burning God adalah akhir yang meledak-ledak dari trilogi The Poppy War oleh R.F. Kuang, dan wow, beneran nendang banget. Kita ngikutin Rin, sang shaman perang yang garang tapi penuh kekurangan, yang berjuang mati-matian buat merebut kembali tanah airnya, apapun konsekuensinya. Udah kehilangan segalanya, Rin sekarang dihajar musuh dari segala arah: pasukan pendudukan Mugen, pemerintah Nikan yang berkhianat, dan kaum kolonialis canggih bernama Hesperia. Tapi nggak cukup cuma mengandalkan kekerasan, dia juga harus berdamai dengan kekuatan dewa-nya yang labil dan bekerja sama sisa-sisa Trifecta, penguasa lama Nikan.

Transformasi Rin di buku ini gila banget buat disimak. Udah nggak ada lagi bocah penakut dari buku pertama, sekarang dia cuma tentang kekuasaan dan amukan. Tapi sedih juga lihat sejauh apa dia mau hancur. Perlahan-lahan dia makin paranoid dan otoriter, sampai bikin kita mikir: kapan perjuangan buat kebebasan malah berubah jadi penindasan gaya baru? Adegan perangnya brutal banget (sumpah, level mimpi buruk), tapi yang beneran nyakitin justru hubungan pribadi Rin. Pada akhirnya, bukan dewa atau sihir yang nentuin nasib, tapi orang-orang nyata yang nekat dan salah ambil keputusan.

Dunia yang dibangun Kuang itu keren level dewa, apalagi caranya menangani tema kolonialisme. Para Hesperia? Jahat banget dengan sikap kolonial ala "kami lebih tau yang terbaik buat kalian" dengan teknologi canggih mereka. Setiap adegan mereka tuh kayak lihat imperialisme sejarah dalam versi fantasi yang ngasih lihat bagaimana penghapusan budaya dan eksploitasi bisa terjadi dalam berbagai bentuk. Dan pertarungan shaman yang dicampur taktik militer? Gila banget! Ada satu pertempuran di sini yang bakal bikin kita hancur (tapi yang worth it banget).

Meskipun penuh pertarungan epik dan intrik politik, ceritanya tetep intim dan personal. Rin tetaplah bukan pahlawan terpilih, dia manusia berantakan yang makin sering ngambil keputusan meragukan. Kita bakal terus-menerus galau antara dukung dia atau jijik sama tindakannya. Kuang nggak kasih jawaban benar-salah yang jelas, cuma potret jujur tentang bagaimana kekuasaan merusak dan perang yang menghancurkan. Bukan bacaan yang nyaman, tapi cerdas, keras, dan penuh hal-hal yang bikin mikir.

Melihat Rin berusaha mempertahankan kekuasaan tuh kayak lihat orang main pisau, udah tahu bakal berbahaya, tapi mata kita gak bisa berkedip lihatnya. Setiap pilihannya, mulai dari strategi perang, keputusan politik, sampai pengkhianatan personal, selalu meledak di hadapannya dengan cara yang gak pernah dia duga. Kuang menunjukkan gimana menang satu pertempuran malah bikin bencana berikutnya makin gede. Yang bikin deg-degan bukan cuma adegan perangnya (yang brutal banget sih), tapi lihat Rin pelan-pelan kehilangan dirinya sendiri. Aliansi sama Trifecta? Kecanduan sama kekuatan Phoenix? Cara dia mengabaikan semua orang yang care sama dia? Semuanya nunjukin satu fakta pahit: makin kuat dia, makin kesepian hidupnya. Pas udah tamat, kita bakal mikir: emangnya revolusi Rin beneran buat kebebasan, atau cuma jadi dalih buat jadi penguasa baru yang sama kejamnya?

Buku ini menjelaskan dengan ngeri gimana para pemimpin menggunakan luka dan trauma buat melakukan hal-hal keji, terus menulis ulang sejarah untuk menempatkan mereka sebagai pahlawan. Hesperia emang parah banget dengan omong kosong kolonial ala "kami sedang menolong para primitif", tapi Rin pun mulai bikin propaganda versinya sendiri buat rakyatnya. Kuang jenius banget bisa nunjukin gimana setiap orang jadi pahlawan di cerita mereka sendiri meskipun yang mereka lakukan jahat banget. Bagian ketika ada yang nanya "Siapa yang nentuin siapa yang layak disebut manusia?" ngena banget, apalagi kalau kamu sadar hal kayak gini masih terjadi sekarang. Di dunia di mana semua orang sibuk menulis ulang fakta dan sejarah buat narasi mereka, buku ini terasa terlalu relevan.

Jujur aja, adegan-adegan emosional di buku ini chef's kiss banget. Kuang nulis adegan perang besar yang bikin ngos-ngosan terus tiba-tiba menusuk kita pelan-pelan lewat momen-momen sedih antara Rin dan Kitay yang menyakitkan. Hubungan mereka berubah dari "ride or die" jadi sesuatu yang jauh lebih rumit, siap-siap aja ember. Endingnya juga bukan tipe fantasi yang dibungkus rapi dengan pita. Malah, kita dibiarin tenggelam dalam kekacauan yang tersisa, mikirin apa semua ini beneran worth it. Pahit, indah, dan bakal nempel di kepala lama banget. Gak banyak buku yang bisa kasih ending yang sakitnya justru bikin nagih kayak gini.)

WHAT I LOVE

■ A brave, no-nonsense ending. Let's be real, most finales are neat or cheerful just for the sake of it. Not this one. It earns its brutal ending fair and square, no surprise redemption arcs or fake happy endings. Kuang stays 100% true to what this story's always been about: war destroys everything, power changes people, and revenge is a game where nobody wins. The tragic ending doesn't feel forced - it feels like the only possible way things could have gone. And that's what makes it so painful.

■ Characters that feel real and messy. Rin's journey from nobody to nightmare is hands-down one of the best character arcs out there. But everyone in this story feels this real. Kitay's ride-or-die loyalty? Nezha's internal wars? Even the "bad guys" make sense in their own messed-up way. You'll swing between wanting to hug them, shake them, and scream at them, sometimes all at once. And Rin? She's the ultimate "are we the baddies?" character. I kept wondering: What if she’d never gone to war? Could she have lived a quieter life? But maybe that was never in the cards for her.

■ Scarily relevant to our messed-up world. The Hesperians' "we know what's best for you" colonialism? The way both sides twist the truth? Sound familiar? This book makes you ask the uncomfortable questions: Who really gets to decide what's right? When does fighting for justice become just another kind of violence? It's got magic and epic battles, sure, but it's really about the dangers of blind patriotism and rewriting history.

■ No nice and tidy ending. Forget those endings where everything gets wrapped up nicely, this one leaves you sitting with the aftermath. No magic fixes, no sudden changes of heart. Just the cold, hard truth: war breaks people, power corrupts, and sometimes the "good guys" start looking suspiciously like the villains. It's uncomfortable as hell, and that's exactly why you won't forget it.

■ Emotionally destroyed (and loving it). This book made me cry, emotionally wrecked me in ways I didn't know were possible. The anger, the sadness, those tiny moments of hope that get crushed? All of it hits like a truck. Kuang forces you to stare at the horror, but she also makes you care so much about these characters that you can't look away. It's that one book that changes how you see the world. And yeah, it'll ruin you, but you'll be thanking Kuang for the privilege.

(■ Ending berani yang nggak pakai basa-basi. Jujur aja, kebanyakan ending dibuat rapih atau ceria cuma biar enak dibaca. Nggak dengan yang ini. Akhir yang brutal ini beneran deserved, nggak ada redemption arc dadakan atau happy ending palsu. Kuang tetap 100% setia sama inti ceritanya: perang menghancurkan segalanya, kekuasaan mengubah orang-orang, dan balas dendam cuma bikin semua pihak hancur. Tragisnya ending ini nggak terasa dipaksain, malah kayak satu-satunya jalan cerita yang mungkin. Dan justru itu yang bikin sakitnya lebih dalam.

■ Karakter-karakter yang realistis dan berantakan. Perjalanan Rin dari nobody jadi nightmare tuh salah satu karakter development terbaik yang pernah ada. Tapi semua karakter di sini sama realistisnya. Kesetiaan Kitay yang nggak ketulungan? Konflik batin Nezha? Bahkan para "penjahat" pun punya alasan mereka sendiri yang bisa kita pahami. Kita bakal galau antara pengen peluk mereka, geleng-geleng kepala, atau teriak kesel, kadang pengen semua sekaligus. Dan Rin? Dia tuh karakter "jangan-jangan kita yang jahat?" paling ultimate. Aku terus kepikiran: Gimana ya kalau dia nggak pernah ikut perang? Apa hidupnya bisa lebih tenang? Tapi mungkin emang bukan takdirnya.

■ Mirip banget sama dunia kita yang kacau. Kolonialisme ala Hesperia yang "kami lebih tau yang terbaik buat kalian"? Cara kedua pihak muter-muterin fakta? Kedengarannya familiar kan? Buku ini memaksa kita nanya pertanyaan-pertanyaan nggak nyaman: Siapa sih yang berhak nentuin apa yang benar? Kapan perjuangan demi keadilan malah jadi kekerasan bentuk lain? Memang ada magic dan pertempuran epik, tapi intinya sih bahaya nasionalisme buta dan rekayasa sejarah.)

A SMALL NITPICK (BUT STILL WORTH THE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS)

There were moments when the military strategizing and detailed geography of Nikan's provinces had me itching for the story to move. Like, "Cool, we get the battle plans, but when do we actually see the fight go down?" Some of those war room discussions dragged just enough to make me wonder when we'd get back to the action, or at least some tense negotiations with the other side. But even with those slower bits, this book owned me. I sacrificed so much sleep because once the momentum picked back up, Kuang wrecked me all over again. Totally worth the exhaustion though maybe don't start this at midnight unless you're ready to be emotionally nonfunctional the next day.

CONCLUSION

The Burning God sticks with you like a bad (but weirdly good?) hangover. Kuang doesn’t wrap everything up with a neat little bow. Instead, she makes you sit in the aftermath of Rin’s choices, forcing you to reckon with the cost of war and power. No happy ending, no sudden fix, just raw, unfiltered storytelling that leaves you emotionally drained and heartbroken but weirdly grateful for the experience. This is a brutal, honest reflection of history and human nature wrapped in a package with fantasy label. And yeah, it’ll absolutely destroy you, but you’ll love every second of it. If you’ve made it this far for the final book, congrats! Now prepare for your heart to get smashed. Worth it.

(The Burning God bikin kita kayak lagi mabuk berat (tapi yang strangely enak?). Kuang nggak membungkus endingnya dengan rapi pakai pita. Malah, kita dibikin merenung di tengah reruntuhan pilihan-pilihan Rin, dipaksa melihat harga yang harus dibayar buat perang dan kekuasaan. Nggak ada happy ending, nggak ada solusi instan, cuma cerita mentah yang bikin emosi terkuras dan hati hancur, tapi somehow kita bersyukur bisa ngerasain itu. Ini adalah cermin brutal sejarah dan sifat manusia, dibungkus dengan label fantasi. Dan iya, buku ini bakal menghancurkan tapi apa kamu bakal nyesel? Enggak. Kalo kamu udah sampai buku terakhir ini, selamat! Sekarang siapin hati buat dihancurkan. Worth it banget.)