After I read R. F. Kuang’s debut novel The Poppy War in 2021, I knew I’d read anything else the author had published — a belief which has proven true, and has never led me astray even four years later. If you haven’t yet read Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy and want to join me in my fandom, Amazon is offering the entire series on Kindle for only $3.99. If you prefer physical copies, the paperback box set is currently $33.49, which is 44% off its list price of $60.
The Poppy War trilogy is historical fantasy that follows Rin, a teenage war orphan at an elite military academy who discovers she holds the ability to call upon the powers of the vindictive Phoenix god. When war between her homeland and their long-standing enemy breaks out, Rin realizes that her shamanic powers could turn the tide — but only if she’s willing to pay a steep price.
While this may sound similar to a typical Chosen One YA fantasy, The Poppy War trilogy is extremely dark, and draws inspiration from horrific periods in Chinese history, including the Opium War, Second Sino-Japanese War, and Chinese Civil War. The antihero Rin is even inspired by Mao Zedong, and following her journey will pull you between rooting for her, fearing her, and fearing that rooting for her at all makes you somewhat complicit in her actions.
The trilogy is boldly violent, brutal, and grim, yet utterly compelling and hard to put down. And I’m not the only Polygon staffer who thinks so. Our guides editor Ari Notis recently described the series in Slack as a “10/10” before immediately amending his assessment to “11/10,” and I have to agree with him.
In the years since The Poppy War was released in 2018, Kuang has established herself as one of the top names in publishing. 2022’s historical fantasy Babel, another personal and Polygon favorite, won the Nebula Award for Best Novel — though its political themes landed it in the center of the Hugo Awards censorship scandal. 2023’s Yellowface, a satirical metafiction about the publishing industry, was a massive conversation starter in the industry, on BookTok, and in book clubs, and showed Kuang’s prowess extends beyond any single genre. And her upcoming fantasy, Katabasis, is one of the most anticipated releases of the year.
So whether you’re already a fan of Kuang’s recent works, want to dive in to her books for the first time, or just revisit this epic series, this deal is a great excuse (and a great bargain).