The Recurring Cast
Reading order · 3 books · 2018 to 2020 · Set in Nikan (fictional empire)

The Poppy War Books in Order

The Poppy War trilogy is set in a fantasy world inspired by twentieth-century China, following Rin, a war orphan who discovers a terrible power.

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Series facts

Books
3
Published
2018 to 2020
First book
The Poppy War
Latest
The Burning God (2020)
Setting
Set in Nikan (fictional empire)

The reading order

Every The Poppy War book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.

3 books · Set in Nikan (fictional empire)
  1. 1The Poppy War2018With RinRin, a poor orphan, wins a place at the empire’s elite military academy, where she discovers she has the power of a vengeful god, just as war comes.Buy on Amazon
  2. 2The Dragon Republic2019With RinHaunted by what she has done, Rin joins the Dragon Warlord’s rebellion against the Empress who betrayed her people.Buy on Amazon
  3. 3The Burning God2020With RinRin leads the southern armies against the new Republic and its foreign allies, in the final book of the trilogy.Buy on Amazon

Do you need to read them in order?

Read in order: The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, The Burning God.

Who appears in which book

The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.

Who appears in each The Poppy War book
BookRinKitayNezhaAltan Trengsin
1 The Poppy WarLLeadMMajorMMajorMMajor
2 The Dragon RepublicLLeadMMajorMMajor·Minor
3 The Burning GodLLeadMMajorMMajor

Characters in the The Poppy War books

4 characters from R. F. Kuang’s chart, with the number of The Poppy War books each appears in.

CharacterBooksFirst in this series
RinWar orphan with shamanic power3The Poppy War 2018
KitayRin’s friend3The Poppy War 2018
NezhaRival and ally3The Poppy War 2018
Altan TrengsinCommander of the Cike2The Poppy War 2018