Rebecca Kuang Books

Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters. The war is over. The war has just begun. Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power. Though she does not want to live, she refuses to die until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland to its enemies. Her only hope is to join forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new republic. But neither the Empress nor the Dragon Warlord are what they seem. The more Rin witnesses, the more she fears her love for Nikan will force her to use the Phoenix’s deadly power once more. Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

A war orphan rises from her humble beginnings to become a powerful military commander, and perhaps her country's only hope for survival

The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R.F. Kuang's acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of 20th-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect.

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War, this book is described as "absolutely phenomenal" and a "brilliant, razor-sharp" work that delves into colonial history and the Industrial Revolution. From award-winning author R. F. Kuang, it serves as a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, exploring student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the role of language and translation as tools of the British empire. In 1828, Robin Swift, an orphaned boy from Canton, is taken to London by the enigmatic Professor Lovell. He undergoes years of training in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, preparing to enroll in the Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford, known as Babel. This institution is not only a center for translation but also for magic, where silver working enables the British to dominate through knowledge that fuels their imperial ambitions. For Robin, Oxford initially appears as a utopia for knowledge. However, as a Chinese boy in Britain, he grapples with the reality that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. Caught between Babel and the secretive Hermes Society, which opposes imperial expansion, Robin faces a critical choice as Britain engages in an unjust war with China over silver and opium. He must confront whether meaningful change can occur from within powerful institutions or if revolution necessitates violence.

A new dark academic fantasy by the New York Times bestselling author of The Poppy War Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. Oxford, 1836. The city of dreaming spires. It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world. And at its centre is Babel, the Royal Institute of Translation. The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows. Orphaned in Canton and brought to England by a mysterious guardian, Babel seemed like paradise to Robin Swift. Until it became a prison... But can a student stand against an empire? An incendiary new novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance.

The new book from the no. 1 New York Times and no. 2 Sunday Times bestselling author R.F. Kuang 'A riot' PANDORA SYKES 'Razor-sharp' TIME 'A wild ride' STYLIST 'Darkly comic' GQ 'Satirical and humorous' COSMOPOLITAN Athena Liu is a literary darling and June Hayward is literally nobody. White lies When Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her unpublished manuscript and publishes it as her own under the ambiguous name Juniper Song. Dark humour But as evidence threatens June's stolen success, she will discover exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves. Deadly consequences... What happens next is entirely everyone else's fault.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld. Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick. But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and – inconveniently – in Hell. And Alice, along with her biggest rival Peter Murdoch, is going after him. But Hell is not as the philosophers claim, its rules are upside-down, and if she’s going to get out of there alive, she and Peter will have to work together. That’s if they can agree on anything. Will they triumph, or kill each other trying? 2025’s most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new novel by Sunday Times Number One Bestseller R.F. Kuang.

THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NYT BESTSELLER 'One for Philip Pullman fans' THE TIMES 'This one is an automatic buy' GLAMOUR 'Ambitious, sweeping and epic' EVENING STANDARD 'Razor-sharp' DAILY MAIL 'An ingenious fantasy about empire' GUARDIAN