As any writer will tell you, endings are difficult. Sticking the landing of an acclaimed trilogy that has garnered multiple nominations in its field? Yeah, that’s even more difficult, and R.F. Kuang does it beautifully in
The Burning God.
The Poppy War Trilogy is the story of Fang Runin’s rise from obscurity to power, and how she claws her way to the top using any means possible. Rin has been described as an antihero, and it’s no different in this final chapter. How power shapes her is important, but truthfully it is how her power and her thirst for it shapes the choices that she makes for everyone else that is the core of the story in this third installment.
Lima Public Library Book Reviews
LIBRARY OPEN
• The Lima Public Library has reopened. Main library hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Branch hours are noon to 6 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, except Lafayette is closed Wednesdays.
• The main library has curbside pick up. Hours are 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Call 567-712-5239, contact the library through Facebook Messenger or put a hold on a book through the online catalog. Give workers 24 hours to gather. Park near the main entrance. Call when you arrive, and your items will be brought out.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?