The Poppy War reading order
R. F. Kuang’s Poppy War trilogy in publication order, where The Drowning Faith sits, and why this is not a Yellowface reading path.
Start here
The Poppy War
It is book one (2018). The two sequels are the same war after it has already started. Do not start with The Burning God. Do not start with Yellowface — that is a different book.
A finished trilogy. Publication order is the only path. Babel and Yellowface are other Kuang shelves. They are not Poppy War 4 and 5.
The trilogy
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Poppy War | 2018 | Start here. | Amazon |
| 2 |  The Dragon Republic | 2019 | Amazon | |
| 3 |  The Burning God | 2020 | Closes the trilogy. | Amazon |
Read them in this order. Book two and book three assume you already know what book one cost.
The Drowning Faith
| Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Drowning Faith | 2020 | Bonus story / extra. After the trilogy if you want it. Not a fourth novel. | Amazon |
This is optional connective tissue published around the end of the run. It is not an on-ramp and not a hidden prequel you must find before book one.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Babel because it is the Kuang title in the window.
- Starting with The Burning God because the trilogy is “done.”
- Treating The Drowning Faith as required homework.
- Expecting a romantasy temperature because neighboring shelves are louder.
What to read next
- Broken Earth (N. K. Jemisin) — If you want another finished grim trilogy that earns its last book.
- The First Law (Joe Abercrombie) — If you want another war that does not tidy itself, with a correct first door.
- The Poppy War’s cousin on tone: Malazan (Steven Erikson) — If you want a much longer military-history argument. Not a light next step.
- The Scholomance (Naomi Novik) — If the school-as-weapon was the part you want in a different key.
- Babel (R. F. Kuang) — If you want another Kuang novel as itself, not as a sequel.
FAQ
Is the trilogy complete?
Yes.
Do I need The Drowning Faith?
No.
Is Babel a sequel?
No.
Can I stop after book one?
You can. You will be stopping in the middle of a designed three-book argument.
Sources
- R. F. Kuang — author site. Opened 2026-09-13.
- HarperCollins, The Poppy War — publisher page for book one. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
