R.F. Kuang – författare

Winner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018 ‘The best fantasy debut of 2018’ – WIRED A brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic.When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.But surprises aren’t always good.Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away…

The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – THE POPPY WAR. Rin is on the run …Haunted by the terrible choices she had to make to save her people, Rin's only reason for living is to take revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold her homeland to its enemies.Forced to ally with the powerful Dragon Warlord in his plan to unseat the Empress, Rin throws herself into the struggle using the fearsome power bestowed on her by the vengeful god PhoenixAfter all, making war is all she knows how to do …

Prepare for one hell of a journey… 'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE'I devoured it' REDOne of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025 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 No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang.'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach' THE HERALD‘Mind-bending fantasy’ GRAZIA

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 'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach now' THE HERALD 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. 'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’ Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Babel’ was a New York Times bestseller w/c 11-09-2022.

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. After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much – the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges – and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners.As her power and influence grows, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s voice, urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

Prepare for one hell of a journey… 'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE'I devoured it' REDOne of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025 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 No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang.'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach' THE HERALD‘Mind-bending fantasy’ GRAZIA

Prepare for one hell of a journey… 'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE'I devoured it' REDOne of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025 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 No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang.'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach' THE HERALD‘Mind-bending fantasy’ GRAZIA

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 'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach now' THE HERALD 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. 'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’ Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Babel’ was a New York Times bestseller w/c 11-09-2022.

Prepare for one hell of a journey… 'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE'I devoured it' REDOne of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025 2025’s most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang. 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?'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach' THE HERALD‘Mind-bending fantasy’ GRAZIA

This collection features the novels in her historical military fantasy trilogy—The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God—a complete epic inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic. Free map included. The Poppy War A war orphan, Rin earned her place in Nikan’s most elite military school. There, she discovers her lethal, unearthly power of shamanism—and learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive. When an inevitable conflict arises between longtime enemies the Nikara Empire and the Federation of Mugen, Rin realizes her shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity… The Dragon Republic After committing an atrocity in battle, shamanic warrior Rin is consumed with guilt, an opium addiction, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix god. Channeling her anger against the Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland, she chooses to join forces with the Empress’s enemy, the Dragon Warlord. But as Rin discovers the true natures of the Empress and the Dragon Warlord, the temptation to unleash the Phoenix’s fearsome power grows—and so does her vengeance… The Burning God After saving Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress in a brutal civil war, Rin realizes that her homeland’s real power lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation. Vowing to defeat all who threaten the shamanic arts, Rin’s power and influence grows—but so does the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it…

Winner of the Reddit Fantasy Award for Best Debut 2018 ‘The best fantasy debut of 2018’ – WIRED From the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface comes an all-new, fully illustrated, collector’s edition of R. F. Kuang’s debut novel, The Poppy War. Considered one of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time, the story of orphaned Rin’s rise to power gets a fresh look with black-and-white interior art by JungShan Chang throughout. A brilliantly imaginative epic fantasy debut, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic.When Rin aced the Keju – the test to find the most talented students in the Empire – it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who had hoped to get rich by marrying her off; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free from a life of servitude. That she got into Sinegard – the most elite military school in Nikan – was even more surprising.But surprises aren’t always good.Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power – an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of psychoactive substances and a seemingly insane teacher, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive – and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away…

The instant Sunday Times bestseller from legendary author R. F. Kuang is now available in a stunning Deluxe Collector's Edition — the definitive way to own this modern dark academia classic.Babel took the world by storm, captivating readers with its richly imagined alternate history of Oxford, its exploration of language and colonialism, and its unforgettable cast of characters. Now, this beloved novel has been reimagined in a luxurious collector's edition worthy of its place as one of the most celebrated fantasy novels of recent years.This exquisite edition features a foil-stamped faux leather package, patterned endpapers, stenciled edges, a ribbon marker, and luxe paper — every detail carefully crafted for the discerning collector. Seven stunning spreads of original black-and-white illustrations by acclaimed artist Nico Delort bring the world of Babel to life like never before, alongside updated spot art for the Part pages throughout.Whether you're a longtime fan looking to upgrade your shelf or discovering Babel for the first time, this collector's edition is the ultimate way to experience R. F. Kuang's masterpiece.A treasure for every bookshelf. A must-have for every Kuang fan. 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 novel from award-winning author R.F. Kuang about the power of language, the violence of colonialism, and the sacrifices of resistance. 'A masterpiece that resonates with power and knowledge. BABEL is a stark picture of the cruelty of empire, a distillation of dark academia, and a riveting blend of fantasy and historical fiction – a monumental achievement’ Samantha Shannon, author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE R.F. Kuang’s book ‘Babel’ was a New York Times bestseller w/c 11-09-2022.

The searing follow-up to 2018’s most celebrated fantasy debut – THE POPPY WAR. Rin is on the run…Haunted by the atrocity she committed to save her people, addicted to opium, and driven by the murderous commands of Phoenix, the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.Rin’s only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold her homeland, Nikan, to her enemies.With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. She throws herself into his war.After all, making war is all she knows how to do…