If you’re on BookTok or a reader in general, you’ve probably heard the name R.F. Kuang. Kuang is one of the most popular authors on the scene, taking the internet and the whole book world by storm. Her first book, The Poppy War, was published in 2018, and since then, she’s released numerous others that have captivated readers.
I’ve read and loved all of her books, spanning different genres. My favorite thing about Kuang’s writing is the diversity of her novels, because she always brings something new with each book.
She’s also set to release another novel in September, Taipei Story, following her latest 2025 release, Katabasis. Until then, though, I want to revisit all of Kuang’s books, seeing how they stack up against each other.
- Yellowface
-
Last in the ranking, but certainly not least, is Yellowface. Yellowface is a messy book, but in the best way possible. The book looks at the underside of publishing, bringing harsh truths about the industry to light.
It follows Athena Liu and Juniper “June” Hayward, two upcoming authors on the literary scene. After Athena dies in a freak accident, June steals her manuscript, revises it, and sends it to her agent as her own work.
I loved this book because it took a unique turn from the rest of Kuang’s works. In short, this is a satirical commentary on plagiarism and the publishing industry, also tackling themes of racism and xenophobia.
A lot of criticism about this book is that it’s too heavy-handed with its themes, but with a heavy, uncomfortable story like this, it’s important for it to be upfront with the problems it’s tackling.
I put this book last on the ranking solely because I prefer Kuang’s other books over this one. While Yellowface is a compelling read, I enjoyed the stories of her other books, and they stuck with me a little bit longer than this one.
- Babel
-
Babel is one of Kuang’s most popular books, right alongside The Poppy War. It’s her second-highest-rated book on Goodreads, trailing The Poppy War by less than half a star. Babel follows Robin Swift, orphaned and brought to London from Canton by Professor Lovell.
There, Robin studies to enroll in Oxford University’s Royal Institute of Translation, Babel, where the book gets its name. As he begins his training at the university, Robin becomes entangled in his identity, being a student at Babel, and the mysterious Hermes Society.
Babel was nothing short of amazing, and there’s so much to unpack about this book. It’s a modern literary classic, blending fantasy, fiction, and nonfiction with its investigation of language. Babel is a love-letter, and a hate-letter, to academia. This book is dense, but complex, immersing readers in the university through the lives of Robin and his classmates.
Babel is a monumental novel and a modern-day literary classic. Reading this, I could tell Kuang put a lot of time and research into writing it. Her writing is technical and dense, but this is a heavy story that sits with you.
I was skeptical about picking this up because I don’t usually read dark academia, but I knew I usually enjoy books by Kuang, and Babel wasn’t an exception.
- Katabasis
-
I ranked Katabasis above Babel, but the two are interchangeable. While Babel is amazing, it’s a bit heavier, and I ranked Katabasis above it because I was more engaged with the story.
Like Babel, Katabasis is a love letter and a hate letter to academia. After the death of her advisor, Professor Jacob Grimes, Alice Law travels down to Hell to retrieve his soul. Besides the fact that his death may have been her fault, Grimes’ recommendation can make or break her future, so Alice is determined to save him.
Unfortunately, Peter Murdoch, her rival, decides to tag along — so not only do they have to survive Hell, Peter and Alice also have to survive each other.
This is one of my favorites of Kuang’s novels because it seamlessly blends the past and the present, revealing Alice and Peter’s past as the story unfolds. This book is very slow-paced, but it’s intentionally written, allowing readers to understand the plot and dissect the clues that Kuang leaves behind as she builds up to the ending and reveals the entirety of Alice and Peter’s past.
I especially loved this book because of how unique it is. Kuang always brings something new with each book, but structuring Hell as a university setting was a fun spin. Also, I especially loved the magic system. Although it’s complex and flawed, Kuang explains it well, pointing out the inconsistencies through her characters.
Like her upcoming release, Katabasis was a book I eagerly awaited, and Kuang didn’t disappoint.
- The Poppy War Trilogy
-
Although The Poppy War Trilogy is three books, I’m ranking them as one, because I’d put them all at number one. The Poppy War was Kuang’s first book, and the trilogy has to be my favorite of her works.
The series follows Rin, an orphan, as she studies and earns her place in Nikan’s elite military school. As the story unfolds, Rin discovers secrets of the gods themselves, unearthing a new power within herself. Starting with the war between the Nikara Empire and the Federation of Muge, the conflict grows, and so does Rin’s strength and anger.
This series is just pure, undiluted female rage. It’s a story of vengeance, and Rin’s character is so cathartic to read. I love Rin because she’s realistic. From the beginning to the end of the series, you can see the highs and lows of her character development.
She’s messy, she grieves, she’s angry, she’s paranoid, and you can’t define her actions as just right or wrong, which makes her interesting to follow.
This trilogy is devastating, but I have to admire Kuang’s work because she has such great attention to detail. The story is consistent, and each book creates an engaging gateway into the next to keep readers wanting more.
The Poppy War is a gripping fantasy series but also an insightful commentary on the chaos of war and the complexities of morality amid violence. This is Kuang’s only series, but it’s her best work, and my favorite out of all of her books.
I’m looking forward to Taipei Story, and it’ll be interesting to see how it stacks up to Kuang’s other novels. Her books never disappoint, so I’m not-so-patiently awaiting what she’s going to deliver next!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!