- The Poppy War (2018)
- The Dragon Republic (2019)
- The Burning God (2020)
Where to start: The Poppy War, then read the other two in order. The Poppy War trilogy is complete at three books.
The dates are the first U.S. hardcover on-sale dates from Harper Voyager (HarperCollins): May 1, 2018; August 6, 2019; and November 17, 2020. R.F. Kuang’s own site describes her as the author of “the Poppy War trilogy.”
Is there a Poppy War show to watch?
Not yet, so there is nothing to watch alongside the books. In December 2020, Deadline reported that Starlight Media had optioned TV rights to the trilogy and was looking for a showrunner. As of October 2026, no series has been released and no release date has been announced, so there is no watch order. Read the books.
Why the order is fixed
The trilogy is one continuous story. The Dragon Republic opens on the consequences of the end of The Poppy War, and The Burning God closes the arc the first two books build. None of the three works as a standalone entry point, and there is no prequel to read first.
Audiobooks and editions
The order is the same in audio, print, and ebook. If you buy individual books, match the edition across all three so the cover and format stay consistent.
For a first read, the Harper Voyager paperback of book one is ISBN 978-0-06-266258-3 (Amazon product identifier 0062662589), on sale April 23, 2019. The original hardcover uses a different ISBN (978-0-06-266256-9). See the publisher’s book-one record .
See The Poppy War paperback on Amazon
Affiliate note: we may earn from qualifying purchases. Verify the paperback ISBN because hardcover and imported editions use different identifiers.
FAQ
How many books are in The Poppy War trilogy? Three: The Poppy War (2018), The Dragon Republic (2019) and The Burning God (2020).
What is the first book in The Poppy War series? The Poppy War is book one and the correct starting point.
Is there a Poppy War TV show or movie? No. Starlight Media optioned TV rights in December 2020, but no series has been released or dated.
Can I start with The Dragon Republic? Not on a first read. It picks up from the end of The Poppy War and assumes you know what happened there.
Sources
This guide is desk research from publisher and author pages, not a review. Checked October 3, 2026.
- HarperCollins (Harper Voyager) records: The Poppy War hardcover, May 1, 2018 ; The Dragon Republic hardcover, August 6, 2019 ; The Burning God hardcover, November 17, 2020 ; The Poppy War paperback, April 23, 2019
- R.F. Kuang: About : “author of the Poppy War trilogy”
- Deadline, December 8, 2020 : Starlight Media TV option
More fantasy series in order: The Red Queen and Eragon .