Books › The Poppy War › Books like it
If you loved
Books like The Poppy War
A brutal, escalating journey from a scrappy magical academy underdog story into a harrowing, mythic exploration of war and vengeance. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The Poppy War.
- dread-soaked
- harrowing
- gritty
- dark
- 01
The Dragon Republic
R. F. Kuang
A brutal, adrenaline-fueled descent into the horrors of war and the devastating cost of vengeance.
- 02
The Burning God
R. F. Kuang
A devastating, fire-forged conclusion that drags you through the ashes of a brutal, morally gray war.
- 03
Jade War
Fonda Lee
A tense, cutthroat fantasy where family loyalty and magical power collide in a desperate fight for survival.
- 04
The empress of salt and fortune
Nghi Vo
A quiet, lushly woven tapestry of memory and hidden rebellion, where the true history of an empire is told through the eyes of its forgotten women.
- 05
Red Sister
Mark Lawrence
A bloody, poetic exploration of loyalty and lethal sisterhood set beneath the fading light of a dying sun.
- 06
Jade City
Fonda Lee
A cinematic, blood-soaked family saga where martial arts magic meets ruthless syndicate politics in a neon-lit metropolis.
- 07
The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty)
Ken Liu
A sweeping, mythic chronicle of a rebellion that tests the limits of brotherhood and the heavy price of forging an empire.
- 08
The Bone Witch
Rin Chupeco
A shadowy, atmospheric coming-of-age fantasy where the burden of death magic forces a young witch to navigate encroaching darkness.
- 09
Girls of Paper and Fire
Natasha Ngan
A lush, claustrophobic fantasy where forbidden love becomes the ultimate act of rebellion in a gilded cage.
- 10
She Who Became the Sun
Shelley Parker-Chan
A fierce, sweeping epic of ruthless ambition and queer desire, where survival demands carving out a destiny with bloody hands.
- 11
Babel
Rebecca F. Kuang
A fiercely intelligent, dread-soaked descent into the dark heart of empire, where language is both the ultimate weapon and the deepest betrayal.
- 12
The Priory of the Orange Tree
Samantha Shannon
A sweeping, feminist epic that wraps you in courtly intrigue, ancient magic, and a slow-burn romance that defies empires.
