The Drowning Faith

No. It is a short supplementary companion piece, usually numbered 2.5 in the series, set between The Dragon Republic and The Burning God. The three main novels are The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God.

It is told from the point of view of Yin Nezha, shifting away from Rin to explore his interior experience of the trilogy's events.

Kuang originally released it for free on her own website in 2020, timed to the release of The Burning God.

It is set between the second and third novels and contains minor spoilers, so it is best read after at least The Dragon Republic.

It is very short, roughly fifteen pages collecting three brief stories, rather than a full-length novel.

The narrative is most effective when read after completing the first five chapters of the third book in the trilogy. It provides internal perspective on a key character that adds tension to the events unfolding at that specific point in the larger story.

This work consists of a collection of scenes written exclusively from the point of view of Yin Nezha. It bridges gaps in his personal history and motivations throughout the first two books and includes an opening sequence that aligns with the start of the final volume.