vi_rain's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Suicide, Self harm, Death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Cannibalism, Murder, Animal death, Child abuse, Addiction, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Child death, and Animal cruelty
stitchof's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Child death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Abortion, Addiction, Antisemitism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Outing, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, and Xenophobia
rnbhargava's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The Dragon Republic was a minor misstep but overall I would give the series a 4-4.5. I actually believe I’ll revisit this book series in the future. R.F. Kuang has a space in my heart as an author to watch. Good thing I already got Babel and Yellowface already for whenever I choose to read them.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Slavery, Confinement, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Death of parent, Hate crime, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racism, War, Ableism, Abandonment, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Violence
Yes, there are all the triggers. In particular, there’s mob violence because the country is going through famine, illnesses, devastated towns and cities ruined by war and further problems that come about because of governmental instability. It’s all very graphic. This is late stage war. There’s even poisoning of water sources among other things. Basically every issue you can think of with war toward the end of it is here. Brace yourself or read something else.codifyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Murder, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Xenophobia, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Torture
Minor: Slavery and Self harm
stephlikestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
dany_casimiro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Despite all of its greatness, there are some areas where I think this entry lacks a bit. I would have loved to see a bit more focus on other characters, particularly Kitay. Maybe Nezha too, given his central role. The plot moves a little bit too fast, especially toward the end, with alliances shifting too fast for processing.
Spoiler
This also gives the Trifecta's final arc and Arlong's overthrow a somewhat too-easy sense of accomplishment at the end.The whole symbolism and reframing of war history are brilliant. A big shout out to the Yin House's storyline and to the Dragon - probably one of the best narrative threads of the trilogy.
Kuang's sheer mastery of laying bare the inner workings of History's "vicious circles" of violence and discrimination is evident. The result? A mind-bending and nail-biting reading experience across-the-board that proves that humanity's creativity is not done yet.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Drug use, Colonisation, Violence, and War
Moderate: Slavery, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Xenophobia
tinyjude's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It was all there, laid out between them. All their shared fury, vindictiveness, bloodlust, and guilt. Her cruelty. His complicitly. Her desperation. His regret.
One of the most brutal fantasy trilogies I have ever read. I am rendered speechless, trying to absorb everything that happened, and feeling ultimately devoid of emotions and at the same time, overwhelmed because it has been such a haunting, horrifying and memorable journey. I knew that ending was coming for a long time, yet no amount of mental preparation saved my heart from sinking in those final pages at the complicated bond all these characters shared. So many bold decisions and unphantomable turns later, I have (been) finished (by) this trilogy, yet I regret none. The incredible historical and social commentary, the parallelism to real history mixed with such a complex and compelling fictional world-building and unforgettable characters, the writing style, the harshness and pain that flooded these pages as more and more lives were lost in so many different ways...
I wish I could forget about it just so I could experience it all over again.
Rin has become one of my favourite irredeemable main characters of all times and I know I will miss her dearly from now on.
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Blood, Colonisation, Murder, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Body horror, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, War, Xenophobia, Grief, Rape, Child death, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Suicide
ephemeralzen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Genocide, Addiction, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Physical abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, War, Rape, Religious bigotry, Racism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Suicide, and Slavery
csmall73's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicide, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Child death, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, War, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Slavery
ellenisntcool's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Body horror, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexism, Emotional abuse, War, Murder, Violence, Self harm, Xenophobia, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Colonisation, Child death, and Blood
Moderate: Blood, War, Animal death, and Vomit