Reviews tagging Confinement

The Dragon Republic, by R.F. Kuang

67 reviews

kbremer23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Alcohol

sonias's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Addiction, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, and Injury/injury detail

chaoticnostalgia's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Rape, War, Kidnapping, Gore, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Classism, Violence, Misogyny, Confinement, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Ableism, Pregnancy, Addiction, Drug abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Minor: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Genocide, Excrement, and Cannibalism

rnbhargava's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.75

The book is quite strong for much of it. However, in the tail end with excessive large battle scenes you lose a lot of the excellent character dynamics of more one on one battles, conversations and interrogation scenes that are Kuang’s strong suit. The Dragon Republic is strongest when focused on character dynamics in the face of the greater war politics. The inequalities and bigotries shown by different groups is quite prevalent throughout the book. Rin’s self hate toward her ethnicity is quite apparent through the narrative too. The book does a really good job of showing that all supposed great leaders ultimately have selfish interests. Some of the added backstory elements are really intriguing. The real life historical background references are very apparent if you know your stuff but it’s also got enough of a veneer of fictionalizing if you don’t. This middle book is a slight step back from “The Poppy War” but not by much and it’s mostly due to pacing hiccups. Please note the role that alcohol and drug use plays in the narrative if you are sensitive to such content. There’s a lot of it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Alcohol, Body horror, Body shaming, Classism, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, and War

lanid's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Colonisation, Confinement, Gore, Child death, Racism, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder

Minor: Rape, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Self harm, Torture, Ableism, Physical abuse, and Abortion

fedekanejbrainrot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

my favourite book in the series, loved the plot, the themes, the characters and relationships growth, and that last 3 chapters?  illegal

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Abandonment, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Torture, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Trafficking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

georgia7's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

imanqblake's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Fantastic sequel! I loved the progression of Rin's trauma and dependency (to various outlets)! I admire how unashamed how these brutal war scenes are shown, and how the characters are both numb and sympathetic towards it. The ending had me in a chokehold haha! Definitely wasn't expecting that turn (in hindsight I should've lol) but yes, will come back for more especially after that ending. Can't wait to read the last book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Confinement, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, and War

faraway_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I'm utterly destroyed.
How do I contact R.F. Kuang? I need to send her my therapy bills.

Spoiler

Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature.

Spoiler

Quiero pensar que hay una explicación completamente razonable para semejante traición; no puedo decir que fue un plot twist porque honestamente me lo re esperaba pero eso no hizo que me doliera menos

On another note, hubo cosas de este libro que no me cerraron y por eso lo ratee menos que al primero pero no fue nada que me impidiera disfrutarlo y sufrir como una desquiciada.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Confinement, Rape, Blood, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, and Torture

cemeterygay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Self harm, Violence, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Torture, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Classism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

Additional CW: Scientific racism, Christian imperialism, and colorism