Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Republika smoka by R.F. Kuang

176 reviews

swilko's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • 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? It's complicated

5.0

R.F. Kuang has proved the sentiment that ‘sequels are always worse’ completely wrong. This book was so good that I was left feeling PHYSICALLY ILL by the end and completely traumatised…

The second book of the trilogy is better than the first, but they are most definitely both 5 stars. 

I hate and love Nezha. I am obsessed with Kitay. Daji? DAJI?

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

isaaceelliot's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

potion96's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark slow-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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

4.0

If the first book is about what you can do to fellow people by dehumanizing them, this is about the atrocities you can do even while you know their humanity personally. While this book didn't make me dry heave like the last, it arguably cuts deeper since it's all personal. I was extremely stressed while reading this book, which was purposeful but makes it harder to read. I did love what they did with Venka. I think she was kind of used as a prop in the last book but this book gave her something to do
and sets her up in an interesting place for the next. I do think killing off so many characters towards the end leaves us for a rough time in the beginning of the next but we'll see how that is handled.
I loved Rin's arc as well. Overall this book is a lot of horrid drudgery and darkness but used to good effect.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

obtoosegoose's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark reflective 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

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

alex_salamander's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book but that's not a fault of the writing at all and more personal preferences on how I like character motivation set up.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

brynalexa's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It was an odd experience to want to know what’s going to happen next but also despise almost every decision made by every character. There were SO many battles that it got muddy in the middle.  Trying to remember which battle they were referring to later made the book tricky to follow at times. I think that experience would be different reading it in print. I’m excited to see where the third book takes the story… hopefully to some moral evolution but also revolution. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

joepyeweed's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

5.0

Hard to read but hard to stop. I don’t always enjoy politics, but here it worked for me because you don’t know who to trust or which side should win. 

Rin is frustratingly rash and impulsive, but there are consequences for her actions every time (even when I might expect another book to let her off easy). She’s the main character, but is not a hero. I like that.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

persephonefoxx's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark 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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings