Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Im Zeichen der Mohnblume - Die Kaiserin by R.F. Kuang

18 reviews

wylanslcve's review against another edition

challenging 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

oh this was truly phenomenal. with the poppy war already being so strong in so many aspects, I was admittedly a tad bit apprehensive going into the dragon republic as is usually the case whenever I start a sequel - however, it only took a single page for all traces of apprehension I felt prior to starting this to dissipate pretty much instantaneously.

in many ways, the dragon republic is a significant improvement from the poppy war, taking what was already one of the greatest fantasy books I've ever read and somehow going beyond that. any pacing issues I'd had with the first book were practically nonexistent in this instalment, and somehow the characterisation managed to stay as hard-hitting and intricate as it was in the first book. rin is such a fantastic protagonist in, and kuang handles her development from the first book (for better or for worse is up to you to decide), as well as her complicated relationship with altan, with such meticulous care, and not a day has gone by without me thinking about the progression of kitay's arc throughout this book. I've always had a soft spot for him, but the way kuang handled his progression from the boy we see in the poppy war to the hardened, furious version of him in the dragon republic is so incredibly devastating but oh so incredible.

even though this took me literal months to get through, the dragon republic is a fantastic and gut-wrenching sequel that will certainly stick with me for a while. I don't think I'm ready for what might unfold in the burning god (I'm preparing myself for the worst, but I have a feeling that isn't going to help much given kuang's track record).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Cultural appropriation

bookishedi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

nataaaliya's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

If it were possible, I'd get every word of this trilogy inked into my skin.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

alex_salamander's review against another edition

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Excrement

Minor: Cannibalism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

maria_15's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, and Colonisation

hailsatan's review against another edition

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Classism, and Deportation

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

why would R.F. Kuang do this to me

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

donatio's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm not sure I always liked Rin, but I liked the Cike and Kitay and I think though it was brutal that it was brutally honest. About war, discrimination, crimes and colonialism. It's not beautified in any way and I think that's the only right way to tell this story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

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

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

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

Additional CW: Scientific racism, Christian imperialism, and colorism