Reviews tagging 'Death'

Republika Smoka by R.F. Kuang

424 reviews

thyprincess's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

 “So do not shirk from war, child. Do not flinch from suffering. When you hear screaming, run toward it.” 

While The Poppy War took its time with the world-building and painting of the different forces driving The Nikara Empire and its long-seated strife, The Dragon Republic delves deeper into these characters. The book delivers more discussions on war strategies, political plays, and the sacrifices people are willing to take for the sake of power and their idea of stability. It is heart-pounding and gripping, and one will be thankful for the sparse moments of rest in between all the action.

Character's change, for better or worse, as the aftermath of the Third Poppy War takes its toll on our young soldiers. As our protagonist, Rin, faces psychological battles, those around her, too, grapple with the new roles they have taken up for this civil war. There is bitterness, grief, and rage - so much rage - that fuels them to take actions that cannot even be morally debated on. 

This sequel shines with its delivery, and its status as a 5-star read was only cemented by its insane last few chapters. I am excited and terrified to read the conclusion to this trilogy, which will, regardless, bring me to my knees in tears again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Rape, Death, Blood, and Colonisation

ajay_101's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

RF Kuang has stood out to me spectacularly this year and to round off the year with this was just sublime.

A gripping read with twists and turns galore and a really good war story told.

Took some time to get back into at the start due to not coming straight from The Poppy War but once I was back into the headspace of the world I enjoyed every second of the ride!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gore

Minor: Rape

potion96's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Violence, War, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Ableism, Colonisation, Rape, Animal death, Misogyny, Alcohol, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Addiction, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Torture, Sexual assault, Racism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Vomit, Death, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child death, Sexism, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent and Abortion

obtoosegoose's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Drug abuse, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Suicide, Child death, and Medical trauma

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, and Cannibalism

kirsten1999's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Drug use, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm

Minor: Racism

brynalexa's review against another edition

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child death, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion

kunabarre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, War, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Murder, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Genocide, Abortion, Torture, and Self harm

joepyeweed's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Murder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Torture