laughingkatana's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Colonisation, Confinement, Rape, Violence, War, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Panic attacks/disorders
ewinnk's review
- 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: Cannibalism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Torture, War, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Addiction, Grief, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
peggy_racham's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Rape, Child death, Gore, Self harm, Alcoholism, Death, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Colonisation, Murder, Gun violence, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Cannibalism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
stitchof's review
- 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: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Abortion, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Medical content, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Drug use, Mental illness, Murder, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, War, Deadnaming, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Xenophobia
moonymars'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
Spoiler
The one scene where she kills the Hesperian soldier filled me with so many emotions that I could write an entire 10 page essay about.
Venka siding with them at the end made me cry a river. Kitay and Venka my beloveds.
AND if all of that wasn't ENOUGH.
I haven't been so touched by characters dying for a LONG time now. I loved the Cike so much, especially Ramsa, I was one of my favs and now he's FUCKING DECEASED ??? How am I supposed to live without scenes like the ones where Changhan makes Kitay drink horse piss as a joke??
One of my favorite books of all time tho.
Graphic: Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, and War
euclids_5th's review
- 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
Second books in any series have the very difficult task of keeping the reader interested, especially after a well done first book (like the Poppy War). Especially in trilogies, they don’t have the excitement of beginning the story or the satisfaction of ending it. In my experience, most second books fail to deliver. The pacing is off, or it’s a shaky transition, or they re-open questions that were already answered.
The Dragon Republic is not like that. Kuang performs a seamless transition from one book to the next, making it almost difficult to believe that it’s a separate text. She maintains a consistently captivating narrative flow, one that kept my heart thudding the entire way through. Y’all I finished this book in the span of 12 hours. At the same time, Kuang manages to gracefully pivot to different thematic inquiries, interrogating different sides of the topics she discussed in the first book while simultaneously introducing new ones.
Read this book.
Graphic: Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Addiction, Animal death, Death, Violence, Vomit, War, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Classism
natfig's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Death, Confinement, Blood, Sexual harassment, Genocide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Cursing, Classism, Addiction, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Murder, Sexism, Emotional abuse, War, Violence, Alcohol, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Excrement
Minor: Gun violence, Cannibalism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Vomit, Slavery, Sexism, Miscarriage, Genocide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, and Abandonment
stefy27's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, War, Physical abuse, Racism, Classism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse
shaunaxx's review
- 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
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Kidnapping, War, Vomit, Colonisation, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Alcohol, Death, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Violence, Gore, and Medical content
Moderate: Ableism and Cannibalism
Minor: Abortion
thiskelsey'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: Drug use, Violence, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Genocide, Drug abuse, Cursing, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Emotional abuse, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, War, Classism, Blood, Gore, and Death