Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

340 reviews

tinyfiend's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

plantsnbooks_'s review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Torture, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Self harm and Suicidal thoughts

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-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

3.5

3.5 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, gore, vomit, self-harm, rape, death, war, substance use/addiction 

The Dragon Republic by R.F Kuang is book two in The Poppy War trilogy. I had been putting this book off for a while, because although I enjoyed the Poppy War, it was a gruesome story. This was just as gruesome, but it dragged on and was way too long. 

We continue following Rin as she struggles with the guilt of what she's done. Consumed by grief and rage, she drowns herself in opium. Then the Dragon Warlord recruits her and the Cike to join him in a revolution against the Empress and the Empire to create a democratic Republic. Rin joins in order to take revenge on the Empress who betrayed Nikan by letting the enemy in. But neither the Empress or the Dragon Warlord are what they seem, and Rin finds herself in an impossible position with the Hesperians and their religion looming over the Republican army, and Empress Daji's destructive reign. 

This book was entirely too long. The entire part two needed to move quicker than it did. It was a lot of army marching and waiting, and not a lot happening. The pacing just didn't work for me. Part three was much better. Rin is a bit of a frustrating character, but you can't help but root for her and her friends. I do like that along with Rin, you can't be sure what the right side of this war is. We get a brutal examination of colonization and how religious conversion is tied inextricably to racism. The Hesperians are the West, and view Nikarans as inferior and barely human. We get more from some of the other characters like Kitay, who is my favorite, and Venka who I wish we saw more of. 

I don't think I'm going to finish this series. It's so much work to read these books, and I'm not enjoying them enough to push through. I think this series would make for a brilliant TV series, but I just don't want to take the time to read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and War

nettavatanen's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

hannahschlueter's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and War

danicakvcs's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Vomit, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy

good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War

Moderate: Genocide, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit, Police brutality, Cannibalism, and Abortion

haydenn'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jjjreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Minor: Cursing and Abortion

hayreading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

4.75

This was a lot less emotionally devastating than the first book, but I really enjoyed it. It felt very fast-paced, and the characters feel real. A great combination of history and fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism