Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

14 reviews

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Rape, Religious bigotry, Vomit, War, Murder, Violence, and Grief

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

donatio's review

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Slavery

Minor: Cannibalism

Additional CW: Scientific racism, Christian imperialism, and colorism

ccpetrikas's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, War, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual assault, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Cultural appropriation, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Addiction, Abortion, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

sorodeeznuts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

bookbaristeas's review against another edition

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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Vomit, and Violence

redthistle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is a good continuation of Rin's story from the Poppy War.
Overall I enjoyed it, although I admit there were sections which dragged pretty hard for me and I struggled to want to continue reading, which isn't surprising given the books 650+ pages.
I struggled particularly because

Spoiler

I hate the 'hero losing their powers' trope

and a good section of this book this occurs which left me feeling frustrated and bored.

The story continues to be a brutal depiction of a country ravaged by war, young people thrust into positions of unimaginable power the consequences of which they do not fully grasp or allow themselves to consider (mainly Rin but others as well), and the ultimate reminder that those in power are willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to gain and keep what they desire.

While the narrative does show a window into Rin's mind as she tries to deal with what she had done and continues to do in the name of winning a war, I did feel that she lacked much actual development. She never really changes. Whether that is because of the nature of the pheonix and it's rage or because its the only way she can live with what she's done I'm not sure. I admit I had hoped for some sort of develop or growth from her which I personally did not see.

One thing I loved and kept me reading was the development between characters and their relationships. I have gotten much more attached to many of the ensemble characters than I had in the Poppy War and loved to see their friendships grow.
Thoughts on individual characters have spoilers:

Spoiler

I got particularly attached to Nezha and his betrayal was honestly awful. I loved his friendship with Rin and I really wish he had been strong enough to break from his family's grasp and stand on his own two feet. I hope that maybe in the next book he will. I want to believe that he did what he did because he thought he was protecting Rin and not that he fully sold her out.

I was so glad that Venka got to be in this story and that her and Rin have become allies. It warms my heart that Rin supported her and helped to to fight and I'm excited to see their relationship developed in the next book.

I loved the development of Kitay and Rin's friendship. I was getting pretty bored of the story before they became Anchored and that's when it turned back around for me. I've always loved their friendship and that he loved and accepted her from the very beginning of her story at the Academy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Vomit