btrz7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Classism, Genocide, Grief, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Rape and Religious bigotry
Minor: Abortion
peggy_racham's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, War, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Sexism, Body horror, Child death, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, and Xenophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Deportation, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
bites_of_books'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
Talk about character development, complex relationships, both with family, friends, and even enemies! Twists? Check! Reveals? Check! Incredible suffering? Absolutely.
I said it in my thoughts about the previous book, if you can't read about war and horrible violence, don't even try this one.
While some stories that have military tactics and such aren't my thing, I was on board with this one. I needed to know exactly what and why certain things needed to happen. I was intrigued from the first page since we do get more backstory on characters from the first book while continuing with Rin's story. Rin... oh Rin, where will you end up? I'm terrified for her and also cheering for her to no end.
Now, I could go to bed, but I'm starting the next one now. Wish me luck.
Graphic: Classism, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Child death, Colonisation, Cannibalism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Physical abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Confinement, Torture, and War
stitchof's review against another edition
- 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
allisonmspiers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Confinement, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Violence, War, Gun violence, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Classism, Grief, Torture, Ableism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Abortion, Genocide, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
not listed above: hallucinations, human experimentation, massacres, mutilationseuclids_5th'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
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
nicoles_reading_corner'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: Death, Addiction, Mental illness, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Murder, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence
natfig's review against another edition
- 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
ephemeralzen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War, Rape, Violence, Drug abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Addiction, Genocide, Sexual violence, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Drug use, Abortion, Gun violence, Death, Blood, Sexual assault, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Fire/Fire injury