Reviews with content warning for Drug use - La repubblica del drago

Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

La repubblica del drago by R.F. Kuang

570 reviews

areadersrevel's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I was so done with Rin in this book. She became this whiny little b***h seeking validation and was overly obsessed with Altan. They weren’t even that close and the AH slapped her that one time, like tell me why all of sudden she’s determined to honor his memory? Also, aren’t we supposed to be developing her character? Why does she feel underdeveloped? This is the SECOND BOOK!!!! I was expecting her to be way more badass. Make it make sense!

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plantsnbooks_'s review against another edition

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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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maggieraemarrinan's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

5.0

It’s a lot to digest but the politics were so well done! I’m fully invested in this story.

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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

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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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monstermash's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

After finishing The Poppy Wars in 2 days, this book felt slower and harder to get through. It wasn’t as new or exciting and I struggled to find the same energy I had about the first in the series. Still, it was a good book and I’m looking forward to moving on to the final book in the trilogy.

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elsreadingarc's review against another edition

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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

5.0

i genuinely feel so many different emotions in my chest right now. yes i cried 5 different times during the last 4 chapters, but this book from the beginning was sitting at a 5 star rating.

r.f. kuang is such a powerful writer that this book was just so so so good the entire time??? there was no slow moments in the plot??? everything had purpose and meaning and every word in this book Mattered.

i am so in shock with this trilogy ik i'm going to carry it with me for so long. not only Because Of kuang's writing style but the message that changes with each book. it's so powerful i just RAHHHH.

i also love rin so so so so much. i do not care what she has done & what she will continue to do in the final book of this trilogy. she is such a powerful character & all of her decisions i support with every part of my heart and soul.

this book being my first read for 2025 is setting the bar SOOOO high idk what to do.

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