A review by violetlunablossom
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
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? Yes
4.75
I really enjoyed The Poppy War but The Dragon Republic made me love the world and characters that R.F Kuang created even more. It was a little slow for me at the beginning, but it wasn't an absolute slog. Things quickly picked up towards the middle and by the end, I felt like I had ran a marathon because of how fast my heart was beating. Seeing Rin's growth was really rewarding, and while it felt like she was taking one step forward and two steps back most of the time, when she became more level headed and knowledgable of the political games being played, it was fantastic to see. I also developed a newfound love for Kitay! He wasn't really someone who I was that invested in back in The Poppy War, but now that he has a much more prominent role in the storyline, I've come to love him and his sweet demeanor. It really balances out Rin's more fiery temperament.
Su Daji gets a section of her own because my god, she's such an amazingly complex character. She had only two scenes in this book but they were spectacular. Even when she wasn't physically there, her presence took up space in every chapter. You understand why she did the things she did but you also kind of hate her because of all the brutality we saw back in The Poppy War. Out of all the shamans, her powers are definitely the most interesting to me and they really suit her well. I'm so excited to see what kind of role she plays in the final book.
The brutality was definitely upped in this book too. There were multiple scenes that had me setting down my book because of how upset I was, and with the introduction of the Hesperians (who are a fill in for the British), both the racism and physical violence had another layer of grossness. Kuang did a really good job of getting me to hate them, even if it was pretty easy for me to dislike them from the get go.
I'm very excited to tear into The Burning God soon. I've been told to save my tears for that one so I'll be buying a box of tissues before I start reading it.
Su Daji gets a section of her own because my god, she's such an amazingly complex character. She had only two scenes in this book but they were spectacular. Even when she wasn't physically there, her presence took up space in every chapter. You understand why she did the things she did but you also kind of hate her because of all the brutality we saw back in The Poppy War. Out of all the shamans, her powers are definitely the most interesting to me and they really suit her well. I'm so excited to see what kind of role she plays in the final book.
The brutality was definitely upped in this book too. There were multiple scenes that had me setting down my book because of how upset I was, and with the introduction of the Hesperians (who are a fill in for the British), both the racism and physical violence had another layer of grossness. Kuang did a really good job of getting me to hate them, even if it was pretty easy for me to dislike them from the get go.
I'm very excited to tear into The Burning God soon. I've been told to save my tears for that one so I'll be buying a box of tissues before I start reading it.
Spoiler
REBECCA HOW DARE YOU MAKE THE CIKE SUFFER. YOU TORE MY HEART OUT WITH QARA'S DEATH BUT BAJI AND SUNI TOO??? I had to take a snack break because of how upset I was
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Addiction, Classism, War, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Genocide
Minor: Abortion