A review by greatlibraryofalexandra
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Well this was an Empire-Strikes-Back level punch in the face of Red Rising proportions.
I think I'm always going to love how Kuang just refuses to make anything morally easy. I'm also delighted by how much Rin reminds me of Katniss Everdeen in that she is so frequently a petulant, somewhat selfish, blunt-minded heroin who constantly needs to be guided by people who actually are smarter/better positioned than her. She's frustrating when she refuses to listen, but the lesson is in the learning.
This is five stars for me. I love the breadth of it, the messiness of it, and how it utilizes good tropes in personalized ways. It's searing and brutal. On to The Burning God.
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Nitpicks:
I can't believe I'm saying this, but one weird issue I had with this book was how often Rin & others gave emotional "Fuck off" or "Fuck yous" to people - it was so casual and so flippant that at the points when these words should have carried real emotional eight, they just...didn't. In other words...I felt like in an effort to consistently make this work YA, but dark as hell, Kuang wasn't utilizing her swear words with the best emotional thrust.
I also note that the constant use of Venka as nothing more than a mouthpiece for female rape trauma was annoying. Towards the end, when Venka began to have real use to the story, this was less bothersome, but I mention it because if Kuang was male, I'd be ripping this plot device to apart as trauma porn.
Given that the "prologue" -ish chapter of this book included Nezha's POV, I think the book as a whole suffers from not continuing to include his POV. I see him similarly to how I saw Letty in "Babel" - I'm not sure Kuang sent enough time in his character to then write some of what he did convincingly for me. But I'm also excited t osee how it all unfolds.
I think I'm always going to love how Kuang just refuses to make anything morally easy. I'm also delighted by how much Rin reminds me of Katniss Everdeen in that she is so frequently a petulant, somewhat selfish, blunt-minded heroin who constantly needs to be guided by people who actually are smarter/better positioned than her. She's frustrating when she refuses to listen, but the lesson is in the learning.
This is five stars for me. I love the breadth of it, the messiness of it, and how it utilizes good tropes in personalized ways. It's searing and brutal. On to The Burning God.
-----
Nitpicks:
I can't believe I'm saying this, but one weird issue I had with this book was how often Rin & others gave emotional "Fuck off" or "Fuck yous" to people - it was so casual and so flippant that at the points when these words should have carried real emotional eight, they just...didn't. In other words...I felt like in an effort to consistently make this work YA, but dark as hell, Kuang wasn't utilizing her swear words with the best emotional thrust.
I also note that the constant use of Venka as nothing more than a mouthpiece for female rape trauma was annoying. Towards the end, when Venka began to have real use to the story, this was less bothersome, but I mention it because if Kuang was male, I'd be ripping this plot device to apart as trauma porn.
Given that the "prologue" -ish chapter of this book included Nezha's POV, I think the book as a whole suffers from not continuing to include his POV. I see him similarly to how I saw Letty in "Babel" - I'm not sure Kuang sent enough time in his character to then write some of what he did convincingly for me. But I'm also excited t osee how it all unfolds.
Spoiler
Nezha, Nezha, Nezha...here is to hoping you are a Lando Calrissian, but I don't think you are.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Xenophobia, Torture, Addiction, Colonisation, Cursing, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, Gore, Death, Sexual violence, Blood, and Body horror