A review by readingthroughthelists
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

dark 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

3.0

What an odd series this is proving to be. I was enraged at the ending of The Poppy War, yet intrigued enough to pick up The Dragon Republic. It took me nearly three months to get through this book and yet when I could be bothered to read it, I didn’t want to put it down. I screamed at Rin and all her frustrating, asinine decisions and yet I cheered for Nezha and Chagan and all the other characters I have (admittedly) grown fond of. I feel I can see potential lurking in some of these scenes. There are elements of a good story here, some characters and plot points that work, and then so much that doesn’t. 

Really the only reason I keep reading is because I am writing my own (much better) fanfiction in my head and I need fodder to keep my story going. Two books into the series and I think my version is quite good now. 

Whatever its flaws, at least my version has two things The Dragon Republic lacks: characterization and theme. The lack of characterization is honestly shocking. With the exception of Kitay, Chagan, and maybe Altan, no one in these books feels like a real person. They act more like paper dolls that Kuang moves wherever the plot needs them to be. Exciting things happen around them and they respond with their limited range of simple, basic emotions, and then the plot sweeps them on to the next thing. 

I have long lost any hope that Rin is ever going to amount to anything like a good character and her suffering thus fails to move me, but I was holding out hope for Nezha and Vaisra. But both men are criminally underused here. Honestly, it’s hard to even call Vaisra a character when he is on stage for less than 10% of the book. He is talked about by other characters and we are told a good deal about him, but we are never shown anything for ourselves. Because of this, the shocking, jaw-dropping twist at the end of the book fails to be either shocking or jaw-dropping.
Wow, the obviously evil guy with nefarious plans for Rin was evil and had nefarious plans for Rin?! If only Rin had listened to the 37 other people who had already warned her about this!

Nezha certainly gets more time in the spotlight, but he too falls disappointingly flat. Really, he doesn’t even feel like the same person from The Poppy War. Gone is the meanness, the spite, the bitter edge. Now he is just a Nice Guy who is determined to be Nice to Rin (and everyone else). What sparked this total shift in personality (especially when he is home and subject to the jagged dynamics of his family? Wouldn’t we expect him to be more angry/bitter/cruel in such a place?)? Why the utter lack of insight into the complicated dynamic between Nezha, his father, and his brother? Surely this is where the meat of the story lies? 

But it doesn’t because this story has no meat. It has no heft, no weight. Some light themes float here and there about colonialism and the nature of power, but it has nothing to say, especially not when compared with something like Kuang’s far superior Babel. 

In my version, though, there are real characters! And themes! And Nezha is cool again!
And also no one is cooking their children into dumplings (though maybe I can be persuaded to leave that part in).

3 stars. 

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