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danaslitlist'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
4.5
The Dragon Republic is a book that had the incredibly difficult job of coming after The Poppy Wars, which is (in my humble opinion) one of the best "first books" in a trilogy from the way the world building and politics is set up to the characterization and plot. That means that TDR was in the tricky situation of not only needing to hold my attention like The Poppy Wars, but also had to carry on from the emotional devastation that we ended with in book one. Maybe, just maybe that's why I was hesitant to pick up The Dragon Republic and why it's sat on my shelf for half a year (well that, and I was terrified of RF Kuang's ability to emotionally devastate me).
Regardless, I'm extremely happy to report that The Dragon Republic not only held up against book one, it met the challenge of being BETTER. It was an agonizing and frustrating read that had me getting up to pace angrily around my room while sending various voice memos and rants to a dear friend. And it took me twelve days of solid reading in order to finish reading because of this. And, I would've have had it any other way. The frustration with Rin and company was so GOOD it was BAD and then good again. I couldn't fault the characters because it all made sense within the book. Every time a character makes a bad decision it is in line with who they are and you can't really be upset about that.
More than anything I truly believe that RF Kuang is incredibly talented in the way she writes about war and conflict. There are so many times throughout The Dragon Republic where she purposefully places seeds of doubt and unease about which side is truly the "heroes" regarding a civil war. Especially in discussion of class, race, religions and political power we see an exploration of the beneficiaries of war.
I mentioned this in another review for a book I read within the last two months where I said that every book I pick up lately has me thinking back to Palestine and how reading is always a political statement. This is even more true when it comes to books that center rebellion and revolution. I was not able to separate the events in The Dragon Republic from what is currently going on in Palestine (as well as in the Sudan and the Congo). The use of political instability and war in order to ascend to power, the class and political power division, the colonization and degradation of marginalized people due to their race and religion.
I can't wait to start Burning Gods and feel even more emotionally raw and destroyed. Thanks RF Kuang.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Addiction, Murder, Gaslighting, Rape, Emotional abuse, War, and Drug abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Self harm
alex_salamander'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: Drug abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, War, Addiction, Body horror, Death of parent, Genocide, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Classism, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic friendship, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, and Cannibalism
winterwoodbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, War, Ableism, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Pedophilia, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Racial slurs, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Classism, Excrement, Misogyny, Vomit, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Torture, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Rape, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, and Slavery
broccoli_j's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: War, Violence, Grief, Death, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Child abuse, Addiction, Gore, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Rape, Torture, Sexual content, Murder, Death of parent, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
bacook0403'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: Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexism, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gore, Addiction, War, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Colonisation, Child death, and Drug use
alyssa_simard'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: Genocide, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, War, Rape, Violence, and Suicidal thoughts
geminireader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
What it comes down to, is if you are going to successfully write a morally gray/villainous main character, you should be offering the reader perspective. I like reading those type of characters to learn from different perspectives. But there are some perspectives that truly do not need to be heard or even matter. I do not need to know nor do I have anything to learn from a serial killer other than grotesque fascination. And Rin isn’t even real so nothing of her perspective or truth can be translated to life. She truly just sucks. And I really cannot tell whether the author is doing this intentionally. I guess if this is intentional, pat on the back Kuang. Cause you truly created the worst, most despicable character I’ve ever encountered.
And *spoiler* can we just talk about how Rin disowns the South to poise as elitest trash when really the South didn’t do anything to her. Her caretaker sucked but that was about it. And then when it conveniences her to start another war, suddenly she going to fight for the South. But actually, she literally said she’s going to send tens of thousands of “bodies” just to basically get back at Nezha. Oh my god, just thinking about that again, I really hope she dies in the next book. Everyone else sucks too but she is truly just garbage. I have nothing to root for. Also, her whole thing with Altan. Weird. Just weird. So anyway, see you after the third book.
Graphic: Self harm, Racism, Animal death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Death, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Blood, Gore, and Body horror
maria_15'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, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Rape, Religious bigotry, Vomit, War, Murder, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Colonisation, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Cultural appropriation, and Emotional abuse
noareads_20'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
‘The Dragon Republic’ empieza tres meses después del final de ‘The Poppy War’. Rin y los Cike se encuentran a disposición de la reina pirata Moag, por la que llevan a cabo una serie de asesinatos a cambio de suministros (barcos, armas, alimentos) para poder asesinar a la emperatriz Daji. Pero, como puede verse en el libro, las cosas se acaban torciendo un poco y no todo les sale como planean.
Fang Runin está enfurecida tras la muerte de Altan y las consiguientes decisiones que tomó con el poder del dios Fénix la persiguen. Lo único que sirve para calmar y aislarse de ese dolor y, sobretodo, de esa rabia, es el opio. Por lo tanto, al inicio de este libro se encuentra en un estado de embriaguez constante y no demuestra ser la capitana que los otros Cike esperan que sea.
La evolución de su personaje a través de la historia es impresionante. La rabia (también incentivada por el poder de su dios, que se alimenta de ella) y el dolor por la pérdida de una figura que tiene tan idolatrada la guían. Comete decisiones moralmente muy cuestionables y es manipulada por el resto con gran facilidad. En este libro vemos cómo poco a poco va siendo consciente de ello y, además, como va replanteándose la visión embellecida que tiene sobre Altan.
El contraste entre la Rin del primer libro, una niña cuya máxima ilusión es entrar a la escuela militar de Sinegard, y la del segundo, una soldado trastocada por completo tras las diferentes batallas que ha tenido que librar, es muy visible. Muestra con mucha complejidad como la guerra puede marcar y cambiar a uno.
Kitay es otro que también se ha visto afectado por ella. En ‘The Poppy War’ se nos mostró como alguien inocente, de gran inteligencia, amable y respetuoso con el resto. En ‘The Dragon Republic’ lo sigue siendo, pero se le añade una rabia antes no vista (eso sí, más interiorizada que la de Rin), provocada por los escenarios traumáticos que ha vivido.
En general, encuentro que los personajes son el punto más fuerte de estos libros (aunque esto no significa que no haya otros). La caracterización y evolución con las que Rebecca F. Kuang les ha dotado es muy notable. Nezha, por ejemplo, es otro a destacar. Pero no voy a hablar aquí de él, porque creo que en ‘The Burning God’ tendrá un papel incluso más importante en la historia.
Las relaciones intrapersonales de Rin calan muy a fondo, cada una muy diferenciada entre sí. Ella y Kitay son la perfecta definición de ‘platonic soulmates’, a pesar de tener personalidades completamente distintas y de estar enfadados una parte del libro, comparten un vínculo casi irrompible (literalmente) lleno de confianza, entendimiento y respeto mutuo. Con Nezha, por otra parte, es un poco más complejo. Es una relación amor-odio, en la que opuestos se atraen y se repelen a la misma vez. Como se dice en el libro, son agua y fuego.
“Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature”.
Además, me gusta mucho la relación que desarrolla con Venka (una de camadería y ayuda mútua) y con Changhan, quién también idolatraba mucho a Altan y que por eso parece desconfiar bastante de Rin (remarcado el parece).
El mundo se desarrolla más, entran en escena algunos clanes/reinos nuevos y otros ganan importancia. Ha sido muy interesante ver como cada uno de ellos conceptualizan ciertos temas (como por ejemplo, la religión) y la relación de poder que se establece debido a ello. Parecen ser paralelismos con países reales con los que China (en la que está basada gran parte del territorio) ha tenido contacto a lo largo de su historia.
El final es increíble. A pesar de que te destroza emocionalmente y no puedes parar de llorar, los acontecimientos que tienen lugar sirven para el desarrollo de la historia y de los personajes, sobretodo de Rin. Es como una linterna que le ilumina el camino que nunca ha sido capaz de ver.
No pensaba que este libro me gustaría tanto como lo ha hecho, pero R.F. Kuang me ha vuelto a sorprender (no debería hacerlo, porque es una genia y todos sus libros están súper bien desarrollados). Si el tercer libro me emociona tanto como este, la saga tiene potencial de convertirse en una de mis favoritas.
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Addiction
laughingkatana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Colonisation, Confinement, Rape, Violence, War, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Panic attacks/disorders