Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

270 reviews

rubbertree14's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It’s hard to rate this book, as the writing itself is good and the world building is good, and I love how the author has tied fantasy and history together. But, the book feels longer than it needs to be. I wish there were less characters to track and more delving into the ones that have front stage, especially the women in this book. All the female characters seem very one-dimensional, even our leading lady. I think the only well-developed character in this series is Kitay. The history and lore is amazing, but wish the plot and characters were there as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Addiction, Gore, Self harm, Abortion, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Medical content, Rape, Vomit, War, Classism, Colonisation, Animal death, Death, Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Child death, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Violence

Graphic

crabinspace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Genocide, Medical trauma, Abortion, Grief, Hate crime, Violence, Child abuse, Self harm, Blood, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Murder, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Infertility, Rape, Torture, Sexual violence, and Classism

akashapaulina's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abortion, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, and Death

xveronica_fx's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, War, Grief, Murder, Gun violence, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

hamstringy's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Jesus fucking Christ. This is a deeply intricate trainwreck of a book that actively raised my heart rate. 

At times it’s a little hard to understand the emotional back-and-forths that Rin goes through with regards to opium, her power, and her relation to power, but I also think that kuang does an uncomfortably good job of describing the ways that war can affect people, so what do I know?  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug abuse, Medical content, Colonisation, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Xenophobia, Rape, Addiction, Drug use, War, and Body horror

Moderate: Self harm

chasespace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Murder, Racism, Torture, Toxic friendship, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Gore, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Violence

meganpbell's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense 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

4.75

The last 50 pages had me absolutely breathless! I was more immersed and engaged in this sequel than with The Poppy War because I really didn’t know what was coming next. Dark, intense, and heroless as always, but a masterpiece of military and historical fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Death, Colonisation, Murder, Torture, Gun violence, Addiction, Religious bigotry, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement

Minor: Abortion

min_grachi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Addiction, Body horror, Abandonment, Drug use, Murder, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Genocide, Slavery, Violence, War, and Racism

swilko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

5.0

R.F. Kuang has proved the sentiment that ‘sequels are always worse’ completely wrong. This book was so good that I was left feeling PHYSICALLY ILL by the end and completely traumatised…

The second book of the trilogy is better than the first, but they are most definitely both 5 stars. 

I hate and love Nezha. I am obsessed with Kitay. Daji? DAJI?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Death, Genocide, Medical trauma, Addiction, Body horror, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, Gun violence, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

4.0

If the first book is about what you can do to fellow people by dehumanizing them, this is about the atrocities you can do even while you know their humanity personally. While this book didn't make me dry heave like the last, it arguably cuts deeper since it's all personal. I was extremely stressed while reading this book, which was purposeful but makes it harder to read. I did love what they did with Venka. I think she was kind of used as a prop in the last book but this book gave her something to do

and sets her up in an interesting place for the next. I do think killing off so many characters towards the end leaves us for a rough time in the beginning of the next but we'll see how that is handled.

I loved Rin's arc as well. Overall this book is a lot of horrid drudgery and darkness but used to good effect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Addiction, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Torture, Sexual assault, Racism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Vomit, Death, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child death, Sexism, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent and Abortion