Reviews tagging 'War'

Republika smoka by R.F. Kuang

771 reviews

anxiousshorebird's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, and War

Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Excrement, and Abortion

meli3s3s's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

chris_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Excrement, Abortion, and Alcohol

stephhamp's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was an incredible and brutal tale of the realities of war. No one is a winner. But it also wove together clear comparisons on the horror of colonization, religious supremacy, racism, and more. That I did not expect but RF Kuang woves it all together beautifully. She's a favorite of mine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Minor: Sexual violence

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hevlav's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I truly am not much for war books, but The Dragon Republic is simply outstanding. Without shying away from the brutal, horrific details of war, it approaches everything with so much nuance that any grotesque shock value feels far removed. 

R F Kuang brilliantly draws parallels between our own world and the fictional state of the Empire without any heavy handedness. This book is brutal but incredible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Murder, and War

drjoannehill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

Much improved on The Poppy War in terms of writing and pace of the story. But you have to have some interest in war strategy and the progress of troops and naval fleets to fully enjoy it, as this part drives the story - with themes of trauma, revenge, betrayal, guilt, behind it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry

janiceinwonderland's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

i really wanted to like this one, but rin remained as unlikable as ever— maybe even moreso than the first book. like every other character reads her like a book and is just as frustrated with her, so why doesn’t the author allow her to grow??? 

i started off trying to give the book a chance, then got hooked during part 2 only to be let down by the end.

it feels like a lot of what was built up as important in the first book was easily dispensable in this one (

ex. the cike being killed off/barely playing a role unless convenient, the way rin’s altan grieving arc resolved, etc

)

i really just stayed to see how this one concluded, but it just helped me learn that i don’t enjoy gratuitous descriptions of warfare and violence. i’ll probably just read a summary of the final book. i promise im not that negative, but the book really puts you in that headspace lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

narzibenoucdel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

caoimhe9876's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape