Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Republika smoka by R.F. Kuang

130 reviews

bookishedi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Self harm

Moderate: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Misogyny, Rape, Physical abuse, Abortion, Slavery, and Miscarriage

Minor: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

theresa_timber'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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, War, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Cursing, Confinement, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Genocide

lydiasturges's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

Oh my god. Oh my god.

Nezah’s betrayal???? I was hoping Rin would have just the tiniest bit of happiness. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted Viasra, but I didn’t expect him to go that far. I’m distraught that Rin and Kitaly will have to go directly against Nezah who I LOVED getting to know this book. Ramsa and the rest of the Cike?? I’m unwell. Rin thinking about allying with the Empress??

 

The constant changing relationships and alliances should have been exhausting to keep track of, but it was such a compelling plot to see how things developed. I genuinely enjoyed this book more than the first book. There was more focus on Rin’s relationships which made the story more enjoyable to me. I never knew where the story because the politics/strategies of war are above me, but I enjoyed always feeling on edge. I felt like this book had more stakes because I was genuinely concerned about whether or not they would succeed multiple times throughout the story. 

The author is just brutal to Rin and what she’s going through. But all of her suffering isn’t gratuitous. It clearly is designed to push her into a dynamic and complex FMC that you can’t help but root for. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Genocide, Confinement, War, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Drug use, and Classism

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Torture, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

cturn's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Blood, Drug use, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Violence, Addiction, and War

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, and Miscarriage

queenkath32's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Death, War, Blood, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Rape, Violence, and Addiction

Moderate: Self harm, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Classism, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Cursing, Genocide, Sexual violence, Confinement, and Murder

sxbui5's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Gun violence, Confinement, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Murder, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Rape, Physical abuse, Cursing, Classism, Mental illness, Genocide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Torture, Sexism, and Blood

ilovebarbie12dancingprincesses's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Racism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Drug use, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Blood, Torture, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Drug abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Suicide, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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

3.5

This book was a disappointment after the glorious Poppy War, the introduction to Kuang’s fantasy world of early 20th C China. I struggled throughout the book because I found Rin, the main character, so annoying. In The Poppy War Rin is learning about how powerful she is. For a great deal of this book, especially the first half, she’s helpless and whiny and angry and impossibly rude. She is decidedly unpleasant at best. 

I found the battle scenes riveting, and Rin’s interactions with her closest friends the most powerful. I especially liked the increasing closeness between Rin and her best friend Kitay, and I loved the scenes with the contraption he makes for her. 

I still remain in awe of Kuang’s scholarship and writing. She is always an excellent author. I’m going to read the third in the trilogy with hopes that it will be more engaging than this one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Racism, Torture, Colonisation, Classism, Confinement, Violence, War, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Addiction, Blood, Gore, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

ghost_rider'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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Drug use, War, Addiction, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence, Vomit, Classism, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Grief, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Torture, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and Racism

julia206's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, War, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Addiction

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Animal death, and Rape