Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Republika smoka by R.F. Kuang

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

Graphic

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

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

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

isaaceelliot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, and Death of parent

danaslitlist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

"She'd seen the resentment on the faces of her people. The glare in their eyes when they dared to look up. They were not a people grasping for power. Their rebellion would not fracture over stupid personal ambitions. They were a  people who refused to be killed and that made them dangerous."

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and War

Minor: Self harm and Injury/Injury detail

alex_salamander's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book but that's not a fault of the writing at all and more personal preferences on how I like character motivation set up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Excrement

Minor: Cannibalism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

broccoli_j's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

bacook0403'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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and War