Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

69 reviews

ireadinbed's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I am really loving this series. There is so much lovely character work and good description. They aren't exactly lovable. Sometimes they are down right *unlikable* but I still can't stop reading. 

I found the relationships in this book so much better developed and interesting and the action sequences were really fun to read. Plus the ultimate villains are TERRIFYING. 

But I will say I kept feeling like I was missing stuff occasionally. Like stuff that should have been in page was off page or something? But I also read it in three big chunks so could be user error. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Religious bigotry, Rape, Medical trauma, Medical content, Grief, and Addiction

Moderate: Abortion, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Self harm, Death, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, and Animal death

fearsparks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is the sequel to The Poppy War. It was just as dark, if not darker, than the first book in this trilogy. And I love it. This section includes spoilers to the first book in the series, The Poppy War.

This book is unpredictable and raw. Many things chocked me and was hard to accept. 

We continue to follow Rin, as she deals with the loss of Altan and adjusts to her new role as commander over the Cike. This book is also filled with war, death and destruction, just as the first. But since we’re already familiar with the world, the world building doesn’t take as big a part in this sequel. We see Rin meeting new people, forming new alliances and forging new friendships. The relationships in this book are so dynamic, and really illustrate who is the “dominant” one or who’s in charge. The writing was also intriguing, and kept dragging me along, making the book impossible to put down. However, I found the middle of the book to be a bit slower and harder to get through. But both before and after, it was a page turner!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Murder

gdenav's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Minor: Abortion, Child abuse, Excrement, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Death of parent

plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

Starting an adult fantasy novel whilst in the middle of a reading slump might not have been my best idea. Despite that, I was immediately immersed in this book, as if there hadn’t been a several month gap between me reading The Poppy War and me reading The Dragon Republic. Kuang masterfully writes complex, morally grey characters, and weaves multiple subplots into a story that’s fascinating despite it’s occasionally slower pacing, also integrating discussions of heavier topics relevant both in Rin’s world and our own. So many mind-blowing things happened in this book, and I look forward to picking up The Burning God as soon as I’m in the mood for fantasy again.

I love Rin and Kitay’s friendship. I loved seeing Venka and Rin become allies and then friends. Rin and Nezha’s dynamic was also very interesting to me. I know this series is a military fantasy inspired by real Chinese fantasy and it isn’t at all focused on romance, but can I just say that there’s SOMETHING going on between those two? Is that just me? While I like the way his character was written, I don’t love Nezha the way I do Rin and Kitay. I’m in a love-hate relationship with him at the moment. I’m excited yet concerned to see what unfolds in the final novel, given that every single review of it I’ve seen just talks about how heart-wrenching it is. I’ll get there eventually.

Representation

• protagonist of color
• some side characters of color

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, Body horror, Addiction, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Xenophobia, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Ableism, Abortion, Pedophilia, and Miscarriage

janinab'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Torture, and Violence

kaylamoran's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I found the first book of these series to be extremely predictable at times.  I did not have that problem at all with this book.  It's a rare example of a second book that's better than the first, and the first was excellent in its own right.  I think this one was slightly less violent and bloody, but the plot was so much more gripping.  I loved this, and I can't wait to see where the next book goes.
R.F. Kuang has a unique ability to get me to worry and care about awful people.  Rin and her friends have done some really terrible things, and yet I still care so much about what happens to them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Vomit

nonfictionfeminist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Vomit and Toxic relationship

emerynmader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Racism, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, Hate crime, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Cursing, and Confinement

Moderate: Genocide, Rape, Self harm, Vomit, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Gore

idlereader's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, Genocide, Self harm, Violence, Drug use, Gore, Medical trauma, Torture, Xenophobia, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Body horror

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death