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annablanna's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Racism, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Drug use, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Hate crime, Genocide, Death, Physical abuse, and War
Moderate: Murder, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Police brutality, Kidnapping, Infertility, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
mei33's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: War, Violence, Racism, Cursing, Rape, Addiction, Child death, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Sexism, Classism, Genocide, and Gore
Moderate: Medical content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Classism, Medical trauma, Blood, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Misogyny
fortunetree's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Story review:
I would say I liked the pacing of the story and I preferred the first part of the book. First of all, what I liked about the pacing is that the author doesn't spend unnecessary time establishing her life before the actual story starts. She arrives at Sinegard quite quickly and what continues to happen is all pretty much what you would expect. Also, this kind of reminded me of a shonen-style anime, I mean the whole she is the underdog, who looks different, gets into a petty rivalry (
Shout out to Jiang by the way (I love his character).
So while some might think it would be a bit boring to basically have half the book spent on her training I think this also solves as a way to world build which was done quite beautifully. You get a lot of insight into the politics and history of this world (
The second part of the book was a bit more serious and in some sense dark. It was quite exciting to read and the mood set was pretty grim.
Finally, I would say that this book was more story-driven it was also very focused on developing Rin's character (more on that later). So if you would like to read something that is going to feel a bit like a shonen Anime, mixed with Chinese mythology, weird stuff on Shamans and Gods which then turns into a horrible war with Game of Thornes type of messed up shit constantly happening to your favourite characters I would definitely recommend this book to you. Just be warned everyone is kind of is a drug addict or simply crazy.
The only thing that some people might miss is the lack of a romance plot in this book, I feel like it probably would not fit Rins character or the general focus on the more important things in this world but it would have helped to lighten the mood in the second part of the book.
Character Analysis (cause why not, I have time and I have opinions...):
Atlan:
So first of all I would like to say, Justice for my man Atlan
Now people say that if life gives you lemons then you should make lemonade. Atlan thinks this is bullshit because life gave him
Nezha
Now also, Justice for my man Nezha
Rin
So while I like Rin and her determination, I am also like girl get a grip on your character. It is said that she is impatient and rash but girl.
I am also looking forward to seeing how she is going to be in future books because basically, most people who meant something to her died a horrible death because of the Empress so revenge ark incoming. I mean it is already hinted that she is crazy (like everyone else in this entire book)but burning yourself to feel pain to be awake to study, what was that? Also, I know this is a book but if you constantly study like a crazy person, no sleep, no food with no proper rest, then maybe you can do that one or two times when you are young but if you don't recover not only will you not learn anything because well the brain needs sleep to consolidate memories but also you are going to get very sick.
And please please if he is alive give Nezha and her a better relationship, they need to talk about things and like just become better friends.
Jiang
I love this man, he is the coolest edge lord (very anime sensei coded) but also hilariously funny. I mean like he is described as a mad man but he truly is one of the few and only sane characters in this book
Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Genocide, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Violence, and War
_marycappiello3's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Drug use, Murder, Rape, Violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, Death, War, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Body horror, and Child abuse
rakkaussipsi's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Rape, Torture, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual violence, and War
iydpyd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There were a couple parts that lagged for me
I think the book does a great job of walking us through complex and hard ideas and world building.
For a story that covers so much ground and has something of a tone shift when a military school story turns into a war story, it didn’t feel disjointed. It’s not hopeful. It doesn't make you feel warm about humanity. There’s not much “goodness” in this.
I don’t think it’s the best book to pick up if you’re in a place of deep anxiety or feeling fragile personally. It didn’t nothing to help with my general anxiety, which was already peaking, during the week I was reading it.
I’m halfway through The Dragon Republic and I’m have more criticisms of that one. I don’t know about the whole series, but I do think this first book was very much worth the read- if only for the execution (of the story.)
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Addiction, Bullying, Colonisation, Confinement, Misogyny, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Classism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Abortion
esdiecinueve's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Genocide, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Vomit, and Xenophobia
chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Colonisation, War, Racism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Sexism, Child death, Self harm, and Sexual violence
Minor: Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Vomit
val_theburrowofstories's review against another edition
- 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
This book was SOOO good, it was 4 ⭐ for me.
Despite the story, I find the narrator’s voice soothing and I love how she makes a different voice for each character.
I did not expect the story to go so quickly. I’m used to books where stories usually happen in such a short amount of time but this was maybe 3-4 years? I think if the author would’ve decided to make 1 book for each year of her in the school I would’ve read them too and they would’ve been great.
The first half is Rin basically preparing for school and then getting in and being a very good student to keep her place there. I liked it so much because I was proud of her and it felt like learning history with all the information about the other Poppy Wars.
Maybe she didn’t know completely what she was doing, but I admire her for literally eliminating menstruation and all that shit to be unstoppable. I’ll be needing the formula lol
Once the war started I was so in shock that I could not even cry from the horrors (check trigger warnings!), I wonder what the author has prepared for the next books.
I want to know more about the 13th division, I want to get to know them all because I think she might be spending so much more time with them and well I need to connect to someone to cry when they die lol besides their powers seems interesting.
The only two I kinda care about if something happens to them are Kitay (bc that’s maybe her only true friend) and Ramsa (he’s literally just a kid!)
I’m so ready to see how Rin will burn the enemy to the ground 🔥
Graphic: Genocide, Death, War, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Murder, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Animal death and Infertility
Please be sure to check ALL the trigger warnings by all readers because a lot of things happen and I imagine the next books will be even darker.
- Menstruation / Infertility: She got her first period in the school, and what’s shocking is how she drank something to stop it forever, basically killing that organ.
- Death / Murder / Genocide: because of the war
- War: it’s literally on the title lol, it mostly happens in the second half of the book
- Injury / blood / gore: when they find all those people in the end...
- Animal death: She killed a dog to defend herself
- Rape: Someone she knows was raped and she describes how so many other women too. It's pure horror.
- Addiction / Drug use: They take a drug to be able to connect with the Gods?
kendall32's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Rape