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This book really focuses most on the exploration of Rin’s character and morals. She constantly flips back between being horrified by her actions, unable to deal with the consequences, trying to shift the blame off herself, and being justified in her genocidal tendencies. There’s a question into whether these tendencies are a product of the Phoenix god in her brain or something integral to her, her rage and her desire for revenge. I felt sometimes like there was an inconsistency in her beliefs, and I had first thought that was carelessness on the author’s part, but there was a specific line highlighting the fact Cike sometimes didn’t even know they were being manipulated by the gods. That made the characterization of her a little more interesting to me, as it’s not explicitly stated every time the Phoenix may be manipulating her and it leaves it up to the reader to guess.
I both enjoyed and got frustrated over the development of Rin’s relationships with other characters. I think this book did a better job of it than the first, and some of the grievances I had went away as they resolved later, but I think they still stand. A lot of the relationship development between Rin and characters like Nezha, Kitay, and the other Cike would happen “off screen” early in the book, and while they did flesh out more later I did still feel like the characters felt far away and changed at the whim of the author rather than developing naturally. During the second half of the book I felt it was done better, which funny enough is the exact same thoughts I had with the first one. Maybe this trilogy is filled with better second halves lol.
I will say that RFK has managed to make a protagonist that’s both so unlikable but so easy to root for. Rin is frustrating, selfish, and just a bit maniacal, but I keep hoping she will make it out onto the other side. She’s FAR from a perfect victim but she is a victim the same, and I like that approach, it’s realistic. The ending of this book really does set up for the finale really well and I’m anticipating which characters will return, what is to come of Rin’s dwindling team, and what will become of Nikara and its opponents.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, War
Allora ammetto che ho letto diversi libri della Kuang, tra cui il primo della serie che ammetto non mi aveva emozionato, soprattutto perché avevo notato che la scrittura della kuang riguardo i suoi personaggi era molto debole, perciò ammetto che non ero intenzionata a continuare la saga.
Eccetto ho deciso di farlo su suggerimento di un'amica e ne sono molto felice; secondo me con questo secondo libro la Kuang è molto migliorata e c'è stata l'introduziione all'interno della storia di tantissime riflessioni storiche (e non) e una scrittura dei personaggi che secondo me è molto migliorata. Non vedo onestamente l'ora di continuare questa serie ed urlare 'Rin! Rin, no... Rin, no, per favore' ogni cinque minuti perché è stato il mio mood continuo (insieme a 'nezha, i stg nezha').
Unica pecca, ma questa è colpa mia, è che ammetto che non mi ricordassi molto del primo perciò in alcuni parti ero abbstanza confusa ma penso (ne sono sicura) che sia colpa mia.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation
Graphic: Addiction, Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Cannibalism, Acephobia/Arophobia
Very enjoyable read, still hurts as much as the first time, better than the first one.
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Deportation
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Colonisation, Classism, Deportation
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Deportation
in many ways, the dragon republic is a significant improvement from the poppy war, taking what was already one of the greatest fantasy books I've ever read and somehow going beyond that. any pacing issues I'd had with the first book were practically nonexistent in this instalment, and somehow the characterisation managed to stay as hard-hitting and intricate as it was in the first book. rin is such a fantastic protagonist in, and kuang handles her development from the first book (for better or for worse is up to you to decide), as well as her complicated relationship with altan, with such meticulous care, and not a day has gone by without me thinking about the progression of kitay's arc throughout this book. I've always had a soft spot for him, but the way kuang handled his progression from the boy we see in the poppy war to the hardened, furious version of him in the dragon republic is so incredibly devastating but oh so incredible.
even though this took me literal months to get through, the dragon republic is a fantastic and gut-wrenching sequel that will certainly stick with me for a while. I don't think I'm ready for what might unfold in the burning god (I'm preparing myself for the worst, but I have a feeling that isn't going to help much given kuang's track record).
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Vomit, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation
I all in all enjoyed this book a lot but it doesn't quite top in ratings for me.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, Dysphoria
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail