Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

188 reviews

beau_b_reading's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I sadly don't think any book of the series is ever gonna top the first (Poppy War), but I still enjoyed it enough to want to finish the series. I would recommend reading it in big chunks rather than occasionally, because the story doesn't hit as much that way whoops. Thank you Daniel for lending this copy to me :)

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Content Warnings

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

abookward's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism

jenaleehjanes's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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when rin set that hesperian r*pist’s balls on fire, i cheered

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Content Warnings

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

shannonscotteditorauthor's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Medical content, Alcohol

yesenianais's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

daffodilreads's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It took me forever to finish because the story is so heavy, so raw, and absolutely heartbreaking. Rin's grief was almost too much to handle, and her impulsiveness, aggression, and irrational decisions drove me insane. I wanted to scream at her for making all the wrong choices, but that's what made her journey so powerful.
The ending gave me chills and I was not expecting it. A brutal, eye-opening look at power, class differences, and the way the elite manipulate those below them. Rin's slow realization that the rich never intended to honor her humanity (because to them, she never had one) was devastatingly brilliant. If you're ready for a book that will wreck you this is it.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4
Relationships: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5
Spice: 0
World-building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐4.75

Tardé una eternidad en terminarlo porque la historia fue muy intensa, muy cruda y absolutamente desgarradora El duelo de Rin fue casi imposible de soportar, y su impulsividad, agresividad y decisiones irracionales me volvieron loca. Quería gritarle por tomar todas las decisiones equivocadas, pero eso es justo lo que hizo que su viaje fuera tan significativo.
El final me puso la piel de gallina y no lo vi venir. Es una mirada brutal a la dinamica entre el poder y la humanidad, las diferencias de clase social y cómo la élite manipula a los que están debajo para su beneficio. La lenta realización de Rin de que los de arriba nunca tuvieron la intencón de respetar su humanidad (porque para ellos, ella nunca tuvo una) fue devastadoramente brillante. Si estas listo para un libro que te destroce, no busques más. 

Trama: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 
Personajes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4
Relaciones: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5 
Spice: 0
Construcción del mundo: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 
En general: ⭐⭐⭐⭐4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Murder, War

littleroott's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

zazzisara's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

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This book has affected me in so many ways. R.F. Kuang , I don't know what you put in these books but they have marked me in so many ways. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War

bobbieshiann's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional informative tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"A puppet until the very end". 

 

This review will be candid, and I must express my ongoing frustration with Rin, but my resentment towards the Hesperians runs much deeper and lingers longer. 

 

Rin embodies a paradox; while I find her exasperating, I grapple with whether I can truly empathize with her. The Dragon Republic feels like a relentless carousel, where no matter how hard you strive to move forward, you remain pinned against the wall. Throughout the narrative, Rin is trapped in that position, paying a steep price for it. “Yes, you are, you don’t even realize it. Your kind has been treated as slaves for so long that you’ve forgotten what it is like to be free. You’re easily angered, and you latch quickly onto things—opium, people, ideas—that soothe your pain, even temporarily. And that makes you terribly easy to manipulate.” 

 

The Dragon Republic thrusts us into the chaos of war, where manipulation, murder, sacrifice, anger, alliances, infiltration, and submission unfold. Rin is perpetually faced with choices that lead to inevitable losses—loss of power, friends, territory, and innocent lives. I must remind myself that Rin is essentially childlike, having been deprived of love and guidance for years. Even amidst the war, she is human first, with her needs long neglected. This does not mean those needs vanish; instead, she seeks acceptance and loyalty wherever she can find it, yet she is also quick to push others away. Her character development felt stagnant to me, which was disappointing, and I detest how she is treated as an experiment—just another tool for their purposes. 

 

Now, let me tell you, the colonizers ignited a fire of rage within me! I want to burn like Rin and rid ourselves of them. This reality is anything but pleasant. The Hesperians imposing their rules, ideologies, religion, and way of life is sheer folly. It is disheartening, disruptive, judgmental, and deeply emotional for me as a reader. Humanity possesses an insatiable desire to occupy spaces that do not belong to us. The wickedness lurks in the shadows, ready to unveil itself, and that wickedness is embodied by the Hesperians, though they are not alone in their actions. The Yin family is equally despicable. I felt not sorrow but relief at Jizhan’s demise; however, Vaisra, you have allowed the Hesperians to manipulate you, even as they exert control over you. Your wife’s treachery, conspiring against Shamans despite your own son’s power, represents a new low. How can you selectively ignore acts of violence while contemplating the sacrifices necessary for your gain? The Dragon Province is stained with blood, yet Daji the Empress was never the true adversary. 

 

“No one remembers who started the First Poppy War … One autumn day seventy years ago, a Hesperian admiral sailed up the Murui and blasted his way into Lusan. He pillaged the palace, razed it to the ground, poured oil over the wreckage, and danced in the ashes. By that evening the Autumn Palace had ceased to exist”. 

 

Entering the third book without the Cike and Qara presents a challenge. I had anticipated a deeper exploration of the Ketreyids, yet they too are corrupted, striving to suppress the Shamans while grappling with internal conflicts that lead to death and the revelation of the trifecta's truth. As we delve further into Daji's character, it will be intriguing to observe the shifting alliances. However, I foresee more violence and manipulation on the horizon, for once the Hesperians become involved, their belief in superiority will compel them to meddle in affairs that do not concern them, without ever retracting their hands. 

 

P.S. I am truly delighted to welcome you back, Venka. You have demonstrated resilience in numerous aspects. Kitay, your loyalty and friendship are commendable. The absence of Ramsa will undoubtedly diminish the humor within the narrative. Lastly, Nezha, FUCK YOU! Rin's assessment of you as a coward is accurate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Classism

_han_na_'s review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation