Reviews tagging 'Racism'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

457 reviews

patdrilon's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

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: Racism, Sexual violence, War

emmacharlotte96's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War

Moderate: Racism, Rape

m_egg_o's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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no longer taking forehead kisses 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, War

Moderate: Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Vomit

Minor: Misogyny

clight's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, War

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

chloe_601's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book took me a couple tries to finally get through, but I’m so glad I did. This is the second book in the poppy war series, and while it doesn’t hit quite as hard with the brutality of war as the first book, so much happens and I felt so many emotions.

I have so many mixed feelings about the main character, Rin. In the first book, she wanted to get out of her rural village and attend Sinegard, the foremost military academy in the Empire. Her ability to push her mind and body to its limits scared me, and it was foreshadowing for the amount of grief and anger she felt, and ultimately for the war crimes she committed.

This book explores a bit more of the mythology of the world, and how shamans call upon the gods to access their power, but the gods are chaotic and view this world as a plaything. Any mortal who calls on them knows that it only ends in their death or in their body becoming a vessel of chaos. Rin was still reeling from her choice at the end of the previous book, and turned to smoking opium every day just to function and not burn everyone around her with the phoenix god’s destructive will.

I really like how the story weaves a fantasy world full of shamans and chaotic neutral gods with the history of 20th century China. The wars happening in the empire are also treated as a curiosity by the Hesperians, who are a stand-in for western allied powers in world war 2. Their treatment of the main characters as savages who need salvation was angering and sickening, but it also parallels what happened in real life. I’m excited and utterly terrified to read the final book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, War

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry

Minor: Racism, Suicidal thoughts

imds's review against another edition

4.0

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Abortion, Suicide attempt

filisia's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Abandonment

brethebookbean's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Xenophobia

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault

mirissab's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Classism

periodblood's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Alas I have finished this book. I believe this book was paced muches better than the poppy war, lost however certain shock value as the plot was always moving on a similar scale. The characters were abled to be further fleshed out (

albeit most are dead now

) And I believe

through the bonding of Rin and Kitay

we as readers were further able to understand the dynamics of their friendships. Generally Rin's emotions throughout the book were handled in more variety and more vulnerableness was shown from her. Plot wise I was bored sometimes as it felt rather repetitive in the middle. I also believe the foreshadowing was handled very outright (not necessarily bad, just took away any shock), because of this the plot points revealed by the end just weren't surprising. The writing was handled beautifully, as expected. 

The handling of European colonisation was shown very well in my opinion. So was the religious propaganda of sorts from the Hesperians. The addition of Augus was also very well put.

I am also very satisfied with the discussions of rape in this book once again. Venka's character now also having an identity as an ally and friend is so good. Daji's also strongly being influenced by rape by a Westerner also helped give a very direct understable reason of her hate.

I all in all enjoyed this book a lot but it doesn't quite top in ratings for me.

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Content Warnings

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