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thewordsdevourer'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
4.5
honestly this book had too many logical lapses for my liking, hence the not-5 stars. they werent anything major but were still perplexing. for instance, why did rin have to go up mt. tianshan, considering riga's hatred for speerlies and the fact that it wasnt imperative for her to be there at all; daji and jiang couldve managed it just fine w/o her? the price of calling the gods also seemed greatly diminished compared to book 1; there wasnt rly any consequences in the form of resulting events, the stakes werent high save for insanity. the full reveal of the trifecta's shady history was predictable as well, and fell a lil flat for me. also, considering rin and kitay were bonded, why didnt the latter have any inkling on the former's decision in ch.33?
my other main misgiving is the fact that i feel like rin couldve utilized the countryside population more. their huge numbers were emphasized, yet the size of rin's southern army and conquests felt so small, and the army actually struggled w/ their small numbers throughout the book. the "throwing bodies at her enemies" preluded in book 2 didnt happen either. and the book would've benefited more from depicting how the southern civilians truly supported rin.
it's a testament to kuang, her story, and her storytelling, therefore, that the book still got nearly perfect stars. burning god was intense, brutal, and adeptly wrestled w/ thought-provoking themes of power, war, history, cycles of violence, and colonization (once again, yts rly ain shit but wbk). despite the overwhelming deaths present, they never felt gratuitous and were instead a powerful, realistic depiction of the destructive impact of war and the impossible choices it wielded. another thing i loved was the complexity and...sheer messiness of feelings and ppl: the rin-kitay-nezha trio was a perfect example of this (and rin & kitay...i shed a tear fck def my most fav m/f friendship ever).
sth i feel this book did best from all the fiction ive read is creating and exploring morally grey things, both in its characters and ideas. u couldnt completely hate anyone + everything had both pros and cons. it made us question: who's right or wrong? is anything or anyone completely evil or good? there were no easy answers here and kuang challenged her readers to ponder, and even to question not only history but also the present. all in all, this was a satisfying conclusion to one of the best (and def the most bl**d-soaked) series ive ever read. what a fcking ride.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Religious bigotry
doodeedoda'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pregnancy
katiemcgregor'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
4.0
What this book did really well is evoke intense emotions and instill an overall feeling of impending doom due to enemies that our main characters potentially can't even compete with. They're battling the colonization and "natural progression" of the world and it's hard to imagine that being a fight that can be won under these circumstances. Throughout the whole book it just doesn't feel like things can end well. No matter how many victories Rin achieves, the writing does a really good job of conveying her hollow feelings associated with them.
I think the other thing I maybe wanted a little more of was action between the original trio. It was obvious that everything was going to come down to them in the end, but The Dragon Republic was filled with more collaboration, fighting, and tension between them. Since they're all spread out, especially Nezha, throughout this book it just didn't lend itself to the type of interaction I would have loved more of.
All that being, said, I'm kind of nitpicking here because it's been a long time since I've been this invested in a series. This book really is very good and I understand why this has already become such a renowned trilogy. It is an experience.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cannibalism
some_random_person_hi'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
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and War
Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Toxic relationship
violaceae'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Outing
isabellaft's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Colonisation
ghulsona'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
4.5
Rin's gradual slip into insanity is something that I predicted from the first book, but it still gutted me to read about her downfall in this book. Do you know the tumblr post that goes like "i am a war criminal i am clinically insane & the next virgin mary & i am never going to die etc etc"? I feel like that is the exact embodiment of the character Rin becomes over the course of this book. Reading about her descent into madness was extremely interesting - she's already thinking of herself as this legendary figure that history will sing about before they've even won the war! The hubris! Her love for Kitay being a tether to her humanity made me so so so sad. The last scene truly destroyed me. I get why a lot of people wouldn't like her character, but I found her her thirst for vengeance and her struggles with identity (who is she without a war to fight for?) so fascinating. She's definitely a character that I will think about for a long time.
Kitay, Kitay, Kitay. I loved him so much - his genius, his ethics, how he loves and loves Rin despite everything and cannot deny her anything. "Take what you want, it said. I’ll hate you for it. But I’ll love you forever. I can’t help but love you. Ruin me, ruin us, and I’ll let you." Wow!
The Trifecta finally coming together was something that I was really excited to read about. Jiang! I missed him dearly and felt Rin's heartbreak when he really isn't the man we met in the first book anymore. I also grew to like Daji more than I thought I would. I was expecting Riga to be horrible, but his monstrosity cannot be understated. I wish we could've gotten more of them - their time was up almost as soon as we finally had all 3 of them together, and it doesn't make that much sense considering how powerful they were? Oh well, I did really enjoy the little that we got of them.
For the other characters: Rin finally realizing that Altan had been extremely flawed, but still heeding his words and keeping his memory and voice alive in her mindspace was interesting. Venka! I'm heartbroken about her end, but I loved the small moments she had with Rin. I didn't see much of Nezha so I don't have much thoughts to offer about him, but I'll read "The Drowning Faith" soon to get his perspective. The mastery and execution of his powers was really cool to read about, and the last scene really hit home how young he is despite the burdens placed on his shoulders (how young all of them are, really).
There are some things that I wished were explored more. For example, Speer! I am honestly left with more questions than I had before. How did Rin survive the genocide? I want to know more about Hanelai! Also, I thought the subplot about Chaghan's people would be tied into the story, not solved outside of the text. Speaking of Chaghan's people, I thought we would get more about Tseveri! I also wish there could've been more exploration of the vengeance and violence that takes ahold of the South following their liberations. What were the fates of Kesegi and maybe even Tutor Feyrik? Also, what is up with the Hesperians!?! How did they even find those god-neutralizing weapons? This was definitely intentional, but the uncertainty of Nikara's future by the end of the book really had me distressed.
Misc moments that I really liked: Rin's small memorial to Jiang at the base of the mountain and her last thoughts to her old mentor. Her last thoughts about the endless circle of violence and her thinking about others who once stood in her place to make the choice she had to make. Rin's mentoring of the new shamans (I wish we had gotten more of them as well, but alas)! "Dying was easy. Living was so much harder—that was the most important lesson Altan had ever taught her". Rin finding the poppy fields outside of Tikany and having that brief burst of hope. Rin getting her revenge on Sister Petra!
Overall, I really did love this book. I haven't picked up a book in a long time that's captivated me as much as this series has, I'll probably think of it for a long time. Read the Poppy War!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death
redthistle'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
5.0
All of the characters developed in ways I had hoped and looked for in the other two books. If you liked the first two I highly recommend finishing the series with this one.
The end absolutely devastated me but in the best way possible. The writing was stunningly beautiful and I am in awe.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Characters: 10
Plot: 7
Setting: 10
General appeal: 9
Writing style: 7
Originality: 9
Ending: 10
Spoiler free, Poppy War series review: https://youtu.be/H0xdme4atzo
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Grief, and Cannibalism
m_________'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, 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 content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Minor: Incest and Vomit