Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

154 reviews

jessereadsthings's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Racism

Minor: Cannibalism

dany_casimiro's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

A punch in the gut through and through from start to finish. 

Despite all of its greatness, there are some areas where I think this entry lacks a bit. I would have loved to see a bit more focus on other characters, particularly Kitay. Maybe Nezha too, given his central role. The plot moves a little bit too fast, especially toward the end, with alliances shifting too fast for processing.

This also gives the Trifecta's final arc and Arlong's overthrow a somewhat too-easy sense of accomplishment at the end.

 

The whole symbolism and reframing of war history are brilliant. A big shout out to the Yin House's storyline and to the Dragon - probably one of the best narrative threads of the trilogy. 

Kuang's sheer mastery of laying bare the inner workings of History's "vicious circles" of violence and discrimination is evident. The result? A mind-bending and nail-biting reading experience across-the-board that proves that humanity's creativity is not done yet.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Drug use, Colonisation, Violence, and War

Moderate: Slavery, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Xenophobia

tinyjude's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It was all there, laid out between them. All their shared fury, vindictiveness, bloodlust, and guilt. Her cruelty. His complicitly. Her desperation. His regret.

One of the most brutal fantasy trilogies I have ever read. I am rendered speechless, trying to absorb everything that happened, and feeling ultimately devoid of emotions and at the same time, overwhelmed because it has been such a haunting, horrifying and memorable journey. I knew that ending was coming for a long time, yet no amount of mental preparation saved my heart from sinking in those final pages at the complicated bond all these characters shared. So many bold decisions and unphantomable turns later, I have (been) finished (by) this trilogy, yet I regret none. The incredible historical and social commentary, the parallelism to real history mixed with such a complex and compelling fictional world-building and unforgettable characters, the writing style, the harshness and pain that flooded these pages as more and more lives were lost in so many different ways... 

I wish I could forget about it just so I could experience it all over again.

Rin has become one of my favourite irredeemable main characters of all times and I know I will miss her dearly from now on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Blood, Colonisation, Murder, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Body horror, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, War, Xenophobia, Grief, Rape, Child death, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Misogyny, Cannibalism, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Suicide

praaliine's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• 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

5.0

this book resulted in one of the most horrendous ugly crying episodes i’ve ever had. i can’t even put down my thoughts rn because its 6am, i just finished this book and i haven’t slept.

<16 hours after>
it was a tragedy unlike anything i’ve ever read, and there were times when the story was just so overwhelmingly depressing. i actually read over the final chapter again after work and i wept even harder.

rin vexed me on several occasions, that girl was brave and stubborn, stupid, strong yet so fragile at the same time. i loved kitay, i really did, so so much. i hated nezha like never before, but i felt so sorry for him it hurt. rf kuang has this gift for creating insanely complex yet unique and realistic characters, and stellar writing. i’m also angry with her for doing what she did with this book, it was honestly painful.

i can’t believe this series was her debut, it was incredible. rf kuang has just changed the way i view the fantasy genre and has set the bar so incredibly high.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Torture, War, Blood, Cannibalism, Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Xenophobia, Child death, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol

jacobandthefrogs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• 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

5.0

I don't think any series of books have so destructively targeted every emotion in the way The Poppy War trilogy does. 

Fire and water look so lovely together. Its a pity they destroy each other by nature.

Rin and Kitay dying will prevent me from ever being happy again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and War

ka_ke's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

5.0

Ugh my heart can’t take anymore damage. RF Kuang really knows how to reel you in and then kick you in the teeth, but you’ll enjoy every moment. I love that Kitay becomes a strong, fully formed character and that we get closure across the board (even if some of it doesn’t go the way we wanted it to) While the ending is admirable and beautiful, I wish it hadn’t ended that way, but I suppose thats the moral of war and therefore the Poppy War Trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, War, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Excrement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death of parent, Genocide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, Bullying, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

Minor: Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Alcohol, Confinement, and Pregnancy

ephemeralzen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

i cried a lot reading this

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Genocide, Addiction, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Physical abuse, Vomit, Emotional abuse, War, Rape, Religious bigotry, Racism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Suicide, and Slavery

csmall73's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

• 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

Rin is on the run with her anchor and running a small army attempting to take on the hysperion and republic with monsters that should probably stay dead.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicide, Self harm, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Child death, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, War, Cannibalism, Toxic relationship, Torture, and Slavery

ellievberg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, War, Death, Rape, Suicide, Drug use, and Colonisation

victoriakate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, War, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, and Religious bigotry