Reviews tagging 'Colonisation'

Опиумная война by R.F. Kuang

1147 reviews

hermoninny's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

lilaudio's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

snaileton's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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rf kuang the woman that you are.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Torture

Minor: Addiction, Sexism

takarakeireads's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging 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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(re-read) It was so interesting to come back to this story knowing where the series goes. I underlined so many things that I totally didn't pick up on my first time reading and really made me appreciate R.F. Kuang's ability to world-build with so much detail, history and lore. This book does read almost like two books, the first 1/3 to half-ish being almost dark academia-esque with our MC Rin getting into this prestigious military school and she is one of the only poor students whose family isn't well connected. Then a war breaks out and she along with her fellow students must join to fight against an invading country. The rest of the book really sets up the rest of the series.

Rin is a very... interesting main character to read as she is extremely morally gray. Is actually told constantly by her professor Jiang that the magic ability she is learning is dangerous, but she does not heed the warnings. This is an overall theme throughout the books, so it's important to know going in that she can be often unlikeable at times due to the decisions that she makes.

I really can't wait to continue my re-read of the whole series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Violence, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Blood, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death

This book contains very graphic gruesome and hard to read passages of the effects of war and genocide.

azariamckay's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense slow-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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This book truly exceeded my expectations! It’s extremely gruesome but the story of being fully consumed by revenge and power is just so good. Also the Chinese history that inspires Kuang in the world building is amazing. She truly created a terrifying and fantastic world with characters that’ll live with me forever. I loved this book but I will say the gruesome elements are A LOT! She does not shy away from imagery and there are somethings she describes that I’ll never get out of my head. I’m scared for the following books in the series. Please read trigger warnings before picking up this book, I beg of you! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse

beccabou'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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As the back cover says: “ Peasant. Student. Soldier. Goddess.” - love the sweep of this story and Rin’s journey! Gruesome and brutal war-time descriptions (with a recommended reading list from the author at the end on Sino-Japanese relations & WWII) - so check content warnings if needed!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking

lausiusplau's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark 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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

emvanalt's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark tense

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation

elemsr's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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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it was a journey. it started off exciting and fun and ended up shocking and dark. the writing was beautiful, the characters realistic and their inner worlds were explored in depth. the plot was fast paced and full. 

the .25 are for some part in the middle of the book where i felt like it felt a bit flat for a few pages. also the magic system could have been explored and explained more.

do recommend (check the tws though!!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail

lay_kone's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War