Reviews

Audio rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The narration of this series is superb! Emily Woo Zeller did a fantastic job!

Story rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The overall story is alright. The plot is what I'm finishing the series for. Although I probably would have DNFed it if the audio wasn't as good or I had to physically read it.
What dragged this down for me was Rin's character and how unlikable she is. All she did was cuss out every other character and whine about how hard done-by she was. She has two default moods: burning, murderous rage, and whiny, apathetic, and weak.
Her character was very inconsistent. She'd whine through the whole book about how much she regrets certain events, then at the end says she would do the same thing over again given the chance. Or say "I'm not a dog" then have a monologue about how good it feels to blindly follow orders and not having to make any decisions for herself...
She had no character development at all. I'd rather say she regressed. The strong, determined, and likeable FMC we met at the start of the first book was nowhere to be seen.
Also, I didn't like the harping on about Alten...Alton(?) through the whole book. The man was an abusive asshole and did not need that much pagetime.

This opinion may be unpopular, but each to their own and all that...

juliaglez's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

No le puedo dar menos de 5 estrellas. Esta es una de las mejores series que he leído, todos los personajes son complejos y están muy bien desarrollados. La historia es tan realista y dura que por momentos te olvidas que estás leyendo un libro de fantasía. RF Kuang es una genia, no hay más

amalia_tealeaf's review against another edition

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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? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

morlith's review against another edition

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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

5.0

dharris's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is literally one of the best books and series I've ever read. The author meshes so many different influences and categories all into one truly enjoyable and everything reading experience. I really enjoyed the strong character development and all the magical and historical details. It was a truly remarkable book and a very entertaining read. I couldn't put the book down after I got so far. I was consumed. I can't wait for the next book!

patriciasjs's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense slow-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

In this series, Kuang weaves a brutal tale where fantasy and history, mythology and humanity, are brilliantly intertwined, making us forget what is fiction and what is not. And that’s why, when I finished The Poppy War, I already knew this would be one of the best series I ever read in my life. I also knew, without a doubt, that emotional damage was waiting for me in this sequel. Did that prepared me for it? No, not at all.

The Dragon’s Republic was unapologetically uncomfortable and cruel, so realistic that I almost forgot that I was reading a fantasy book. Reflecting on colonialism and inequality, this plot was masterfully done, keeping me completely hooked, even when I was sick to my stomach. Because this isn’t a story for the faintest of heart. It’s gross, violent and bloody, a tale of war, famine and destruction. It’s a mirror for humanity’s monstrosity, that never shy or hide from its true nature. Sometimes political intriguing, other times fantastically bizarre, this story kept me on edge at every turn and twist, surprising me every single time.

For such a morally dubious story, we only could have a cast of characters as imperfect and complex as it. In this book, I hated Rin, I felt sorry for her, and even disgusted. She is one of the best characters I ever read in my life and I know she will surprise me until the last page of this story. Her path was hard and humiliating, her faults and addiction too many, but is impossible not root for her. Because she is everything and every one of us: a villain and a victim, a hero and a fool.

There isn’t enough words to describe this book or how good it is. I could write a million reviews for this, and still didn’t say enough about it. The final for it is unpredictable and I can’t wait for the mess that is coming.

melodon's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-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

4.5

I've come to really enjoy this series. Emily Woo Zeller is an AMAZING narrator (seriously, if I could just listen to her talk all day I'd be so happy) and hearing her read this phenomenal book?? I'm in heaven. The story continues to build from the first novel, and somehow keeps the same exciting feel-- often, I find sequels good, but not as good as the first book, but I found The Dragon Republic just as good as The Poppy War. Can't wait for book 3!

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