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yaswill 's review for:
The Dragon Republic
by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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
My goodness - as a follow up to Poppy Wars, well done R. F. Kuang! This book builds upon what made the first book great - moral complexity, a fast clip that keeps one engaged throughout, and engaging, if at times frustrating, characters that give one pause and make one think - and adds more.
The world-building is richer and the central conflict manages to be even more of a moral quagmire than the first book. Moreover, the emotionality of the book is stronger than the first one - I was brought to tears at times. The book also ends things to set up for a great conclusion in the third book.
A couple critiques come to mind - I like the moral complexity of the book, but the main character's internal conflict seems to ebb and flow so much that I got a bit of whiplash at times. Also,I thought that the Hesperians weren't given much depth for the role they played in the story. In Poppy Wars, the Federation soldiers were treated similarly superficially, but I feel like that made more sense as they were always more of a looming, faceless threat, as opposed to the more involved role that the Hesperians played in this book.
One final thought - like the first book, this book is a page-turner, but can be tough to read - Kuang does not shy away from describing the harsh realities of war, so be prepared for some pretty gruesome and harrowing descriptions.
The world-building is richer and the central conflict manages to be even more of a moral quagmire than the first book. Moreover, the emotionality of the book is stronger than the first one - I was brought to tears at times. The book also ends things to set up for a great conclusion in the third book.
A couple critiques come to mind - I like the moral complexity of the book, but the main character's internal conflict seems to ebb and flow so much that I got a bit of whiplash at times. Also,
One final thought - like the first book, this book is a page-turner, but can be tough to read - Kuang does not shy away from describing the harsh realities of war, so be prepared for some pretty gruesome and harrowing descriptions.
Graphic: Rape, Violence, War