A review by kwanzzy7
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

5.0

Wow! Please check all of the trigger warnings if you're going to pick up this book.

I feel like someone should write a psychology textbook just about Rin. I can't tell if I love or hate her. She is grappling with so many demons and has suffered so much trauma. At the beginning of the book in particular, she was so infuriating and made such bad decisions, it made me very annoyed. She has no empathy. She is extremely selfish and has no regard for other people, which I think shapes a lot of the way other characters appear in the narrative. At the same time, she has this soft side of her that wants to be loved and valued and accepted, and it makes her so easily manipulated.
Just like the first book in this trilogy, The Dragon Republic does not hold anything back. It is so graphic and raw. The depiction of war and politics is brutal, and actually really makes me want to learn more about the Chinese history that these battles are based on.

The ending gave me absolute CHILLS, especially the last few lines filled with Rin's rage.
Her character is so full of passion and strong emotions but she spends so much time without knowing where to direct those feelings. I am truly afraid to see what will happen in book three when Rin comes with a vengeance.