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cassidyehm 's review for:
The Dragon Republic
by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Rin’s path of destruction is unavoidable because of who she is. It’s like how Othello and Hamlet are doomed by the narrative because of their character traits, but would totally survive if they swapped stories. It’s a mark of a good writer where a protagonist can make judgements and choices that have me saying “girl WHAT are you DOING” without making me want to DNF the book.
There are no heroes in this story (well, maybe Kitay). Only villains. I’m not sure if there’s a lesser of all the evils here.
I do love how Rin is horrified when she sees her first Hesperian and immediately assumes they are monsters only to have someone more worldly than her say “girl no that is just what white people look like.” Might be the only funny part of what is otherwise a grim book.
Oh, Fang Runin. What could you have grown into if you had a stable, peaceful upbringing? There’s only one more book in this series, it’s actually impossible that this will end well for her or anyone in her immediate vicinity.
There are no heroes in this story (well, maybe Kitay). Only villains. I’m not sure if there’s a lesser of all the evils here.
I do love how Rin is horrified when she sees her first Hesperian and immediately assumes they are monsters only to have someone more worldly than her say “girl no that is just what white people look like.” Might be the only funny part of what is otherwise a grim book.
Oh, Fang Runin. What could you have grown into if you had a stable, peaceful upbringing? There’s only one more book in this series, it’s actually impossible that this will end well for her or anyone in her immediate vicinity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, Classism