Scan barcode
A review by guesswhosaninja
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am once again blown away by how consistently amazing R.F. Kuang’s prose is. She’s concise and evocative, deeply rooted in character perspective, and has masterful pacing throughout the entire book.
The first thing about the Dragon Republic that stands out to me is how good Kuang is at writing all the horrible intricacies of grey morality—maybe not even grey so much as her ability to convey the absolute atrocities people and nations commit, while making them so clearly reasoned. There’s no black and white of “the good guys”, which is imperative to the story she’s telling about these wars. Everyone in power abuses it in different ways, and inevitably every time it leads to nothing but more terror and darkness.
It certainly makes for a series that I think could feel like a slog of horrible events, but Kuang writes such compelling and real characters that, while the content is constantly heavy and dark, I never felt daunted by picking the book up like I have with other dark fantasies. Even knowing things were going to get worse, I was drawn in by Rin and her allies and always wanted to keep reading.
As I said with my review of The Poppy War, this series is very heavy. It pulls from real war crimes from history with sickening detail at times (moreso in Poppy War than here) so is not an easy lighthearted read at any point, but I really want to praise how Kuang handles the darkest elements of these stories. It never felt to me like pain for spectacle’s sake or just to be ‘dark and gritty’. It feels grounded and real.
I finished the book several weeks ago and the last line still gives me shivers; I can’t wait to read the next one.
The first thing about the Dragon Republic that stands out to me is how good Kuang is at writing all the horrible intricacies of grey morality—maybe not even grey so much as her ability to convey the absolute atrocities people and nations commit, while making them so clearly reasoned. There’s no black and white of “the good guys”, which is imperative to the story she’s telling about these wars. Everyone in power abuses it in different ways, and inevitably every time it leads to nothing but more terror and darkness.
It certainly makes for a series that I think could feel like a slog of horrible events, but Kuang writes such compelling and real characters that, while the content is constantly heavy and dark, I never felt daunted by picking the book up like I have with other dark fantasies. Even knowing things were going to get worse, I was drawn in by Rin and her allies and always wanted to keep reading.
As I said with my review of The Poppy War, this series is very heavy. It pulls from real war crimes from history with sickening detail at times (moreso in Poppy War than here) so is not an easy lighthearted read at any point, but I really want to praise how Kuang handles the darkest elements of these stories. It never felt to me like pain for spectacle’s sake or just to be ‘dark and gritty’. It feels grounded and real.
I finished the book several weeks ago and the last line still gives me shivers; I can’t wait to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, War, and Addiction
Moderate: Drug abuse, Rape, and Drug use
Minor: Animal cruelty and Torture