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

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.25

An incredibly impressive follow up to The Poppy War! I really loved how much Kuang dug into the complexities of the politics behind the Dragon Republic and its rebellion. The addition of the Hesperians and the Hinterlanders really expanded the world in a necessary and believable way, and it allowed us to get a better idea of how Rin and other Nikarans situate themselves within their world. 

Certain elements felt a little rushed or underdeveloped (do we really think Rin learned how to master those wings in such a short amount of time?), but as a counterbalance we got to see certain side characters develop into much more fully-formed participants in the story. I think Rin's character benefitted from having so many other personalities to play off of—she wasn't able to stay stuck in her own beliefs for very long. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out, for good and ill, as the story continues.

I'm really excited to see how Kuang wraps up the series, and what parts of 20th century Chinese history she'll interweave into the final installment. 
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