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A review by katiemcgregor
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
To put it lightly, this book destroyed me. The highs were high and the lows were low and the adrenaline was never ending. The audiobook is fantastic, and I think hearing everything out loud really allowed me to visualize (plus it was nice to hear all the names properly pronounced).
I can't even count the number of times I changed my perception of who the enemy was, who was in there right or wrong, and what the solution to this all is. So it goes with war. Much like The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic takes inspiration from real life examples and I think Kuang's background in history is really what grounds this series. I don't know if I can think of any other books that so perfectly encapsulate war and the cause and effect that surround it. It's not a simple subject so I appreciate that she isn't throwing a simple solution at it.
Rin is so ridiculously cool. I love her and I hate her but regardless of how I feel about her at any given moment, she's undeniably powerful and slightly crazy. I love it. I think The Dragon Republic really gave me a chance to become attached to the characters (which made the pain so much worse). There was so much world building and so many introductions in The Poppy War that this book is when everything started to set in for me. Just as much happened, but I wasn't spending as much time trying to understand the fundamentals of this fantasy world and was able to direct my brain capacity elsewhere.
Anyway, I have a feeling The Burning God will destroy me even more. I don't have a good feeling about it. But I'm sure it will be an incredible read. Honestly, if I didn't reserve 5 star ratings for my very favorite books this would easily be deserving of the rating.
I can't even count the number of times I changed my perception of who the enemy was, who was in there right or wrong, and what the solution to this all is. So it goes with war. Much like The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic takes inspiration from real life examples and I think Kuang's background in history is really what grounds this series. I don't know if I can think of any other books that so perfectly encapsulate war and the cause and effect that surround it. It's not a simple subject so I appreciate that she isn't throwing a simple solution at it.
Rin is so ridiculously cool. I love her and I hate her but regardless of how I feel about her at any given moment, she's undeniably powerful and slightly crazy. I love it. I think The Dragon Republic really gave me a chance to become attached to the characters (which made the pain so much worse). There was so much world building and so many introductions in The Poppy War that this book is when everything started to set in for me. Just as much happened, but I wasn't spending as much time trying to understand the fundamentals of this fantasy world and was able to direct my brain capacity elsewhere.
Anyway, I have a feeling The Burning God will destroy me even more. I don't have a good feeling about it. But I'm sure it will be an incredible read. Honestly, if I didn't reserve 5 star ratings for my very favorite books this would easily be deserving of the rating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Torture, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Abortion, and Vomit