| Title | : | The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062662635 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062662637 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 654 |
| Publication | : | First published August 6, 2019 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Fantasy (2019), Ignyte Award Best Novel - Adult (2020) |
With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. Rin throws herself into his war. After all, making war is all she knows how to do.
But the Empress is a more powerful foe than she appears, and the Dragon Warlord’s motivations are not as democratic as they seem. The more Rin learns, the more she fears her love for Nikan will drive her away from every ally and lead her to rely more and more on the Phoenix’s deadly power. Because there is nothing she won’t sacrifice for her country and her vengeance
The sequel to R.F. Kuang’s acclaimed debut THE POPPY WAR, THE DRAGON REPUBLIC combines the history of 20th-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating effect.
The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2) Reviews
-
Since The Poppy War spiraled down into tight claustrophobic tragedy, I’ve been waiting, like an ember for air, to read this book and see how things will play out after. Suffice it to say, it was like bracing yourself for a punch to the throat only to get struck in the kidney instead.
In order to talk about this book, I need to spoil The Poppy War, so for those (un?)lucky folks who have not yet been initiated into this series, please avert your eyes. But do so knowing that there’s never a bad time to get started.
**
Atlan is gone, and Rin is set on revenge.
Besieged by nightmares whenever she closes her eyes, and with the illicit opium she uses to silence the apocalypse thing that lives inside her still shuddering through her veins, Rin is out of her depths. But when the Dragon Warlord, Yin Vaisra, appears to her out of nowhere with a bewitching offer to free their people from this last vestige of their long torment—to crack the uncrackable empire, and capture Su Daji, the gold yolk within—Rin's dream of revenge ignites, and she agrees to joins Vaisra's army. Reality soon dawns, however: this is but the opening gambit of a longer game and they were all clutching straws against death and time. The grudges of gods are as deathless as their flesh, and men with everything at stake are dangerous. Is revenge worth the price Rin might have to pay for it? How long will Rin continue to sacrifice the hopes of the living for the comforts of the dead?
**
The Dragon Republic is underniably fireworks display from an enormously talented writer. Kuang proved herself capable of orchestrating walloping storylines in The Poppy War, but The Dragon Republic is even a bigger display of her talents. The author digs with dark glee into this sequel, and from page one, she doesn’t let up. The result is a sprawling and constantly engaging novel that twists history, geography, mythology, and fantasy into an epic tale that paints an unforgettable portrait of just how fragmented our own realities can be during periods of fear, unrest, and inequality, and an aching reminder that retaking what has been lost isn't always the answer.
Kuang succeeds admirably on all fronts. The action is ferocious, bloody, and unquittable. The violence is rendered extremely well, its physical and psychological effects convincing and lasting. The monsters of this novel are eerily familiar: the series, after all, contains a bright shard of China's living past, the writhing loathsomeness of humanity's crimes against itself, on full display. But for its all bloodcurdling, heart-lurching spectacle, The Dragon Republic isn’t all grim: the author knows exactly when to dole out the humor, giving both the reader and protagonists room to catch their breath, away from the horror of everything else. The ending, too, is an absolute knock-out. Kuang is *so good* at concluding on just the right note. Like a thunderstroke, The Dragon Republic's conclusion is electric, sizzling, and minutely delivered, and I felt its rattle for days after turning the last page.
But even more than all of that, for me the novel's driving force was its rich cast of characters—driven by passion, desire, and terrifying flaws, they are rendered as fully realized as ever. In many senses, The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic are stories of two very different protagonists: the first is young, dauntless and full of hope, and the second is the person she becomes in the aftermath of tragedy. The epigenetic legacy of war, Rin grew up with a blade in her heart. The first book is a bitter tale of how that war began, how it went back before her, how she inherited it with all else that she inherited. Rage and grief, guilt and shame: these were emotions Rin knows too well. Forgiveness, or even love, those are foreign countries to her, and her (ongoing) journey of learning them is nothing short of heartbreaking.
That's not the only thing Rin learns in this sequel. It's impossible to talk about this book without lingering on Rin's complicated relationship to Altan. In The Dragon Republic, memories of Altan stack layer upon layer in Rin's mind until they reach their horrible, inevitable conclusion: that Rin had long snatched hungrily at Altan’s words and loved him with her terrified eyes, thought him perfect and refused to see that “Altan was no hero,” that he was selfish and remote and often cruel. In Altan's gaping absence, Rin must come face to face not only with who he was, but who she is, what’s she’s done, and decide what kind of person she wants to be. She might not be able to undo the damage her power has already wrought on the world, but perhaps she can seal the wound, stop the bleeding. But when the price is to expunge Altan entirely from her mind ("That boy is a disease on your mind. Forget him.") and let his memory fade away, the thought is too excruciating to bear. I hope Kuang has planned several intensive therapy sessions for Rin at the end of all of this. Because hoo boy.
That said, The Dragon Republic’s depth of character doesn’t just begin and end with Rin. There are characters who now have more complex narratives, and others who fade to the back, to make room for the new. Kitay’s arc, in particular, still claws at me. He is no longer the lighthearted kid from the first book—soft, naive, undamaged—but a tempered, burdened and hardened version of himself. I hadn’t really thought of Kitay before I started reading this book, but by his second reappearance in the novel, I had already drawn the adoption papers, ready to go full on Mother Hulk on anyone who dares lay a finger on him. I really hope he survives the next book.
All in all, The Dragon Republic is a sizzling sequel, and I'm already looking forward to the next installment (with a large sense of gloom and anxiety but still!). -
WTF...
I was nervous going into this book that it wouldn't be as great as the first one but here we are...
Love the world, love the magic system, love the characters' development and where the story is going. I really liked how the world keeps getting bigger and more complex.
I can't wait to see what the last book will bring! -
Gdamit
-
get ready
-
To jest niemożliwe, jak autorka fantastycznie potrafi tworzyć historię. Tak zaskakująca, szokująca, totalnie oryginalna. Nie można się oderwać. Może i nie jest to książka idealna ale wybaczam jej absolutnie wszystko, bo to jakie wywołuje we mnie emocje i ekscytację jest nie do porównania z niczym. Poważniejsza i doroślejsza niż pierwszy tom, nieco inna w tonie ale to mi się chyba podobało jeszcze bardziej. Dużo polityki i strategii, walk i wspaniale wykreowanych bohaterów. Czego chcieć więcej? 🥺
-
:) :)
fang runin is that bitch -
UPDATE: $2.99 Kindle US 8/24/20
REVIEW:
DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! That ending! DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!
This will be a short review. I'm not going to spoil anything but you can skim over some of the quotes as you might consider them as a spoiler.
The Dragon Republic starts out with a bang; right out of the gates as I like to say. Rin is messed the hell up! She's fighting Opium addiction and trying to control her power. I had so many moments that I felt for her, so many moments I wanted to strangle her for being so stupid and childish. But most of all, I loved watching her grow in this book. Rin went through some sh•t people. Not just Rin but her whole crew; whom I adored.
Trying to seek revenge on your enemies while fighting an opium addiction seemed damn near impossible and you could feel every moment with Rin. (at least I did) And trying to fight losing control of your powers.
This is what the balance of power looked like now. People like her waved a hand and millions were crushed within the confines of some elemental disaster, flung off the chessboard of the world like irrelevant pieces. People like her-shamans, all of them-were like children stomping around over entire cities as if they were mud castles, glass houses, fungible entities that could be targeted and demolished.
•••••
Once upon a time at Sinegard, back when Master Jiang had been trying to help her shut her mind to the Phoenix, he'd taught her techniques to clear her thoughts and disappear into a void that imitated nonexistence. He'd taught her how to think like she was dead.
•••••
Suni rubbed circles on her back while she spat blood-speckled phlem on the planks. When she was done, he smoothed her vomit-covered hair out of her eyes as she sucked in air in great, racking sobs.
"You're so strong," he said. "Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're feeling, it's not as strong as you are."
Rin has some wonderful friends but a world that is trying to tear her apart from the inside out.
Rin and her crew are trying to take down the evil Empress but they are getting swindled left and right. They end up with the Dragon Warlord trying to fight against others. People are killed, used, abused. Rin is lied to and watches innocent people die; watches people that she knows die. It seems like nothing is ever going to get better. BUT. There just might be a spark of hope in people she didn't even consider. There are things brewing. Will Rin and her people be able to bring the world down around the evilness. Wait and see.
Finally, spoke the Phoenix. The god's voice was dimmed by the Seal, but Rin could hear clearly every ring of its laughter. My darling little Speerly. At last we agree.
•••••
"They're are not the strongest force in the world," Rin said. She felt the god's presence in the back of her mind-eager, delighted, and at last perfectly aligned with her intentions.
Together, spoke the Phoenix, we will burn down this world.
She slammed down her fist against the table. "I am."
I think these books are wonderful and the author nailed it in both books so far. For me, there was no second book syndrome. No holds barred, an incredible tale of hate, war and friendship.
***This is an uncorrected proof of the book and any quotes will be changed if they are not correct in the finished copy. I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for a digital copy of this wonderful book for review.***
Mel ♥
MY BLOG -
ARC provided by the publisher—Harper Voyager—in exchange for an honest review.
4.5/5 stars
The newest rising queen of fantasy is back with her newest book, The Dragon Republic, and it managed to live up to my super high expectations.
Can we first appreciate just how damn gorgeous the cover of this book is? JungShan has created another spectacular cover-selling ink illustration and I’m confident that many readers will pick up the book/series even if they don’t know anything about it. The same situation as its predecessor, the quality of the content of the book did justice to the beautiful cover art and vice versa. I’m pretty sure practically everyone who knows me on bookish social media knows how much I loved The Poppy War. I even created a Twitter account just to wish the author a congratulatory message on her debut’s publication day. If you don’t know/remember, here’s a short snippet of what I said about the first book:
“I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year… a book that will go down as one of the best grimdark/military fantasy debuts of all time. [...] I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.”
Yeah… suffice to say that I highly loved the first book. Since then, The Poppy War has also garnered well-deserved praises, nominations, and awards; my high expectations towards its sequel were inevitable and I’m glad to say that after reading this book, my worry was unfounded and Kuang entranced me once again with her newest installment.
No story summary from me; if you want to know the plot, read the official synopsis of the book at your own risk. Following the catastrophic conclusion of the first book, The Dragon Republic plunges Rin and her companions into a brand new war. In the first installment, Kuang divided her storytelling clearly into two sections; a coming-of-age battle school fantasy for the first half and a grim military fantasy for the second half. Unlike other series like The Kingkiller Chronicle or Harry Potter, where the characters continue training in schools, The Dragon Republic threw away the battle school concept completely, turning the book completely into a cleverly crafted military fantasy. Full of darkness, tactics, shifting allegiances, war and death, Kuang continues her trademark of delivering a superb story that vividly explores the horrors of war. I loved Kuang’s prose in the first book, which is why I found it to be incredibly satisfying to read her stunning improvement in prose within this novel. This is a significantly bigger book than The Poppy War, it’s almost 700 pages long and yet there wasn’t any moment that felt boring or dull. The engaging narrative and prose captivated me thoroughly from cover to cover; the second half in particular—especially the last 20%, more on this later—was simply amazing and pulse-pounding. War changes everyone indiscriminately; no one came out of it unscathed mentally or physically. The escalating and harrowing effects or aftermath of war were shown expertly through the well-developed characterizations.
“You will die thinking I have abandoned you all. But I do not hesitate to say that I value the lives of my people far more than I have ever valued you.”
As with its predecessor, the narrative was told exclusively through Rin’s perspective. The events of the first book have left Rin riddled with guilt, regret, and anger. To say that Rin is angry is seriously putting it mildly. She’s angry at the world, at herself, at her friends, at everything. War has changed her and her companions, and yet they still can’t catch a break; peace remains firmly lodged out of grasp and unforgettable loss continues to happen. This is a grim book, written with more mature and refined prose; the character’s darkness and personality elicited emotional responses of all kinds from me. I mentioned in my review of the first book that that Rin is one of my favorite heroines in fantasy because I found her to be very well-written and her personality traits were really clear. That being said, something you have to know is that Rin is inspired by Mao Zedong, Rin does make questionable decisions. She has no impulse control, and she does a lot of stupid things because of her anger and what happened to her. In her path toward overcoming legacy, opium addiction, and accepting her power, Kuang deconstructs Rin’s character completely down to her core, presenting her at her worst for almost the entirety of the first half. I’ll admit that in the first half, there were moments where I wanted to slap her several times, and in my honest opinion, this period of time could’ve been shortened a bit. However, seeing her at her worst did make her the fruition of her character development in the second half stronger. This situation reminded me of Blood of Assassins by R.J. Barker, another book I really loved which involved the main character being driven heavily by darkness and rage, but came out all the better once the character was able to overcome it. I highly praise Kuang for her characterization for Rin and the side characters. Most of the side characters helped immensely in bringing moments of heartwarming and light to balance Rin’s life; their interactions were charming, compelling, and I loved reading about them.
The world-building has also moved further beyond Nikara and the Mugenese federation. The new race, Hesperian, came into play here. Hesperian is a race of Westerners, most likely an allusion Germany during World War II, and their arrival brought technologies, arquebuses, airships, and more expansion to the world-building. Not only was the world-building expanded, but Kuang also provided revelations and more in-depth lore to the history of her world.
One last thing before I close this review: I would like to applaud Kuang’s imaginative and destructive depiction of the magical battle scenes. The action sequences were simply magnificent and the last 20% of the book demonstrates Kuang’s best battle scenes and closing sequences so far. It was insanely breathtaking, by showing the power of a vermillion myth and the gods, the clash of the blazing rage and overwhelming cyclone were extremely well-executed. The actions and character’s decisions constantly delivered immense implications for future events of the series. Kuang truly ignited her skill in writing great military fantasy within the last 20% and I honestly can’t wait for more. The gripping naval warfare, brilliant aerial-combat, tension-packed elemental battle, and the unflinching infernal torrent of powers were vividly realized and felt cinematic to read.
“This was what the balance of power looked like now. People like her waved a hand and millions were crushed within the confines of some elemental disaster, flung off the chessboard of the world like irrelevant pieces.”
I don’t think I have anything else to say without spoiling any events from the series. If you loved The Poppy War, I honestly think that you have nothing to worry about. The Dragon Republic is an unputdownable sequel that deflects the infamous middle book syndrome with brutal precision. With The Dragon Republic, Kuang has proven that her debut wasn't a one-hit wonder, further establishing herself as the new rising queen of fantasy. The architect behind Jade City said: “Brace yourself.” Let me just add that you’ll have to find an adamantium building to hold on to. The might and rage of the Phoenix knows no limit, and Rin's newest journey will mercilessly incinerate your heart up to the last page. Rebecca Kuang and this series is truly a treasure for Asian-inspired military fantasy and I simply can't wait to read the conclusion of this trilogy.
Sidenote:
The dark atmosphere in this book was truly palpable, bad things happen, a LOT. Make sure you’re in the right mood and headspace before you read this book. Also, #FireDick happened, literally.
Official release date: August 8th, 2019 (UK) and August 6th, 2019 (US)
You can pre-order the book from:
Amazon UK |
Amazon US |
Book Depository (Free shipping)
The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
You can find
this and the rest of my reviews at
Novel Notions -
1.)
The Poppy War ★★★★"Our world is a dream of the gods. Maybe they have other dreams. But all we have is this story unfolding, and in the script of this world, nothing's going to bring [him] back to life."
This was a masterpiece. I really loved
The Poppy War, but this second installment was the book of my dreams. I’m a bit speechless, and I am not sure I can express exactly how much this story meant to be, but I shall try. Especially because that means I can start my ARC of
The Burning God and immediately start crying for another 500 pages.
This series is an ownvoices Chinese inspired military fantasy, and this sequel, The Dragon Republic, picks up after the dark events in book one.I am going to try to be a little vague about the plot in this review, and just focus on the important themes and discussions, while also talking about the characters who own my entire heart. But this book very much focuses on shamanism, and I was very invested from the first to last page!
You may also all call me president of the Fang Runin defense and protection squad. I live my life for one sneaky snake, and it is her. Also, Kitay, my baby, will love and cherish and protect at all costs. Also, seeing the way that this world has changed him has broken me beyond repair, but his friendship with Rin means everything to me. Not at the way I was praying for his life throughout the last half of this book though.
Next, I was already sailing on this ship in part two of
The Poppy War, but let’s talk about how rinezha is my new OTP of all time. Like, I cannot believe. I truly don’t want to get into spoilers for the middle book of this series, but when I tell you the end of this book had me gasping for air like a fish out of water, I’m not lying. The forehead kiss will haunt me until the end of my days, I promise you.
Seeing Nezha try to live his life for his family, for his country, for something within him, and for his immense loss that he is still harboring, is just heartbreaking. Rage and grief can take so many forms, so very differently. Carrying things you didn’t ask for can be the heaviest of all burdens, but the way my heart breaks double for Nezha. I think we all can feel like sometimes something is living inside us, but seeing him and Rin both try to live these lives that they are now forced to live is very harrowing and you can’t help but feel all the empathy in the world for them. (And I can’t help but ship them until my last dying breath!)
(the most breathtaking arc by
paper-ish)
Something that I really love how it was depicted in this book was Rin’s healing. Rin is dealing with the aftermath of all the actions she committed, and she is living with immense grief, immense depression, immense trauma, and immense PTSD. I feel like so many times in stories we get to see characters “heal correctly” or whatever our society deems is correct. Yet, we get to see Rin make “bad” choices in her healing process. From drug addiction, to denial, to darker thoughts even. Yet, this is such a real depiction of trauma and grief, and one that we normally never get to see, especially in a fantasy setting. Rin is so rightfully angry, and her pain is so loud, you hear it unapologetically, and I loved it a lot."She was afraid that if she stopped being angry, she might crack apart."
The Dragon Republic really focuses more on colorism more than
The Poppy War did. Yes, we got to see Rin getting treated as lesser because of her darker skin, but in this second installment we really get to see how colorism runs rampant in this whole world, not just in small towns, or private school settings, or military branches. And Rin calls other characters out on this, and my heart was soaring, truly. Also, just the entire discussion of xenophobia at the heart of this story, while also always highlighting colonization, is so important and I can’t wait to see all of this discussed even more in
The Burning God."Rin was so tired of having to prove her humanity."
Another thing that I also really loved about The Dragon Republic is that it really showcases how bad things don’t only happen on battle fields. Humans are capable of terrible, horrible, evil things, and they don’t need to use war as an excuse. The backdrop of war will only ever be a backdrop, and heinous acts can be committed in the safest seeming of cities and places. Again, not to get into spoilers but every scene with Petra left me shaken to my very core. I’m not sure if I’ve ever felt so deeply uncomfortable over a character ever, and it’s truly a testament to this story.
I feel like at this point I am witnessing Rebecca Kuang become a literary legend. The themes she isn’t only touching upon, but she’s completely dissecting. Her writing is truly so out of this world it’s mind-blowing to think how this is her first series, and how many more series she will be able to craft if she wishes to do so. Her characters are so beautifully flawed, and raw, and grey, and real, that I forget they only live between these pages.
It’s an honor to read and review these books. Also, I’m just so proud that a young Asian girl is putting all these old, crusty, white, cis, SFF men to shame. And I truly believe this is a once in a lifetime series, but I more so even believe that Rebecca Kuang is once in a lifetime author.
Trigger and Content Warnings: genocide, colonization, racism, colorism, murder, substance addiction, grief, PTSD, depression, talk of suicide, suicide, self-harm, abortion, talk of rape, rape, forced medical examinations, human experimentations, humiliation, animal death, animal torture, loss of a loved one, genital mutilation (to a character who was doing a bad thing), abandonment, violence, gore, and war themes. This is a very dark book at times, please use caution and make sure you are in the right headspace, friends!
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(Extra special thank yous to my 2 emotional support bbies:
Maëlys &
May! Who both got to laugh at me for spiraling about tridents, got to listen to my heavy breathing over my OTP, and also crying as every theme developed. I’m sorry & I love you.) 💕💕 -
The Dragon Republic is deserving of praise for bringing real-world historical events to light for a fresh demographic of readers, however, by the same token, it lacks originality entirely and is inherently predictable if the reader has even a basic education of Chinese Revolutions. The dialogue is puerile and the vast majority of the cast are not so much grey as morally reprehensible, making empathy for their loss and suffering a rare commodity.
I’m cringing slightly as I write this. 45 people on my friend’s list have read this and 3 have given it a rating below 4. This is by far the most unpopular opinion I’ve had, apart from my ‘Rhythm of War’ review. So, let me explain myself. You can agree or disagree and we can continue conversing amicably with a slightly salty undertone. This is life, and it’s fine.
My first point is, in and of itself, purely observational and didn’t directly affect my rating. In my opinion, this series is not Fantasy. Fantasy, by definition, is that which comes from ones imagination, whereas this series is based, with some truth, on actual historical events. A more accurate genre designation would be ‘Historical Fiction’ with mythological elements. In fact, in 1000 years, if every other account of modern Chinese history were lost and this was the only text remaining, this would likely become Mythology. The names of people and places would all be wrong and the mystical shamanic powers would be a stretch but the general shape of events, however sparse, would be there.
*****SPOILERS AHEAD*****
Let me clarify. Book 1 was inspired, specifically, by the Second Sino-Japanese War and depicted, with gruesome accuracy, the atrocities committed in the Nanking Massacre. In Book 2, Kuang covers phase 1 of the Chinese Civil War. If anyone has more than a Year 12 education in ‘Chinese Revolutions’ please correct me but this is how I see it.
Rin = Mao Zedong (CPC)
Vaisra = Chiang Kai-Shek (ROC)
First Poppy War = Opium Wars
Hesperia = Europe (mainly Britain)
Nikara = China
Mugen = Japan
Speer = Taiwan
There are infinite connections that can be made but given these main few, we can presume that ‘The Dragon Republic’ covered the time in which the alliance between the Chinese Communist Party (Rin) and the Government of the Republic of China (Vaisra) collapsed. By the end of this book, we are poised for the commencement of hostilities between the 2 parties which I would assume will result in Rin gaining control of the mainland and Vaisra, or whoever is left of his government, being forced to retreat to the island of Taiwan or killed. If I know anything about Kuang, they’ll be killed.
In addition to this, we have the book’s map which has obvious similarities to the lands bordering the East-China Sea as well as multiple mentions of Sun Tzu’s (Sunzi in Pinyin) ‘Art of War’ throughout books 1 and 2. The first time I saw this, I thought it a cool tip of the hat but now I’m thinking, there are multiple mentions of a book that exists on earth, in a Fantasy book. This is very unusual. Ultimately, the heavy inspiration drawn from real-life events is a double-edged sword. It can be thrilling connecting people, places and events in Kuang’s world with those of our own, but at the same time, it can drag you out of the intended fantastical setting and expose the story as wholly unoriginal and lacking imagination. It certainly did for me.
Rin, Rin, Mao… I mean Rin! I feel like she may just take the cake as the most insufferable, piece of shit protagonist I’ve ever read. I defended her character in the first book, claiming that she was morally grey and largely unlikeable but well written. Well, I can’t stand by that anymore. She is written inconsistently and despite efforts by Kuang to demonstrate or, on occasion, even justify the way she thinks or acts, it is impossible for me to empathise with somebody who is completely apathetic to others. If I wanted to know how Mao Zedong, a man responsible for the deaths of anywhere between 20-50 million people, became the monster that he was, I’d go read a biography. I don’t want him as the main protagonist in a “Fantasy” book!
Rin is so many things that you don’t want your protagonist to be. She’s hypocritical, contradictory, apathetic, unintelligent and gullible. Her inner-monologue is a never-ending string of non-sensical idiocy and morally devoid ideology. This is getting a bit long but here’s a few key scenes/quotes that really put me off Rin:
1. When they came across a scene of the wreckage caused by Chaghan and Qara breaching the dam in the river and the two are reflecting on what they’ve done. Rin “gleefully” seeks them out and, “[screeching] with laughter”, berates them for what they’ve done, thinking “how terribly funny it was that she wasn’t the only one with mass murder on her hands”.
2. After just a short while ago claiming she ain’t no one’s dog, damn it! Rin claims, “It felt good… to be Vaisra’s weapon and tool”. ”If she wasn’t making the decisions, then nothing could be her fault.”
3. Aratsha’s death: She was disappointed because he was “an immensely useful chess piece and now she couldn’t use him anymore.” How are we supposed to care about the already under-developed support cast if Rin doesn’t?!
4. On nearly the 600th page Rin demonstrates that she’s had zero character growth when she is speaking with Daji and thinks to herself, “If she had another chance… She would make the same decision… She would destroy [Mugen] completely and without mercy… And she’d laugh”. Ok, so despite supposedly feeling incredible guilt at multiple times throughout the book for committing genocide, we’re gonna settle on, “I’d do it again”? Cool, just checking.
5. ”War on this scale was a number’s game, and she had lives to spare”. I mean that’s just pure Mao coming through.
In addition to these points, Rin is such a coarse character. Trying to have a civilised discussion with her around would be like trying to talk while someone was using an angle grinder just metres away… And directing the sparks towards you. Eeeeeverything is fuck you, fuck this, you’re a c*$#, she’s a bitch!.... Settle down mate! Moving on, I am le tired.
So, there it is, those were the two main reasons this book lost a couple of stars for me and they are very subjective so I can still understand how this book is immensely popular. On top of this, I felt that all support characters from the Cike through to Feylen were still under-developed and the final battle was anti-climactic. The 50 or so pages after the battle were, however, pretty good. I’m still looking forward to the last book in the trilogy and my goal will be to try and put aside what I think I already know and just enjoy it for what it is. Ciao -
OMG! I’m so doomed! WTH I just read!!!! SILENCE….
After I got frozen and motionless, my loved ones (or my haters took the control of my keyboard and wrote their impressions after I read this book. I left it without editing, changing, deleting or adding anything!)
My sister in law:
Wow! 2 hours, 53 minutes passed and she was still in the same position, sitting cross legged on the floor like a yogi who is about to start her meditation practice (I think she’s looking more like Bear Yogi) Look at her saliva dripping down on her chin! I should record a video and share on my instagram account! Let’s get a little closer! ARRRRGGGHH! Did she bite me?
My husband dearest:
Look wife, Nil, I know you’re there, playing hide and seek with me but you’re so damn lazy to move your body! I forgive you nearly skipping our wedding ceremony to finish your latest Harry Potter book! I also forgive you wrote the murderers’ identities in the middle of my all Agatha Christie books! See how patient guy I am! I don’t need to forgive you for burning our dinners when you only focus on your reading! I’m actually thankful, because you’re the shittiest cook I’ve ever seen! If Gordon Ramsey would have accidentally noticed your cooking skills, he would have forced you to cut your hands! With the help of books, I’m saving my stomach being pumped over and over again. All ER crew call me by my name right now! But please, just get up! You’re sitting on the remote control and I cannot turn on the TV for watching the soccer game!!!!
Besties Dolly and Ashley:
She will live! I’ve seen the worst! Remember Dolly, she was bumping her head against the wall when she was reading Colleen Hoover novels because they’re so emotional!
Yes and she tried to throw her kindle from the window and cried like a toddler at the end of last GOT episode!
No, you’re confusing her attempt to throw the television into the trash and write a threatening letter to GOT writers.
Okay, OMG she moved I can see her legs! Push Nily! Sorry get up Nily! Come on you can do it!
AND I GOT UP and pour myself some CHARDONNAY when I’m making a list why I loved this book so much:
-One of my favorite tactical books about the nature of fighting and defeating your enemy is Sun Tzu’s Art of War. And I caught too many references of it, in this book which made me fall in love with it! Actually I already fell in love with the first book but second installment was like more ripen, juicy, well-rounded, detailed and perfectly developed! The story is getting better. It was one of my favorite debut novels of 2018 and the new one is already guaranteed its place on my top ten fantasy list!
-I spent my time gritted my teeth when I read Rin’s part at the first book. In this second installment she still got my nerves up but at least I saw some maturity, growing up pains and toughening up process which made me hopeful about the evaluation of the character!
-Blood is spilled. Too many innocent people are massacred violently! I know this is not a sweet, soft reading but I felt like watching first 23 minutes opening scene of Saving Private Ryan over and over again! Yes, this book is a great test how far you survive with low pain tolerance.
-There are so many questions and cliffhanger left for the other book! It’s brilliant sequel and I don’t know how my heart will survive with so much tension! I want to read more! It was long reading but not long enough for me!
As a summary: Dark fantasy lovers, this series are getting so much better. I highly recommend this second book of this series!
Okay I finished my list, it’s time to sip more Chardonnay and steal my husband’s take-outs! -
this book is a black hole - it consumes everything in its path and leaves no survivors.
if youve read 'the poppy war,' you already know this series was headed for inevitable darkness. this is a bleak, unforgiving installment of betrayal, heartbreak, loss, and anger. i know many readers wont like the relentless tone of this novel, but i love it. appreciate it, even. i think kuang expertly captures the feelings and atmosphere of war, regardless of how miserable it may make the reader.
i also love how rins character is developing. she definitely lives in that morally gray/middle area, but the reader exists in that area right along with her. even if i didnt agree with some of the choices she made, i could definitely understand and empathise with her.
the writing is a delight, as well. it feels so fresh, which should be impossible given the subject material. but the writing takes a historical influence and makes it feel modern.
the only thing preventing me from giving this five stars is the fact that the plot is so war/politics/strategy heavy. which is such a silly thing to complain about, i know. i know this is a war-based historical fiction fantasy novel/series, but its the fantasy elements that really draw me into the story and sell it. i wish i could enjoy the war aspect more, but my eyes tend to glaze over long paragraph of tactical descriptions. thats no fault of the books, though.
overall, this is a brilliant sequel. i can tell kuang has grown as a writer since her debut. she was strong before, but now she is straight up lethal and i fully expect the next book in the series to be the death of me.
↠ 4.5 stars -
The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War,#2) by
R.F. Kuang
War, friendship and, betrayal. This book is even better than the first book in the series as it's faster-paced, darker, and action-packed. Many military strategies and battle scenes are brutal and unflinching. The author has really improved as a writer and her knowledge of history really shines as she delves deeper into the compelling world of The Poppy War. And as a middle book of the series, one of the best endings I have read.Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature.
Brilliant Sequel. -
vague spoiler warning - quote //
I think about the line “he brushed his lips against her forehead as he drove the knife deeper into her back” every single day and lose my mind
4.5 stars
:: content warnings :: war themes (death, murder, violence etc.), genocide, self-harm, rape, mutilation, human experimentation, non-consensual medical examinations, racism, colorism, misogyny, drug use, substance addiction, depictions of grief and PTSD -
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions upon finishing reading fantasy books.
2.5 stars. While relatively entertaining, this book lacks originality and is far too predictable
This one is a struggle for me, as virtually every single one of my friends who has reviewed this book has given it stellar reviews. I have heard non-stop about how wonderful this series is, and I have been looking forward to reading it for quite some time.
Unfortunately, as I began to read this book it became quickly obvious that this book is not a fantasy book, it's a historical fiction. I did get the vibe from the first book that something was off, but I couldn't put my finger exactly on it - it was very clear that Nikara was China, and even looked like it on a map - and there were multiple references to Sun Tzu, which seemed odd to reference a real life person in a fantasy book. After reading the book and trying to investigate this more, it became clear that the first book is telling the story of the Second Sino-Japanese War - a war that I had very little knowledge of until doing my research after reading.
So I went into The Dragon Republic wondering what was next for this series but feeling leery. I am a big fan of Early/mid 1900s world history, and the connections to this book and the Chinese Civil War are endless. Every single one of the major characters and nations is very specifically referring to something from that real life war. Nikara is China, Mugen is Japan, Speer is Taiwan, Rin is Mao, Vaisra is Chiang Kai-Shek - and the list goes on. So as someone who is intimately familiar with this event, this book lacked originality and was extremely predictable from start to finish, and ruined so much of the enjoyment for me, and it ended up being a chore for me to read it.
Trying to set that aside though, I have thoroughly enjoyed the magic system in this book - it's fresh, fun, and a thrill to read about. But unfortunately it's quite literally the only original thing in this book.
The lack of originality could be set aside if the characters and dialogue was a joy to read, but I find myself disliking the main protagonist, which is always an enormous problem. I felt connected to her in the first book, and the trauma and resulting emotions that she went through I found compelling. I suppose this is inevitable since the biographies of Mao I have read resulted in me hating him as well, but nonetheless it's frustrating to read.
I'll probably end up reading the final book, but my interest in this series has dropped significantly. -
(4.5 ★’s)
You asked how large my sorrow is,
And I answered, like a river in spring flowing east.
—Li Yu (李煜)
The Dragon Republic is a tale of many things—festering anger and broken trust, learning to fight for hope and bearing failure’s inevitable rust, yes, but more than anything else, it is a tale of rankling inequity and unspeakable iniquity, of looking at the colour of one’s skin or the size of their head or the shape of their eyes, and deeming them lower, lesser, inhuman and primitive and stupid; of declaring a person chosen and evolved and another, unformed mud; of feeling righteous in reaching for what they have and carelessly trampling them beneath your shining heels.
As a Middle Easterner, I know first hand that stories like this are too common in Asia. We bear that legacy of pain on our shoulders—our backs are bent beneath their weights and our heads beaten down. Too often does the world gloss over the atrocities of the past, too often the response to history is “but that’s all in the past.”
Well, it is not.
You can tell the world to move on, you can shout it and chant it and point to the silent weapons and loud reforms promising freedom and equality, but how can one move on when we still live in an unfair world revolving around privilege, a world where the colour of your skin or the soil you were born on decide what you can and cannot have? The promises and well-intended declarations of “look to the future because what’s passed is in the past”? All they do is veil the injustice that forms the roots of this world, and by forgetting our history there is no way to shape a better future.
That is why The Poppy War trilogy matters. That is why this Chinese inspired military fantasy should be read and discussed and remembered. With The Dragon Republic, Rebecca Kuang aims to make you, dear reader, terribly uncomfortable. This is a book that is grim and dark and sucks your energy away like a black hole devouring all light. It’s not a wickedly delightful grimdark fantasy relishing rage and revenge, but one that unveils the leeches feeding and growing on your vengeance and makes you so furious yet so helpless that you are crushed underneath the weight of the world, exhausted and powerless even as you know that there is no fate, only choice.“Happy New Year,” Kitay said. “May the gods send you blessings and good fortune.”
“Health, wealth, and happiness. May your enemies rot and surrender quickly before we have to kill more of them.”
I’m not sure if I love or hate that Kuang can take glorious concepts such as ethereal worlds and gods and a revolution, and drag them down to earth so viciously that they turn into tangible, worldly, manageable affairs of everyday life. It’s rather frustratingly admirable, I admit.
But with a plot that does not fall into the passivity trap of TPW, added intrigue, improved writing, and awe-inspiringly deeper dive into intended themes like trauma and addiction, TDR managed to steal my heart in the way I’d been all but begging for, despite slightly lacking in development of some relationships (not characters, which were all stunningly layered and shaped)—but we’ll get to that in time.
Credit:
Jhoca
Inspirations: Let’s Talk History
If you write a book inspired by true events, you bet I, the history nerd, will dedicate an entire section to analysis of its influences and themes. Forget the characters and relationships and whatnot, this is the real reason why TPW trilogy is worthy of note. From civil war to western colonisation, Kuang unflinchingly tackles every dark nook and cranny of its Chinese influence to the ground, taming it and capturing it and putting it on disturbing display for our guarded eyes.
In my review of
The Poppy War, I mentioned how I believed these books were largely inspired by the Qing dynasty which was the last imperial dynasty of China, and this sequel further strengthens my conclusion.
For one thing, the book’s Poppy Wars and their Hesperian relations are reminiscent of the Opium Wars, which were Europe’s early attempts at western colonisation of China during the reign of the Qing dynasty. Not only that, but Kuang also shows the shift in Europe’s attempts at colonisation through history, from forceful penetration in the 19th century to the economical coercion and civilising mission of the following years. The racism and greed inherent in those intervening, invasive hands seeking control of the resources of prosperous eastern lands excused by beliefs in the superiority of the White race is an infuriating and uncomfortable topic to witness for anyone of any ethnicity, and Kuang fearlessly lays its every preposterous audacity bare.
However, she has also jumbled the timeline of events and mixed nations’ and figures’ roles enough that I had to spend an insane amount of time piecing this puzzle together. To share my findings, I’ll have to give you a quick history lesson touching upon a few needed prominent moments:Once upon a time the Qing dynasty ruled over China from 1636 to 1912. During its later years, the British who love tea bought their supply from China—but because they didn’t want to pay for it with their silver, they made up for it with cotton and opium exports from India, in which they’d just gained control. As opium addiction became an issue in the land though, the Chinese government declared a ban on all opium trade. The Great Britain was obviously bothered so, you guessed it, they showed up with their ships and guns in June of 1840 and demanded unjustified rights. The following years brought suffering and two Opium Wars for China as it was overpowered by the west, the US, France, and Russia all taking advantage of its weakness to press for favourable trade treaties and generally getting away with whatever the hell they wanted.
Eventually, people got fed up and, with various revolts, the 1911 Revolution succeeded in overthrowing the Qing. After more civil war and unrest, the Beiyang government was established as China’s central authority with Yuan Shikai being the first formal President of the Republic of China. But, seeking more of the ever-alluring power and monopolising the power of the new national government, Yuan made a short-lived attempt to make himself Emperor, died, power struggles ensued, and China ended up with two warring governments: the Communist Party of China (or CPC, based in North China) and the Nationalist Party of China (or KMT, based in South China, created by Sun Yat-sen who had previously opposed and then compromised with Yuan).
History is complicated and confusing, but there is one thing you need to know whenever it comes to the affairs of the east: that, after a point, you will always find the west peeking its head. So as China fought to unify itself, two things relevant to this historical fiction series were happening: on one hand, the foreign armies stationed in North China that had been brought in to suppress the rebellion were in danger of warring to gain power over the divided land for their “advanced nations” and on the other hand, the Soviet Union proceeded to pledge its assistance for unification of China. Thus, while everyone sought to retain both a compliant native government and equal opportunity for investment, the Soviet leadership initiated a dual policy of support for both Chinese parties, backing CPC with money and spies and aiming to reorganise KMT along the ideals of the Comintern—an international organisation founded by Russia that advocated world communism.
After years of division, Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 due to its decades-long imperialist policy to become a colonial power itself, led to a temporary unification of KMT and CPC as China fought the Second Sino-Japanese War with the help of the Soviet Union and the United States. And then there was death and tragedy and the Rape of Nanjing and WWII and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki...and you know how it goes—lives were destroyed, crimes were committed, and history was tainted and painted in black.
What happened with the Chinese Civil War after that is not in the domain of this book, so I’m leaving the story there.
As is evident, Kuang has taken events spanning across two centuries, shifted them and changed them and summarised them in a few decades: Mugen (Japan) became the main enemy in the Poppy Wars instead of Hesperia (Europe) and the Second Sino-Japanese War became the Third Poppy War, happening years earlier during the Qing dynasty instead of after its collapse. Vaisra is a Yuan Shikai (a Qing military strongman establishing the first modern army and a more efficient provincial government in North China) who did as Sun Yat-sen had done and sought foreign help, sending his people to learn from the Hesperians. The Consortium is the Comintern, observing and meddling in the precise same way. I could go on, matching every character and action with its historical counterpart because I am mad enough to have spent hours doing just that, but I will spare your poor braincells.
Despite the changes that brought the fiction to the historical, TDR ultimately maintains the main themes of its inspirations and boldly explores their implications. From fear and eradication of rumours of sorcery, to anti-Christianity and the cold treatment of western ambassadors during the Qing dynasty; from the colourism dividing North and South China with a line of prejudice and privilege, to idealist liberal movements that are in truth hypocritical and blind to the reality of the depth of injustice; from arrogant civilising missions, colonisations, and rapacity of the west, to beliefs in the superiority and chosen status of a race over the lowly and inhumane view of another, Kuang pours heart and soul into ink and parchment to develop each facet of the picture she draws.“Do not shirk from war, child. Do not flinch from suffering. When you hear screaming, run toward it.”
And that, my friends, is why this book matters. It matters because it does not let you ignore what was and what is, still, laid in our foundations.Characters: Development & Relationships
If you strip away the powerful themes and exquisite world, you will be left with the characters—and they are just as faceted as the aforementioned aspects of the book.“When you have the power that you do, your life is not your own.”
✿ Rin: It’s quite rare to read healing journeys gone wrong, weaving the ways characters slip instead of succeed in their battle with mental illness, so I appreciate how Kuang delves into Rin’s mentality, her excuses behind addiction, and her immediate flight when encountering grief and guilt. With Rin’s internal struggles, we soberingly witness the philosophy of violence and watch as its haunting consequences unfold.
But in all honesty, even as I love Rin’s lethal, unapologetic quickness and zero tolerance, she’s too much of a follower—needing to be disciplined, craving her abusers, picking paths rather than carving her own—to capture my heart yet. I do love that her incompetence is acknowledged, though; something that has me very hopeful for the path the story seems to be taking.
Credit:
Nan Fe
✿ Nezha: This idealistic, clueless, privileged, haunted, idiotically loyal baby boy has me so conflicted I want to simultaneously hug him adoringly and pummel him angrily. It’s a pity that his character and his dynamic with Rin did not get the time and attention they deserved, because they could’ve been my new obsession. But sadly, this relationship ended up being as lackingly developed as Rin and Altan in TPW.
Considering how impressively Kuang’s writing has improved though, with Altan’s promised theme of destructive tendencies now finally being shown and thoroughly written, I cannot wait to see Kuang grow even more and steal my breath with Rinezha as well as Nezha himself.
Credit:
Nan Fe
✿ Kitay: You know that character who walks through trauma and emerges as a bitter bastard on the other side? Yes, that one, the one I, however disturbingly, love—that is my Kitay going from an uptight, moral cinnamon roll to a viciously practical scholar slaying me with his sass. It was a little sad to see his righteousness come bite him in the arse, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was also satisfying; what can I say, I’m evil.
✿ The Cike: Last but not least, tiny, innocent, brilliant, and dangerous Ramsa, sarcastic, irreverent, and thrill-seeking Baji, hypocritical, tragic Chaghan, and all of the Cike’s forced companionship and solid comradeship left a mark on my heart. They might not be warm, they might not be friendly, they might constantly hit one another, never pulling punches...but to me, they are a testament to the unlikely friends, no allies, that one can stumble upon in times of pain and crisis when all you have is one more broken soul who might hate you for the mirror you are of their own doomed predicament, but they would have your back if you have theirs because, really, you’re all the other’s got.CW ➾ racism, colourism, colonisation, abuse, misogyny, PTSD, grief, substance use and addiction, self-harm, nonconsensual human experimentations and medical examinations, torture, rape, burning, genocide, mutilation, gore and violence
Companions: Playlist & Related Reviews
Book series playlist:
Spotify URL
Books in series:
➴
The Poppy War (The Poppy War, #1) ★★★★☆
➴ The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War, #2) ★★★★✯
➴
The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3) ★★★★★ -
reread update Jan 2021:
Fang Runin? Her weed? I roll that. Her hand? I hold that. Her back? I got that. Her wife? I am that. Needs someone to die for her? I'll do that
“Between us, we have the fire and the water,” she said quietly. “I’m quite sure that together, we can take on the wind.”
I HAVE NO FREAKIN GODDAMN WORDS
Here I am thinking nothing can be more epic than The Poppy War and R.F Kuang comes and smacks me across the face with THIS BOOK. The BREADTH this world has. THE DEPTH these characters have. THE COMPLEXITY of morality and relationships in this series. the HISTORICAL REFERENCING that underpin this series creating an interesting mirror of our own world. The TWISTS, TURNS AND INCREDIBLE PLOT that has given so much intricacy in this second book. The entire time reading this I just couldn't stop thinking about how no one I've read writes fantasy like R.F Kuang. She truly owns my whole ass
ALSO, we're not gonna think about all those Zutara dynamics and how she really fucked me up with that water and fire metaphor I'm really not strong enough
Deserved 5 star for Kitay making a dick joke about Nezha regardless of anything else tbh
Review to come -
For the last few days this book has taken over my life. When I wasn’t reading late into the night, I was constantly thinking about it or discussing it with my friends.
I was hoping The Dragon Republic would floor me exactly the way The Poppy War did. Astonishingly, it did more than that. Reading this book was nothing short of exhilarating.
From page one it did not let up. I was in a constant state of anxiety waiting for the next twist and turn. Every new reveal, betrayal and manipulation gave me whiplash. I was left gasping, more astounded than before.
Kuang did not pull any punches. The action was head-spinning and the violence (which often left me feeling nauseous) was rendered in such an authentic and appropriate way to each scene.
Knowing that Kuang draws from real sources of Chinese history makes the brutality reflected in the pages hit you harder than ever.“The world is chaotic and war is fundamentally unpredictable and at the end of the day you don’t know who will be the last man standing. You don’t know anything going into a battle. You only know the stakes.”
The author painted a beautiful picture as she expanded the world building and history of Nikan. She delivered the politics and military strategy in a fresh and riveting way that had me on tenterhooks, desperate to know more. I especially loved reading the naval battle scenes which were so very vivid.
In between this harsh landscape Kuang gives us funny and tender moments that I hoarded with a protective ferocity akin to a dragon hoarding gold.
The cast of characters consisted of new and old faces — each distinct and with apparent flaws.
The trauma and psychological side effects suffered by all was shown so well. The old cast from book one has changed so much after everything they’ve endured, each coping (or not coping) in their own way.The anger was a shield. The anger helped her to keep from remembering what she’d done. […] She was afraid that if she stopped being angry, she might crack apart.
At the beginning of the book Rin is in an extremely dark place. She’s struggling to deal with grief and guilt while trying to escape Altan’s ghost and losing the battle against her opium addiction. The only thing she has to hold onto is her rage and her need for revenge. This left her vulnerable and susceptible to manipulation. Even though our girl makes some terrible decisions I still want the best for her and I remain hopeful.
I especially loved Kitay in this one. The sweet cinnamon roll of a boy he was in book one is no more. He has been hardened by war and haunted by Golyn Niis. Now he is filled with a quiet fury which he pours into everything he dedicates himself to. He is such a good friend to Rin, and I will not recover if some terrible happens to him in the next book.
The ending was an unexpected stab in the heart. I could not believe what I was reading. I read it several times in fact just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. A chant of “no no no” did not stop me from careening head first into the twist so cleverly layed out.
After, I lay in the dark, speechless and dazed. Unable to form a coherent thought, my mind churning and a stampede of emotions running through my whole body.
If I look back now to everything that happened in this single book, it was A LOT— but it was all so well executed and put together.
I am counting the hours till I can read the final book. I have no doubt that Kuang is going to deliver a sizzling conclusion to this already mind blowing series.
CONTENT WARNINGS: violence, murder, genocide, rape, self harm, mutilation, human experimentation
Buddy read with
Ameerah &
Warda
___
Read my reviews for
Book 1:
The Poppy War
___
I'm a mixture of excited anticipation and shaking-in-my-boots terrified.
Wish me luck ✨ -
The Poppy War left me wondering if the author would be able to follow up a solid first entry, or would it be another franchise with a promising start that rapidly fizzled out.
I am very happy to say that The Dragon Republic did not only match its predecessor but exceded the bar set. With TDR, Kuang has become an author I plan to watch for any and all releases from.
Full Review Here:
https://youtu.be/1zuzPjD9Geg -
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DNF @ 56%
Even though I had some reservations about
THE POPPY WAR, I did ultimately end up enjoying it, even if I couldn't quite put my finger on who the target audience was or what it was trying to achieve. I did wonder where the author was going to go from there, since having a book end with your main character committing a grave atrocity is definitely a choice... one that's hard to bounce back from.
As soon as I began THE DRAGON REPUBLIC, my hopes for the book began to sink. As I said in my review of TPW, I really enjoyed Part I and admired the author's ability to show a character who was hard-working but unlikable. Parts II and III were where her characterization began to fragment and it was like she unlearned everything that had made her interesting. That's even more magnified here, where Rin spends the bulk of her narrative shrieking, yelling, insulting people, threatening people, mooning over the man who used to abuse her, and gulping down opium like a stoner with a Slurpee.
I was also really disgusted with how Rin treated everyone around her. Her "friends" were never really her friends and I don't understand why she's being shipped with Nezha now when he was so cruel to her in TPW, or why she's so shocked that Kitay is angry at her after what she did in the first book. They're portrayed as this motley crew of buddies who have each other's backs... but they never did, and it feels like an even bigger ret-con than what S.J. Maas pulled with Rhysand and Feyre. I also really didn't like the racism and misogyny in this book. The racism is intentional, as I think it's meant to show how Westerners were viewed by the Chinese, and how the British used their racist, taxonomical-inspired discrimination to legitimize colonization and oppression, but what Kuang does here just barely scrapes at the surface and, as in the previous book, makes everyone out to be awful in a way that just seems to be done for shock. I also hated how all the women in this book, including Rin, are portrayed. So many reviewers portray Rin as a strong protagonist, but anyone who relies that heavily on threats, emotional manipulation, and drugs, is weak, in my opinion. And that could have been interesting to explore, but it felt like Rin was always getting a free pass for what she was criticizing others for doing (genocide, racism, emotional manipulation, war crimes, etc.), and she was really only strong because all other women in this book were portrayed as spineless victims, noble victims, manipulators, or objects.
Also, to clarify: I understand that psychedelic drugs are a key implement in the religious ceremonies of many religions, and unlike some, my issue was not with their presence in the narrative, but the way that they were used. Rin has developed a chemical dependence, as a result of her guilt and trauma (PTSD), and, again, that could have been interesting, but it wasn't really explored fully and was basically portrayed as a free pass for all of her abusive or manipulative behavior, and I really didn't like that/feel comfortable with that, especially not in a character who is supposed to be so kick-butt and ~awesome~.
At this point, the book kind of feels like a gussied-up YA title with flat, two-dimensional characters that uses its violence to shock and titillate. I could understand the violence in book one being used to show the atrocities of war and how shocking that can be to those who glamorize it, as well as to call attention to the massacre of Nanjing, but I'm really not sure what this book was supposed to accomplish apart from making me despise a character I only found barely-tolerable.
Don't forget to check out
Deidra,
Sage, and
Maraya's reviews!
1 star -
“Rin was so tired of having to proof her humanity.”
I’m taking a fantasy hiatus. I can’t remember the last time a book had me fuming like this.
The Burning God better live up to its title. I’m looking forward to seeing certain people die a wonderful and slow death. Yes, I now have a death wish-list.
Disclaimer to all those that haven’t read this series but still want to: I’d advise you, DON’T! But, if you REALLY want to, then do yourselves a favour and don’t get attached to no one. Trust me when say I am sparing you off unnecessary and cruel pain.
I’m questioning whether it’s even a good idea to continue reading this series at this point. As much as I enjoy being tortured by a book, this series takes it to another level and quite frankly, I am just not sure whether I want to put myself through this kind of abuse.
I don’t even know how R.F. Kuang wrote this with a straight face. There’s no way her feelings were present when she wrote certain scenes. It just isn’t possible.
I’ll be in mourning now. Over and out. -
pain 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁
-
pain.. all i feel is pain
-
*anguished screaming*
you BACKSTABBING TRAITOROUS LITTLE-
Never have I wanted so many people to die in the most painful way possible, especially AFTER WHAT THEY DID *sobs*
I want to die🙂
And I have nobody to blame but myself—oH WAIT NO I BLAME KUANG.
The way she quite literally ripped out my heart and shred it into pieces...this hollow, broken feeling—like the world's ending and nobody sees it but me...
is this what death feels like?
I may sound overdramatic to somewhich is literally me in all my reviewsbut trust me when I say that this author is a monsterhaha that rhymed :' )
But she's also a brilliant, worship-worthy monster. I'm both screaming in rage and crying in awe because of the sheer perfection of The Dragon Republic. Everything—and I mean E V E R Y T H I N G was just a masterpiece. If possible, she made me love all the characters even more and the plot...ohmygod I love it. I love this. I love everything.
And the way she made me actually question who was truly evil. What defines 'evil'? Are some actions justified because the reasoning behind it is good? What is considered 'good'?
Everyone has their own story in the end, and if one does not know it, you'll never be able to decide whether they're evil or not. And even then, it's based on our perception of good and evil to determine this.
I love the way Kuang made me think and how deep she went into this. It's not all black and white. It's very, very gray and nobody is as they seem to be.
I went into this with the generic thinking of good/evil and came out with a completely different opinion on this. I am once again shooketh.
...and broken, dead, and destroyed. *sobs*
Kudos to Kuang for turning me into an emotional mess.
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰“People will seek to use you or destroy you.
If you want to live, you must pick a side. So do not shirk from war, child. Do not flinch from suffering.
When you hear screaming, run toward it.”
Oh Rin, my beautiful power-hungry, stubborn, and vicious anti-hero whom I'm very much in love with. Sure, she makes a lot of questionable decisions and has many, many flaws, but she still manages to get back up and not fall to others...for the most part.
Also, where in
The Poppy War, she was considered to be very selfish, here Rin learned to put the fate of her country before her—even if it meant losing her pride and dignity and ugh I love her. It frustrated me that she was forced to do...certain things because of some repulsive monsters who deserve to die *cough* Petra *cough*.i would never“She had a weapon now. She wasn't defenseless against him. She'd never been defenseless. She had just never thought to look.”
And then Rin's obsession with Altan Trengsin...I actually can't say it was super annoying because I could understand the why behind it. I mean, that's what added onto her character growth eventually, and in a way Altan was such a key figure to everyone, but especially to Rin.
The growth in Rin is spot on, and with how this ended I can't wait for Rin to destroy everyone.
I👏AM👏READY👏FOR👏CHAOS👏but not for heartbreak
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰"Do you love him?"
"Yes, more than anyone else in the world."
Every time I see a scene like this, I break apart. Kitay and Rin's friendship is what makes me feel alive. He doesn't hold back on the truth from Rin and tells it how it is if she's done something bad. All they go through, they do it together and have such a deep and strong bond -- I want to cry.
And with something that beautiful during war and written by Kuang herself...it's not going to last long BECAUSE SHE'S EVIL.
I pray nothing happens, but by the way everyone's been coming out of
The Burning God...ahahahaha *nervous laughter*
I still have hope though. Kitay must survive. He must be happy. If not, I will dieeven tho im already dead
War has changed Kitay so much and that's definitely not surprising, but how much it's changed him is heartbreaking, but also amazing. He can talk down to generals and make them listen to him, but he's suffered so much -- it kills me :((
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰“I’m scared I’ll hurt you. Adlaga won’t be the end. I can’t make the Phoenix go away and I can’t make it stop and—”
“Because you’re new to this,” Baji interrupted. He sounded so kind. How could he be so kind? “We’ve all been there. They want to use your body all the time. And you think you’re on the brink of madness, you think that this moment is going to be when you finally snap, but it’s not.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because it gets easier every time. Eventually you learn to exist on the precipice of insanity.”
“But I can’t promise I won’t—”
“You won’t. And we’ll go after Daji again. And we’ll keep doing it, over and over, as many times as it takes, until she’s dead. Tyr didn’t give up on us. We’re not giving up on you. This is why the Cike exists.”
All of that should be enough to tell you how much I love the Cike -- especially Baji and Ramsa *sobs* they're so sweet and hilarious.
Baji, the idiotic, lovable shaman who constantly makes dirty jokes and Ramsa, everyone's cinnamon roll who's obsessed with explosives.
Basically my favourite characters, even though they didn't appear as much as they did in The Poppy War. My heart is so full of love
Even Chaghan...like wow, I actually despised him in the previous book, but now I see everything in a new light. Chaghan is in so much pain :(( and he doesn't know what to do with this and feels all alone. I really can't wait to see him and Rin team up next book (hopefully...?).
Now, I've stayed silent long enough.
🛑SPOILERS for TPW and up to chapter 6 of TDR🛑 DO NOT GO PAST THIS IF YOU HAVENT READ THAT. (Skip to the bottom.)
You've been warned
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰Why was it that whenever she looked at Nezha, she wanted to either kill him or kiss him? He made her either furious or deliriously happy. The one thing he did not make her feel was secure.
With him there was no neutrality, no in between. She loved him or she hated him, but she didn’t know how to do both.
Same, Rin, same. I wasn't surprised that Nezha was alive because Twitter and it's ✨spoilers✨ but ahhhhh I was so happy to see him againat first.
However, this boy is a very complicated human being, and of course that's not a bad thing, but I both hate and love him. As of now, that hatred is overpowering the love, so ahahaha who knows ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Even after what The Third Poppy War did to him, he's still my beautiful boy who truly believes in a world of peace and happiness...so optimistic -- how he can still act like this? I have no idea.his parents are trash and deserve to be thrown in hell
Oh, and the romance that blossomed between Nezha and Rin was so sweet and heart-wrenching asdfgfhgfdsagds my heart is dying because of everything they said to each other. I want to strangle the two. tHe AnGsT
I hate you Yin Nezha <3
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰“If nothing lasted and the world did not exist, all that meant was that reality was not fixed. The illusion she lived in was fluid and mutable, and could be easily altered by someone willing to rewrite the script of reality.”
I cried myself to sleep and woke up with one thought:
"Burn them all, Rin."
I think that says something about me.
But this deep burning rage I feel after everything that's happened...show them no mercy, Rin. Make them suffer. MAKE THEM PAY.
I will not be satisfied until I see certain people killed and if that doesn't happen -- I'm giving TBG 1 starnot true, but I need to threaten something
Am I ready to come out of TBG alive? No, I am not.🙂
(5⭐)
⊱ ────── {⋅. ❈ .⋅} ────── ⊰
Reviews:
The Poppy War: ★★★★.5
The Dragon Republic: ★★★★★
The Burning God: ★★★★.5 -
I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Dragon Republic in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank R.F. Kuang and Harper Voyager.
The Dragon Republic is a phenomenal follow-up to what was one of my highest rated fantasy books of 2018, and I think this exceeds the debut in almost everyway.
Rin is a drug-addled individual who has the monstrous, murderous and perhaps demented power of the Phoenix at her fingertips. We join her here as the commander of the Cike; potentially orchestrating her shamans who can wield the extraordinary power of certain Gods. Those few "lucky" enough to be able to manipulate such absurd yet undeniably powerful magical abilities have to look forward to one of two eventualities. Death or utter madness as the Gods seem to easily overpower their hosts so that these shamans will no longer be able to control their actions. Since the finale of The Poppy War, Rin has built a steady but not completely trustworthy relationship with a Pirate Queen. Rin completes tasks for her under an agreement that she will be supported when she turns her attention to the bigger picture. Which, of course, is getting her revenge by murdering the Empress.
This Oriental-influenced dark fantasy epic features a huge world, all the political intrigue you could hope for, expertly presented dramatic moments, smooth dialogue, and also, the narrative often leaves the reader wondering if the person about to be betrayed is going to betray the betrayer beforehand. You'll have no idea who to trust and something intense and unpredictable happens at least every sixty pages.
It features the majority of the ensemble from The Poppy War but since those events began approximately four years ago these characters have changed so much following their involvement in the last war. One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the relationships between Rin and a lot of the major characters. These include the genius strategist Nikay, the twins Chaghan and Qara, and her sort of father figure The Dragon Warlord. All the above being stated though, nowhere near the majority of the ensemble who started The Dragon Republic make it to the end so be warned. Many of your most loved players will die. Possibly in horrible fashion.
A main character from the first novel who was one of my favourites returns but I don't want to mention his name just in case that approaches spoiler territory. His and Rin's chemistry is dynamic, to say the least. Love, hatred, respect, admiration, disgust, misunderstanding. My reading of Rin personally, as the novel is still presented solely from her point of view, reflected the above-mentioned feelings. Half the time I adored her and the other half I couldn't follow her train of thought when considering consequences. She's a brilliant and complex protagonist who is drug-addicted, recruited for a cause not her own, she loses something important to her, acquires dramatic new abilities all whilst having a God whispering in her ear and a vendetta to complete. It's as much of a headfuck for the reader as it must be for Rin herself so congratulations to Kuang for presenting it this way.
R.F. Kuang is the brightest new star in adult fantasy which I guess is an oxymoron as she writes some of the darkest material around right now. The Dragon Republic truly ups the Grimdark ante. There are some utterly gruesome moments. There is a huge amount of chaotic war action presented throughout and all the nastiness that comes with it. The rebellion events in the novel take over 14 months so we're witnesses to amazing naval battles, sieges, land and guerilla warfare, and even a race that flaunt plasma-like weapons and have built airships. The latter may seem out of place if you've just read this review but it fits in with the overall narrative and will make perfect sense when you get to this story. Although young, Kuang has a knack for writing some of the best fantasy and makes it seem effortless. She will be mentioned alongside names such as Lynch, Lawrence, and Sapkowski for awesomeness very soon. To conclude, what happens at the end of this book is spectacular and the pieces are now set on the metaphorical chess board for what will be a monumental last outing in this series.
"Between us we have the fire and the water," she said quietly. "I'm quite sure that together we can take on the wind." -
*rating lowered because a lot of arbitrary stuff happened and the plot was all over the place*
review to come
___
I should probably start this, but I have a sneaking suspicion it will break what's left of my heart ✌️ -
4.5 stars
“Between us, we have the fire and the water,” she said quietly. “I’m quite sure that together, we can take on the wind.”
In one of my status updates, I asked, "Is it possible to be sexually attracted to a book?"
The answer is yes. Unequivocally yes.
Those of you that might have been worried The Dragon Republic suffers from Second Book Syndrome can rest easy. There's mountains of overarching plot in this baby. It picks up pretty soon after the events of the last book. Rin is commander of the Cike now that Altan is dead and has turned assassin for Moag, the self-proclaimed pirate queen, in exchange for troops and resources to take on Empress Daji. That falls apart rather quickly though and Rin soon finds herself thrown back into war—behind the Dragon Warlord, Nezha's father, as he plans a coup.
There are so many twists. Some I called ages ago, like but they were very neatly foreshadowed and didn't take away my enjoyment of the novel.
Hesperians finally make an appearance, after being vaguely referenced last book. Their religion Makerism is essentially Judeo-Christianity. One Maker against the forces of Chaos. The Pantheon with 64 gods, to them, is barbaric and unholy. Hesperians don't exactly come off looking well here, but it is accurate to history. They were the first colonialists, way back before Japan invaded China in the mid-nineteenth century.
Their role in this book can be summed up by one gif from Pocahontas:
Rin continues to be one of the most morally complex characters I've ever had the pleasure to read. She's never just one thing. Take her relationship with Altan, for instance. It's incredibly complicated. She loves him, lusts after him, fears him, worships him, hates him, is involuntarily bonded with him through their shared Speerly heritage. Kuang never attempts to dilute it. It and Rin is gloriously messy, and I am one hundred percent here for it. Emotions and relationships are very rarely just one shade, and Kuang depicts it so well.
My favorite cinnamon roll Kitay is back, too. I’m glad he gets off his high horse a bit. At the end of the first book, he’s rightfully horrified at what Rin did, but comes off as a tad self-righteous. He becomes more morally complicated here, which makes me sad (my pure boy!) but also pleased. They grow up so fast.
I hope they're giving out ARCS for the final book because I can't wait another year to find out what happens next.
ARC provided by Edelweiss
My review of The Poppy War
My review of The Burning God -
[10/27:20 After nearly a year of thinking: this book was definitely the best for me in the whole series... because we can ignore all the plot holes and lack of build-up in the other two HAHA]
In case you’re wondering about my reaction to the ending: I knew it was going to happen in some way… but I didn't expect to be this affected by it, you know? *me while sniffing and sitting in between buckets of tears*
I am shocked at how much R.F. Kuang grew in the year between TPW and TDR. This is greatly tied to historical events but Kuang was able to create her own world out of it. I really don't know if I can confidently say that this was a story that I highly "enjoyed" the whole time but I was certainly invested and it's a story that needs to be told.
I highly suggest that you should know at least the basics of the history that this is based on (Opium Wars/Sino-Japanese Wars) before diving into the series because you appreciate the messages so much more. You don't need to go in-depth for each of the people involved in case you don't want to be spoiled but at least know what happened... plot wise?“You gods have no power except what we give you.”
The series in general focuses a lot more on Rin’s journey and the politics of war/military (especially during the opium wars era in china) so if you go into this for the detailed action/battle sequences, you might not be getting as much of that. Besides, what I love about Rin’s character is that she was never made to be this unbeatable force like we see in so many stories that can take down armies all by herself. Matched with being in her head and watching everything unfold based on her decisions made her so much more human and is just another reason I love Kuang’s writing as much as I do.
Rin is extremely unlikeable but well-written characters don't need to be lovable. I loved how her internal struggles were correlated with the phoenix god. It added a supernatural element to sort of hyperbolize those strong feelings and accentuate just how intense her mind flips were. From her dark thoughts you already see how her mindset feels both wrong and human, you get to feel just how torn she is.
I’m pretty sure that every character is morally grey and flawed. I would recommend this series just for how each of the characters are written and portrayed. There may be times when it’s not blatantly obvious until you dissect their decisions and thought spaces, but it’s there. And you won't help but be attached to them in some way.“You taught me the meaning of fear, nothing more.”
It has such a fresh take and perspective on a war-centered fantasy. Which doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a dark story because it portrayed all kinds of brutality and cruelty that you would think a war would bring. When I think about how literal scenes can be interpreted metaphorically, particuarly Rin basically losing her mind, I can’t help but attribute it to how children of real war could be feeling. AND I AM JUST A SAD MESS because at the end of the day, they really are just children at the center of all this chaos.
Internal and external politics between the different groups of characters, makes you wonder who is on the “right” side and if there even is one. You really understand where each of their perspectives are coming from and because this is rooted in history, makes you really think about it a little harder.
All elements of story-telling were so beautifully written and executed, the pacing, the build up, world buidling, character relationships and dynamics, ++ I’m pretty sure I cried at some point just because of how good the writing is.
And it’s absolutely crazy how she weaved the supernatural concepts into the historical constructs... I’m so speechless. Everything just hits harder when you understand the metaphors. The last time this happened to me was when I read the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson.
I mentioned in my Poppy War review that Rebecca Kuang tended to “tell” rather than “show” but in this book… she SHOWED. She pulled through and I am satisfied.“Could they be winning? If winning meant killing as many people as they could, then yes.”
↣ There was a time when I thought everyone was exaggerating with how much I would be destroyed by this book but they were right. Read this for all the historical significances that we need more of in literature and one of the best executed ideas I have read. ↢
this took me longer to write than usual because I was a sad potato for the 24 hours post TDR and I had to piece myself together
— overall thoughts: 4.5 —
It’s not a poppy war book if we aren’t starting with the:
⇢ trigger warnings// drug usage, drug abuse, drug addiction, self harm, cannibalism (off screen), rape, massacres, (including children), human experimentation, gore, animal death, mutilation, war, hallucinations, physical abuse, emotional abuse, ableism, abortion (mentioned)
---------------
- beware spoilers ahead for TPW -
at around page 100:
No matter how much I love them, I can’t shake feeling that Nezha and Rin’s relationship sometimes feels cliche to me. There are just too many missing pieces that would have created a proper build up between their characters. I found it weird that when they’re apart, Rin barely even thinks about him? But the moment he’s back in the scenes, it’s like her feelings went up a whole level without the baby steps in between that would make for a proper slow burn. My opinion might change as I go on but I am writing this for the record.
---------------
11/30/20: I have the overwhelming urge to ignore all my responsibilities and binge read this series.
instagram |
blog | ko-fi -
This review and other non-spoilery reviews can be found
@The Book Prescription
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
“You will be the spear that brings this empire down.”
🌟 The Poppy War was one of my favorite 10 books last year. This book is one of my most anticipated books for this year, I was so happy when I was given an ARC through Edelweiss from the publisher (Thanks a million) and I did not read it immediately because I was scared of being disappointed! Kuang proved that she is Queen of Fantasy again and I was left satisfied!!
🌟 I will never get over the fact that this book was written by an author who’s the same age as me but she did it when she was 19, which is mind blowing! There are improvements in the writing to be honest but I slightly prefer book 1 and I will explain why here.
🌟 The author has a great prose and although I find these kind of books harder to read than YA ones, I was not bored at all and I found myself wanting more and more! The second half was better than the first half but all of it were good, there is a very good half and an even better one! I did not read TPW before jumping into this one which I regret doing and I think next year I will be re-reading both before diving into book 3 so I can get all the details and not miss anything as this is becoming one of my series books of all times.
🌟 The characters were great, I like how Rin is still morally grey, how she has motives and she feels real! She is not annoying and I feel myself sympathizing with her too sometimes. Here is one of the things I liked better in book 1, the cast was a bit more fun to read and I just LOVE the school setting which of course was not here given that they finished that in book 1. However, try not getting attached to any characters because you never know who dies here!
🌟 The first book had some time jumps but this book mostly happens in one period of time. That was something I also liked in book 1. The world is expanded here and the political intrigue is even more complex and 2 maps were provided and I think there is room for more expansion!
🌟 The plot twists were great and the book still goes into dark places and you need to be in the right mind set to read it! I suck at providing TW so I hope someone else does! I just had to stop from the shock sometimes and I was like “Who hurt you Kuang, whyyyyyyyy??” and I mean this in the best possible way!
🌟 Summary and Prescription: If you liked book 1 then you will probably like this book 2, if you did not read book 1, then what are you waiting for? this is one of the best fantasy books that I recently read and I encourage all fantasy fans to do so but beware of the heavy things it deal with. -
“But eventually, you'll have to ask yourself precisely what you're fighting for. And you'll have to find a reason to live past vengeance.....” ☪☾]
one of the best triologies out there. if you dont mind a really heavy book then read this triology because its amazing
***sobs *** yessss hellooo i am krizzie and i just wanted tooo mention first that this book again obv. destroyed me and i am still in denial about that ending and i wont accept it. It didnt happen and all of these charracters are happy and there is no war anymore. I am still staring at the wall wondering what i need too do with my life now after finishing this masterpiece. Take this warning from me , this book will destory you just as the first did maybe even more. So yes be prepared and bring a lot of tissues and chocolade and things too throw against the wall if you start this book because i promise you , you will need it. All i want too do after finishing this book is scream intoo the void so yes , pain is what they call that.
ALSO THIS BOOK IS AGAIN A FREAKING MASTERPIECE and everyone who doesnt mind a heavy book , and then i mean really heavy with all trigger warnings you can imagine then READ THIS * thorws the books at your face * because this triology is amazing and one of the best i ever read. Okay on too the actual revieuw that isnt just me screaming.
This revieuw does not contain large spoiler about the book itself , it does contain spoilers for the Poppy war
The Dragon Republic Is the emotional destroying sequel too the Poppy War By amazing author R.F Kuang. As the first book was based on the events happening in Asia in world war two between Japan , in this book the federations and China , in this book Nikan. This book is based on the civil wars in China that took place in 1945-49. And its also about western , which is this books are the Hesperians attempts too take China in this case Nikan. Its so morally grey and based on true events. It makes you think about different sides in a war and the fact that everyone thinks of themselves as the good side trough their perspective but in the end every side is wrong and does wrong things and everyone is in a blur of morally greyness , this book shows like the first one again the bruality and turth of war witch really makes you feel and disgusted in humanity , it spreads awareness of events that happend in this world and it makes you constantly question who is the good side and if there even is a good side. It also shows how war can form people and how it can change people especially in our main charracter Rin The books is also about the seperation that can be in a country just because one half of the country is darker skinned then the other side of the country. And how people can believe somuch in their own and find them self superior that other races and believes dont matter which you really see in this book with the hesperians that only believe in white >>> asian people and that asian people are not capable of doing anything. But the story in this book is also about hope , about hope for a better country and fighting for this.
Overall this sequel is so powerful. Its very fast paced and every page something is happening either emotions or action scenes. And like in the first one it makes you very uncomfy , its addictive , the charracters are all so morally grey and no one is just good but even tho all of them have flaws you cant help but root for them. The charracters are real and raw and you see how the war changes them. This book again shows the truth of war and judging people by differences in their looks or believes. There are amazing complicated friendships again like the cike , Nezha and Rin , Kitay and Rin , Venka and Rin. and overall it just again makes you aware of the issues in this world and the things that happend and are still happening while also being an amazing fantasy with again the amazing fantasy elements like in the first one further expanded. This sequel just has it all and i loved it just as much as the poppy war and if you loved the poppy war i assure you that you will love this masterpiece aswell.
the books is just really a joruney of me asking who the fuck is good here and is anyone good? It makes you wonder what evil truly is and if something evil justified because the reason behind it is good ?
The charracters all the charracters are morally grey and have their own journey and their own meaning in Rin her story of struggeling trough the wars.
Rin ☪☾ - Rin is still one of my new favorite morally grey charracters ever. The way R.F Kuang created her is just mindblowing. She is not good oh no definitly not but she is real and she is an example of someone struggeling in war and how war can change you for the better but also for the worse. She has been trough somuch and my bby is in somuch pain again in this book and i just want her too be happy. She uses anger as a superior emotion because she is scared of feeling other things and thinking about everything the war '' made '' her do. In this story she again trieds too figure out what role too play in this war and on which side too fight. While also struggeling with the consequenses of the events that happend in The Poppy War and her addiction too opium and the struggle with her power of the Phoenix.
“The anger was a shield. The anger helped her to keep from remembering what she'd done. Because as long as she was angry, then it was okay — she'd acted within reason. She was afraid that if she stopped being angry, she might crack apart.”
Kitay ☪☾ Kitay has been trough somuch and plays a bigger role in this book. In Kitay you also see a person changed by war in a different way then rin , because war changes everyone differently. Kitay is still an hilarious cinnamon roll but he is also broken by the events of chapter 21 in the poppy war. Kitay deserves all happiness and i love him somuch.
'' now i cant figure out who is right or wrong. and i am the smart one. I'm always suppoed to have the right answers , but i dont. ''
The cike aka my precious bbys that i love somuch , the found family < 3 ☪☾ The cike are my favorite thing ever and i love them somuch so so much. They are just amazing okay? Found family gets me everytime and especially a found family of morally grey murderous creatures like this squad. The way they care for each other and stick by eachother side trough everything is beautiful and makes me so happy inside. They are the unlikely friends that are there for eachother as a reflection for eachother that they are not alone in this war , they are eachothers mirrors for eachothers struggles and pain. We have Ramsa the brilliant sarcastic kiddo , Baij the king of inappropriate jokes , Suni the broken soul who is hard too get too know but who has somuch kindness in him , Chagan who seems like a hypocrite but is hurt inside.
Tyr didnt give up on us. we are not giving up on you. this is why the cike exists. she stared at them , stricken. she didnt deserve this , whatever this was , it wasnt friendship , she didnt deserve that , it wasnt loyalty either , she deserved thst even less. but it was camaraderir , a bond formed by a common betrayel.
I also loved seeing Venka back in the charracter squad and this book twisted with my mind somuch with who is good and who is bad and it had somany twistst regarding the charracters that left me shook if you readed you know where i am talking about rip.
Charracter dynamics ☪☾ i love all the charracter dynamics somuch , about some of them i cant say anything because spoilers. But i love the cike , kitay and rin their growing friendship had me so emotional and warm inside , Venka and Rin. Rin writes all these dynamics so subtle but so good and they all make you feel.
some of my favorites quotes ☪☾
'' She was starting too see why the Hesperians clung so fervently to their religion. No wonder they had won converts over so easily during occupation. What a relief it would be too know that at the end of this life there was a better one , that perhabs upon death you might enjoy the comforts you had always been denied instead of fading away from an indifferent universe. What a relief to know that the world was supposed to make sense , and that if it didn't you would one day be just compesated. ''
They believe in a singular and all-powerful deity, which means they cannot accept the truth of other gods. And when nations start to believe that other beliefs lead to damnation, violence becomes inevitable.”
'' Are you high ? Ramsa let out a shrill cackle. '' tigers tits , Chagan is high. ''
'' im.... no. ''
'' Quick someone ask him if he is always constipated or his face just looks that way. '' - WHEEEEZE. my bbys. * screams in pain *
- the scene where rin is in rehab from her addiction and suni comes too her and helps her <3
- SPOILERS FOR THE DRAGON REPUBLIC favorite scenes , heartbreaking moments etc. ☪☾
-the scene where kitay and rin joined their souls together was so freaking beautiful , the way they truly saw eachother.
- Rin and Nezha their friendship and hint on romance witch ofc gets destroyed again ofc ofc.
- THE ENDING. the fucking CIKE DIED. and i am in denial i wont accept it i just wont. it didnt happen. i just caNT. and then nezha his betrayel oh lord NO. But he warned rin somany times , he asked her somany times too stay because he knew he '' had '' too betray her when she went away. FUCK. the foreshadowing my bbys.
- wha the fuck too think of Su Daij now ??? IDK MEN. this book fucked with my mind somuch because now i have sympathy for that woman and ugh idk.
- the Reunion between rin and the cike , suni taking her of the ground in a hug. i sobbed. MY BYYS and now they are gone i want too die , like for real i cant handle this pain. BYE.
- kitay is the best friend too rin ever , fight me.
