User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
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!).
Rating: really liked it
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!
Rating: really liked it
get ready
Rating: really liked it
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
Rating: really liked it
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
Rating: really liked it
:) :)
fang runin is that bitch
Rating: really liked it
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.
(the most breathtaking arc by paper-ish)
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!)
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!
Blog | Instagram | Youtube | Ko-fi | Spotify | Twitch
(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.) 💕💕
Rating: really liked it
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
Rating: really liked it
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.
Rating: really liked it
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
Rating: really liked it
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 predictableThis 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.
Rating: really liked it
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!
Rating: really liked it
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
Rating: really liked it
(
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) ★★★★★
Rating: really liked it
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 WORDSHere 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
