The Poppy War was my favorite book last year. While The Dragon Republic isn't quite as good, it's still compelling, even though it took a while to get through. It's brutal and depressing most of the way, and my reactions to Rin kept fluctuating between respect and revulsion. I'll want to continue her adventures, although I'm glad it will be a while before I have to follow her into battle again.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Seriously THANK YOU! I've been craving this book since I read The Poppy War last year... and it did NOT disappoint!

Trigger Warning (because like its predecessor this book has a lot: talk of rape, attempted rape, talk of genocide, severe abuse (seen and talked about), drug abuse, forced drug consumption, depression, self harm, white supremacy, possibly more tbh.

Putting this book into words is hard, because I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now. And because so much happened. SO MUCH. If you read The Poppy War this should not be a surprise as that book managed to, in detail, cover multiple years and events. Well, while the sequel did not cover the same amount of time, it did cover a wide variety of events, and it managed to do it in detail.

This is going to be a spoiler free review, which is honestly really fucking hard because so much "spoilery" things happen in the very beginning and influence the rest of the story. And honestly the synopsis of this book doesn't even TOUCH on the events of this book. But as I am reviewing an ARC I promise NO SPOILERS!!!

Plot

This book starts pretty much right after the end of The Poppy War, so we see Rin dealing with some pretty heavy shit. And that isn't even the top of the iceberg of what we see. So much happens in this book, it's insane. The beginning starts off a little slower, but just like with The Poppy War, it is setting the stage and is based on character development.

Even with it being a bit slower, this story was never boring. I was engaged the entire time and dying to know what would happen next.

There were many ups and downs in this story, and many parts that had me horrified. This is once again a story about war and it shows those horrors. It does not shy away from it.

Characters

I need to start of with Kitay, because once again this boy is a highlight! I love him, straight and simple. This kid is just amazing. It was really interesting to see him in this book because it's very clear that what happened in the first book effected him. This is no surprise as what he went through was beyond horrific. Seeing the changes was really interesting and watching him come back into himself was really interesting. He's still my boy and a main favorite of mine!

Rin. This girl has a shitload of issues to go through, this is no surprise. After what she went through during the war, and what she did at the end of the first book, I think it's safe to say anyone would. When we start this book, she is not in a good place. Seeing Rin go through what she does in this book and come out on the other side was unbelievable. It's no surprise that Rin is a strong character, but seeing her endure and come out strong is great because what Rin goes through in this book was just... wow.

Some of the other characters we know from book one are back and it was really great to see them again. We got a lot more about some characters, and got to see some cameos from people I didn't expect. My big surprise new favorite is Venka! She wasn't in it as much as I'd want, but given what happened in book one it makes sense. But Venka is so strong and a badass and I kind of love her! Which is funny considering how I felt about her at the beginning of book one.

A lot of new characters introduced that I just absolutely hate. Especially the Gray Company. Fuck those guys. Some from book one who I did hate, then ended up liking, and others I liked and now I don't. But I won't say more than that.

Final Thoughts

This book took me on a wild ride. And that ending. HOLY HELLS I NEED THAT NEXT BOOK IMMEDIATELY! I am dying to know what happens next and so sad that I have to wait so long for the next book!

If you loved the first book you will love this one as well! Once again we see some horrific moments of war, but they are all realistic (which makes it more horrific tbh) and really leave you thinking.

I received an advance copy of the book via Netgalley.

<i>The Poppy War</i> kicked off this grimdark Chinese history-inspired series, which continues with <i>The Dragon Republic</i>. Rin is an abrasive protagonist--she's a survivor, in part because of her own ruthlessness. She also is a shaman, able to channel a Phoenix and wield fire. Amid the topsy-turvy politics of her homeland, she is a weapon capable of genocide. As this book begins, she's suffering from severe PTSD, mired in grief from the losses rendered at the end of <i>The Poppy War</i>, and heavily addicted to opium as her coping mechanism.

Full confession: I almost stopped the book a short ways in. Rin's impulsive, brutal nature is pretty much the opposite of my own, and I felt a profound urge to slap her and yell, 'Grow up!' Fortunately, I stuck with the book, and fortunately, she did just that. This is a book about maturing as a person and in terms of power. Like its predecessor, this book is incredibly dark and gruesome at times. Kuang does not shy away from showing the full nature of war and its aftermath, and no character is sacred or safe. The ending contains jaw-dropping twists that leave me very curious about what the next volume will deliver.

Well damn... RF Kuang is coming for your wig, your wife, your dog, your feelings, your patio furniture - she wants it all. This book is completely brutal and pulls no punches (I would say it's even darker than the first book), which I really appreciate about it. This is not a book that glorifies war or the choices that leaders make in the course of shaping the future of nations. This is a book that looks at war as a loss no matter who comes out on top, and it's not afraid to bring the horror of what is really happening right up into the reader's face. I think the highs of this book are probably higher than The Poppy War, but I do think it suffers from even more pacing issues than the first book. With those in balance, I'd land on a 4 star for this book, just as I gave the first book 4 stars.

That said, this is definitely not a sophomore slump and THAT ENDING THOUGH. Cannot wait for the conclusion of this trilogy.

FAIR WARNING! There will be spoilers here, because some folks show up that we never expected to see again.

The Poppy War was my all time favorite read last year. It's brutal, it's grim, but it's so damn good. I read it for a book club and I think maybe five of us finished it? It's a beast, for sure.

This picks up a few weeks after the events of The Poppy War, with Rin leading the rest of the Cike on an assassination trip. That's right, the best soldiers in all of Nikan are now just mercenaries for a pirate queen.

Rin is struggling. That's putting it lightly, honestly. She's not even really holding it together after she literally burned the entirety of the Federation of Mugen, witnessed Altan's death, and is dealing with a killer opium addiction. Kuang is putting Rin through it, but in a way, it doesn't feel overly abusive? Like, Rin is dealing with these things because of choices she made. These are all direct consequences of her actions. And it doesn't shy away from PTSD at all.

We learn more about Hesparia, or, Europe. We learn about the missionaries, the outrageous racism (that honestly is accurate in regards to ideologies of the area/time). Sister Petra is the absolute WORST.

We see more of Nezha, that glorious cocky asshole. We learn more about his family.

And the Viperess. The true monster of the story. Rin's whole goal now is to kill her for starting another war and killing the only connection she had to her past.

A haunting look at PTSD following the events of The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic is an incredible sequel that doesn't suffer from second-book-syndrome in any way. I give it 5 out of 5 tridents.

This was a great follow up to The Poppy War. It vividly details the aftermath of war. It shows us how brutal it can be for those fighting it and of course for those displaced by it. I loved these characters and while I was a bit frustrated with Rin several times, I loved her strength and resilience. This series will be a fun one to discuss with a book group at my library!

“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.”

I loved R.F. Kuang’s debut novel, The Poppy War, and gave it 5 stars. Kuang’s sequel, The Dragon Republic, is, believe it or not, even better. The Dragon Republic has done away with the military school of its predecessor, and has thrown us right into battle. This book is gruesome and unapologetic about its description of war and its aftereffects. This books is incredibly clever and detailed. The amount of research that must have gone into this book is evident in every page. I loved the strategies, shifting alliances, and battle scenes. This book is completely engaging right from the start.

Rin’s character development has only grown in the sequel. In the beginning of the novel, we see Rin at her lowest point. She’s guilt ridden from the events of the conclusion of The Poppy War, opium addicted, and hell bent on revenge. She and the Cike soon meet the Dragon Warlord and become involved in a scheme to kill the Empress and establish the country as a republic. Rin is only all too happy to embroil herself in another war. I really love the complexity of Rin’s character, and her internal struggle of morality really showcases her depth. The secondary characters are equally well thought out and endearing, especially her old classmates Kitay and Venka.

Overall, The Dragon Republic is a dark, intense read that had me hooked until the very end. A worthy sequel to Kuang’s debut.

“Think about it,” Daji whispered, tracing cool fingers over Rin’s cheek. “Figure out who you’re fighting for. And when you know, come find me.”

I DNF'd this book after 60%. It's more or less the same vibe of the first book, but with a lot less drama. I didn't really care for Rin in this book. She's whiny and helpless, and this book is a lot slower with not as much interesting world-building.

This is the continuing story of Fang Runin, after the… uh… the events of The Poppy War (I’ll try my best to avoid spoilers here). Rin is having a bit of a tough time with her shamanic powers, that of the Phoenix, one of the many, many gods of her people. She has the ability to call up fire, but with a god screaming in her head for the power to do it… well… it’s a bit difficult to not go a bit insane. Or, instead, to do what a great deal of people like her do to shut off most of their higher functions: opium.

The first part of this novel deals pretty heavily with drug abuse and recovery, and it was often times difficult to read, in that I have known people with drug problems, and so I truly felt for Rin here, as I have felt before for others.

The writing was fantastic. All kinds of twists and turns and ups and downs happened throughout this one, and I didn’t see most of them coming, but I ultimately sat glued to my seat much of the time. Although it took me a little more time to read than other books have lately, when I got to reading it, I was immersed and on the edge of my seat for most of my time with it. Kuang really knows how to ramp up the action and intrigue. This was a very difficult book to have to put down. Reading it when I was short on time/in a waiting room/on my lunch break was sometimes frustrating when my free time ended and I had to put it away.

The last quarter of this book was an absolute rollercoaster though. There wasn’t enough free time in the universe for how much I wanted to gobble it all down in one go. So good. Dat ending though. 😭😭😭😭😭

We got to see a few characters a little more closely, such as Nezha and Kitay, and I enjoyed that because I really liked them as characters throughout The Poppy War as well. We also get to see a little more closely into Chaghan and Qara’s people, and the nature of the bond between them, which was interesting. I loved some of the banter in this one too, usually between Kitay and Rin or Baji and… anyone, really. Rin and her relationship with both her peers and her powers was the driving force of this one for me though. Rin oftentimes makes rash decisions, and those decisions backfire realistically from time to time. There were times where I wanted to just say ‘Rin. No, that’s… no. Just no.’ at her. She is a protagonist who isn’t infallible, and I like that in a protagonist.

So, all told, I absolutely loved this one, as I did the book before it, even when they hurt my feels (maybe especially then). At times, it deals with really tough subject matter, and it gets dark AF on the regular, but then, this book is inspired by actual history, and war, famine, drug abuse are a huge part of that history. You can see a lot of real life in this particular fantasy, which hit me right in all of my feelings, and that, to me, means stellar writing.

Thanks to the author, as well as Harper Voyager via NetGalley for the review copy.

When I was approved for an ARC of The Dragon Republic, I was so excited and relieved to get my hands on it. The Poppy War was one of my favorite (if not my #1) book I've read this year so far and I'm happy to say its sequel did not disappoint! I am amazed by this series that has so much power over my feelings and emotions.

I've already pre-ordered a copy to have on my shelves because let's face it, those books are beautiful and I'm going to re-read them sooner or later.

In The Dragon Republic, we follow Rin and the Cike right after the events of the first book. I don't know if I can say anything without spoiling The Poppy War. I finished this book two hours ago and my thoughts are still reeling. My mind is still in this really well-developed world and with these characters who I gave a piece of my heart.

This story are so well-done and well-written. I have to say however that I found the FMC, Rin, annoying (especially in the first 15%) but it didn't bother me that much. You might see her described as a whiny brat making tantrums in other reviews, but honestly, I don't care. I still love her and if you can push past that, then this book is just amazing. If you like fantasy, please give this series a try if you haven't already.

When I first started it, I wasn't sure if this series was a duology or not and with that ending it's clearly not over and I'm so happy about that! However, that means I'll have to wait who knows how long to find out what's going to happen next. I cannot wait. OMG.

The next book I'm going to read is going to have a hard time. I mean... how can you compare to this? You just can't.

(Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley to let me read and review an e-ARC of this book)

R. F. Kuang’s follow up novel of Poppy War, The Dragon Republic was EPIC! We return to Rin three months after the Poppy war has ended. She and her team are working assassination missions for a pirate smuggler. In return Rin will receive payment with ships and supplies so she and complete her mission, but things don’t work out as she plans.

Kuang wasted no time going in full force in this sequel. Driven by the power of revenge Rin draws her focus through angry and the only thing she wants is to be is a solider. Moving past Nikara and the Mugenese federation, we are now introduced to the Hesperian’s. The Hesperian is a race of Westerners that bring technologies, arquebuses and airships into the story.

Told though her perspective this fast pace fully charged novel will keep you wanting more. Full of darkness, tactics, shifting allegiances, war and death this is a must read if you love fantasy. Thank you, Harper Collins/Harper Voyager, for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review. 5 out of 5

While I really enjoyed The Poppy War, there were a few things that were a bit off for me, namely I felt no connection to Rin and the violence in the book came really close to crossing a line for me at one point (which is saying something because I’ve become pretty desensitized to violence in books at this point in my reading career).

I feel like The Dragon Republic fixed those two problems. Rin, while still nowhere near the most lovable character, became more human. While I didn’t necessarily agree with her decisions all the time, I always understood where she was coming from and why she made the choices she made. I didn’t feel this in the first book, so I was really happy with the character development this time around.

The violence was also tamed down a bit which for me, at least, was a big plus. Maybe that makes me sound like a prude. However, as I mentioned before, there was a scene so brutal in The Poppy War that I almost had to quit the book. I can see how it was beneficial to the story, yet nonetheless, it shook me. If another scene like that had popped up in this book, I probably would have had to pull the plug. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Don’t get me wrong, there was violence. Some real cringeworthy moments. But they didn’t make me feel the repulsion that I felt while reading the first book.

Also, the ending to this book was badass. The last two chapters had me staying up late into the night to finish. I can’t wait to see how book three plays out.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review of this book. I also won the paperback ARC from Goodreads. That was my motivation to read these books.

I was so excited to get the advanced review of this.

This book is book 2 to the Poppy War series. This book was so amazing!!!!! That ending!!! The world building and development was very well done. I can not wait to see where the author goes from here. I loved the characters of the story. I don't really want to give to much information because if you have not read book one, I don't want to spoil this book. I just highly suggest picking up this series.

After being betrayed by the Empress, Rin and the Cike are on the run and in mourning. Motivated only by revenge and opium, Rin finds a new ally who promises to improve the lives of the people and help Rin destroy the Vipress. More sweeping, bloody battles ensue, familier to readers of The Poppy War. Characters from the first book return and others die. The mysterious Hesperians enter the picture, with their own complex motivations. While exciting and engaging, The Dragon Republic spends a great deal of time arranging characters and events to set up the next story and is ultimately somewhat unsatisfying. Many of Rin's choices are obvious far in advance and the casual culling of the Cike is juxtaposed with more of Rin's school chums resurfacing.

Continuation of the poppy war series. Didn't feel it was quite as strong as the last book, but still enjoyable, with the same level of manipulative and Machiavellian characters. Would recommend to most fantasy/sci fi readers, particularly those who like the political and war aspects of clashing kingdoms and empires.

I love love loved The Poppy War, so I was ecstatic to have gotten a Net Galley copy for the sequel. But 10% in and I'm not sure if the same author wrote it.

Rin may have had her faults in the first book, but I can sympathize with her and understand her motivations. But the sequel starts off with Rin as a completely different person from the one we've known. She acts like a brat despite being captain, and all she can think about is opium. She's basically a useless toddler. I get that she has a drug problem and a God problem, but pages of her wanting to get high and then getting high, is not interesting to read about. And her "I want revenge and kill everyone" thing just gets tiresome. She's no longer a sympathetic character and I found her extremely annoying.

Worse off, there are so many inconsistencies in the story right off the bat, and the writing reads like a first draft, so cringe worthy, and not anywhere close to a finished piece. Maybe the finished copy will fix everything? Some sentences don't make any sense, the number of adverbs just shows how lazy the writing is, and why all the profanity all of a sudden? I have no issue with profanity when the situation calls for it, or if it's a stylistic choice, but characters are using them just because, and only the word "f*ck", as if it's all they know. It's like a kid who just learned their first bad word and now uses it everywhere because he thinks it's provocative.

Last point, the story is just not interesting. Rin has a goal in mind but doesn't strategize in anyway. It just seems the author had no clue how to begin this book and didn't think through the rest of the story beyond where the first one ended. There is one scene, after which I stopped reading, where Rin threatens a woman who is helping her, that just completely took me out of the story. Rin is not a kid anymore, and after all that she had been through, you'd think she would know how to deal with people and situations better. Instead, she acts like an impetuous and ungrateful little brat, just because she has the power of the Phoenix.

I'm DNFing this at 10%, unless someone tells me it gets a lot better later. Right now, it's just too frustrating to continue. It's a shame because The Poppy War was one of my favorites of 2018. But there are better written books out there so I'm letting this one go for now.

The only thing I liked about this book was the world building. I think the mythology and world was interesting and I really liked it. But I didn't like how they used addiction and drug use as a plot device. I was excited when Rin was getting sober around 20% into the book but then two chapters later they had her high on opium again. That really bothered me because if she's an addict shes not going to be okay with using again after finally getting sober. I understand that it's their connection to the gods, but I just couldn't get past that.

REVIEW
The Poppy War is one of the top fantasy novels I've read in the last five years, and it is the book I find myself recommending frequently to those looking for an epic story. Kuang's sophomore novel had big shoes to fill, and The Dragon Republic does a mostly strong job in living up to the challenge.

This book plunges immediately into war, darkness, and action with Rin running from herself and her addiction. She made a bargain with the Phoenix in order to save Nikan, but the cost was high. This book unfolds through the building of alliances while navigating the will of the gods. It's a book that will leave readers wanting more in Book 3.

PRAISE
“Her story’s refreshing, shocking, and there’s some sort of invisible phoenix fire god controlling everything. Behold the horizons of fantasy expand.” -Wired

“Kuang brings brilliance to this invigorating and complex military fantasy sequel to The Poppy War.” -Publishers Weekly

AUTHOR
R. F. Kuang is a 2018 Marshall Scholar and a graduate of the 2016 Odyssey Writing Workshop. She studied Chinese history at Georgetown University. The Poppy War was her debut novel. She lives in Cambridge, UK.

The Poppy War was not only one of best books I read in 2018, it's also one of the best books I've ever read and I was really excited to get an ARC of The Dragon Republic from the publisher. Unfortunately, this book fell victim to the typical second-book-in-a-trilogy-slump I find myself complaining about with most trilogies.

The Dragon Republic follows Rin after her victory in the Third Poppy War. Although she's still a strong, yet flawed, character, she begins to make more errors and seems be suffering from the holy trinity of PTSD, opium addiction, and also the part where she has a psychotic god living inside her head. In a way, this combination makes her story incredibly frustrating; while I see her actions as a result of the aforementioned PTSD, addiction, and crazy god, her characterization does come off as a little too "women be overemotional and irrational". She flies off the handle in multiple instances and nearly gets people killed because of her inability to behave like a trained commander. One of the few things Rin gets right in this book is her reaction to the Hesperians but her opinions are repeatedly discounted or ignored because of her overall behavior.

The Hesperians are western colonizers who want to bring their religion and way of life to the "savages" of the Nikara Empire. The conflict between Ren, the various warlords, and the Hesperians is the most interesting part of The Dragon Republic. As in The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic pulls inspiration from real events and history, and bringing western meddling into the story adds a very interesting layer to the plot. This alone does not save the book entirely, but these plot points did get me through the parts of the story that really dragged.

And sadly, my main takeaway from The Dragon Republic is that the book was kind of slow. I do remember thinking that the first part of The Poppy War was a little slow and maybe even a little boring, but R.F. Kuang more than made up for that with the rest of the book. Here, Kuang is setting the stage for the finale and the book does suffer for it. Plot points are introduced and then seemingly forgotten, new characters pop up and then disappear, and there were odd jumps between events that made the story somewhat difficult to follow. That's not to say that I disliked the book. I still really enjoyed this, and I'm still incredibly excited for the third and final book in the series, but I was definitely let down and slightly bored at points. Regardless, I recommend reading this book because it is interesting, I think it's a unique concept, and I strongly suspect that the trilogy as whole will be well worth it.

You know how sequels sometimes aren't as good because you're constantly comparing it to its amazing predecessor? Well, make no mistake, The Dragon Republic does not suffer from second-book syndrome. Kuang carries on from the momentum of The Poppy War to write a sequel that somehow surpasses its predecessor. The Dragon Republic immerses you in Rin's world; you'll experience these events as if you were the one stabbed or betrayed, in pain or in power.

I've been sitting on this review for so long because . . . I'm still dying over it, really. There's truly so much pain in this book, partially because there are so many betrayals. Conversely, Kuang gives us a lot more good, almost heartwarming scenes than the first book. I say "almost" because, well, you're filled with so much dread for what's to come that it's hard to appreciate them; I mean, immediately after these scenes, something bad happens, and this is why we can't have nice things.

There's not much to say without completely spoiling a lot of the events in this book, so much like my review of The Poppy War, I'll be vague and talk more about the themes.

Rin has so much character development. The Poppy War has her angry, permanently overfilled with rage. Don't get me wrong, she still is in this book, but in The Dragon Republic, we get to see a more controlled anger, which in a way is much, much worse. Her anger in the first book was so destructive and unchanneled; really, that would get her nowhere if she kept it up, a fate like, or worse than, Altan's. Now her rage is more channeled.

In line with this, her relationship with Altan is called into question. She's obviously his foil, toeing the line of giving into her anger like him, a cycle of self-destruction that will only end in ruin, but did she really know him? Were they friends, pseudo-family, something more, or something less?

I also love how she's a horrible commander and can recognize it. Sometimes when you have greatness thrust upon you, you screw it all up. Rin's always been able to follow someone else's orders and is fine with that. Eventually she's obviously so desperate for someone else to give orders and be responsible for the consequences that she turns to a certain unexpected someone and their cause. She wants to be a soldier again, but she is destined for bigger things, something she comes to realize over the course of this book.

We get to meet a new enemy, and their rhetoric is truly sickening. Kuang has been open about the inspiration she's drawn from real life events, and remembering how these beliefs were once commonplace (and still are, to some people) is horrific.

I did relate to Rin, though, and how she almost starts believing their rhetoric. Having grown up Asian and non-religious in a predominantly white, religious setting, I understand how easy it is to almost want to give into their proselytizing and believe in something more than yourself. Also, the amount of preaching and attempts to convert you is very true.

Similarly, when Rin realized how much she changed herself to fit in with the higher classes, I really felt that. I went to Kuang's signing last year, and knowing the school she went to (I say that in the least creepiest way possible; it's just that I also went to private school and it's a relatively small world, private schooling in this area, so I've been to that school for events) and that she's an immigrant, she's been through similar feelings. What person of color or first/second-generation immigrant hasn't? There's a line between acclimating to your new environment and adapting by changing yourself completely to fit in; sometimes the pressure pushes you to adapt.

Kuang's writing has somehow gotten even better. I found parts of the first book to be jolting, but The Dragon Republic is strongly cohesive from start to finish. Also I reread The Poppy War after reading this ARC and there is so much foreshadowing and little bits of plot that she connects. I recommend reading the first book again before jumping into this one so you'll catch all of it because honestly, Kuang's mind works on another level.

There's so much more that I want to talk about because SPOILERS, so just know that I'm silently sitting here, suffering and waiting for this book to release so you all can relate to the pain I'm still feeling, months later. I'll just say that her relationships with people we've met in the first book grow, in some cases, into something more. Who'd have thought that in a book about war, I'd be most devastated by . . . oh never mind. I'll just leave you with this quote, no context.

Any expectations of this novel that you might have, Kuang shoots out of the water and sets on fire. This book is one of the strongest sequels I've ever had the privilege of reading, and I cannot wait to see how she one-ups herself again in the third book, especially after THAT ENDING. If you think you're ready for this book, be prepared for how little you can prepare to experience the masterpiece that is The Dragon Republic.

**This review will be posted on my blog, Magical Reads, on July 6, 2019.**