Second book syndrome? No way! This book is full of political intrigue,violence,alliances,unsure decisions, defeats and supposed victories. Rin is still suffering from the conclusion of book 1 with extreme guilt and the feelings of being thrust into something she really doesn’t want. After an alliance is offered to help in the defeat of a common enemy, Rin is all in with her temper and too quick reactions to certain situations. Of course this wouldn’t be a great book without a few bumps(or many) in the road. Expect deceptions and some very surprising revelations in this book. It’s so hard to review a sequel without giving too much away, but if you enjoyed the last half of The Poppy War, you will love this. It leaves you with an uprising to happen in the near future that has me craving Book 3 already. A must read if you enjoyed The Poppy War!

3.25/5 stars

Lemme start this review by saying that I have never been a fan of military driven plots and find talk of strategy quite dull....which is why I didn't enjoy this book as much as it's predecessor.. I very much enjoyed Rin in The Poppy War, but I found her incredibly frustrating in this book. She is such a volatile character and leaves me screaming, "WHY WOULD YOU DO/SAY XYZ?!". But...and I say BUT, I understand why she is that way. Rin's story is a story of constant rage and grief. A big ole pile of flaming rage that consumes all. My favorite part of this novel was Nezha. What a fucking glow up, amirite!? HE MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS....and I choose not to believe his actions in the last few chapters of this book. Cannot wait for book 3!

It actually took me a little while to get through this sequel, and not because it wasn’t good. It was just as intriguing and compelling as the first book, and I think because of that I wanted to savor the book a little longer. Well, that and I was reading it at a particularly busy time, so it made it hard to read for longer than ten minutes here and there for most of it.

There are so many great complexities in this book, especially with the consequences of actions and revelations from the first book. Oh, and then there’s characters who you thought were dead that turned out to not be dead. I’m not mentioning names but that was something I wasn’t expecting, which was pretty cool.

I felt like I got to explore so much more when it came to the world, the religions, the provinces and nations, the history of these wars…it all became just so much more expansive. It was like peeling open layer after layer of new information as the chapters went by.

I was so engrossed by this story, so I’m actually glad that I took time to completely read through this. Maybe it’ll make the wait for the next book not feel so long.

Last year, The Poppy War shook the foundations of the fantasy community and demanded to be seen. It was brutal, horrifying, and overflowing with vengeful gods and destructive humanity—I couldn’t put it down. It was one of my favorite novels of the year and one of the best debut novels I’d ever read. I’ve never carried any doubt about Kuang’s ability to follow up with its sequel, but The Dragon Republic improved and expanded upon its predecessor in every conceivable way.

Between the political machinations, the social commentary, the horrors of war, the incredible character development, and the cosmic, drug-laced thread of shamanism that connected them all, I don’t know what I can rightfully say about The Dragon Republic’s effect on me aside from telling you all that I am utterly and thoroughly obsessed with these books. I could rant on this world, these characters, and this magic system for days, but it’s something better experienced for yourself.

Kuang does not pull punches, take prisoners, or spare feelings. She’s here to tell this story in all of its burning, vicious glory and she’s done a damned incredible job of it thus far. I have no clue what to expect from the third book, but I’d follow Kuang anywhere from here and I can’t wait to see where she leads us. If you haven’t yet read these books, make them your highest priority. I can give no further praise here than to shove them into any many hands as are willing to take them and let Rin’s story fly.

This was a rollercoaster from start to end. A lot happens in this sequel, and it definitely never fails to keep you guessing. I absolutely love the set-up of the world and the geopolitical dynamics here. Also appreciate that each character isn’t neatly divided into good/bad, and that different facets of their personalities and principles are explored.

I hesitate to say that I love these books. And not because they’re not good, but because they’re about terrible people who do terrible things. There is literally no one who is good. No one who is purely in the right. Everyone’s been touched by the wars; everyone’s looking out for themselves, first and foremost. There are always hidden motivations and ambitions, and you don’t know who you can trust. Like. The Poppy War was fucking dark. It was hard and grueling, even when it was just about a girl who tested into the most ruthless academy in the country. But when the Third Poppy War began, it just got worse. It was hate and cruelty and people who lost their humanity and people who never had it to begin with. It was what happens when you strip away all that is good and kind, and you bring out the worst in each other. You thought that was bad? The Dragon Republic is even more horrible.

This one was almost more heavy, in a sense, because it was about the aftermath of war. It was thousands starving and displaced, soldiers trying to run from their nightmares, and good people dealing with their choices and the things that happened to them in the past. It was almost worse, because the war doesn’t end. The enemies and allies just shift, and the cowardly and stupid Warlords can’t stop bickering long enough to help their own people. And Daji. Daji sold out her own country for reasons unknown, and now Rin is doing her absolute best to take her down. But Rin is stuck in the past, barely surviving, cut off from her Phoenix god and the fire that makes her feel in control. Buried so deep in her own grief and anger over Altan, and what happened to him, that she can’t see beyond her own desires. Her own feelings. She’s fed on her hatred for so long, it’s all she truly knows.

And I’ll be honest. There were times that this book almost lost me. Because I didn’t really get the infatuation with Altan. I felt like I didn’t get to know him, because he left the school after he graduated, and then he becomes a too-young Commander of a group of shamans who need his help to survive, because they can’t face their gods on their own. We only saw the vengeful Altan, the warrior, the guy who couldn’t handle the power without burning himself up in the process. When Nezha called him Rin’s abuser, he wasn’t completely wrong. Altan did some awful shit to her, and I don’t think the story necessarily wanted you to be okay with that. But I wasn’t here for Rin’s bullshit because of it. She was so cruel sometimes, so ignorant and uncaring of everyone else’s feelings, that I started to dislike her a little bit. But she’s always been vicious, and I love that, I really do.

I love that this series has such morally gray characters, and absolute villains who know they’re villains but don’t give a fuck. I’m not talking about the loathsome assholes, but the ones like Daji and Moag and yes, Vaisra. I love books that tackle these big questions and morals, that make you rethink everything you know about what it means being human. These characters are ruthless, and they feel. They feel deeply, and they aren’t afraid to show that. I just couldn’t always get behind the fact that it was war after war after war. That it was putting all of these people who have been through SO MUCH and who are still reeling from the Federation in another horrible situation. For so long, they felt like they were winning, and they celebrated. And I just couldn’t help but think: these victories are hollow because the people are so defeated they can’t put up any resistance.

But don’t worry, there’s Kitay, the one person who always sees the truth. The shrewdly intelligent kid who just needed a purpose, a place to put all of his anger toward because then he didn’t have to feel all of his grief and the losses, didn’t have to think about Golyn Niis again. I still can’t get over what the Federation did to that city and its people. So I was SUPER glad The Dragon Republic didn’t shy away from showing PTSD and the effects of war. Everyone is dealing with it in their own way, even if it’s a shit way (re: Rin). And Venka!! My DARLING. I love that she got more page-time, that she wasn’t just brushed aside. Come to think of it, no one is brushed aside. People who were around for even a tiny bit end up becoming bigger players in the end. Or my favorites DIE. SUNI. BAJI. I’m still upset about Ramsa’s death, though. I don’t think I will ever get over that one. *sobs*

I also missed the fuck out of Jiang. I really think he and Daji will either a) team up in the 3rd book or b) fight each other to the possible death. And since the Dragon Emperor didn’t actually die, my theory is that his god took over his mind and body, and he’s the grotto dragon that has been sucking the life out of Nezha since he was a kid. There’s something about the Trifecta that isn’t nearly over yet. They are at the heart of this, and there is no way that Daji won’t want to destroy the Hesperians. She and Rin are DEFINITELY gonna team up at some point. And I need way more background about the three. There wasn’t enough in here for me, though it was great to see how it all started with them and just how corrupted the power made them. But I NEED to know more; I have a hunger. And really, I just want Jiang back!! BRING HIM BACK!! AND CHAGHAN, MY LOVE!

There is so much going on underneath the main plot, and everything feels like it just keeps building up toward that finale. But I still don’t know where it’s gonna go, or how it’ll shape up. And that worries the fuck out of me. Like I said, you can’t trust ANYONE. You think there’s one true enemy for so long until you realize that another didn’t leave, or that you actually had to worry about the one that seemed so benevolent and just. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to move on from this story and these characters. I’m writing this review a few hours after I finished it, because I couldn’t stop thinking about the book. I literally gasped aloud over the Dragon Emperor theory that popped into my head after I was trying and failing to sleep. I’m not going to survive the 3rd book, I already know this. Good thing I’ll have to wait a long-ass time to read it because I’M NOT READY!

Picking up where the first installment left off, readers are thrust back into Rin's world as she grapples with the decisions she executed at the conclusion of The Poppy Wars. Now the commander of the Cike, Rin struggles with a crippling opium addiction that keeps the Phoenix at bay but also leaves her unable to make the best decisions for her small band of fighters. The only plan that Rin has is to take down the Empress who sold them out and recapture Feylen before he destroys Nikara. This leads Rin to accept the offer to fight for the Dragon Warlord; however, as the pieces are placed on the chessboard for the inevitable confrontation, Rin's loyalties and ability to command are tested in ways that she did not expect.

R.F. Kuang's second installment of this grimdark trilogy nicely expands the world, introducing new players and sections of Nikara that were mentioned but not explored in the first novel. In addition to new faces, several familiar favorites return to assist and also hinder Rin on her quest for vengeance. In a world where survival is not guaranteed for any character, some of the deaths and betrayals were truly heartbreaking but help push Rin to her limits as she grows and moves away from a need for acceptance toward true independence.

Readers will also appreciate that several threads from the first novel were developed here, some of which only seemed like passing mentions. The Trifecta is finally explained and the source of their power and motivations also becomes clear. Though the story offered more of a slow burn, the development and details all added up to an explosive conclusion that sees new battle lines being drawn for a final confrontation that will test Rin's abilities as both the conduit for the Phoenix's power and as a military leader.

As with the first book, I cannot recommend The Dragon Republic enough. While this felt like the middle novel in a trilogy, meaning it seemed like a moment for character development while shifting the pieces into place for the final book, the action and conclusion of several loose ends allowed it to feel very satisfying while still leaving enough to explore for the final installment. The Dragon Republic is guaranteed to land in my top ten this year. The third book can't come soon enough.

ARC provided by Harper Voyager on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This is the follow up to one of my favorite grim dark fantasies of all time - and I was terrified it wouldn't live up to the hype. BUT Y'ALL - this was just absolutely amazing. And honestly?? I think I liked The Dragon Republic even more than I liked The Poppy War - which I wasn't sure was possible.

With the end of The Poppy War I was not quite sure the direction this series as a whole was going to go and had no idea what to expect going into this one. The last book had some major devastation happen throughout it and I had no idea where Kuang was going to take us next and how. But wow did she truly take us on a journey with Rin in this second book - both in the world and in Rin herself. We got to see so much of how the events of the first book really impacted the world and the people in it in this installment, which I thought was great and terrible to see all at the same time. Things weren't all wrapped up in a nice package and immediately right itself in this book - these people and this world are truly suffering together and Kuang doesn't shy away from that. The key relationships are hurting and all of the characters go through intense, and realistic, character and relationship development through the course of the story. I loved seeing that in this installment - because these relationships and how they changed really impacted the world and the story and felt like they had real weight to them. Overall very refreshing to see on the page.

Kuang also really delivers when it comes to battle/war staging. Wow, did those scenes feel real and brutal and well done. Like the first installment in this series, the war battles and strategy scenes were so, so well done. This universe is really blessed by having Kuang write in it.

I love how Kuang weaves in real history allegories into this fantasy series. It's devastating and impactful all in the right ways and times to really make you think on it. She really goes there and doesn't back down to really make you think about the implications and impact these things and these groups of people have made. Looking at you Hesperians.

Another thing I HAVE to mention is the emotional impact of the story. The ending?? The twist?? THE DUMPLING SCENE?? Help. The ending was so impactful I can't get it out of my head and cannot believe I have to wait to know what happens next!

This book is filled with so much war, so many twists that I was not expecting and even though I was cheering for a certain individual (will not say who, to avoid spoilers), the end of this book just makes me hope that Rin gets her revenge! One thing that I wish had not happened was the loss of some of my favorites, it just made me really sad. The world is still fantastic! The magic in this book is fantastic! The characters, the plot, just everything was fantastic! I neeeeeeeed book 3 NOW!

I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this book for months! This is certainly one of those sequels for which a reader waits impatiently as soon as news of its release comes out. I have been looking forward to reading the next book by R. F. Kuang since I rushed through the first Poppy War book.

I still enjoy the magic and Rin’s characterization. Her newly found heritage as a Speerly has definitely shaped her approach to the book’s events. In this book, she seems much more comfortable with her abilities and status as a shaman warrior in the Cike. There is a fair balance of political posturing and violent confrontations. The Dragon Republic takes the reader in a new direction as Rin and her “allies” work towards defeating the Empress and the Northern Warlords. The presence of the Hesperians certainly did not help matters, especially with their believed superiority over the Nikarans and their view of the Cike as damned souls to be saved.

All in all, this sequel was definitely worth the wait.

I was never going to love The Dragon Republic as much as The Poppy War, so let’s get that out of the way; The Poppy War is a book of two halves, and I preferred the first. However, it was still a 5 star read for me (review here), and with Kuang’s assertions on Twitter that The Dragon Republic was an objectively superior book, I was still cautiously optimistic about the sequel. And I didn’t hate it, but I’m disappointed.

Pacing is an issue in both of these books; in The Poppy War, things happen too fast; it feels like two books crammed into one. But I really didn’t mind that – I read a lot of literary fiction, so when I venture into genre fiction it’s with entirely different expectations and needs to be met – I like a bit of nonstop action in my fantasy as long as it doesn’t get too overwhelming, which I don’t think it did. But with The Dragon Republic the issue is the exact opposite. Nothing – and I cannot stress this enough – happens for the first three quarters of this book. Where The Poppy War feels like two books for the price of one, The Dragon Republic feels like a novella stretched out thin across 500 pages. Things of course do happen, technically, but there is so much filler. Stakes feel low (a problem that The Poppy War certainly did not have), because for the major part of this book, it feels like you’re spinning your wheels and still waiting for the main players to enter the ring.

But let’s talk about what I did like: the characters and the setting are some of my favorites from any fantasy series that I have ever read. The returning characters are as complex, endearing, and frustrating as ever, and the new characters shine as well – Vaisra in particular is a brilliant creation. And if The Dragon Republic has one thing that’s superior to The Poppy War, it’s the world building and the magic system, which is infinitely more fleshed out here with some truly fascinating developments.

It took me three months to read this, but I want to stress that every time I did pick it up, I enjoyed it. The issue is that I just seldom reached for it. I really hope this is just second book syndrome, and I do think one thing that Kuang was able to achieve with this book was laying a really solid foundation for whatever is to come next (and with that ending, I can promise you that the third book is going to destroy me). But even though I would still recommend this series wholeheartedly, this just wasn’t as good as The Poppy War, much as it pains me to say it.

This is a worthy successor to the amazing "The Poppy War." Rin, along with her compatriots, suffer a lot more. I mean, that's not really a spoiler, because things weren't going to be peaches and cream after the Poppy War ended. Rin doesn't know how to cope, and no one knows how to help her. I spent a lot of time yelling - both in my head and occasionally aloud - "INVENT THERAPY AND THEN GO TO IT." (And then much, much later there is a kind of therapy and I get very relieved.)

There's not much I can say about the plot in the review that won't be a spoiler. I can't even tell you who she spends most of her time with. I will say this took me a lot longer to read than I expected because it's pretty brutal - not surprisingly, given the plot of The Poppy War, but aftermath books are always harder on me. I don't deal with when people I care for are bogged down or taking wrong emotional turns for reasons I want them to rise above. (See above re: INVENT THERAPY AND THEN GO TO IT.) It's one thing to have brutality done to you; it's another to inflict it on yourself because you don't think you deserve any better. It's a journey that's sadly far too common, but it's really very tough to witness, even in fictional form. So be ready, and be warned. It's such a very good book, and story, and I still can't believe this series is a debut series. But gird your hearts well.

“The Dragon Republic couldn’t possibly live up to The Poppy War,” I thought to myself before opening the book. After all, The Poppy War was one of my favorite books of 2018 and it had the element of !surprise amazing! going for it (since I acquired an early ARC and went in without any expectations). Plus I’ve always had a hard time with second books in trilogies - they lack the magical ‘discovering a new world’ feeling of a first book and they don’t have the satisfaction of a third book.

Oh ye of little faith.

Okay, I’ll fully admit that I’d forgotten much of the first book, despite having read it twice. Worst book memory ever. BUT I’m still confident in saying that The Dragon Republic IS EVEN BETTER THAN TPW. YOU HEARD ME.

(Side note: if you also suffer book amnesia, fear not - R.F. Kuang has you covered! She did such a great job of reintroducing the characters, struggles, and stakes - I had no trouble diving right back in.)

TDR is so so SO powerful, packed full of emotions and themes. It’s both incredibly brilliant and so stressful to read, but in the best possible way. Because NO ONE IS SAFE. Its war, damnit, and Kuang does not pull her punches.

I can’t even begin to explain how many powerful themes come into play here. Some are familiar ones from the first book (addiction, morality in times of war, vengeance, wealth divide, racism, war crimes, soldier vs. commander responsibility, and so much more), while others are brand new or more strongly emphasized [spoiler redacted - will be added and spoiler tagged on goodreads]. My head spun with everything going on. And yet none of it feels awkwardly placed. It all fits seamlessly into the story.

I’m not usually a fan of villains. Rin is one of the only villainous characters I’ve ever rooted for, even though in many ways it felt wrong to do so. And she often doesn’t do herself any favors, acting impulsively and thinking about, saying, and doing terrible things to others. But there’s so much pressure on her and I couldn’t help but to want her to succeed. She’s tenacious and determined to survive, despite it all, and it’s hard not to be drawn to that kind of willpower.

But she’s not the only character I’m invested in from the series. AHHH there are so many! The characters act consistently and they feel so real. I can’t name some of the ones who appear in this book because spoilers, but I will mention that I absolutely love Kitay. As a former accountant, there were some jokes in the book that made me laugh so hard. Kitay has my heart!

Also, TDR made me understand why reading about Rin attending Sinegard in TPW was so necessary. I remember that the switch from academy to war was jarring for some readers and I’m not sure I understood why it was so important to tell the story in that way. But having read TDR, I can now say that the trilogy wouldn’t be nearly as powerful without our having spent a significant amount of time in Sinegard first.

Anyway, I’m writing a LOT because there’s so much to say about this book. There’s no way I can cover everything I felt or thought about this book in one review, so here’s a small sampling of my emotions and reactions throughout: laughter, gasps, sadness, worry, surprise, shock, heartbreak, devastation, empowerment.

READ THIS BOOK. Just remember, when you do finally sit down with a fresh, shiny copy of the book, do as Fonda Lee’s front cover blurb says and “brace yourself.”

Advanced copy provided by Harper Collins through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

(There are a ton of triggers in this book, but given that TPW was the mother of triggering books, I’ll just warn you that TDR is about on par with TPW.)


NOTE: Review links added!

I am stunned after finishing The Dragon Republic. At over 500 pages, I was nervous that I'd be bored or that the book would go in a direction I didn't care for, but The Dragon Republic exceeded all my expectations. It was riveting and compelling, exploring the cost of war, the lure of power, morality, religion, and colonialism.

Rin is the kind of character that I wouldn't say I love, but I can understand and appreciate her complexity. She carries so much rage because of her childhood and how people have treated her, and she's impulsive and arrogant. The stakes are high in The Dragon Republic, and the many military strategy and battle scenes are strong, both brutal and unflinching. I loved the supporting characters, from Kitay and Nezha to Daji and Vaisra.

Kuang has really improved as a writer and delved deeper into the compelling world she's created. I can't wait for the final book in the trilogy.

5 stars

The Poppy War was good, this one is better
The Poppy War was brutal, this one is ruthless
The Poppy War enticed, this one demanded
The Poppy War sparked the war, this one incinerated the battlefield

There was nothing I did not love about The Dragon Republic.

Plot: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★
Character growth: ★★★★★
War/Gore Factor: ★★★★★ (yeah it's still rough.)

The Dragon Republic is the explosive follow-up to R.F. Kuang's insanely talented debut novel, The Poppy War, and it does not disappoint—in fact, it packs double the punch. Haven't read the first book? Stop! Go find it! Read it! Love it! Then come back here! See if you agree with what I thought! Warning: it's going to spoil aspects of The Poppy War in order to cover its goodness.

Fang Runin (Rin) is not doing so well. At the end of The Poppy War, she's just watched her Cike commander/shaman/troubled love interest Altan sacrifice himself to the flames of the vengeful Phoenix god, and in her grief-torn rage she sets fire to an entire island. (An. Entire. Island.) She singlehandedly ended the Third Poppy War against the Mugunese...by killing an entire population in one swoop.

As we entire The Dragon Republic, Rin's struggling with the emotional backlash of that decision and sliding the slippery slope down to PTSD-inflicted opium addiction. She's shaky, hard to control, and hard to predict. The Phoenix is winning. Her characteristic ego is flailing. The last thing she wants is to be in control of the Cike, a small band of powerful shamans who are also held on the precipice of madness in order to commune with their gods and reap the supernatural powers. She's making poor decisions, and it shows. What can a soldier do when her commander abandons her?

She finds a new commander, a new war, and a new path toward vengeance. But is lending her war-ending powers to another puppeteer the answer to this game?

I can't say I was expecting this novel to unfold in this way it did—mainly due to the fact that the plot was impossible to predict. It had a lot more boats than I was expecting, and appealed to the inner pirate/adventurer in me. It introduced aspects of Western civilization-inflicted colonialism parallels that were disturbing to read and disturbing to reflect upon. In traditional Kuang style, it reflected aspects of China's history that will make your heart ache, and your conscience guilty. It reflects on female roles in the military, gender imbalances, and sexual violence as a result of war. I really appreciated these inclusions. It's not a pretty story, but it is a necessary one—and in the context of this fantasy world it has the potential for a glorious re-do. I can't wait for Rin to burn it down.

Also, the sheer amount of game-changing moments in this novel left me in a state of perpetual tension. Who will betray whom, and when, and how? Who will die next? How will Rin's characteristic impulsiveness react to this latest reveal? And where will Rin and Nezha's wonderful hate-to-maybe-more dynamic go as they dance around their lies and truths?

Like the first novel in the series, The Dragon Republic has a lot to say. It was brutal, it was vicious, it was nauseating. It took no prisoners and no one's life was sacred. But, it was also poignant, original, and absolutely thrilling. I can't wait to see where Kuang takes Rin next—it's going to be an explosive journey.

I loved this book. It’s a worthy follow up to The Poppy War and one that promises even more excitement to come. Kuang has shown that she is a force to be reckoned with and one that looks to be a rising force in the genre and one that’s providing an important perspective in fantasy. A

“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.”

R. F. Kuang returns to the world of The Poppy War with this stunning sequel, The Dragon Republic. Everything I enjoyed about The Poppy War is not only present once again in The Dragon Republic, but amplified. Rather than falling victim to “middle book syndrome,” Kuang knocks it out of the park by taking Rin & Co. in an entirely new direction. Instead of continuing to fight the same old battles against the same old enemies, Rin becomes a soldier in a new fight: the battle to fill the power vacuum she created at the conclusion of The Poppy War.

For those who have yet to read The Poppy War, I highly recommend checking out my earlier review. Beware, O Ye Who Enter Here: there WILL be spoilers for the first book (and first book only).

There’s a time skip of several months at the start of The Dragon Republic, which helps to throw us right into the beginning of the new story arc. Where The Poppy War was a novel in two parts, starting with a military academy before throwing it out in favor of full-on grimdark military fantasy, the sequel has a much steadier pace throughout the book. I found this to be a great deal more enjoyable, as it felt more natural and less jarring. Rin and the Cike have fallen in with the pirate queen, Moag, before quickly being sold out to the Dragon Warlord: Yin Vaisra. Fortunately, Vaisra isn’t after their deaths, but rather after the firepower the Cike will bring to his campaign. Vaisra, you see, intends not to set himself upon a throne… but to create a democratic legacy rather than a dynasty. He intends to create a republic.

“Fear used to be a unifying force. Now the cracks in the foundation grow day by day. Do you know how many local insurrections have erupted in the past month? Daji is doing everything she can to keep the Empire united, but the institution is a sinking ship that’s rotted at the core. It may drift for a while, but eventually it will be dashed to pieces against the rocks.”

“And you think you can destroy it and building a new one.”

Rin, at this point, is thoroughly dependent on opium both to function and to contend with what she has done with the help of the phoenix. She is a shell of a person, not fit for command. However, a large portion of this book deals with her coming to accept not only who she is, but also who Altan was… both as a human being, and to her specifically. His memory is used against her repeatedly as a weapon, beating her down and crushing her spirit, and it is only by accepting herself and how she feels about him that she’ll be able to move forward. It’s a painful and heartbreaking process, but it’s a poison that’s eating her from the inside out and which must be purged before she can be whole once more.

“She’d known for months she was killing herself and that she didn’t have the control to stop, that the only person who might have stopped her was dead.

She needed someone who was capable of controlling her like no one since Altan could. She hated to admit it, but she knew that in Vaisra she might have found a savior.”

Kitay, of course, also returns in this novel. He’s grown, hardened by the massacre at Golyn Niis, but to Rin… he’s still the same old Kitay. He’s been hurt, and badly, but it’s forged him into steel. While Rin may still think of him as innocent and pure, Kitay will be tested and will not sit quietly when Rin tries to shelter him. I was thrilled to watch Kitay grow and develop, even as my soul ached to see him so.

The battles and war in the book are excellent, especially towards the conclusion as the shamans become more involved. In the start, I was impressed by the clever use of river warfare, including mines and delayed-release poisons. By the end, I was stunned by the vivid imagery of shamans fighting and using the powers of their gods against one another. For Rin & Co., this means fighting not only against new faces, but also against old friends – friends who they knew from their academy days.

“I suppose it’s not easy going to war against friends. . .”

“Yes, it is,” Kitay said. “They have a choice. Niang made her choice. She just happened to be dead fucking wrong.”

Kuang’s prose has also improved by leaps and bounds. Where I found The Poppy War to be slightly lacking in this regard, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the prose in The Dragon Republic. I found myself highlighting much more liberally, showcasing paragraphs and sentences I particular liked. Kuang’s cussing is also thoroughly on point, often with a dash of humor mixed in to alleviate the dark subject matter of the novels. Masterful use of the word “fuck,” if I do say so myself. Many paragraphs are poetic, thoughts and ideas that will stick with you.

All in all, this was a fantastic sequel that promises an explosive conclusion in the third installment. I’m already looking forward to what Kuang will bring us next!

This review and others can be read on my blog, Black Forest Basilisks. Thank you to Harper Voyager for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I enjoyed The Dragon Republic, it felt like it had “second in the series” syndrome. Not sure if there’s an official term, but sometimes, it feels like second books are not as exciting, especially if they are part of a trilogy. They tend to feel like a “bridge” between the exciting beginning and the thrilling conclusion. The second book always seems to start with where it logically should -what comes after the climax of the first book, after the harrowing battles or whatever equally gripping situation happened. The smoke is clearing, the pieces are being picked up, wounds are being tended. So, vital, but not the edge-of-your-seat storytelling that was the end of the first book. Although it is anticipated, with The Dragon Republic, it felt like that part went on a bit long, or at least, the action was a bit slow to pick back up. I was about halfway through the book before I experienced the feeling of eagerness to continue reading.
With that said, the second half of the book was thoroughly excellent. There were surprises, more magic, and huge turns of events. I wish I could say more, but you know, spoilers.
I have to say, this has been one of the best fantasy series I’ve read in a long time, and it feels so refreshing to read a YA fantasy (no matter how much I love them) that doesn’t center on royalty, which seems to be saturating the genre at the moment.

While I enjoyed The Poppy War immensely, The Dragon Republic felt bogged down and slow for me. I started to dislike Rin as I felt that her loyalties to her friends, the Cike, and her causes changed at the drop of a dime. I felt her character just wanted acceptance and a pat on the back constantly. The ending twist redeemed the story for me and because of that, I would read subsequent books in the series.

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang 4 stars

It took me awhile to get through this ( I had to read parts of it more than once) because this is a rich and complicated tale. When I read the Poppy War, I took into account the author's comments on the violence that is depicted in the novel. I have listened to podcast's where Ms. Kuang is interviewed on what inspired the books and therefore, I had an idea about what the Dragon Republic would be about. Ms. Kuang did not disappoint her readers.

I enjoyed her imaginative take on Chinese history - the Sino-Japanese invasion, the Opium War of the 19th century and the formation of the Republic of China . As we left Rin at the end of the Poppy War, she has been possessed by an elemental force and did a "Pompeii" on the entire island nation of Mugen. During the first novel she finds out that the Empress she serves betrayed her and parts of the country to the Mugen. She is determined to get vengeance an makes several attempts to achieve her goal. She eventually encounters a old classmate and his father, the Warlord of the Dragon Province who convinces her that the formation of a Democratic Republic is the only way to bring Nikan together. They want her as a living weapon and to achieve her goal to kill the Empress she joins the cause.

Rin is such a conflicted and complicated character. She want her revenge on all that was done to her and her friends and goes all out to make it happen. But she has several handicaps - she is an opium addict because the drug gives her some rest from the elemental in her head; she wants to be a follower - for someone to validate her existence and give her praise and be worthy of her loyalty. Unfortunately, the leader she follows has his own motives and asks her to be an assassin and willing lab rat. He has no loyalty to her and I saw early on that she is a disposable asset.

This book asks the question - who is your true enemy and does the ends justify the means to achieve your goals. Who is the real villain is this book - the story will offer more than one viewpoint for the reader to decide.
I eagerly await the finale of this series.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins/Harper Voyager for this ARC.