5/5 stars — an exceptional sequel worthy of The Poppy War

contains spoilers for The Poppy War but NOT The Dragon Republic

I haven't read a book of this length so quickly since I was in my teens. The Dragon Republic, R.F. Kuang's brilliant addition to The Poppy War series, certainly isn't for children, but it held the same thrill as all my childhood favorites with the added perspective of an adult take on war and the accompanying subtler types of violence. This book is heavy and dark, but absolutely impossible to put down.

Rin begins the book shaken by the death of Altan Trengsin, who was commander, teacher, and abuser in one messy package. She's also heavily dependent on opium to maintain control of her shamanic powers—and to deaden her memories of the atrocities she saw and committed in the Third Poppy War. The Dragon Republic is a story of military strategy, tyranny, colonial influence, and magic, but it still centers Rin's character as its driving force. This is her story; not of redemption, but of self-discovery and gaining intimate familiarity with her own strengths and weaknesses.

Rin is the least likable protagonist I've ever read, but also (within reason) one of the most relatable. She's motivated by pain and praise; she's judgemental and filled with self-loathing. Kuang pulls no punches when it comes to Rin's character, filling her to the eyeballs with negative traits. And it works. By being authentically herself down to the last internalized horror, Rin is dreadfully and perfectly compelling. This is true of all Kuang's characters, down to the minor players who appear only a few times. They're messy and awful and real.

Kuang also works wonders with language in terms of both linguistics and prose. Without going so far as to invent whole languages, she weaves linguistic associations into her worldbuilding so that certain names/places instantly give you chills. Golyn Niis? Forever ingrained in my hindbrain as terrifying, but it sounded scary even before the events of the previous book. Hesperian? Sounds European and lofty in a holier-than-thou way, which is right on. The prose varies from Rin's unadorned introspection at the height of her addiction to punchy dialogue that further cements Rin coming into her own.

There's so much more to analyze and praise in the way Kuang constructs setting, conflict, and character arcs, but other reviews will (and have) done it better than I can. There's also a lot to unpack regarding fictionalized but universal lessons about treatment of refugees, technologically advanced nations interfering in other countries' conflicts to gain power and withholding aid while pushing religion, and internalized racism/colorism and classism, but those discussions are better left to people who can speak from a place of experience.

I'll keep it simple: read this book! If you enjoyed the first installment in the series, you know what to expect here. The Dragon Republic lives up to The Poppy War's legacy, delivering just as many moments of triumph, rage, and devastation.

My favorite quote isn't one of the most poignant or beautiful, but I think it sums up the peak of Rin's arc in this book, the moment I fell in love with her character all over again: "Fuck Altan, fuck his legacy, and fuck his trident. It was time she started using a weapon that would keep her alive."

content warnings: explicit wartime violence, rape, colorism, (fantasy) racism, referenced genocide and mass murder, gore, drug addiction, medical experimentation

** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. **