A review by onthesamepage
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"You think that. But I've seen how power works." Rin crushed the clump in her fingers. "It's not about who you are, it's about how they see you. And once you're mud in this country, you're always mud."

Welcome to the book where nobody is a good person (except Kitay, who is a pure flower), all the bad choices are made and then some, and everything is a mess.

This book took me on a ride. A lot happens, and even though the pacing was pretty slow, I don't think the book dragged since the plot was still moving forward. I was in a constant state of emotional whiplash while reading this. And it's not like I was expecting anything to go smoothly, but the themes that are discussed here are some of the most disturbing I've read in recent years, and that's because it's such an excellent reflection of our own reality.

White supremacy
A large part of the story revolves around the political relationship between Vaisra, the Dragon Warlord, and the Hesperians. When we first encounter the Hesperians, the delegation contains a large number of priests, who have come to spread the word of their god, the Maker. And the more Rin interacts with them, the more disturbing it becomes. They look down on Nikarans as subhuman, less than them, barbarians who aren't developed or civilized enough, and they withhold aid until they are convinced that Nikan has potential to become civilized in their eyes. My skin crawled reading these sections, and the trajectory of this plotline didn't come as a surprise at all, because it is what delusions of white supremacy always lead to.

War crimes and PTSD
One of the things I really appreciated is how the author doesn't shy away from showing us the effects the first book had on Rin. It would have been easy to have Rin brush everything off; after all, she's supposed to be a Strong Female Character, right? And she is, but not in the way we're used to seeing.

We get to see Rin at her lowest point so far, clinging to memories of Altan, her abuser, and constantly drugging herself to deal with her guilt at committing genocide. And then we see her find a new reason to fight in the form of Vaisra, who she quickly latches onto. He drags her out of the downward spiral she had placed herself in, so it's no wonder that she becomes blind to his faults, even when other people try to point them out to her. But I think her strength lies in growing beyond even that, and once more thinking for herself rather than just following the commands given to her.

Relationships
The relationships between Rin, Kitay, and Nezha were my favourite parts to read. I was so happy to see Nezha again, and I lived for the tender moments between him and Rin. I loved his protectiveness towards her, but was also plenty frustrated with the secrets he was keeping, and the conversation he refused to have with Rin.
And then there's the whole kissing Rin while literally stabbing her in the back, which I don't think I'll ever get over. WHAT HOW WHY NEZHA WHAT ARE YOU DOINGGGG


Kitay and Rin's friendship was everything that is lovely and right. The moments where they tell each other "I love you"? My heart melted. Their bond only goes stronger throughout the book, and I can't wait to see how it will develop in the next one. 
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