The Summary

This acclaimed follow-up to The Poppy War, an epic fantasy that blends the history of twentieth-century China with an enthralling realm of gods and monsters, continues Rin's journey.

The conflict is over.

The battle has just started.

Nikan has battled for its existence in the brutal Poppy Wars three times during its history. Rin, a shaman and warrior, cannot forget the atrocities she committed to preserve her people even if the third battle has just concluded. The opium addiction that binds her like a vice, her guilt, and the cruel orders of the flaming Phoenix, the vindictive god who has endowed Rin with her frightful power have forced her into hiding.

Even though she doesn't want to live, she won't pass away until she has exacted revenge on the treacherous Empress who sold up Rin's country to its foes. Her only chance is to team up with the formidable Dragon Warlord, who is attempting to take over Nikan, depose the Empress, and establish a new republic.

The Empress and the Dragon Warlord, however, are not what they appear. The more Rin sees, the more she worries that her devotion to Nikan may push her to once more unleash the destructive power of the Phoenix.

Because Rin will do anything to protect her nation and exact her retribution.

My Review

After finishing this book, I experienced a fleeting moment in which my spirit departed from the world of the corporeal and resided in utter emptiness. Absolutely none at all Blank slate.

When I type the review, if anything doesn't make sense, I've already mentioned you, hehe.

In The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic, there are two very different main characters, the first is a young lady who is bold and optimistic, and the second is the person she becomes as a result of tragedy.

The story completely changes into a masterfully written military nightmare. There is death, war, strategy, shifting allegiances, and darkness. The novel never had a dull or uninteresting section, despite being approximately 700 pages lengthy and clearly illustrating the horrors of war. The compelling narrative and prose had my attention from start to finish.

I mentioned Rin being one of my favorite heroines in my review of the first book since she was so well-written and had such distinct personality traits. This time, the author completely deconstructs Rin's personality, portraying her at her worst for the majority of the first half, which is totally understandable. But seeing her at her worst in the second portion improved the development of her character.

Remember that there are other complex characters in The Dragon Republic besides Rin. Certain characters now have more complex backstories while others are sidelined in order to make room for the new. also The majority of the supporting cast members made a big contribution to balancing the pleasant and uplifting moments. Because of how lovable and engaging they were, I truly enjoyed reading about Rin's life and their interactions.

The Dragon Republic also demonstrates how bad things don't just happen in conflict situations, which is another aspect I really loved. Humans are capable of doing awful, terrible, wicked crimes, and they are not dependent on war to excuse their behavior.

This follow-up is simply outstanding. It used to be strong, but now it's downright lethal, and I fully expect that the next book in the series will be the cause of my demise.

My ratings score:

★★★★★ Fantastic! Made me go through a lot of emotions & the entire book is incredibly beautifully done! 

★★★★ Memorable! Despite its shortcomings, this book was incredible and taught us a lot. 

★★★ Good work! Nothing particularly remarkable, but still nice.

★★ Meh... Mediocre with great room for improvement.

★ Extremely Poor.