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Sunday, 22 November 2020

The Dragon Republic

Title: The Dragon Republic
Author: R.F. Kuang
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Year: 2019
Pages: 656
Series: The Poppy War #2
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Time: 15 - 22 Nov
Binding: Library Hardback
ISBN: 9780008239855
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★

Blurb:
 Rin is on the run. . .
 Haunted by the atrocity she committed to saver her people, addicted to opium and driven by the murderous commands of Phoenix, the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.
 Rin's only reason for living is to get revenge on the traitorous Empress who sold her homeland, Nikan, to her enemies.
 With no other options, Rin joins forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who has a plan to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new Republic. She throws herself into his war.
 After all, making war is all she knows how to do. . .

Review:
 Oh my, this series. Quick warning, this is the second book in The Poppy War trilogy. I'm going to do some spoilery talk of the first book in this review so pleaser ensure you've read the first book! Also note that this book series thus far is riddled with trigger warnings: sexual abuse, addiction, death, torture and violence. It's really quite fantastically violent. It's right up my street but it's not for everyone.
 I want to do a more detailed review of some of the elements I loved in The Poppy War that I avoided due to spoiler issues in the first book. If you wish to skip right to my thoughts on The Dragon Republic, there's a header below.
 I honestly fell so in love with The Poppy War within that first chapter. The stakes are immediately set so high, you feel Rin's determination and reading about her burning herself in order to study for longer was a real eye opener to what she might become capable of. We move quickly to enter Sinegard and I honsetly gobbled up the book in the time we were being taught at Sinegard. The learning and tests, interactions with students and teachers was so fascinating, excellent world building from a single small setting.
 One point I was really stunned made it in but kind of so grateful to see was when Rin first experienced her period. I'm guessing she previously wasn't nourished enough to have one which is a very nice detail if so. To make it so painful is to bring it to make it relatable for so many women when often in fantasy the whole cycle is ignored. To have her then very quickly make a decision to have her womb essentially destroyed was quite impulsive but brings to mind how difficult this process is for women in reality, doctors so often refuse any kind of procedure like this due to the possibility of a man finding disappointment in not being able to have a child later. It's disgusting. It's such a real issue and I love that it wasn't shied away from.
 When the war started and we left Sinegard, my reading slowed down. A lot. I think other people found this to be the point where the book picked up but I'd really enjoyed the first part and wasn't so keen on the atmosphere changing. I felt a bit like Rin, chucked in to the deep end. We began to see Altan in a new light and I honestly hadn't seen what was that amazing about him from the beginning, but Rin was enamoured and it's such a pitfall for her. I was kind of differential to the Cike during this whole book but I was really pleased to see Rin build on her relationship with Nezha later in the book, when he was lost I kind of tucked away the detail that we hadn't specifically seen him die.
 Golyn Niis was a real horror fest, the violence that happened there really solidifies the hatred you have for the Federation, it joins your rage with Rin's. Meeting Venka, finding Kitay, hearing of Irjah. It was a lot and it was magnificent, it makes the end of the book so satisfying despite how horrific of an act it is.
 The interaction with Shiro before the final act was a really good piece of work, it sets us up for so much and gives Rin a bottom she never wants to hit again. Just so damn good.

The Dragon Republic
 This is a story of war. We pick up after one and jump straight in to another.
 Our opening chapter is a backflash in Nezha's history and should make it clear that we weren't done with him in the last book.
 A little time has passed since the destruction of Mugen and Rin and the Cike have been busy. Not massively busy, just beginning what they really want to achieve. Rin is determined to end Daji, it's one of the few thoughts she has that isn't lucid. She's spiralling between her addiction and the demands of the Phoenix. It's not allowing her to make sensible decisions so when Nezha returns and recruits her in to the Republic, a revolution lead by Nezha's father the Dragon Warlord, she's grateful to be relieved of making decisions.
 The beginning of their schemes doesn't work fantastically, Rin's encounter with the Empress leaves her at a disadvantage for a good portion of the book but she does some real healing at this time. She rebuilds relationships, destroys some others and all within the unfolding of a vicious war that's destroying the lives of so many innocents. This is so action packed, there's no time to relieve the tension!
 We also begin to learn more of other people in the work, mainly the Hesperians. It's not pleasant and as with Rin we realise that the only reason more focus was not previously put on them was because the Federation was the more looming threat. Vaisra's new allies are not what Rin may have hoped for.
 The Cike I am far more devoted to in this book than the first and that brings it's own devastation. Seriously, that second to last chapter is a killer just when you think it's all over. Prepare yourself. Kitay, you sweet soul, Venka you wonderful woman and Nezha, oh Nezha. I wish there was just a tad more romance in this book but there seems to be no room for it amidst the violence.
 I love Kuang's writing, it's no simple but it's very easy to read. The pacing was wonderful and the character growth is excellent. There's so much more to see and all I can say is that I'm lucky I only started these books shortly before The Burning God was released. I've got some upcoming exams in early December so I'll be holding off reading my copy until I've completed them but a longer wait would have been really, really bad.

Saturday, 14 November 2020

The Poppy War


Title: The Poppy War
Author: R.F. Kuang
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Year: 2018
Pages: 527
Series: The Poppy War #1
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Time: 2 - 14 Nov
Binding: Signed Paperback
ISBN: 9780008239848
Goodreads

Stars:
★★★★

Blurb:
 When Rin aced the Keju, the test to find the most talented students in the Nikara Empire, it was a shock to everyone. That she got into Sinegard - the most elite military school in Nikan - was even more surprising.
 But surprise aren't always good.
 Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Fighting the prejudice of rival classmates, Rin discovers that she possesses a lethal, unearthly power - an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teached, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive - and that mastering these powers could mean more than just surviving school.
 For while the Empire is at peace, the Federation of mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most people calmly go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Review:
 Oh my, oh my oh my. Such violence.
 I remember when this first book came out that all the Facebook book groups I was a member off came out with trigger warnings for people. That piqued my interest and I knew it was probably going to be a book I enjoyed. Let me confirm some triggers I know to be obvious: self harm, drug use, abuse, sexual abuse, racism and death. Lots of death and violence. I loved it.
 The opening chapter really lets you know of the violence to come and the crude humour that's in there, it was both hilarious and shocking and I rocketed through the first half of the book where Rin trains at Sinegard. It's important to note that we travel through time quickly in this book, there is a point where years go by in a few paragraphs. You experience more than just Rin's training at Sinegard as a result.
 Rin is a wonderful young character, she's rash, determined, skilled and angry. I can totally see myself in her shoes, her journey through the book is just the beginning of what I expect we will see her go through in this trilogy. There are many other characters in this book to talk of. Nezha who defies expectations, Kitay who is the kindest of friends, Jiang the master and secret keeper, the Empress whom we still have a lot to learn of and Altan who is rumoured to be the last of his kind. You have all sorts and this is just at Sinegard! There's something to please everyone here.
 I feel there's much more of the world to explore but it has been done so well already. We are taught different views of the gods in this world, we see people of different cultures and experience the different landscapes. It's well done.
 I'm kind of annoyed at myself for not reading this sooner, but also relieved I've left it so I did not have to wait. The second book is ready on my shelves and the third book will be in my hands before the year is out. It's difficult to say much more without spoilers. I loved this, I think it's going to quickly become one of my favourite series.

Monday, 2 November 2020

Step Sister

Title: Step Sister
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Year: 2019
Pages: 469
ISBN: 9781471407970
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/ Retelling
Reading Time: 21 Oct - 2 Nov
Binding: Library Paperback
Goodreads

Stars:

Blurb: 

 CINDERELLA HAD HER HAPPY-EVER-AFTER . . .
 BUT WHAT ABOUT HER STEPSISTERS?
 This is stepsister Isabelle's story. Isabelle is brave and strong-willed - but not beautiful. And she has bloody feet from trying to fit into the glass slipper.
 But now Isabelle has a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.
 Is there hope for bullies? Can a mean girl change? It's time for Isabelle to reclaim her own fate and she's leaving nothing to chance.

Review:

 This is an enjoyable retelling of a classical tale, taken from a different viewpoint and focusing on the 'after' of happily ever after. I've never read the Grimms' version of these fairytales but knew that Cinderella's stepsisters hacked off pieces of their feet to try and fit the glass slipper. This is where we begin in Step Sister.
 Isabelle is one of the ugly step-sisters, she and her sister Tavi are learning to adjust to that role in their new world without money, servant and a tarnished reputation. Ella is gone and the rumors of their treatment have spread the country to make them some of the most hated women in France. It's unhinged their mother and to make it worse, Isabelle and Tavi were not normal girls to begin with. They are warriors and academics rather than marriageable women of their time. Sounds like a good feminist setting, right?
 We have some interesting world building quickly take place in the characters of Fate, Chance and a fairy queen. I like that these added another layer to the story but little would have changed if they were written out or more purely metaphorical. Fate is determined to see Isabelle meets the dreary end written for her, Chance wants to give her the opportunity to escape is and the fairy queen . . . I'm not really sure what she was doing other than granting odd wishes in a strange way.
 When Isabelle learns that to become 'pretty' she must discover the missing pieces of her heart, she thinks of qualities and traits as most people would. The real pieces she must discover are far more literal which I don't really think makes much sense but perhaps that's because it's not quite the norm. There's a little action, a little romance but everything is just that, little.
 The story itself doesn't have an awful lot of movement, it's actually quite a short story. For some reason there are over 100 chapters and it really wound me up that there were constantly one or two page chapters following each other. It wasn't needed. Sentence structure was similarly short which made it seem to fit a far younger audience. 
 I just wish it had taken a darker and more sophisticated tone. We're starting off great with the Grimms' version of the tales and it just flattens out. Any tense moments that could have been built between the powerful characters such as Fate and Chance were ruined by asinine comments. We have moments of really lovely writing about the magic of the heart and self discovery and they just don't fit in the book at all because it screams of a message too old and wise to fit the rest of the text.
 A little bit of a let down in execution but it encourages me to find other retellings from other points of view.