• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
FanFiAddict

FanFiAddict

A gaggle of nerds talking about Fantasy, Science Fiction, and everything in-between. They also occasionally write reviews about said books. 2x Stabby Award-Nominated and home to the Stabby Award-Winning TBRCon.

  • Home
  • About
    • Reviewers
    • Review Policy
    • Stance on AI
    • Contact
    • Friends of FFA
  • Blog
    • Reviews
      • Children’s / Middle Grade Books
      • Comics / Graphic Novels
      • Fantasy
        • Alt History
        • Epic Fantasy
        • Fairy Tales
        • Grimdark
        • Heroic Fantasy
        • LitRPG
        • Paranormal Fantasy
        • Romantic Fantasy
        • Steampunk
        • Superheroes
        • Sword and Sorcery
        • Urban Fantasy
      • Fear For All
        • Demons
        • Ghosts
        • Gothic
        • Lovecraftian
        • Monsters
        • Occult
        • Psychological
        • Slasher
        • Vampires
        • Werewolves
        • Witches
        • Zombies
      • Fiction
      • Science Fiction
        • Aliens
        • Artificial Intelligence
        • Alt History
        • Cyberpunk
        • Dystopian
        • Hard SciFi
        • Mechs/Robots
        • Military SF
        • Space Opera
        • Steampunk
        • Time Travel
      • Thriller
    • Neurodivergence in Fiction
    • Interviews
      • Book Tube
      • Authorly Writing Advice
  • SFF Addicts
    • SFF Addicts Clips
    • SFF Addicts (Episode Archive)
  • TBRCon
    • TBRCon2025
    • TBRCon2024
    • TBRCon2023
    • TBRCon2022
  • FFA Book Club
  • FFA TBR Toppers
    • Advertise Your Book on FFA!
  • Writer Resources
    • Artists
    • Cartographers
    • Editing/Formatting/Proofing

Review: The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War #2) by R.F. Kuang

February 8, 2024 by A.J. Calvin Leave a Comment

Rating: 🐉/10

Synopsis:

The war is over.

The war has just begun.

Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power.

Though she does not want to live, she refuses to die until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland to its enemies. Her only hope is to join forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new republic.

But neither the Empress nor the Dragon Warlord are what they seem. The more Rin witnesses, the more she fears her love for Nikan will force her to use the Phoenix’s deadly power once more.

Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

Review:

The Dragon Republic is book two in The Poppy War trilogy. It picks up pretty much where book one left off and doesn’t do any form of recapping at the beginning (so don’t be like me and wait a year between reading The Poppy War and this one. There was a lot to remember!)

What I loved most about Rin in the first book was her ability to adapt to nearly any situation and that she always believed she was doing the right thing. That still holds true in one—and she’s faced with even more battle and bloodshed that ever before. Even with the power of the Phoenix behind her, the odds are stacked against her and the Cike’s other shamans. And while I thought I knew where this story was going…

…the author did a fantastic job of throwing in some major unexpected twists toward the end. I’m still trying to process one of them. I’m not sure if I’m angrier about that event or my failure to see it coming, but it’s definitely going to change things for Rin in book three.

That being said, I am not waiting before jumping into the next book. I need to know what happens next. I need to know who is going to survive. And I need answers. There is so much left unresolved at this juncture.

I think I liked this book even more than The Poppy War.

Side note: I always have a hard time reviewing sequels. There is so much more I want to talk about, especially with this book, but I do not want to ruin the experience for anyone who hasn’t read book 1.

Filed Under: Asian Inspired, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Grimdark, Reviews, Sword and Sorcery

About A.J. Calvin

I'm a fantasy author and an avid reader of all things sci-fi/fantasy/horror. When I'm not immersed in something literary, I like to hike, scuba dive, and play video games. You can learn more about my writing at ajcalvin.net.

Other Reviews You Might Like

Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

Review: Becoming a Druid (Protectors of Pretanni 1) by Mike Mollman

Review: Exodus — The Archimedes Engine (Book #1 of the Archimedes Engine Duology) by Peter F. Hamilton

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Sponsored By

Use Discount Code FANFI For 5% Off!

FFA Newsletter!

Sign up for updates and get FREE stories from Michael R. Fletcher and Richard Ford!

What Would You Like To See?(Required)
Please select the type of content you want to receive from FanFi Addict. You can even mix and match if you want!

FFA Author Hub

Read A.J. Calvin
Read Andy Peloquin
Read C.J. Daily
Read C.M. Caplan
Read D.A. Smith
Read DB Rook
Read Francisca Liliana
Read Frasier Armitage
Read Josh Hanson
Read Krystle Matar
Read M.J. Kuhn

Recent Reviews

Recent Comments

  1. Mark Matthews on COVER REVEAL: To Those Willing to Drown by Mark MatthewsJanuary 7, 2025
  2. Basra Myeba on Worth reading Jack Reacher books by Lee Child?January 5, 2025
  3. Ali on Review: Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory by Yaroslav BarsukovJanuary 5, 2025
  4. Carter on So you want to start reading Warhammer 40,000? Here’s where to start!January 4, 2025
  5. M. Zaugg on Bender’s Best LitRPG reads of 2024January 3, 2025

Archive

Copyright © 2025 · Powered by ModFarm Sites · Log In