Review | The Dragon Republic: R.F. Kuang’s follow-up to The Poppy War unites China’s bloody history with epic fantasy
- The young Chinese writer’s second book picks up where the first left off, with heroine Rin on the run
- 20th-century China inspires the action, while Game of Thrones-style fantasy ups the ante
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang, pub. Harper. 4/5 stars
Spinning a fantastical mythology out of China’s 20th century history, its slow-burn plot traced the ascent of a poor peasant girl named Rin, from a mystical martial arts school through the horrors of war to her eventual leadership of outlawed shamans the Cike.
Having surpassed her mentors, our thinly veiled Mao Zedong begins The Dragon Republicin control of the powerful phoenix but hardly in control of herself.
Chinese history plays epic role in young Chinese author’s debut
Addicted to opium, she has failed to assassinate the traitorous Empress Su Daji and, worse, is captured by the Dragon Warlord, Yin Vaisra.
His son, Nezha, was one of Rin’s fallen comrades but he rises from the grave to resume enjoyable hostilities, verbal and otherwise. Vaisra is only too happy to help Rin in her revenge plans, but his own schemes don’t stop there: he wants to unite a new republic.
Trapped between the unpredictable empress and warlord, Rin tries to find anyone trustworthy, from old adviser Kitay to the pirate captain Eriden.
Kuang renders the inevitable bloodshed as vividly as she crafts the banter between her band of fighters. Best of all is Rin, a captivating, unpredictable, terrifying but credible heroine. Roll on part three.
