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James Kidd

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang, pub. Harper. 4/5 stars
R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War (2018) was one of the more extraordinary debuts of recent years, in any genre.
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.


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Books and literature

The Dragon Republic: R.F. Kuang’s follow-up to The Poppy War unites China’s bloody history with epic fantasy

The Dragon Republic is R.F. Kuang’s follow-up to her remarkable debut, The Poppy War. Photo: Handout

Author R.F. Kuang. Photo: R.F. Kuang

Beijing Payback: Daniel Nieh paints a picture-perfect portrait of the Chinese capital’s gritty underbelly

Anyone who has spent a night out in the Chinese capital in the past 15 years will recognise the city in Daniel Nieh’s novel, Beijing Payback. Photo: AP

Handout image shows a portrait of author Daniel Nieh.[18AUGUST2019 BOOKS POST MAGAZINE]MANDATORY CREDIT: Steven Patenaude

This photo taken early on April 12, 2015 shows a badly damaged Lamborghini car and debris in a tunnel after a crash involving a Ferrari in Beijing. The two cars crashed late on April 11 in a high-speed road race in Beijing as the seventh stunt-filled "Fast and the Furious" movie opened in China, the latest luxury car accident to provoke controversy on April 13. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO

Beijing Payback

Liu Cixin’s sci-fi masterpiece, the Three-Body Problem trilogy, gets a mind-boggling fanfic sequel

The Redemption of Time is a paraquel to Liu Liu Cixin’s beloved Three-Body Problem trilogy was born out of heartbreak and in homage to the sci-fi masterpiece.

The Redemption

Opium wars and Nanjing massacre turned into epic fantasy in Chinese author’s debut novel

Plus, a masterful thriller from British crime writer Belinda Bauer

fiction - The Poppy War

Why colonial Hong Kong didn’t appeal to literary big hitters

P.G. Wodehouse, who lived in Hong Kong as an infant, did not feature the territory in any of his books.

AJ9WJ4 William Somerset Maugham British author of novels plays and short stories 1927

Two youngsters having a picture with the sculpture of Sir Thomas Jackson Bart at Statue Square in Central. 29JAN79

** FILE ** British novelist P.G.Wodehouse puffs on his pipe during an interview at his Long Island home in Remsenburg, N.Y., in this Oct. 13, 1971 file photo. A 1953 letter from Wodehouse to his New York publisher, Derek Grimsdick, was bought by a private collector who has allowed it to remain on display, Nigel Williams of Nigel Williams Rare Books said in London, Monday, June 4, 2007. (AP Photo)

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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



R.F. Kuang’s second book picks up where the first left off, with heroine Rin on the run.


An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

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 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