A bit late on this review, but Babel was an absolute stunning read. Don't let the size of the book intimidate you - it's hard to put it down once you start reading, and it was enthralling. Kuang is a master of language and linguistics, and her skills shone bright in this book. A historical fantasy of Babel, a school of languages in Oxford, and honestly I would have taken it as 100 percent fiction. The author has such a strong grasp on the nuances of languages and words, and coupled with her lived experience represented in the characters, I can safely say this was one of my favorites this year.

It had the perfect combination of adventure, violence, romance, and mystery. It was intelligent, and it was tragic. The academic setting was just the extra cherry on top!

You wont read another fantasy book like Babel by R.F Kuang. Steeped in linguistics and the politics of translation, with a fascinating magical system and an anti-colonialist message. At times, the messaging gets in the way of realistically forming the secondary characters, but it does not lessen the rapt attention the book demands.

One Sentence Summary: Robin, taken from China as a child to be trained as a translator, is given the world when he arrives to learn at Oxford’s Babel institute, but there’s more lurking under the surface and a shadowy society that could use his help at the cost of everything he’s known.

My thoughts:

Babel is an historical fantasy that looks at what if Oxford had a translation institute and what if words in all languages had magic if paired with certain other words. It looks at languages and words in an historical context where foreigners in England were not regarded as fully human, and yet the English relied on every other foreign language to power their own lives and successes. This is a story of colonization through the eyes of the colonized, a story of racism and the power of languages, a story of friendship tenuously held, a story of classism and the effects of technological advancements at both ends of society, a story of how white people have relied on people of color to make their worlds run.

It’s impressive everything that went into Babel, all of the research and multitudes of languages used to tell this story. There’s a lot of history, but sometimes, especially at the beginning, it felt more like info dumping than a deft weaving of history into the fabric of the story. But it does a brilliant job of putting the story into context, of pulling back the veil and revealing what life might really have been like for people of color. As a person of color myself, I was particularly pleased to see just how much white people relied on everything foreign to them just to power their lives and live comfortably. Babel is a fascinating, if sometimes brutal, commentary on race and class, not shying away from the things that might make one squirm. It’s heartbreaking at times, but there’s also a rebellion against it all housed in these pages. Babel and the secretive Hermes Society are inextricably bound together, furthering the divide between the English and the non-English. I was particularly amused by the footnotes that helped explain translations and events, both historical and created for the purposes of this story. Full of snark and sarcasm and interesting tales, I found them to be an ingenious way to explain things without interrupting the flow of the prose. It made the writing feel that much more elegant as the book went on.

Babel tells the story of a young man named Robin. Brought to England from China after the death of his family, he really didn’t have any choice. Raised by one Professor Lovell, Robin was groomed for Babel, groomed to support the country intent on taking over his own. The older he grows, the more he’s thrust into having to take the side of those different like him or England, of feeling part of and simultaneously separate from his motherland. Babel very much felt like a narrative of a young man’s life, perhaps reminiscent of an English classic novel, with a bit of Harry Potter woven in with the magical school atmosphere. I liked Robin. He didn’t have many choices, but he put his head down and tried to make the best life he could in a world that inevitably became home, no matter how different and foreign his new home deemed him. But, somewhere in the middle of the story, it felt like a switch as flipped and I had a hard time finding the Robin I had so gotten to know, so the last third, while much more action-packed and really containing a fascinating story, kind of threw me.

But for all the brilliance thrown into this book, as impressive as I found it, it’s not quite as dry as I expected based on other reviews, and yet I was relieved when the story finally ended. Not because it was uncomfortable or heartbreaking or revealing things I didn’t already know that I had to come to terms with, but because the story felt a little cumbersome and I felt it took a bit of a windy road to get there. It felt like two halves of a whole that were not perfectly stitched together. I had a hard time figuring out what this was supposed to be about as it mostly felt like a commentary on society. Simply out, Babel was not my cup of tea, but I cannot ignore the massive amount of work that went into this and the brilliance of the story, themes, and prose.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a wonderful book to read. I've been a fan of Kuang after Poppy War and was excited to dive into this one. I found the book incredibly compelling. The rich, researched world of 19th century Oxford was so fun to explore. The well-drawn world and system of magic and translation kept me engaged throughout. The characters, as well, were so fun to get to know. I loved this novel overall and appreciated its unflinching depiction of aggressions, minor and major, our main characters face as a result of their identities. I greatly appreciated the novel's strong anticolonial message; at times, however, it did feel a bit heavy-handed in making sure the reader was getting the message. Babel is a fantastic book, and I can definitely see it becoming a classic in the world of fantasy/dark academia

Robin is taken from his home in Canton and begins training to join the esteemed translation institute at Oxford, nicknamed Babel. He and his fellow students will one day be a part of the system that creates the magic upholding the empire. But the more he learns, the more conflicted Robin feels about the traditions they are being asked to continue.

Cementing her place as one of my favorite authors, R.F. Kuang is a master of creating fantastical worlds enmeshed within a historical context. The magic system in this book is so original and creative. It took me a while to read, perhaps because the writing is dense and a bit academic. That does not mean there was no action, which creeps up out of nowhere sometimes. I loved the historical academic setting, and the actual etymology I learned from reading about their time in the classroom.

Some of the driving conflict in the book has to do with colonialism, institutionalized racism, and exploitation. It was difficult to read about the various forms of racism our main characters encountered on a daily basis, and the larger racist systems and attitudes that pervaded the time. There were some aspects of the history surrounding colonialism and trade that I had not previously considered, and were presented in an eloquent and thought-provoking way in this novel.

I also fell in love with the characters. If I could ask for anything else from this book, it would be slightly more moments between the characters, developing their relationships and emotional connections. I was not prepared to have my heart broken so thoroughly.

I highly recommend this book for fans of historical fantasy, and for anyone who wants to dive in to a brilliant and engrossing book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Even though it took me literal weeks to read, I found Babel to be an intriguing and entertaining book. I enjoyed Robin's character arc, the historical setting, the themes, and my inner linguistics nerd had a great time with the focus on etymology and translation. However, the story moves extremely slowly, and in the last 30% or so it becomes abundantly clear how messy the story structure of Babel is. Uneven tone and pacing, confused world-building and magic system, and too many hand-waved conveniences in the rushed final act. In general the latter half of this book needed much more attention than it got, and the front half should have been much shorter... or perhaps the story ought to have been split into two books? I found the events of the ending to be very satisfying, but could have had more emotional 'oomph' if that section of the book had more room to breathe. I would recommend Babel to a) linguistics nerds, b) dark academia enthusiasts, and c) anyone interested in themes of imperialism, colonialism, and racism/sexism/classism in academia. But don't come for the historical fantasy aspect or the promise of the "Oxford Translators' Revolution" in the subtitle, as you'll be disappointed. I feel like if only Kuang had taken more time to develop this idea, this world, perhaps even over the course of multiple books, it could have been something truly magnificent. This is far from the masterpiece it's being hailed as, but if weak logic in world/plot doesn't ruin a book for you, then this is still a compelling read in theme and subject matter. 3.5 stars... the sheer ambitious nature of Babel has me wanting to round up, but I think rounding down feels more honest.

TW: racism/colorism and xenophobia, colonialism, sexism, violence and murder, linguistic prejudice, child abuse, emotional manipulation and gaslighting, slavery, death of a parent, imprisonment and torture, drug trade, survivor's guilt and suicidal thoughts, **SPOILER** self-sacrificial suicide

If you love historical fiction with dark academia vibes and have a passion for languages (etymology) and classical literature, this book is for you.

If you are like me and you like your dark academia infused with fantasy and compelling, fully fleshed out world, you may be disappointed.

When I saw that this book was a historical dark academia fantasy, I was hyped. The premise was unique and the world the author presented seemed as if it would be epic with an original voice and fresh perspective. Though this is a thick read, I feel like it’s only the framework, a mere shadow of what it could have been.

The writing was beautiful but the style hindered my ability to connect with the characters or their world like I wanted to. Rather than feel like I was in the story, the writing style made me feel like an outsider peering into the story. At worst, it was like a case study or a well written and engaging textbook. At its best, I’d compare the writing style to assigned reading in school. It’s ambitious, it’s clever and very literary (there are even foot notes), but it just falls flat.

It took me a while to realize why it felt so bland when it was such an exquisite premise and it was written so well. I think it’s because the fantasy element is underused and there was a heavy emphasis on the academics. Had this been better blended I think it would have lived up to the hype for me.
Instead, I felt like I was in a college English course listening to my professor lecture and my classmates debate.

At the end of the day, I liked it but I didn’t love it. It actually broke my heart a little.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this ebook. I am leaving a voluntary review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

This was an absolute masterpiece. Kuang’s writing never dissapoints. The setting was so unique, and the dark academia vibes were here and absolutely perfect. The book never felt very dense despite the complexity of the subject matter. And the characters! I loved them all; everyone was so well-developed. One of the best books I’ve read all year for sure!.

R.F. Kuang wrote a masterpiece! If you read this book and do not have a knot in your throat .. you might have read it wrong.
Babel is the story of Robin, a Chinese boy that lost his family to cholera and was brought to England by a benefactor because he seems to have aptitude to learn languages. In England, he would go to Oxford to study translation at Babel, the most renowned institute of that university.
This books is very dense and brings in a masterful way so many discussions while at the same time move the story forward.

The main themes of this book, according to Kuang is colonialism and racism and the idea that only a revolution could change it... but there is so many more!! While Robin is excited with the opportunity to be able to live and study in such a prestigious University that seeks excellency and pursuit of knowledge, he also see that his hard work there will only be used to sustain the nefarious objectives of the British empire to continue to explore its colonies and guarantee supremacy over other countries including his own. This struggle to reconcile what is his part while he still wanted to live the academic life will be a constant struggle for Robin throughout the book.
His group of friends is introduced to us when he arrives at the university and as you can expect is very diverse, but share similar background of violence: two of his friends were also extracted from their country to study translation that would benefit England against their own country.
The contradictions of the academic institutions, the empire and robin as an important cog in this machine will lead him and his friends to this secret society that plans a revolution, which then brings the discussion about f all revolutions require violence.
Again.. this is a masterpiece that I cannot recommend enough.
The language of the book is very accessible and easy to follow, and you learn so many interesting facts and new words that it feels like an amazing enriching experience.
It's a must read and I would say it's the book of the year for me.

So thankful to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy of Babel in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fantastic book! Layered with inherent racism, privilege, colonialism, etc. I love the etymology and word origins, even if it sometimes seemed to get a little dry. This was a book that took me a little longer to get through, one you slowly chip away at rather than all consuming. The one thing that I did not like about the style of the book were the incessant footnotes that came across as more of random tangents than consistently used notes for valuable or "historical" information. It was also really hard to keep track of the footnotes. Would rather have gone without that. I was grateful that I followed along with the audio because there was no way I'd have understood the Chinese characters. But I loved the fluidity of the different languages and how much value there was in each one. The inherent theme that the language of those people of color was incredibly valuable but the "white people" only wanted to use, control and white wash without respecting the diversity was a fantastic theme and creatively displayed in an original manner.

An absolutely stunning and complex book. Kuang is a master world and word builder. This is a book I will be returning to time and time again, and that will certainly become canon in the genre.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of BABEL by R.F. Kuang.

I decided to put this book down at 34%. Below will be my thoughts up until 34% of the book.

BABEL is a complex, well researched, and extremely intelligent book that examines the intersection of language and colonization. The author examines how British colonization controlled, owned, and decided who was deserving of resources through language. I think the concept of this book is brilliant and it is obvious that R.F. Kuang put a lot of thought and research into the narrative.

I decided to DNF this book because I felt like the book was lagging for me. I wanted the plot to pick up and for more to happen, but I think this book is a slow burn that was just not for me. There are SO many wonderful reviews of this book and it clearly is a great read for some, but for me it just missed the mark but not because of the writing or the concept, but because I wanted the plot to move a bit quicker.

This is an incredible book. Honestly I was speechless after finishing it. I still am because I don't think I can do it justice. It is incredibly unique and I don't even know what genre to categorize this as. You can tell the author poured everything into this - time, research, emotion, etc. It shines through.

Overall I really enjoyed this. I loved the focus on language and the discussions of colonialism. I thought the last 1/4th of the book felt a little heavy handed, which was also how I felt about The Poppy War at times. I still really enjoyed this and will always read and handsell more of RF Kuang!

Robin Swift has a highly valuable skillset in the British Empire: he can speak multiple languages. In a world where magic is created by the meaning lost in translation, that makes Robin one of the few people in the world capable of producing the silver bars that power the whole empire. Half-Chinese, half-English, Robin’s whole life has been nothing but training in languages so that one day he can attend Oxford and its College of Translation. But while attending university, Robin meets a secret society that is fighting to undermine the exploitation of the colonies that Oxford’s magic allows. Increasingly torn in loyalty between England, the country that raised and educated him, and China, the country of his birth, Robin finds himself trying to please both masters, until one fateful trip makes it clear that Robin can no longer serve both sides.

Babel is a purposefully uncomfortable dark academia confronting the evils of colonialism, racism, and capitalism in no uncertain terms. This is a book that emphasizes the “academia” part of dark academia; the magic is largely minor and off-screen, here to set the stage of how Britain both exploits and cannot survive without all the other countries it encounters. If you tackle Babel, bring with you your love for discussions on language and entomology, for endless lectures and discussions about the nature of empire, colonialism, and capitalism. If those sound like things you’d enjoy (or at least find intriguing), congratulations, you’ll probably like Babel.

If you are here for dazzling displays of magic or the thought of studying makes you cringe, you might want to pick up something else.

Babel is not a subtle book, but it is also one that gradually builds up the pressure to an inevitable conclusion. In the past, I’ve equated Kuang’s other work, The Poppy War, as being a frog in a slowly boiling pot of water. By the time you realize how dire the situation is, you realize far too late that things were that dire all along, you just weren’t feeling it yet. Robin Swift is the frog of Babel, attempting to rationalize away the many problems and inequalities created by the translation magic he is learning; the art of translation (and the comforts of academia) are things he enjoys, and he doesn’t want to engage with the uncomfortable truths behind them. Once he reaches his turning point, he realizes that things didn’t get worse, they were always this bad and he chose to ignore it.

And yet, for all the terrible things Kuang points out, she also acknowledges that translation itself is a necessary evil. I flagged several poignant passages about translation (remarkable for me, as I’m generally not a highlighter or notetaker), but this stuck with me as the most hopeful view of the author:

“That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”

Translation may be an imperfect art, but in its purest form, it is trying to recalibrate your world view to understand how another language and people think about things. In fact, it’s what Babel itself is trying to do for the Western audience: make them understand how non-white peoples of the world felt about their treatment at the height of the British Empire. But in Kuang’s view, such idyllic attempts at translation and academia are impossible as long as there are those around to exploit the results.

Kuang examines all these aspects of translation and empire through her diverse cast of characters, including Robin’s fellow students, a microcosm of different reactions and ideologies about the problems at hand. They are more stand-ins for different viewpoints, from radicalization to believing empire is inevitable and not worth fighting, than deep characters, and yet when all those characters and beliefs came to a crashing confrontation, I still found myself deeply affected. Each believes so fervently that the others will come around to their way of thinking, it becomes all the more heartbreaking when reality sets in.

Babel is an evocative call to arms, an examination of a broken system. As I’ve said before, this isn’t a subtle book. The full title, after all, is Babel, Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translator's Revolution. It has a thesis and it is going to make it crystal clear. Occasionally the book can feel overly long, especially as you encounter one terrible thing after another, but the story will stick with you long after you read the final page. It’s here to make you think about all the uncomfortable truths you’d rather look away from, and on that front, it succeeds on every level.

Babel is not one of those light reads that hits the ground running for a fast-paced adventure where you can see the basic formula in play.
Rather, it is a story that adds layer upon layer and demands you pay it more attention.

Set in what would be our past, there are some themes tackled like British colonialism, that many across the world can only imagine. But, the author layers in the fantastical, magical ability of silver to be used to do things based on the words written on the piece. The translators at the fictional "Babel" at Oxford University are the ones who develop 'match pairs' words in two languages that have something "lost in translation."

Interwoven into the title are mini-lessons on the origins of words, something I found completely fascinating.

I am going to be looking forward to the sequel when it comes out as I am very curious to see where the author takes the story.

Babel follows the story of Robin Swift and the three members of his cohort at Oxford's Institute of Translation. They are a diverse group hailing from many parts of the world and learn to navigate the primarily white and male world of Oxford together.

I can't describe how much I enjoyed and adored this book. It was so smartly written, Kuang has a purpose for every element placed within her story and everything follows a logical thread. This is a book that I will reread many times and find new things in each read.

I mean, what can be said about this book that was not already said. This is the most necessary read of the year. The way R.F. Kuang approaches sexism and racism is so real and raw & we need to take notes. I will never stop recommending this book.

It is the book of the decade.

A brilliant interrogation of the university's role in colonization, and the complicity of students within that system. Kuang masterfully intertwines fantasy with the British Empire's imperialist history to create a story that you won't want to put down. Highly recommend!

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Wow... This book is really great! So well written and everything came together in this novel - characters, plot and setting. Strong recommendation from me!