I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Babel was an incredible book. I felt like I learned a lot about language and the way translation really works. Throughout reading this, I had a complete range of emotions. The characters are well crafted and feel real and relatable. I love the history woven into the story and the setting of Babel.

Robin is the central main character of the book and he has a wonderful story arc. He grows, he learns, and changes just like characters should in a book.

This book is long, but worth it. There is a lot of detail, which I feel needs to be there in order to have the reader fully appreciate the hard work of translation and for the reader to understand the significance of translation. I do not want to give anything away as this book does not come out until August. Just know, for me this book was heartbreakingly beautiful.

I haven’t read a book as intelligent, intellectual, unconventional, moving, unique as Babel for a long time.

This is an extraordinary experience to learn and understand more about the power of language, and it also represents exemplary criticism of colonialism, strikingly bold approach to class differences, racism, nationalism. It feels like a stunning nonfiction perfectly blended in fantasy world and dark academia.

The character development is perfect. Each of them are portrayed impeccably. Robin Swift warms your heart with his kind heart, intelligence, testing his morality from the beginning: should he help the thieves just he’s done before instinctively at the risk of losing his opportunities he’s been provided.

Ramiz Mirza; quick witted, sharp, sarcastic, Indian, being targeted by privileged obnoxious students of Oxford because of his unique appearance.

Victorie, observer, extra intelligent, overqualified, tough, badass worrier fighting tooth and nail to survive.

And Letty, most privileged and least likable character but slowly she gets under your skin and her straightforwardness, sharp comments deeply affect you. Eventually you learn to resonate with her.

Four main characters are outsiders, chosen for improving their abilities to serve at Translation Institute of Oxford, in other name “Tower of Babel” , the special place to protect entire silver talismans and very valuable manuscripts coming from all over the world to be translated in English.

Robin, Ramy, Letty and Victorie are specifically chosen because of their unique abilities with languages and their minority issues. Robin and Ramy can not be Oxford men, they can only be men in Oxford. The girls forced to live far away from the main campus, being treated unequally.

Robin’s immigration story, his move to London, his relationship with loveless Mr. Lovell and the mystery about the boy who just replaced is one of the interesting storylines mashed up with other three characters’ story.

Overall: the entire complex execution is truly mind blowing! If you like linguistics, politics, true history, this is perfect match for you!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

WOW. R.f. Kuang really did that particularly with the ending???

I was a little nervous about this book; the synopsis/blurb sounded....too smart for me. However, Kuang's writing and world building is so artful that you're just carried along through the story, no confusion at all.

Robin was an amazing main character, very flawed and everything that he did was rooted in his characterization. The first half of the novel was a little lacking in the development of his three friends, but it was more than made up for in the second half.

Language and translation has always fascinated me, so that part of the novel was incredibly interesting. As a white woman I can't speak on the representation, but I learned so much about colonialism and systemic racism, and I genuinely think this book is a masterpiece.

“Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation—a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them.”

Babel is an incredibly unique and thought-provoking stroke of genius. This book is not only fascinating and engaging, but it is also incredibly intellectual- the careful thought that RF Kuang put into her writing can be seen on every page. Being someone who actually studied and got a degree in an East Asian foreign language in college, I found this book to be extra special. I was extremely fascinated by the language links that Kuang was able to discover and put into this book. I wish I had gotten to read more of the footnotes- going back and forth between the footnotes and the digital pages through the app was difficult so I wasn't able to read them all. I hope to reread a hard copy in the future and truly take in all the special notes and details that the author provides.

I am truly in awe of how beautifully Kuang was able to discuss the subject of English/white colonialism, especially in regards to language. In my experience, I find that importance of language in colonialism is often overlooked, and I thought that this book did a fantastic job highlighting it. Although this book is a dark academia fantasy novel, it is deeply rooted in real-life events and injustices, and I would consider it to be an essential read for everyone. I will be thinking about this book for a long time to come, and am confident in saying that it is one of my new favorites.

This has hundreds of ratings and reviews, so I can't anything new to the mix. I'll just recommend it to fantasy fans.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

An incredible story of the beauty of a place and time and the evil that lies beneath, full of rich characters and an exciting plot, and writing where every page feels like a painting. Truly blown away!

Wow… that was absolutely amazing! R.F. Kuang had me invested in these characters and made me care about them from the very beginning and it was an incredible and emotional ride. The way she writes morally gray characters is masterful. I could not stop rooting for them even when when they weren’t the best version of themselves. They were fighting for such an important cause that even with their morally gray decisions I just thought, “it is what it is” because they had to do what was necessary. I was captivated by everything from the academia to the revolution and the history that inspired this novel. It was dark academia in every aspect, from the lessons we get from professors to the secret society that’s always lurking in the shadows. An absolute masterpiece from beginning to end.

This book is a work of art, truly.

Fantasy, history and academia seamlessly woven together to follow the story of a young translator and his friends, all fighting to find their place in the world.

Beyond the immaculate plot, this book made me so excited to learn. I was constantly taking breaks to research the history, and at one point I started Latin lessons on Duolingo. I learned so much about etymology by following Robin and his friends through their studies, and it is SO INTERESTING.

RF Kuang truly captured all the best of what a dark academia novel should be. The corruption, the secret societies, the magic. Everything happened for a reason, and the mysteries weren’t unraveled until just the right moment. I was so engrossed in the story that I didn’t realize I had reached the end until I saw the “about the author” page (nor did I realize it’s 2am).

I love love loved reading this, and absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy in August. I hope rereading will be even half as fun as it was to read for the first time.

R.F. Kuang has done it again. My expectations were extremely high for this book - I've been anticipating this ever since she started talking about this in interviews back in 2020, and I'm happy to say that it did not disappoint. This is THE dark academia book of my dreams, and I think that it contains what I personally feel is the defining feature of dark academia, and yet is missing from so many books published in this subgenre in the last few years - an actual critique of academia. The magic system here is so unique and creative, and I personally have not read anything quite like it. I think those of you who enjoy a magic system with some rules and boundaries will enjoy this one a lot.

I won't go into too much detail since I know the book doesn't come out for some time and I also think going into this book not knowing too much is best, but if you've read The Poppy War series in full, I think you'll have a good idea of what to expect from Kuang's writing. As with her debut series, the focus of this book is really on its themes - colonialism, racism, sexism, capitalism, workers' revolts, oppression, and how these all converge at the very fascinating and unique intersection of translation theory and academia. If you're interested in a fantasy novel that discusses at length and in great nuance the effects of colonialism and imperialism, but through the lens of translation theory, etymology, and the role that academia plays in systems of white supremacy, then this is the book for you. These themes permeate every single page of this novel, and the conversations and questions that this book asks and forces you, the reader, to confront are ones that I think are much needed. Kuang's writing gets better and better with each book, especially in the way that she delivers her themes, and while The Burning God was a work of art, Babel is a true masterpiece.

In terms of plot and characters, I have no complaints, personally. I think that both the plot and the characters serve the themes of the novel very well, and the characters in particular are used very effectively to portray these higher level concepts and ideas at a more individual level. One thing I've come to expect from Kuang that she absolutely delivered here are nuanced characters, especially with Robin, our main character. He is full of contradictions, and at times, I found myself very frustrated with him, but that's what made him so interesting and real. The book was well-paced, in my opinion, and I never found myself bored at any point in time.

The only minor flaw I can think of is that there are certain parts of the book that feel a bit repetitive, but not to a point where I felt like it hindered my enjoyment in any way. Despite this minor issue, this is the easiest 5 stars I've given all year. This book is creative, heartbreaking, and difficult to read at times, but so worth it. If you enjoy colonial fantasies at all, even if you don't typically like dark academia or historical fiction, I think this is a must-read.

Just like Poppy War, this book seeps into your soul and destroys you. The writing is a masterpiece and you are drawn into the story, the underlying tension and the magic. It is good to see the darker side, to understand that not everything is easy, it is not sunshine and roses.
Babel is the very novel that R.F. Kuang was born to write. Babel is a masterpiece that compiles the author's own experience and studies and that doesn't shy away from colonialism, racism, and sexism.
Everyone needs to read this book. Everyone.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC!

Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution (or Babel for short), is very much the novel that R.F. Kuang was born to write. Compiling her background as a translator, a student at Oxford, and her own studies on diaspora, as well as her plethora of personal experiences, Babel is an important work that doesn’t shy away from the subjects of colonialism, racism, sexism, and other moral conflicts that plague the characters. The world of Babel, as well as the struggles of the students, feel so real that it’s honestly hard to view this novel as fictional, as it is clear that so much of the author’s heart and own experiences went into the making of this novel.

However, it is clear that at least in some respects, Babel is fictional, and even fantastical. This alternate nineteenth century world is unlike our own past in that everything is run on silver with magical properties inscribed on them by talented and skilled translators, who are able to power these silver bars with “match pairs” in separate languages. These match-pairs are what give the silver bars magical properties, allowing for more advanced societies, at least in the case of those countries that can afford them.

The main character, Robin Swift, was born in one of these not so fortunate countries, China. Orphaned, he’s taken under the wing of a Professor Lovell, who doesn’t have a kind bone in his body, and trained in the arts of language. When Robin comes of age, and has mastered English, Greek, and Latin, he is whisked off to the Translation Institute at Oxford, better known as the tower of Babel. There, Robin is introduced to his fellow classmates, all minorities of a sort, and they form a found family, as they struggle to find their places in a world that doesn’t really want them, but needs them for their linguistic abilities.

Soon Robin’s loyalties, as well as his morality, are put to the test. He struggles to reconcile that he benefits from a system that disparages and ruins his home country without any hesitation. Kuang does an excellent job of displaying not only Robin’s inner turmoil, but that of his cohort, and how all of their personal struggles are alike yet, also dissimilar. I really grew attached to all of these characters, their beliefs, and their plights.

Not too surprisingly to anyone who has read Kuang’s other work, The Poppy War series , these characters certainly do suffer. Though often saddened by the events in Babel, I never cried while reading Babel, which is similar to my response to The Burning God —I think that I am always just too in awe of Kuang’s writing and how well she is able to pull off tragedy and despair I felt raw and depressed after reading Babel, but like I had read something very important.

Despite Babel obviously being a masterpiece, I wasn’t quite able to give Babel five stars. As someone who has always loved languages, and has taken a few throughout her education, I found that much of the linguistics and etymology in Babel was above my head. However, these explanations were still largely interesting to me, especially the etymology. Other times, though, I found them frustrating, especially when Robin was in the middle of a decision, and he stood there disassociating by thinking about words in other languages. Though this is probably a realistic coping mechanism for a student of translation, it truly made me want to scream.

I also lamented that more time was not spent on the other members of Robin’s cohort, like Ramy, Letty, and especially Victoire. I think this was a detriment to Babel, as certain events would have had an even greater emotional impact if more time had been spent fleshing out these characters. The same is true of the characters belonging to the secret society of Hermes. I honestly could have read an entire novel based on these characters alone, and I honestly hope and pray Kuang will write a prequel to Babel detailing more about them.

Plus, I’d really just love to return to this world of Babel and Oxford, which came to feel like an, albeit problematic, home to me as well. I highly recommend this novel to fans of R.F. Kuang, who will surely delight in how much the author has honed her craft since her last works, to those who love language, and other readers who are keen to see the darker sides of not only magic, but our world.

I truly did not know how I felt about this book until I finished it. It's very slow going. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, because Kuang knows her pacing. But, I am an impatient reader. Fortunately, the payoff is more than worth it.

Ultimately, I hope this book pisses a lot of people off. I hope people see the parallels between what we're enduring currently and the war that the Translators are fighting. I hope a bunch of white women who don't think they're racist but also don't make an effort to learn about the experiences of anyone besides themselves get pissed about seeing their attitudes reflected back at them as the villains. I hope it brings someone the clarity of understanding that colonialist practices harm every single one of us who is not a rich white man, and that they don't give two shits who lives or dies as long as their rules stay in place and they keep making money. I hope people see that change takes sacrifice and community and that we have to be in it for the long run. This isn't just a fun afternoon activity where you get to go home at the end and forget about the day. It's a slog and it's not fun but it's worth it.

Anyway. I freaking love this. It's outstanding and sad and beautiful and I can't believe we get to be graced with this genius that R.F. Kuang has gifted us. I hope there is more eventually, but I will be thinking about this for a very long time.

Babel was an interesting read and quite different from Rebecca F Kuang’s Poppy Wars, though the author’s voice carries through with the same lush and articulate storytelling expected of her works. There are brilliantly written, heart-wrenching moments and steadily building anger and resentment that increases and bears the reader to the climax. All of this tension and internalised rage against colonialism and racism are all neatly packaged with strong academic references which clearly show Kuang’s own well-read and academic pursuits and experiences. Babel is both a love letter to academia and a ripping off of a bandaid that exposes a deep set infection at its core. This book is at times a heavy and complex read so may not be for everyone but it was definitely one worth reading.

thank you to whoever chose me as one of the e-arc giveaway winners!

I've been living in anticipation for Babel ever since R.F. Kuang announced its existence, and it did not disappoint. It tackled some huge themes such as imperialism and colonialism, but showed some of the more subtle ways these things can take place, which was different from any other book I've read.

Babel tells the story of four brilliant young scholars who begin their studies at the translation Institute of Oxford University, Babel. Our protagonist, Robin Swift, is an orphaned boy from Canton who is brought to England by an Oxford professor. Robin was such an interesting character. His feelings of inadequacy when faced with his peers' intelligence were extremely relatable, and all his character motivations were fascinating. I love it when quiet characters get progressively more and more unhinged, and Robin was a perfect example of this. Next, we have Ramiz Mirza. He was by far my favourite character, and I loved the subtle differences in the ways he interacted with each of the other protagonists. On a more personal note, the way it's explained that he has no choice but to stand out so he might as well do it flamboyantly was very relatable to me. Then there is Victoire, whose brilliance is often overlooked. She is quiet and discrete to survive, and I loved seeing her character development. Her dynamic with Letty really reflected the issues with white feminism, and I really felt her isolation from the other characters as the only woman of colour. Finally, there is Letty who is one of the most interesting characters in the book. She is fundamentally not a bad person, and though she holds so much privilege over her friends, we really feel her isolation as well.

The characters are what make Babel so good, but we cannot forget about the plot. It was brilliant and Kuang's academic background shines clearly and brightly through it. I genuinely learned a lot about translation and etymology, two subjects which I would never have thought to be interesting but which I now want to find out more about. This is a book about scholars, and it feels like we are learning with them. I thought the way the silver works in this world was absolutely brilliant and represented so many real-life resources all on its own.

Of course, this wouldn't be an R.F. Kuang book if I didn't finish it crying. She decided that breaking me with The Burning God wasn't enough - she had to do it with Babel too! Why is she the way that she is? She should keep it up though, she is one of the best authors I've ever read and I don't think I'll ever get tired of her writing, unfortunately for my emotional state.

This is a very ambitious book, with a complex narrative and a strong message. Set in Oxford during the 1830s, the story focuses on Robin Swift, an orphan from Canton who was raised the last few years in England by an Oxford professor (who's also his father) for one express purpose: to attend Oxford and join the translation institute. Here, linguistics is magic-the right pair of matched words engraved on silver can be used for something as simple as indoor lighting or as complex as keeping buildings upright. The British Empire runs wholly on this silver power, and without the use of outside languages (pilfered through colonial expansion), British magic (and society as a whole) would collapse. And the book starts off rather tame, Robin and his friends start classes at Oxford, there's tensions between them and the white students, but the plot focuses on their studies and Robin's tentative help with an underground society trying to steal silver from Oxford. As the story progresses, things become much more urgent and complex. The focus is on academia and empire, and how both structures took from and recklessly used aspects of other cultures as a means of furthering their own greed and success. It's a heavy topic, one the author handles fantastically. I also loved the main four characters, particularly Robin. I did feel like, for me, the pacing was a little off, the majority of the book (about 50-60%) is slowly building up tension until things finally reach a turning point and from there things really speed up. I would've liked a more balanced pacing, but having finished the book, I understand why it was that way. Overall, a fantastic read.

Babel is RF Kuang's most successful exercise in capturing readers with sheer intrigue. In contrast to the enthralling ups and downs of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel commands a continuous sense of lurking mystery that keeps its audience effortlessly engaged. Kuang's witty use of footnotes never interrupts the story, but rather enhances the perspective of her main character, Robin, as he falls headlong into a turbulent relationship with the ever dreamy, ever dreary Oxford.

The magic system in Babel showcases the meticulous dedication Kuang poured into research in a way that readers can easily appreciate. Its usage evokes a strong feeling of awe at the power of language and the consequences of the spoken word, and adds a clever nod at modern day infrastructure and technology. Such a power is what compels Robin's main cohort, glued together and rendered asunder over and over again by the type of relationship Kuang writes best: a formless, flexible love that cannot be discretized with labels. Though the novel left a bit to be desired in terms of exploring each permutation of the cohort's relationships, Robin's introspection lends a very intelligent, thoughtful perspective of his love for his friends.

As with Kuang's previous books, there are movements in the story that feel deliberately guillotined mid-crescendo, as if to mark the beginning of the end — or, occasionally, the end of a beginning. This pacing can come off a bit abrupt, with the audience left wanting for a bit more exploration, but Babel redeems itself with its quiet, yet potent conclusions. So, a tip to future readers: when you come to the point where, for once, RF Kuang doesn't give you a footnote about the meaning of something — and you'll know when that is — be sure to look it up. It will surely resound in your mind for days to come.

If you had told me that a historical fantasy set in the early 1800s at an Oxford institute for translation would make for an intriguing fantasy book, I would have said, Sorry, but sounds kinda dull.

Allow me to stand corrected.

RF Kuang has written a masterpiece. Through a meticulously researched and a wholly impressive deep dive into linguistics and the politics of language and translation, Kuang weaves a story that is part love-hate letter to academia, part scathing indictment of the colonial enterprise, and all fiery revolution.

The story is populated by complex and contradictory characters who face soul-shattering choices and stakes that rock the world. Now, I will admit there are a few places midway that drag a bit for those of us who are not scholars of linguistics, but they are laying groundwork for an explosive and thrilling conclusion. Not only is the story deftly plotted, but the prose flows, and complex ideas are made easily digestible and intriguing. There are a handful of footnotes used to great effect (and I am not usually a fan of footnotes in fiction but they work perfectly here) and even some smartly placed interstitial chapters.

Overall, Kuang pulls no punches in the sharp, brilliant, heartbreaking, heart-filling, and all together satisfying story. Five big stars.

Ok amazingly I did not cry at the end of this, but I’m gonna chalk that up to being to sick and tired to do so.

R.F. Kuang knows her business, and her business is taking down colonialism and making me feel absolutely dead inside at the same time.

Everything that I loved about The Poppy War trilogy was expanded upon and improved in this. The relationship dynamics were impeccable in all their love and tenderness, but in their abuse as well; the magic system is one of the best and most interesting I have ever read; and the thorough inspection of empire fills you with such anger and despair, while still leaving you enough hope to actively go out and find ways to change things.

This book is so timely and I really believe everyone would benefit from reading it, and I look forward to rereading soon.

Let me introduce you to my favorite book of the year! (so far)
We follow Robin a young orphaned boy taken from Canton and brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There he is rigorously trained for years in preparation to enroll in Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation also known as Babel. There he meets our main supporting characters, Ramy, Victoire and Letty. The four create a fast friendship and cohort. However, as Robin learns more about Babel and it’s plans for an unjust war with China, he has to make some hard choices.

This book has completely changed the game in terms of ‘dark academia’. This is not the romanticized version of the dark academia aesthetic. This does not shy away from the worst aspects of academia, all the large and small horrors, it’s colonial roots.

Babel is a thematically driven story that discusses linguistics, translation, racism, colonialism, and resistance. All with such nuance. At its core this a story of revolution. It questions what is really required for true change to take place. Does revolution always require violence?

The magic in here is based on silver working that is powered by translation. This is one of the most unique concepts of magic I have ever seen. It’s was so simple, so beautiful. But we also see how this magic ties into the politics and economy of the British empire.

The novel grows in intensity, a steady building of rage at the cruelty and micro aggressions and full on aggression that our marginalized characters face at Babel. There are so many incredible conversations. So many paragraphs that brought me to tears, for how real and raw and honest they felt.

This was also just some of the most brilliant sophisticated writing I have ever encountered. I never thought I would find linguistics and translation so fascinating, but I was so intrigued. The way the topics were presented brought life to something I didn’t realize was so intricate.

I was utterly captivated throughout the entirety of the book. I understood, and could sympathize with all four of our main characters perspectives, even when I didn’t want to.
R.F. Luang was not subtle in her delivery, she was brutally honest and forthright in a way I have not seen done before. This is absolute brilliance. I am still reeling from the ending. I don’t think I’ve cried this much over fictional characters in my life. Honestly, I feel it’s more so what these characters represent that hit me. It was being able to see myself in Victoire, in Ramy and Robin.
So beautifully written, so well plotted, this a book I will definitely think about for years to come.

As a huge fan of The Poppy Wars, I eagerly anticipated Babel, and although it's quite different, it did not disappoint. Robin lives in a London that's not exactly historical, but readers will recognize it. Fans of Oxford will love the details. In this London, silver is magical and keeps them city running. The source of magic? Scholars in the school's Tower, called Babel. At times the book slowed down while describing the politics of the 1800's, but the slow burn pays off in a dramatic, unpredictable climax. Robin and his comrades are outcasts for different reasons, best friends thrown together to try to make it at the toughest college in the hardest courses. Can their friendship last when their cocoon of studies is breeched by politics, hard truths, societal upheaval and even murder? You'll be breathless until the last page of this detailed, wonderful book. You won't forget the characters or their difficult choices, which is where I drew a connection to The Poppy Wars. Luckily, the ending wraps up, but a sequel seems likely.