Best smack-down of colonialism I've read in years.
Reading this book will help you understand why talk of decolonization is so pervasive.

For me I think that if this ever gets turned into a movie that I will devour that so well. But as for the book my brain just couldn't do it with all the descriptions. It was far too complicated for my poor brain to really keep track of everything. However, those who can deal with all of that will most likely love this book. I am super sad that I just couldn't keep up, because I really wanted to read this one.

R.F. Kuang has immediately jumped to my favorite authors list after just reading the Poppy War trilogy, but Babel completely blew me away. Dark academia isn't necessarily my favorite genre, but her ability to make the reader truly think about the implications of a fantasy story in the real world, and how, despite the magic, there are real-world ramifications to the ideas she writes about is truly a masterpiece in it of itself. The characters were interesting and the silver was such a cool concept. The ending made me sob (obviously) but I genuinely think I'm a better reader for it.

This was a beautiful, intellectual novel that is not Comparable to anything else I’ve read before. Some parts seemed slow, but there was so much information that a slower pace seemed to fit. I loved the unhappy ending.

Wow! Babel was one of my top 10 reads of 2022.

It was a weirdly wonderful and successful mix of history, fantasy, with a lot of etymology and the history of language sprinkled throughout. Wonderful world building, strong characters, and an deep dive into colonialism. While I DO wish that Kuang took more liberties with the magical elements she introduced (and less apologies for introducing a tower in the middle of the Oxford campus - it's your alternate universe, girl - do what you want with it and no apologies for taking liberties!), in the end, she kept me turning pages. Dark, imaginative, academic...I loved it.

RF Kuang is such an amazing writer! I absolutely loved this story. Her originally trilogy was brilliantly composed and this new book did not disappoint!

Stunningly beautiful, with a prose that is just perfection this book takes the reader on a complete journey. I feel like no words I write can do this book justice. Simply read it.

Thank you #Avon and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was hard to get into for me, but I still very much enjoyed it. I loved the dark academia vibe and the fantasy element blended nicely with the time period. Very much a high fantasy historical read.

This book is thoughtful and well-crafted. The size is a little intimidating but it's very worth it. Kuang's take on colonization is interesting and worth reading.

Babel is a book that deserved all the praise, yet it’s hard to come up with the words. It’s haunting, and beautiful, and everything that R.F. Kuang made it up to be and even more. In this response to The Secret History, fantasy and real world collide in the city of Oxford. Robin Swift grapples with his conflict between the British Empire and his motherland of Canton, China– feeling the creeping grip of the powerful vs the powerless.

It left me with so much love and awe.

I’m going to be very much in the minority with this one. It was beautifully written, but unfortunately, not for me. Which is a bummer, cause I was so sure I’d love this one.

Others will love it. I just personally found it boring.

Wow what an incredible book! My first five star and only five star review this year. The concept is incredible and the plot is amazing. I found myself constantly excited to see what happens next and it’s just a beautiful book. Can’t wait to see what else she does.

Babel by R. F. Kuang is, without a doubt, the best book I've read this year. Its theme of language usage is a fascinating commentary on imperialism, revolution, and resistance. As compelling as the story is, and it delivers a little nugget of insight on almost every page, the language of the story is the true star of Babel. Ms. Kuang's writing style is perfect. While it most definitely is prose, each sentence has a beauty that feels like poetry. Between the story, that magical setting that is Oxford, and the language, Babel left me in awe. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

RFK said decolonize the dark academia genre and we thank her for that. Babel is definitely a love letter to academia.

As a lover of languages, I found myself quite giddy when I recognized some of the names and publications Kuang referenced in the narrative. She obviously put a lot of love and effort into researching this project, not to mention the native speakers she must have had to consult in order to get the multiple languages grammatically correct.

The magic system is wonderfully creative. I'd never seen anything like it before. Postcolonialism is also an obvious theme, something she also explored in TPW, but it also reiterates the necessity of violence and how far should you go in fighting colonizers.

This book was so incredible, from the intricate plot, to the rich history, to the complex and loving characters. I think every single person would get something important out of reading this, and even if you think you won't, you need to give it a try.

I have been on an emotional roller coaster with Babel. I was immensely excited based on early reviews and the blurb, I felt pretty meh for the first half of the book, then things really took off. Let me explain.

Babel is an important book. The way Kuang examines colonialism, racism, academia, gender relations, and so many more big brain-breaking soul-sucking topics is incredible. I don’t know how she fit so much thought into this book. What grounds these big ideas are characters that are fully-fleshed humans, people you can relate to and root for. Your heart will ache for them, and some of them will break your heart on their own. For me, Robin is everything. His transformation was something to behold and I don’t know if I’ve read a better character development anywhere else in historical fiction.

So why the meh? Apparently I don’t love words as much as I thought I did. I had a hard time with the more academic sections of the novel, especially the first half which seemed full of it when really what I wanted was the characters and their actions. This could be too to incorrect expectations. This is *not* a fantasy novel, if you’re a fantasy reader like me. It’s historical fiction with a speculative bend, a tiny change of adding a little sprinkle of magic that doesn’t have a system really. I might’ve enjoyed the first half of the book more if I’d known that.

But then, the midpoint! Oh ho ho, that midpoint knocked me out of my chair and I was IN. Or at least, I thought I was. Then the climax at the end of act two happened and I was bowled over again and could barely breathe as I raced through the last 100 pages. That last act is some of the best fiction of any genre I’ve ever read in my life. I am not exaggerating. It was masterful. It was astonishing. I don’t have a good enough vocabulary to make you understand how much it rocked my world.

And the ending, my gods! A triumph. Truly. As a writer myself, I’d sell my soul for an ending that incredible. This is one of those books that lives with you. It makes you question, it paints the world in a slightly different hue, it makes you confront things. I love that.

I couldn’t recommend this book more highly. I had an ebook copy given to me for free but I already bought a copy. What better endorsement is there than spending your own money? Even with the slower start than I’d prefer, and with my coming in with the wrong idea of what genre it fits into, it is absolutely one of the best books of 2022, if not the entire decade. You *cannot* miss it!


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: None
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.

This book. Oh my word.

The rest of this review is being held until HarperCollins Union gets a contract.

Babel deserves all the praise and hype in the world.

R.F. Kuang is a brilliant writer. She crafted a book even better than her previous Poppy War Trilogy, to the point that it had me feeling those books were just practice (and they were AMAZING!).

This book should be required reading for… well, for everyone! How is she able to tackle topics like colonialism and racism so smoothly and without mercy, while also crafting an incomparable piece of literature in the historical fantasy genre???

Please, friends, give this book a try.

Fair warning: The first 40% of the book is really slow paced, and you might feel that not that much is going on (I still loved it, tough!), but when you get past that mark… phew… get ready, because things will get REAL so fast, the pace will pick up, the twist will make you scream, and you won’t be able to put the book down until you finish it!

Last thing I want to say: This is how dark academia should work. This is dark academia at its best.

I hope every other writer is taking notes.

This was truly one of the best books I have ever read. I love the deep dives into language, history and culture. And I love this reimagining of an alternate world powered by silver. The commentary on colonialism and racism is so important. And the characters in this book sucked me in. Tears were streaming down my face as I finished this one.

Review here: https://singaporeunbound.org/suspect-journal/2022/12/2/translation-as-weapon Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy.