Reviews

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

alerseth's review against another edition

5.0

Pushed me out of my comfort zone even tho it was still fantasy 
Heartbreaking and hopefully at the same time 
Opened my mind to some experiences I’ve never had (like the irony robin having to comfort Letty when he and vicotorie shared everything they had gone thru or the pure violence Robin was feeling at the end) 
Excellent book! Took me kind of a long time to read only because tired/busy with the end of the school year and it being a physical copy

_starless's review against another edition

5.0

“She learned revolution is, in fact, always unimaginable. It shatters the world you know. The future is unwritten, brimming with potential. The colonizers have no idea what is coming, and that makes them panic. It terrifies them.”

elizbee's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a book I had a complicated and deeply emotional reaction to because it is a book full of complicated and deeply emotional subjects.  It's moving, it's compelling, it's often infuriating, and it doesn't leave you feeling good by any means, but it will make you think long and hard and deep about identity and power and your place in the world.  That isn't to say it's overly dense - the prose is always engaging and reads smoothly despite the often complex ideas being conveyed, and the plot keeps moving forward without a single wasted lull, and there are sparks of humor to lighten the mood.  It's full of rage and grief and disdain that can be hard to stomach at times, but at the core of everything is love and solidarity.  It is a challenge, and one I'm glad I experienced even if it wasn't always comfortable to do so.

tovejansson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Genuinely so good! There were a few parts that I wished we could have gone more in-depth with (a lot of their time at Oxford was more tell than show) and some parts felt a bit pedantic with how the political philosophy was being discussed and laid out but overall I really enjoyed it.

mgnjns218's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

pyrotec's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

thekidonherown's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

liquidsticks's review against another edition

hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

chamberofemily's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

lmilfort's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

[a dark academia set in mid-1800s in Oxford, England at the Royal Translation Institute, we follow Robin Swift a Chinese born student who attends the institute with three other students Ramy, Letty and Victorie and he comes to grips with Britains colonialism but with the backdrop of the magical realism in their use of silver] I’m gonna be obsessed with this book for the foreseeable future I love everything about it