Reviews - The Memory of Babel

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3.45k reviews for:

The Memory of Babel

Christelle Dabos

4.17 AVERAGE

coppersolstice's review against another edition

4.25

I loved the opening chapters,

Ophelia's feelings of being stuck or left behind was really well done, as was the escape from Anima. The plot hook with the old photograph was really intriguing.

But the first third was really sluggish. There was a lot of time spent on the world building, which I appreciate, but it sacrificed any feeling of moving forward with the plot. Sometimes Ophelia's actions didn't make a lot of sense - there really wasn't any need for her to

go to Babel on her own

. The in-universe explanation of

needing to be stealthy is flimsy at best. Perhaps not with Rosaline, but any of Archibald's entourage would have been an ally. She didn't know at this point that she would aim to become a forerunner and have to be alone

. It isn't massively distracting, but the author's outlining was definitely showing through.

Second, the multiple times Zen is described as an oriental doll was so unnecessary. There were a million ways to let us know she's East Asian. There isn't even an orient left in this world. Like, come on.

Third, the romance was a little contrived. We see SO little of Thorn in books 1 and 2, and he's suddenly all in on Ophelia after being reserved and keeping her at arm's length for 99% of that time. Ophelia somehow seems to think this is her fault though. But well, they're really cute so I don't mind this.

BUT, once all that world building was out of the way, WOW!! This plot is more intricate than in a standard YA book, which I really liked. There may be some contrivances in the character relationships, but the world and the larger story are rock solid.

This is my least favourite of the four books in the series, because it dives a little too much into a superficial academia setting, compared to the court politics angle of the first two and doesn't compensate by developing the larger plot (as happens in book 4) until quite a ways in. But we do get a lot of answers, and Ophelia's relationships with the Babelians without a filter in the form of Rosaline or Berenilde were really fun to see.

chels_reads1's review against another edition

3.0

3.5 kind of lagging in the first half

im_hani_btw's review against another edition

4.0

Alors là, coup de maître. La romance tant attendue est là and it's worth it.

katrinkaa97's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous medium-paced

madda219_'s review against another edition

4.0

Bello ma a tratti un po’ confuso

meggiesreads's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 33%

I actually really like this book, one of my favorite series. I was reading this for the third or fourth time and just got distracted by a shiny new book when I was about a quarter to a third of the way through and I set it down too long and it felt daunting to pick up again… However, writing this is making me remember the parts I hadn’t gotten to and now I kinda maybe want to finish it?? But I’m currently dragging my feet through another series which I purchased so I’ll be damned if I don’t finish It.