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4.34 AVERAGE
4.34 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Suicide
Very good novel, explores colonialism, resistance, etc.
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
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
The constant telling and not showing was not for me. It felt like the author was worried the readers would not be able to interpret their intention. The author does not trust the reader to pick up on subtext and themes on their own. I think this might be because the author is an academic and therefore those tendencies tend to seep into her more fantastical writing. However, the themes explored within the novel are truly interesting and pose important questions on the relevance of those themes in the modern world. In the first half of the book, I was captivated by the carefully thought-out and researched nuances of translation. I was disappointed to see that this wasn't as prevalent in the latter half of the book. The characters were fine, I think they mostly served as narrative devices in the sense that they weren't really fleshed out as people. But what those characters ended up representing was extremely well done and helped support the overall messaging of the book. So thematically is where this book thrives, but in more storytelling aspects, it falls short for me. This book is a beautiful concept and story that explores crucial themes, but it often lacks in execution. I would still recommend this book to others because of what it thematically explores, with many of its points relevant throughout history and the modern day. Additionally, this book is extremely well written despite its flaws, showcasing the talent of the author beautifully, and making this an overall enjoyable experience.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this book was very cool conceptually. The book is set in the 1830s, in a world where translation can create magic. Translating words from one language to another leads to certain meanings getting “lost in translation.” By inscribing translations on silver bars, translators can channel these lost meanings to create magical effects. Oxford is the leading centre of “silverworking” and the translation department allows foreign students to expand the capacity to create new meaning through translation of non-European languages. But these foreign students never really fit in at Oxford, and their languages are essentially colonized, like their home countries, for the benefit of Britain. I liked the dark academia aesthetic, and I thought the found family friend group that the novel initially focuses on was compelling. I think I kind of lost the plot towards the end. Things got very dark very fast in a way that I didn’t think made a lot of sense. Characters just kept dying and rather than up the stakes, this just made the book less interesting because a lot of the interesting characters were killed off. I thought a lot of things were left pretty unresolved and the characters’ motivations towards the end were poorly explained.
dark
emotional
hopeful
I think my friend said it best: “Rips out your heart and stomps on it while making you feel guilty for your ancestors generations of colonialism and white imperialism and slavery of black, brown, and Asian people.” 10/10 would be hurt by R.F. Kuang again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Blood
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, War, Classism