A review by ayoung720
Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

What a fascinating read. Taking the context of Victorian-era England and using the expansion of Empire and the complexities of language as the foundation for a fantasy novel is a truly inspired move and one that I found to be the basis for an amazing tale full of well-rounded characters, heartbreaking betrayal, and stunning acts of bravery. While there is a section of the book that slightly drags - about 150 pages of their time as students, where we get many a dialogue about the complexities of language and why certain languages are more capable than others in expressing certain ideas - it all builds up to a very satisfying conclusion. There's a moment about 2/3 of the way through the book that you never expect the main character to be able to pull off, and the fact that he does really sets up the final third brilliantly. I still don't completely understand how the magic system works - I get that it manipulates the nuances of translation, but I still don't understand how it causes the desired effects - but I think that each case of use is explained well enough to be able to gloss over the final details. Kuang is one of my favorite authors ever since I read Poppy War and I can't wait for more! 
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