A review by katrinarose
Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

An ingenious blend of historical fiction intersecting with fantasy. The fantasy elements are so interesting and logical and serve to greatly enhance the historical setting. I thought it was so well done and so smart. The author’s intelligence really comes through in this book in a way that is rare in the majority of books, even by smart people. I also learned a lot of historical nuance that I only had a general idea about. The major theme of the book is a cruelty of colonialism and I think she drove the point home in an extremely effective way. The characters were well done too, I only wish Victoire had more of a role throughout the book because I really liked her. My biggest criticism that kept my rating from 5 stars for me personally is I felt like it dragged on in some parts in the first half. It’s a long book and covers a lot of history without seeming like nonfiction but I found myself putting it down for several days at a time. I did fly through the last 40% though. Overall would recommend for anyone with an interest in history and/or etymology (being a fantasy reader is definitely not a requirement for enjoyment but it was a big plus for me).
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