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A review by forestfloor
Babel by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
An absolute triumph.
I had high expectations after reading Yellowface, and still, I was totally blown away. Babel is an exquisite read.
I don't even know where to start, every detail was executed brilliantly. Even the layout - the way the footnotes were used, the quotes at the beginning of chapters - it all added so much to the richness of the story.
The characters were so real and fleshed out, their emotions so tangible, and they inspired and challenged me in turn.
And the world building! I felt I could have stepped into the pages and known exactly how to find my way around. The concept of silver-working was so delightfully natural in world, and so incredibly well researched. I kept feeling the need to pause and appreciate the amount of work this must've taken. And yet it didn't feel like hard work to read. I was entranced.
It was tragic - devastating, and so, so beautiful. And somehow, all this detail, this richness, the people I met on the pages, they all crystallised, and I had something hard and important in my palms.
I had high expectations after reading Yellowface, and still, I was totally blown away. Babel is an exquisite read.
I don't even know where to start, every detail was executed brilliantly. Even the layout - the way the footnotes were used, the quotes at the beginning of chapters - it all added so much to the richness of the story.
The characters were so real and fleshed out, their emotions so tangible, and they inspired and challenged me in turn.
And the world building! I felt I could have stepped into the pages and known exactly how to find my way around. The concept of silver-working was so delightfully natural in world, and so incredibly well researched. I kept feeling the need to pause and appreciate the amount of work this must've taken. And yet it didn't feel like hard work to read. I was entranced.
It was tragic - devastating, and so, so beautiful. And somehow, all this detail, this richness, the people I met on the pages, they all crystallised, and I had something hard and important in my palms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism, War, and Classism