A review by annalenawrites
Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

I loved this. I did not expect the story to progress the way it did and at first I thought I preferred the slower first half of the book but the second half was stunning, compelling, and I could hardly put the book down. I teared up. The violence made me uncomfortable at times and I wasn't happy about the things that happened but that doesn't make the story any less amazing. I needed to read this and it taught me a lot and helped me to reflect on my own political views. At times, I forgot that I was reading fantasy because the fantastical elements were so subtle and I like how it felt like historical fiction and yet it was so different from historical reality (but also very similar to both the real past and the present). The plot is genius. I love the main characters. I really enjoyed the etymology and linguistic parts and the footnotes. I loved this and I'm so glad I read it and it makes me sad that it's over.