A review by kanoelle
Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As a former English MA, there are very strong graduate school inspirations - you can almost tease out the structuralist & poststructuralist theory behind many different passages (Sassure is a strong one) but are uncitable because they were written much, much later than the setting. 

To non-literati, I'd summarize this book as a "much better version of Harry Potter for adults".