A review by wynterstrike
Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Where to even begin with this book. I felt such a visceral emotional reaction to reading this and know it's going to be taking up space in my brain for a long time to come. Kuangs storytelling is phenomenal and she knows how to keep you hooked in while also analyzing the world around you in far more depth. It's clear a lot of love and research was put into this novel, to the extent that the magic system even seems real.

Reading this after finishing my academic journey in university allowed me to reflect on how the institution served myself and other students and how it exploited us. It was a lot to take in with heavy themes and large chapters and normally I would find myself breaking up similar books with smaller, lighter stories but for whatever reason I kept reaching to pick Babel up and continue.

Regardless, Babel has become an immediate addition to my go-to recommendation list.

"It took him a moment to realize what it was that grated on him, and when he did, it would bother him constantly, now and thereafter; it would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort."