Reviews

Babel: An Arcane History, by R.F. Kuang

Only show reviews with written explanations

lizzyvh's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark informative reflective 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? No

4.0

zita_p's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

linesiunderline's review

Go to review page

challenging dark 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? Yes

5.0

dark academia meets light fantasy and alternative history | brilliant and ambitious | intellectual but highly readable

What will stay with me:

• just how impressive the structure and scope of the work is, and how much Kuang pulled it all off, she was doing so much but it never felt bogged down
• it gave me that “lost in a book” feeling that is very hard to come by as an adult
• the wonderful way Oxford and university life is conveyed in all of its bookishness and atmosphere

Reminded me of:
The Golden Compass series
The Secret History
Harry Potter series
Nevermoor series

Lines I underlined:

“If only one could engrave entire memories in silver… to be manifested again and again for years to come.”

“Violence was the only thing that brought the colonizer to the table.”

“Language was just difference, a thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world - no, a thousand worlds within one, and translation, a necessary endeavor - however futile - to move between them.”

carliereese's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

booksofaim's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

annelvogel's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I probably had too high expectations for this book. And yes it was good, don’t get my wrong, but it’s not 5 stars for me.
I absolutely love the world building. I really enjoy a world that is like our real world but with an element that makes it not ours (like having a dæmon in His Dark Materials). And I think the scientific element of the silver work is very clever and interesting!
The characters are well thought out and they have range, diversity and growth. That being said, a few of them followed the structure a little too much and because predictable. I saw miles away that Letty would act like she did.
The ending felt very rushed and like a bit of a “wrong turn” for me. We spent so much time leading up to it, building this amazing world and watching the characters develop and then it just ended so fast.
All in all a good read but not amazing.

zivan's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

Babel took me back to my university days, to a place where learning was exciting and knowledge was prized.

I would have liked a different ending, using skill to create new and exciting matchpairs that will change the world.

But I guess, when you call your tower Babel, narrative causality takes over.