Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

1158 reviews

aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Death of parent, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Classism, Racism, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Death, and Gaslighting

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

moss_wood's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This was a masterful piece, I was so immersed in the world and lives of the characters. The experience of chosen family is probably the best I’ve ever read. It is magical, inspiring, gripping and sweet. A big commitment of a book for me but it was constructed in a way I couldn’t stop being obsessed with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, and Racism

_lilireads's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Murder, and Grief

hayley98's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Racism, Blood, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Classism, Suicide, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, War, and Slavery

Minor: Addiction and Alcohol

lucdiamant's review

adventurous dark informative mysterious sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism and Murder

chilliam_mc's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

A brilliant book. By the end, I was a mess but completely floored. And what an extremely timely read. FREE PALESTINE. And may all settler colonial states fall swiftly. 

One of my fav quotes: 
“It revealed the sheer dependence of the British, who, astonishingly, could not manage to do basic things like bake bread or get safely from one place to another without words stolen from other countries.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, and Slavery

scsparrow125's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation

Minor: Racism and Xenophobia

izzy_reads's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Torture, Racism, and Racial slurs

rhogosch's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring slow-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

3.25

Selten war ich mir so unsicher im Bezug auf die Bewertung eines Buches.
Kuang schafft in diesem Buch ein unfassbar gutes Worldbuilding. Die Idee der Silbermagie ist super und sie schafft es diese so natürlich wie möglich in die Zeit eines industrialisierten Englands einzubauen. Ja es ist Fantasy, aber es fühlt sich zu keiner Sekunde abstrakt an, sondern einfach nur passend. Die Charaktere sind gut durchdacht und authentisch. 
Jede Ausführung zum Übersetzten war spannen, begeisternd und hat meinen Horizont erweitert und um viele kleine Anekdoten bereichert. 
Das alles tröstet jedoch nicht darüber hinweg das ich mich über weite Teile des Buchs gequält habe. War die anfängliche Begeisterung über die Erkundung der Welt, der Figuren und ihrer Spielregeln erstmal verflogen, lass es sich lange Zeit wie ein Erlebnisbericht. Und auch die vielen kleinen vorrausdeutenden Anspielungen konnten keinen wirklichen Spannungsbogen aufbauen. Es tat nicht weh das Buch ohne Probleme für Tage beiseite zu legen. Zwar kam zum Ende nochmal Fahrt auf und das Buch schließt mit einem absolut würdigen und gutem Ende, aber das lässt mich die 500 Seiten zuvor nicht verzeihen. 

Ist dieses Buch schlecht, Nein. Es zeichnet eine wunderschöne Welt die nur so vor Liebe zum Detail strotzt und wenig Platz für Kritik lässt. Und hat man einmal den Mittelteil überwunden wächst das Buch nochmal über sich hinaus. Aber bis dahin hieß es, zumindest für mich, Durchhalten.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Murder, and Slavery

sohva's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-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

4.25

This book is approximately as subtle as a brick about its themes. Apart from the main character, the characters are rather one-dimensional and work to provide the message of the story. Despite taking place in a world where languages are the source of magic, the world is built like there are only about 10 languages in the world, and the effects the existence of the other languages would presumably have in the world, its economy and politics appears to be ignored.

All the flaws aside, I really enjoyed the book. Robin's internal struggles and conflicts were a constant source of tension, and I was interested in seeing how they would be resolved. I loved the magical system built on languages, and enjoyed the tangents on translation and descriptions on what was lost in translation. The atmosphere of the university was immersive too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Torture, Slavery, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, War, and Addiction