A review by _rutaceae
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This has been on my radar for quite some time, and I've kept putting it off because I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype surrounding it on BookTok and Bookstagram. I've been let down before by books that they've hyped up, and I've found to be mediocre at best. I needn't have worried though, because turns out this is actually one of the best books I've read in a while.

It felt very much like <i>The Secret History</i> for the most part, but made me feel all the things I wish that had made me feel, but didn't. I was completely drawn in by this world and these characters, and how completely flawed and real they all are. It read like a non-fiction, history book.

The fantasy, dark academia vibes are exactly what I love in a book, and I will be running to read the rest of Kuang's works as soon as possible.