A review by jaina8851
Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging emotional informative tense 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? Yes

5.0

Where to start reviewing this book. Any book that is focused on linguistics like this always feels like such a treat to read, and when combined with the themes of imperialism and colonialism like this one is, it was just so incredible. It's always so interesting to me to read other more critical reviews of a book I loved. I can sort of see where folks are coming from with saying that the characterization of the main four is flat, but I didn't feel that way at all when I was reading it. I cared deeply about all four of them. I also didn't really find the messaging to be too heavy handed because I was so invested in the story that I just wasn't bothered by it. I really loved the audiobook and the way the footnotes were handled. Again, I could see how some people would find it jarring, but I actually found it to be a delight every time the other voice chimed in with a little anecdote. All in all I really loved this book, highly recommend.