An absolute masterpiece.

Having been a fan of the poppy war, I had high expectations for Babel, but it definitely met them.

The writing is beautiful and the exploration of racism and colonialism in academia is brilliant.

Couldn’t recommend this anymore!!

As an avid fantasy reader and lover of dark academia, the blurb of this book hooked me… and I ended up obsessed for completely different reasons.
In terms of the fantasy aspects, I found them light touch and not pivotal to the story… but definitely unique and absolutely necessary as a metaphor for the wider points made through the book.
This book is masterfully researched and conveys very difficult topics (advance linguistics - and I would know as a graduate on it; politics; history; sociology…) in a way that, although it’s slow and at times quite heavy, is accessible to people less familiar with the topics described and that will have them reconsidering the history behind their own countries. While I found it slow going, the colonialist critique, the arguments against assimilation, the strong political points… had me wanting more. And this was only enhanced by how brilliantly oppression, friendship, identity, a wide range of emotions and even mental health issues were described and weaved through the narrative.
This is definitely a masterpiece of “show don’t tell” through all the different implications that lead us to form full images of the characters and their surroundings.
All in all, very much a book worth reading, although the slow pace and depth of the topics covered might not be for everyone.

Babel is a book that has been long awaited by me. I seriously could not wait to read it, so when I saw that my wish had been granted both literally and metaphorically by Netgalley and the publishers, I leaped with joy. So let’s get into it, shall we.

This book set in the 1800’s follows a young Chinese boy, who is removed and taken by a Professor from his home country of China. This Professor is Professor Lovell and he decides that he will take this young boy back to England. The young boy decides his name for himself in those moments and as such he becomes known as Robin Swift. Robin was saved, for lack of a better word, from the Cholera outbreak in which he lost all of his family by Professor Lovell who has now given him a second chance at life.

Once in England, Robin Swift is treated well by Professor Lovell though sometimes they disagree with each other. In exchange for his lodging however, Robin must study and hopefully attend Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation. He must put in the work by learning multiple languages including keeping up his native language, Canton and English but now he must learn Latin and Greek in order to get in. This is the entire reason why Professor Lovell brought him to England and he must not fail.

Years pass and he is eventually accepted to Oxford and we are finally introduced to our namesake. Babel. Babel is what the Translation institute is known as and all of the students that study there are called Bablers. In Oxford, he starts to learn the art of translation along with his peers, many of whom are just like him, not from around here. But when he eventually meets a rebel group known as the Hermes Society he begins to question what he is doing and why he is really here in Oxford.

By meeting this rebel group, he realises that they have been brought over from other countries to maintain Britain’s empire so that they can trade with other big nations and as such needs foreigners to learn English as well as their native language. Babel runs on the knowledge that the students will eventually become these powerful translators that will help the nation and as such starts to prepare them to become that. Though Robin does enjoy his time at Babel, he is often met with racism because the outer world does not like him being where he is.

As more chaos ensues with the rebel group, the Hermes Society, Robin begins to help them on their mission to defund Britain and the Empire. All of the silver comes into the country by trading and that is the sole mission of Babel is to train translators so that the empire can trade. So the Hermes society primarily targets Babel because of this. As his studying continues, Robin begins to question the colonial machine that is known as the Empire and begins to form his own thoughts about what should occur rather than following the rules and opinions of others.

Babel is a dark academic book and as such follows the rules of the genre. This is something that I found pleasing because, this being my first Dark Academia read so I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book tackles hard topics such as racism, colonialism and gender and it did not beat around the bush with these topics. It hit them head on and was ready to talk about them. These characters realise that in order to make change, you have to actually be the change. That sounds really corny but it’s true. I actually went to the signing for Babel in London and one of the things that R.F Kuang talked about is the fact that violence may not be the answer for everything but it does help bring the other side to the table by shocking them.

I loved this book just as much as I loved the Poppy War series because I love them both in different ways. The Poppy War series is more sci-fi fantasy but since this is Dark Academia, it really got to me. R.F Kuang’s writing and the way she talks about language makes me truly believe that it is something that she is passionate about and has a true and deep love for it.

R.F Kuang was also a delight to meet and when I met her I talked about reading Babel on an E-reader, to which she apologised because obviously though this book is long, it was missing the key features that the physical book did not have, and that was the footnotes. The footnotes play a role throughout this book and even at one point, the footnote is the only thing in a chapter. So bless her heart for even saying that to me. It was something that I really did feel like I missed out on the e-arc version but even that little interaction made up for it.

I seriously loved this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

A wild combination of etymology, politics, history and race, this book is filled to the brim with darkness and light. There’s so much going on in this story and it’s so incredibly clever, containing so much of Kuang’s knowledge and research on every page. It was fascinating to read about the different languages, the sources of words, the history of Oxford interwoven with fiction and the elaborate politics of the early 1800s.

There’s betrayal stacked upon betrayal, some cutting deeper than others. I was shocked multiple times throughout, with the violence and Robin’s lack of response to it. His character is frustrating but he’s also easy to empathise with. He makes some bad choices, he’s constantly afraid, and who can blame him? He’s in a place that won’t accept him, with people that want to use him, that think little of him and his countrymen. But he finds solace and comfort in his band of fellow scholars. The friendship between Robin, Ramy, Victoire and Letty as they set forward on their journeys in the elusive Oxford college is full of beauty, a thing of kinship and finding your people. The connections they made through being outsiders, whether because of their race, their gender, or both. We’re shown the highs and lows over their years at Oxford and then we’re shown the inevitable downfalls. And somehow, I never saw that ending coming…

Babel is one of my top reads so far in 2022. The story is about Robin, a chinese boy taken to Oxford and Babel tower where he is introduced to translators. The story is set in the 1800s and the writing and descriptions are vivid and really pull you in and make everything come alive on the page. I found myself pulled deep into the story and really enjoy learning about the origins of words and language too. The characters were well crafted and fleshed out and if you've read R.F. Kuang's other books you are going to love this one too. The plot is great and I loved how the story took a twist about halfway through. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. I expect to see this book hitting all the bestseller lists and being a big talking point among historical fantasy readers.

SMASH all the stars!
Thank you very much to netgalley for granting my wish and giving me the e-arc of this book as it was my anticipated book of the year 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

Literally i have no words left once i finished the book and i don’t pick any book after that. The whole story really save the dark academia genre istg it’s worth the hype everyone should read this because?. How can the author writes such incredible outstanding characters, plot, and everything else in the book is a slap to me.
All the research for this book, i want to stand for you!! It was INSANE i could barely breath every chapter with the knowledge i gain and the magic system that linked to england’s colonialism?? I need r.f. Kuang to open class only to discuss all of the material in this book i will dive into it and shallow it whole to know behind all of this!

This one is a masterpiece other than tpw trilogy and still stand outmost of all. Absolute bangers

Phew. I just managed to get this book finished before its publication date. I have lots of thoughts, mostly positive, but this is a challenging read, though worth it in the long run. I will be back with my thoughts once I have deliberated a bit more. And slept.

5/5 stars.

Babel was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, and it did not disappoint! When the author said her previous book series, The Poppy War trilogy, were training wheels for Babel, I didn't think she was being serious, but Babel was such a stunning and thought provoking read that it might be on my top 3 books of all time. The details and descriptions in this book are absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like I am going to have to approach this from so many different ways and even then I am never going to fully explain the greatness that is this book so this is going part one of many 🗝

🕯This book has everything, everything in it to grab you by the heart and by the brain, and never ever let go. This book is unputdownable and yet teaches you more than history class at school did. It’s a masterclass in politics, history and human rights. The magic system is so real, so tangible, it doesn’t seem like magic anymore. The characters are so vivid, so strong, that they will leave long lasting impressions.

🗝This book is dark academia while acknowledging so much that is wrong about academia itself, and the aesthetic too. It’s about struggle and hate and love and friendship and knowledge and wisdom and power. This book is truly a master piece

Babel is a rich, wonderfully written novel that stole my heart. It is one of the best books I have read this year.
The concept is entirely original, and the world building is simply beautiful. The author has worked diligently to out together something remarkable and has truly succeeded.

The characters were absolutely stunning and complete versions of themselves. This will not be a book for everyone as it is particularly dark, but if that’s your jam definitely pick this one up!

Dark and spellbinding. This story resonates power. Brought from his life of poverty in Canton to the dreaming spires of Oxford, Robin finds himself thrust into a life of power struggles which will eventually lead him to the darkest deed a man can commit.
This story then begins a route into a struggle with the powers of the country akin to genocide.
It is an amazing and totally unique book. Dark and unimaginable occurrences that put the reader in mind of Armageddon.
Then? Sacrifice and also new beginnings. This story is just a fabulous trip into a very dark fantasy and should be read.

This book was everything. Everything in its complexity, twists, details, world building, magic systems, writing style, and plot.
I didn't keep my heart safe even knowing how R.F. Kuang loves to torture us readers. I should've known better. My heart went through so many emotional rollercoaster, I finished the book with a heart full and shattered at the same time. Excellent storytelling, excellent story. I loved it a lot.

Thank you for my ARC.

What a book. Beautiful writing in a masterfully structured read.

Dark academia at its finest, will become a sensation I’m sure.

A must read.

@cotswoldbooks

This was beyond compare. I absolutely loved it. This would suit historical fiction fans as well as fantasy. The magic systems of this world are ingenious and thought provoking. In fact there was so much about this that was thought provoking-colonialism, racism, slavery, misogyny, poverty, the dilemmas and subtleties of translation- it’s all here. I doubt I’ll ready anything to top this in the foreseeable future. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

This book. It was stunning and funny and heartbreaking and everything else in between.

It is split into 4 or 5 little books, or sets of chapters, and it really does feel as if you’re reading different books as you follow Robin and his friends through their time at Oxford, and more specifically in Babel.

The only thing I’d say is that the book sometimes went into rambling essays about linguistics, which whilst aiding the background to the plot, could be very hard to follow.

Really enjoyed it, and so glad I have such a beautiful physical copy.

I don't read many fantasy books at all but the fact that this was set in an alternative OXford and looked at the mystery of Babel and languages really made me want to read it.
It's far reaching and epic in scope and even the bits that went over my head were exciting. Im not a fantasy reader as I say so things were a bit lost on me at times but the overall themes made this so worth reading.
Babel tower, a centre of learning, mysterious Oxford and a power emanating from one of its towers.....what a premise!

Beautifully written and obviously well researched, this is destined to be highly acclaimed in the world of dark academia. Adding magical abilities to the already rich and powerful white British empire, just tilts the balance even further from fairness. It was horrifying to read how they rode roughshod across other nations, taking whatever they want. It made me appreciate just how much "fiction" has taught me about the world, as I sure as heck didn't learn even half of this whilst at school. It was also interesting to read about the translation side of things but it was heavy going at times.
This was dark, disturbing, emotional and a lot more educational than I am used to. I wish there had been more of an emotional connection with the characters, I'd have loved to know more about Victoire and her story. It was too dry for my taste, and was a chore to finish.

Thank you @harper_reach for the free copy

Okay, listen.

The reason this is not a 5 star read is purely my own personal interest in the story and plot. There is nothing wrong with this book what so ever.

Babel is absolutely phenomenal. 
The writing is stunning - its so sharp and cleverly written. And probably one of the best written books i've ever had the pleasure of reading. The story explores colonial history, and the industrial revolution and really dives deep into all of the problems that makes empires and powerful institutions grow and maintain power. I could keep talking about the commentary that this books delves into, but we would be here for days.

The amount of research that went into writing this book is astounding to me - but that is what makes this book so goddamn phenomenal.

R.F. Kuang has accomplished something spectaluar with this book. And it's my believe that even if this book is not your type of book, you should at least explore the posibility of reading it anyway. I firmly believe that this book could change how many of us see the world and in many years, this will be a classic that people will read time and time again

Now, because of the fact that I personally don't find history that interesting in general, I found the book to be a little long and I would sort of zone out. But that is not to say that the book or writing is not amazing - because it is - It's simply my own interest that stands in the way of me giving 5 stars.

4.5/5⭐️

Really good, but found it took a lot of perseverance to push through especially in the beginning parts before it started to get exciting. Even then, when I took breaks, I found myself gravitating to other books and full disclosure haven't been able to entice myself back to finish it. I think I was expecting somehow a little closer to Olivie Blake's book, but this is more dense, you have to be in the mood for it. Thats not to say when you're reading it you're not enjoying it!

I’ll start by admitting that I wasn’t so sure about this book for the first 200 pages. I thought it was good, but I didn’t quite care enough to think it was great. There is a lot of setting up to be done and a lot of heavy translation content - all of which paves the way for the second half to take off.

And take off it did! Once the momentum really got going I didn’t want to put it down. The action came thick and fast (along with a few too many deaths for my liking!) and didn’t stop until the end.

I also really really loved the fact that they got to eat scones from the Vaults (the best scones in Oxford!) so that made me very happy.