Babel by R.F. Kuang Review: Brilliant, Dense, and Worth the Work?

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Babel by R.F. Kuang isn’t just a fantasy novel. It’s a book that shatters your expectations and forces you to rethink language, history, magic, and empire. Set in 1830s England, Babel uses language and translation as the fabric of its magic while exploring themes of colonialism and the power structures that surround it.

Babel follows Robin Swift, a Chinese boy raised by the British Empire, who is suddenly plunged into a world where language isn’t just a tool of communication. It allows you to wield power.

Under the watchful eye of the mysterious Professor Lovell, Robin begins to unlock the secrets of enchanted silver bars. Discovering that translation is far more dangerous than he ever imagined. As he delves deeper into the shadowy world of the Hermes Society, he learns that the British Empire’s game comes with a price, and every word carries weight.

Babel Is a Book Meant to Be Savored

Now, there are books that you read all in one sitting, taking in the elements until you have devoured the entire thing. Then there are books you ingest in parts. Books you need to savor because they are revealing parts of you as you read along. Babel is a book that you savor, taking bite by bite until you have completed it.

By the title alone— Babel or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution— and from the moment you read the author’s note, it is clear that this isn’t your average dark academia-themed fantasy novel.

It is a book that will have you marking pages and thinking out loud.

In Kuang’s books, with Babel being no exception, you take a “small” academic setting. Adding in the exploration of Robin as he faces Oxford as a Chinese-British student in a place that is severely racist (it is set in the 1820s). Then, splash in high-stakes in the form of a revolution: a methodical, unforgiving examination of the cost of power and the pain of achieving it as a foreigner.

If you have read The Poppy War—which most of us probably have— then we’re no strangers to Kuang’s writing. We know that she writes beautifully. Her prose is wonderfully smooth and pure like raw honey, bringing about epic moments and hitting you exactly where it hurts, right in your mind, with all the thoughts they bring about.

babel illumicrate edition by the diary of a reader

Where Babel Worked and Where I Struggled

Babel definitely isn’t an easy read. The chapters are dense, though rich with text, and at times, I was truly lost (truly lost) and found myself having to reread passages. The story can lag as well, although it gives the impression that it is gradually building and building until something happens that ends up propelling you into the next major event.

Maybe that’s why it took me so long to meld with the story. I didn’t really start getting into Babel until around the 40% mark, and even then, I wouldn’t say I completely melded with it until I was halfway through the story. Still, there was something about it that made me want to experience it, to see it through until the end. I don’t know; it felt like an important book to read.

And ultimately, it was rewarding.

Part of my experience with Babel came down to what I expected it to be and what it actually was. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fantasy because ultimately that’s where the book seems to sit naturally for me. I will admit there are certainly elements of dark academia and fantasy — it’s set at Oxford and uses magic in the form of words — but neither of those completely describes what reading Babel felt like.

Then there is the ending. Without spoiling what happens. It’s tragic, shocking, and devastating. It also feels…sudden, and you may find yourself saddened by where the story ultimately leaves you. But I wouldn’t let that deter you from reading it.

Because Babel feels like the kind of book you aren’t supposed to completely grasp the first time. It’s a book to read and reread (and possibly read again), with each new read revealing details you may have missed and giving you something different to latch onto.

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Babel is brilliant, ambitious, frustrating, dense, and rewarding in equal measure, and you should absolutely read it and determine if it’s for you. As always, please think about supporting your local indie bookstore through Bookshop.org. Purchasing through Amazon is an option (but can we make it the last option? Please ❤︎⁠)