BABEL by R.F. Kuang ⭐⭐⭐

Another case of choosing the wrong first-read by a talented writer. This hooked me, lost me, and got me back. But there was still something missing. I think it might’ve been a clear identity.

At first, I thought this might be YA. The prose didn’t hit like I was anticipating for a book about language, at least not in the first 300 pages. While I loved the magic system and the extreme depth of research Kuang must’ve done to fill this with historical references and translations, the pages didn’t seem to be turning. I felt like I wasn’t making progress, whether from pacing issues or stunted flow from all the anecdotes. It probably could’ve used a 150 page trim. Thankfully, it got better, if still imperfect.

The passages about word etymologies were fascinating. I almost wish the whole book was just about those. I guess technically it is, but most of the fictional plot is less interesting than the nonfictional history lesson. I want to know the journey behind every word, every step it took from creation to modernization. What a clever premise to base a book on.

I also think doing anything in the “fantasy school” realm post-Harry Potter is incredibly daunting, and as a millenial reader, I went in with some bias. While it took time to get up and running, it grew on me and eventually I saw this for something unique all its own.

Themes of colonization and racism and power and theft of culture ground this in something far greater than ‘good versus evil’. It’s Harry Potter meets Shogun meets The Fire Next Time. While I started this worried it might lean young adult, having finished it, I wonder if maybe it’s the perfect exposure for someone of a certain age to the ideas of empire and greed.