RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang
We received an advanced reader copy of this book.
Published: August 23, 2022 by Harper Voyager
Review
Myth: 5/5
Babel was so unique. It sucked you in, right along with Robin to the magic of the tower, the excitement in learning and the power in knowing your skills, your work is rare and valuable. Just as Robin learned, you’re also pulled along on his journey to understand the impacts of the application of his skills. An outsider, a foreigner in 1830’s Oxford, I can’t describe how powerful Robin’s struggle was. To love learning and translating so wholeheartedly, but to know that he will never truly be accepted, and his skills are used to further that unaccepting empire.
The internal struggle, the careful mental gymnastics to keep things separated, all captured so eloquently and sharply on the page.
Magic: 5/5
I truly loved everything about the magic. It didn’t just fit perfectly with the story, it was also one of the most clever magic systems I’ve ever read. A full on linguistic nerd out, and the footnotes and explanations were such that it was really just fun to learn some of the random etymology as I read.
Overall: 5/5
Inserting the silver and translation trade into the historical world of England and the British Empire in the 1800’s was masterfully done. The language plays were brilliant, the character’s captured an incredibly complex internal mental battle clearly and thoughtfully. I highly recommend it.
