My review for Babel will be short and sweet. There are no spoilers and most of the plot will not be discussed, instead I will focus on my own thoughts and feelings after the novel and whether or not I would recommend it.
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Revolution comes out August 23rd, 2022 and I am very proud of myself for finishing this giant tome of a book. It is massive, it is daunting, and it will make you feel smarter after completing. It is categorized as a Historical Fantasy novel, but I would personally categorize it under Historical Fiction. There are fantastical elements to the story, but the bulk of the writing feels like it fits into Historical Fiction more than Fantasy.
It’s set at Oxford during the 1800’s and is most definitely a Dark Academia. (One of the main reasons I was excited about reading it). The book is rooted in themes of race, colonialism, and resistance and it reminds you of the stark reality of the worlds constant need for power and wealth. It is with out a doubt one of the most profound and detailed books I have ever read.
Having said that, it is not a book that you can easily sit down and read in a day. If you happen to manage that, I envy you greatly. The characters are all at school studying translation, and the material is both heavy and studious, and often felt way over my head. I would be lying if I pretended it didn’t feel like a text book at times, however it is incredibly well written. It is text book reading, but the most fascinating text book ever.
If you are going into this book expecting a dark academia that involves a murder that takes place in a fantasy world, then you will be disappointed. There are no grand fantasy elements to the story, instead the book imagines an alternate history that deals with very real evils. I recommend the book wholeheartedly but it’s important to know what you are getting yourself into.
Content Warnings: Sexism, Racism, Violence, war, hate crimes, colonization, murder and others. (I tried to write them all down as I read but I might have missed a few).
Babel is perfect for fans of:
The Poppy War
I read the Poppy War this year and fell in love. Again, R.F Kuang writes a Dark Academia Fantasy novel and she does so just as beautifully here as she does in Babel. I might still love The Poppy War slightly more than Babel. It has military fantasy, a “prestigious” school, intense morally grey characters, and is one of my new favorite Dark Academia novels. 5 STARS from me!
The Fifth Season
The Fifth Season is another recent read for me, and it was magnificent! Just like Babel, The Fifth Season is a fantasy book that deals with real life evils and monsters. This is set in a futuristic world where the earth is incredibly unstable and people have to prepare for earthquakes at all times.
The Orogenes are people who are born with the ability to derive power from other living things. They are feared by the general public because of the power that they hold, but they are absolutely necessary for the survival of the world. This book is stunning, but also incredibly heart breaking.
She Who Became the Sun
This book is marketed as Mulan meets The Song of Achilles and I honestly can’t think of anything else that would draw me into reading something faster than those two selling points. I am including this on my list from the advice of a friend, and haven’t personally read it, but I trust this friends advice whole heartedly.
The synopsis reads: Two siblings are given two fates. The boy, greatness. The girl, nothingness. But when the boy dies, the girl decides to assume his identity and enter into a male monastery in order to save herself.
The Name of the Wind
I read all of the above recommendations this year but this is a classic favorite from years ago. I love this book and it might even fit into my top five favorite books of all time. Again, we have a dark academia fantasy and it is written so poetically. It is the story of Kvothe, a magically gifted young man who enters a legendary school of magic and eventually becomes the greatest magician the world has ever seen.
There is music and art, morally grey characters, magic, a set of tests and trials, and an amazing story narrative. 100% you should read this book if you enjoy Babel and vice versa. (It is an unfinished series though and it is unclear if and when we will ever receive the last book in the series).
Related Links: Dark Academia List
