Babel cover

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Babel

R.F. Kuang

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a 2022 novel of speculative fiction by R. F. Kuang set in a fantastical version of Oxford in 1830s England. Thematically similar to The Poppy War, the book criticizes British imperialism, racism and capitalism, and the complicity of academia, knowledge, and language in perpetuating and enabling them.

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The Vibe

Spice Level None (Closed door)
Pace Slow Burn
POV Multi POV
Ending TRAGIC
Tropes
morally-gray-mc found-family magic-academy high-fantasy
Content Warnings
  • Violence (high severity)
  • Sexual Assault (Referenced) (medium severity)
  • Self-Harm (medium severity)
  • Suicide (high severity)
  • Child Harm (high severity)
  • Substance Abuse (medium severity)
  • Death of a Loved One (high severity)
  • Torture (high severity)
  • Kidnapping / Abduction (medium severity)