babel was kinda meh, new found favorites, & i actually cried reading this | reading wrap up!!!
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
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yippeee, im back from thailand and currently editing the massive vlog; missed everyone!! i was supposed to upload this a couple weeks back but time!!! TIME IS A CONSTRUCT??!?!??
📚 books
soul taken
in glad my mom died
sea of tranquility
babel
burn for me
white hot
wildfire
sapphire flame
emerald blaze
ruby fever
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I agree with you re: Babel -- book was a mess and I walked away from it feeling like Kuang genuinely does not think her readers are intelligent enough to read and understand her books, so she hits them over the head with her points. The footnotes were patronizing and largely unnecessary. I didn't care if Robin lived or died, bc I didn't have the opportunity to get to know this character or his cohort at all. They all felt like cardboard people. If there is an authorial equivalent of a helicopter parent, I feel like that would be Kuang -- she holds the reader's hands at all times, even if they don't want her to lmao.
Yes! Yes! Yes!!! Preach 👏👏👏
100%
OMG, I have found my people 😍I dnf'ed Babel about 60% through. I just didn't care. Thank you. Lynn in AZ
I saw Kuang talking about Babel at the book launch and was so excited about so many of the ideas she talked about, but then actually reading the book the execution just wasn't it. Especially the character work. Which is really disappointing because the premise was so good.
Authorial equivalent of a helicopter parent is the most poetically accurate way to describe Babel I've heard, my thoughts on it exactly
I completely agree! I thought Babel was gonna be medium to high level of fantasy but it was more like a tiny drop in the ocean. And TBH I'm still a little confused about the magic. I also think the book would've been so much better if the friend group was more interesting and had more connections? It just felt very shallow for how tight the group was supposed to be. I mean... we all knew who couldn't be trusted and they weren't even mad at what happen... 🤨
i think it had such potential but unfortunately for me, it did not live upppp
THIS! around 90 pages in we’re told that robin would literally die for his new friends and i was so shocked because i did not get that vibe whatsoever. i realised kuang does a lot of telling instead of showing, there was no real closeness shown between the characters except for when they were studying which was so boring to read about!!
@@LillyTVLPS
All the relationships was a big boring mess. There was no bonding between the four of them at all. They girls were mostly venting to the guys 90% of the time they study together. Even the one-sided crush came out of the left field for what it leads to in the end. It threw me off so hard in a bad way because it suddenly felt like I missed 2/3 of the book.
i wish babel explored its main themes much more deeply. it felt surface level. i also didn’t connect to the characters as much as i would’ve liked to.
i agree. a drop of water in an ocean.
Yes!!! I thought it was fantasy equivalent of colonialism&racism research, but in the end it felt more like fantasy set in colonialism&racism setting, without deep research :( I have had my hopes too high
Finally i have found my people who dont put Babel on a pedestal! I was so lookimg forward to liking it bc everyone was raving about it, it was advertised as dark academia with fantasy which seemed to be right up my alley but it was just like reading a textbook!! The characters were so shallow and flat and their whole personality was described by their minority. None of them had any character development at all. And the footnotes were just the bane of my existence, i get the “explaining the definitions” but to give more detail about something in the book?? Made me exhausted to read tbh!
it's fine when the characters in a dark academia novel are pretentious, not when it's the author who is pretentious and makes a point of removing you from the story over and over to remind you so. like, perpetually. we get it, kuang, you have a very advanced education. you must be so proud of yourself.
I totally share your opinion on Babel. I dnf it a few chapters into book 2. Robin Swift was so weak and passive that I didn’t care about him at all. His friend Ramy was much better-dynamic and with an actual personality. But I just didn’t care. So I listened to a review with spoilers and I knew that I made the right choice by not finishing it. I’m too old to waste time on books that don’t grab me.
I felt the same about Babel. Also, the twist, if that was what it was supposed to be, was not surprising. Thanks for the video!
YES! Babel was not what I was expecting. So much hype and the characters/themes didn't live up.
I totally agree on Babel. I am stuck at 29% and I don't feel like continuing. The characters are so boring, so much of the book is explaining things that is relevant but I don't really care about. I think RFK books will never jive with me since I read TDR which made me DNF the whole series.
I really enjoyed The Poppy War but only finished TDR because of the audiobook. Seeing how a lot of people who didn't like Kuang's first trilogy also didn't vibe with Babel I'm definitely gonna skip on it too.
Babel was a dnf for me.
Bable was a dnf for me and I really tried. I made it to 60% plus
Agree with you on every point about Babel, the writing style felt like I was thrown forcibly back into a college class lecture with a professor who had been criticized once on Twitter and then felt the need to overexplain every single point of their argument (like we get it, the theme is important, but don't give me a lecture, show it to me through an immersive story lol). For an ending that demanded so much emotional investment, I think the author did not illustrate enough powerful interaction between the characters to build the story foundation beforehand, and as a result the execution fell flat. Really disappointing because the concept had so much potential, too
I can definitely understand how Babel is not for everyone, but I loved it.
I loved it a lottt as well !!!! One of my all time faves!
Same!! Was it her best work, maybe no, but it was great and loved it
im glad you enjoyed it! noelle and joel both loved it too!
can't believe i finally find a booktuber who didn't like babel, thank god🙄 thanks for your review, it was very comprehensive! especially nice to hear your criticisms knowing that you liked the secret history which this book is supposed to be some kind of response to🙄🙄
Kuang associating her book to not only The Secret History but also Strange & Norrell was audacious lol. it certainly set expectations way too high
Jeanette mccurdy’s memoir was AMAZING on audio 😊
SHE KILLED ITT
I have literally the same, exact thoughts about Babel. I tried so hard to like it, but it was seriously a struggle to get through. This was my first book from R.F. Kuang and I think that was a mistake as I don't think I have any interest in reading any of her other work now. I think her writing style is also not for me. But definitely the thing that bothered me the most was how the same ideas and points kept getting shoved in my face. Her characters were also like caricatures and it was so obvious go me what she was intending to do with a particular one, lol. I just couldn't care about them since they didn't feel like real people. I think the insanely high expectations I had just didn't help tbh. It's nice to see that someone has a contrasting opinion as I feel this book is so universally loved and praised by practically everyone else on booktube lololol. To each their own I suppose!
Thank you! Babel was a mess! It lacked a plot, the language was too modern for the time period it was supposed to be set in, the relationships weren't really developed, the footnotes were pointless!
Patricia Briggs never disappoints! I love her books so much and it always is a comfort read for me as well :)
SHE REIGNS SURPREME
The Book Leo and Plant Based Bride also had the same opinions on Babel so you’re not alone!
we're the right ones. kiddding haha
Oh my gosh Ellias I couldn't agree more with you about Babel
Very happy to see the love for the Hidden Legacies books! The covers are SO unfortunate.
I finished the final gambit and I could care less about the love triangle in the trilogy, and just was here for the messy fam drama haha it was so silly how it was all intertwined in the mystery.
but these covers. but these covers. BUT THESE COVERS !!!
not but the way i’m literally SCREAMING TO READ THIS SERIES
Your background looks amazing
Great to see alternative opinions on Babel, but I’m still excited to read it!
its always sooo cool to see new people getting into the urban fantasy genre, it's so underrated and i'm so glad you really enjoyed them too!!
definitely. wish they were talked about and appreciated more here on booktube.
patricia briggs, anne bishop, ilona andrews = holy trinity for me!!
I love the Hidden Legacies series. It is so under rated. I actually started reading Mercy Thompson because of your love for Hidden Legacies. If you love that series I have to trust your opinion on other urban fantasy!
seriously underrated, yes!!
I'm with you on Babel. It was ok, even good at times, but I certainly didn't find it to be the instant classic people were pitching it as
And Emily St John Mandel is a favorite author of mine! Sea of Tranquility was heavily inspired by Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, so you should read that!
Please please everybody illona andrews hidden legacy series, innkeepers chronicles audiobook s are also there. they are hidden gems you will love it
I need to head by to Emily St John Mandel. I really liked Station Eleven. Haven’t read anymore of hers and I should. Thank you for the reminder. Also LOVED the bloopers.
Yesssss Mercy Thompson 🔥I’m only 3 books into the series rn and I’m loving it- will definitely be checking out the Hidden Legacy series 😲
Love that series, I would recommend reading the alpha and omega series at the same time, they are set in the same world and they have some overlaps (the order is in good reads, I think it’s under Mercy a Thompson World). They are my favourite couple, so sweet
yes!! patricia briggs has actually become one of my favorite authors! i’m caught up on mercy’s books and the alpha and omega series so i’m just reading her other series’ now lol
@@danielleoliver1734 Ooo I did not know that there were some overlaps between the two 😲Will definitely be checking it out now- thx!!!
@@chance757 That's awesomeee- there are so many books in the series- I need to catch upppppp 🥲💜
uhh maybe you'd like the "Big Bad Wolf" series by Charlie Adhara!! it's mlm urban fantasy with an investigation plot + smut🔥👀. It's very good. And the first installment of a spin-off series just got published this month.
Babel was underwhelming and Ilona Andrews is underrated
FACTS
I came for the Babel review (man I’m struggling with that book) but left purchasing the hidden legacy series, the covers are laughably bad but started reading it and loving it so far! Luckily it’s on my kindle so my street cred remains intact!
How dare you, sir! Comparing the genius that is Ilona Andrews' superb character and plot development to the trite nonsense that SJM writes. 😏 SJM has an urban fantasy series; it's that House of Sky and Breath or whatever. It should be called send me a competent ghost writer and editor so I can quit torturing the masses with my sucky books. (Admittedly a long title, but since she doesn't edit her books properly I felt like my title didn't need to be either 😉.) That being said I am glad to see another book tuber apart from Mara giving Ilona Andrews some much over due praise. They are criminally under rated as is Patricia Briggs.
Ilona Andrew is not a one person. It's a marriage hidden under pseudonym. I've read 6 books by them and it's more of a same in every book. My ex- friend sold it to me as a urban-fantasy but it more like a romane. Just like SJM.
And relationships were as toxic as in twilight
PATRICIA AND ANN BISHOP TOO!!
I really didn’t like babel either I think the only dark academia book I actually like is the secret history. I’m definitely sold on the hidden legacy series. 🖤
The more I hear about Babel, the more I think it's not a book I'll enjoy.
I loved Babel, it’s my new favourite book, but I’m currently reading The Poppy War and I’m really not enjoying it. While I was reading Babel, I was thinking that fantasy readers would mostly be disappointed, and I find myself recommending it more to literary fiction readers. The magic is basically infrastructure, like electricity, both mundane and frightening.
I'm mainly a literary fiction reader and I gave Babel 2/5. I didn't like it for pretty much all of the reasons Ellias stated. I love everything that the book stands for and I think we need more stories like it, but I just HATED the way it was written, especially compared to a lot of the literary fiction that I read. Everything felt so forced, like she had zero faith in the readers ability to interpret the story on their own.
Despite all that, I'm genuinely happy that the book is doing so well and that mostly everyone seems to love it. I wish I felt the same way tbh.
Did you finish the Poppy War yet? I'm curious to know what you aren't liking about it. I personally really loved The Poppy War and prefer it to Babel. I really wanted to like Babel but it was just really predictable for me and I wasn't able to get attached to the characters as much as I wanted too.
The characters are more developed in poppy war I’d say
@@luckyluna62 Yea, Babel's characters are pretty unmemorable for me.
i gave poppy war 3 stars :/
RF Kuang managed to execute compelling relationships and well-developed characters in her previous books, but alas - it wasn't found in Babel. I love the Poppy War trilogy to the core, but I honestly detest Babel with passion. It was so fucking boring. Babel felt more like a textbook. I don't care about any of the characters at all and I found myself wanting to strangle Robin more than necessary because he was so wimpy. I get the appeal of why people would rate it highly but remove all the fancy schmancy textbook bits, it'll be left with a flimsy magic system, worldbuilding (huh?), and flat characters.
Whoaaa i recently enjoyed urban fantasy. I read Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee and it was amaaazing!
im def lookinfg forward to reading them too!
Im now intrigued to try A Sea of Tranquility. Anything like Piranesi vibes, and I will try
I was so sold on the Hidden Legacy series.. until you mentioned similarities to SJM books. 🤣
OMG NAUR. I mean how she pairs hot people together, strong heroines, chosen ones, underdog, hidden magic abilities, etc. NOT the writing style though lol
Give Kate Daniels Series a go! Kate Daniels is my Mercy Thompson. The found family, the paranormal aspects and the writing of House Andrews is just chefs kiss! I've reread the series at least 4 times now 😊
I’ve always wanted to get into Patricia Brigg’s books? Do you have a suggestion on where to start or is the very beginning the best?
i started with her alpha and omega series (the first one being “cry wolf”) but for a more introductive introduction (lol) to her world, start with “moon called” which is the first book in her mercy thompson series. both series take place in the same world and there are overlapping events and characters; you could even intertwine the books. anyway, those are great places to start. 😊
I started the Mercy Thompson series. Moon Called. They must be read in order and they get better with each book. I just love Mercy.
I loved babel I liked the colonisation aspect and the being on the right side of history even when the odds are against you.
hard agree on babel
Did any one else not care that much for the second trilogy in the hidden legacy series? Can't wait to see if we get an Arabella one tho
it prob won't be for a while i think :/
Also did not like Babel, read a bit too YA for me. I like what it was saying, but could not connect to the narrative.
Absolutely loved Babel and looking forward to reading Jeannette McCurdy’s memoir.
Currently in the midst of Babel and I can really see your points... hopefully I'll like the ending a bit more though :') also, The Final Gambit was NOT worth my time lol
i am also in the middle of the Final Gambit and i really cannot remember who is who between grayson and jameson... and considering that's the love triangle... lmao
Thank you for putting more people on to the Hidden legacy series! Just finished Nevada's trilogy and it is amazing!!
Yes I've learned not to judge a book by it's cover. Some of the best books have terrible covers.
okay but that's so wild to me because piranesi is also one of my favorite books of all time but i Hated sea of tranquility omg, so for people to liken them together is so interesting
AGREEEEED with Babel!!! The book did NOT need to be 500+ pages long. So so so so so much unnecessary information
Even tho I love babel I do agree with the magic wasn’t explained & wish she did explain it more I also read Jennette’s book & loved it & getting more details etc of her life (cuz I knew her story before she wrote her book)
i cannot bring myself to finish babel but i refuse to dnf a book and its just been sat on my bed side table for months now 😭
RIPPP.....yeah must be a sign then lol
It's so interesting cause I have so many mixed feelings about Babel. I agree with a lot of your points with it feeling repetitive and that friendship explored between the characters was pretty poor for the most apart (my exception is Robin and Ramy) and that the middle was weak compared to the beginning and the ending. Personally I loved the ending, that actually sold me on this book. But I also think I enjoyed it more as someone who adores linguistics and honestly if you feel anything less then I completelt understand why itd be annoying. I like to consider this book that had 5 star scenes but not really a 5 star story. It explored such great topics and themes but I often found myself wishing it was more personalized instead of kinda surface level and I think that would've made it hit harder while making the characters more defined as well.
As someone from the tri cities, reading books from Patricia Briggs is so interesting
is it accurate??!
I'm really interested in trying Sea of Tranquility. I've heard it compared to Cloud Atlas (one of my favorite books), so now that I know it's compared to Piranesi (another favorite) as well, I think I'm going to have to read it!
If you haven't, I recommend you watch R.F Kuang's Tolkien Lecture! She talks about some really interesting stuff re. show vs tell, propaganda and 'preachy' or 'patronizing' books, and goes a little bit into why she stylized Babel to sort of mimic the Victorian era and the 'correct' way to write an English novel. I initially also felt that Babel was flat, but now I understand the choices and I can respect them more. Still not my favorite style and I don't love Robin as a character, but honestly I didn't love Anne Elliot in Persuasion either but I gave Austen a lot more leeway than Kuang. Just some thoughts!
You should read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, it's incredible!
Love Hidden Legacy! I haven't read Babel and probably won't because I like characters to be really developed but I'm literally finishing writing a book that's fantasy and vaguely dark academia ish with a bi lead and I'll be querying pretty soon. If it gets published in the next few years it'll be interesting to see what people have to say (my beta readers have been happy). My book is very different from Babel but it's kind of fun to see what the reaction has been across the board for a fantasy/dark academia novel.
I cringed so many times reading Babel because it felt like Kuang was preaching to me
Are the Patricia Briggs interconnected standalones??
I love how everyone is saying hidden legacy is under rated. They had a massive fan base follow from kate Daniel's series and all books of hidden legacy have thousands of reviews on amazon. Glad to see the series being discovered by booktubers though.
I gave Babel a 3.5. I wanted it to be a 5 SO BAD but the characters were so flat and she never gave us full scenes with dialogue and descriptions of them interacting unless they were disagreeing. I didn’t even really believe they liked each other (except Ramy and Robin) maybe if it was multiple POV it would’ve worked better for me
Imo if you write dark academia you have to have interesting fleshed out characters... or else it's just going to be boring and pretentious.
FIRST
I didn't like The Poppy War and didn't read the rest of the series either. I had been looking a review on Babel from someone that didn't think The Poppy War was great because I was so nervous to pick it up after disliking The Poppy War. So thank you so much for the review. I know now not to believe the hype.
Bable -agenda driven, disappointing- over mega hyped .
Bable- agenda driven,disappointing MEGA OVERHYPED.
I got Babel as my book of the month and I ended up regretting it. The concept is so fascinating but the execution is so poor
babel was not "kinda" meh. it was totally meh. knocked me back into reading slump. so much fame for a book that couldn't be bothered with good characterization or a good plot.
…..🥲 I’m so happy I finally found someone I’m subscribed to that’s on my side about Babel. Also hope you had a great time traveling!
I came over here from your Goodreads post for Babel. I went exploring the 2 star reviews to see if I was the only one thinking certain things, but I'm not alone. I'm 80% through it and I'm forcing myself to finish it. I don't think it does a good job as a historical fiction or fantasy book. I enjoyed learning about the magic system and the exploration of language, but then what? What makes this world different from actual history? And the exploration of race relations was just over the top dumb. All white people are bad. That's sprinkled throughout, but the ending of the book is just non-stop about it. When Letty went out for a walk it pissed me off cause I knew what she was going to do and there was no reason for it. The only reason is that she was white. We get it. It could have been done so much better, but it felt like the "everything a microaggression" mentality that we have now, which certainly was not part of race relations back then. I had so much hope that this book was going somewhere interesting with it all and it's flopped. I highly doubt the last 20% is going to change my mind, but I'll push through.