Babel by R. F. Kuang — Books & Bevvies
Kris and Rian sit down to discuss Babel by R.F. Kuang, our buddy read for the first quarter of 2026. Is it the dark academia fantasy it's marketed as, or something else entirely?
We dig into the book's synopsis, share our initial (and very honest) reactions, and break down the major themes — colonialism, classism, and the magic of language and translation — before diving into full spoiler territory to discuss the structure, characters, pacing, and whether the payoff matched the build-up.
Also, stick around for our second quarter buddy read announcement at the end!
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
0:35 Synopsis
3:32 Initial Thoughts
9:23 Themes
20:46 Structure & Footnotes
26:00 Characters
35:55 Pacing
39:05 Final Thoughts
43:28 Q2 Buddy Read Announcement