Easily the best book I've read this year and in recent memory. It does everything it wants to do perfectly and fully. I am going to read this book many more times. I came to Babel having just finished Pheonix Extravagant, which has a very similar plot at a high level but feels like just another fantasy book, stopping short of making a strong statement. Its clear Babel has a reason for being written and needs to tell its story desperately.