Babel: An Arcane History
From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire
Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .
Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?
R. F. Kuang
R. F. Kuang's writing brims with the raw power of both history and imagination, drawing readers into worlds where myth and reality collide in deeply resonant ways. Born in Guangzhou, China, and raised in the United States, she has long navigated the complexities of multiple cultures—an experience that shines through in her work, where identity, power, and the shadows of history play out on the page.
Kuang's debut, The Poppy War, quickly became a standout in modern fantasy, not just for its gripping story but for its unflinching exploration of war, trauma, and the human spirit. Set in a world inspired by 20th-century China, the novel blends elements of military fantasy with deeply personal stories, examining the effects of war on individuals and societies. Her meticulous world-building and unapologetically brutal narrative choices set her apart in a crowded genre, earning her critical acclaim and a growing fanbase.
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