Kuang has distinguished herself as a respected fantasy author through her “Poppy War” trilogy, which uses detailed research to reimagine Chinese history. Although “Babel” is occasionally straightforward in its themes, its well-researched plotline and amazing characters create a stunning alternate history which successfully critiques the legacy of empire. Kuang’s novel critiques imperialism and academia by utilizing a fantastical version of Oxford and underrepresented voices from the British Empire. Readers follow Robin Swift, a Chinese boy raised in England, as he begins to see how his powers are harnessed by Britain to control its worldwide empire. Kuang’s “Babel: Or, The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution.” Set in Oxford during the 1830s, “Babel” imagines a fantasy world in which the study of languages, alongside the smelting of silver, can create magic. This multifaceted influence of language is explored in R. It can influence our thoughts, interactions, and even the way we dream. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. 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.įor Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. 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. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.ġ828. 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

Babel an arcane history