Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War “Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant; razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history; but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution; turns it over; and shakes it out.” -- Shannon Chakraborty; bestselling author of The City of Brass From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel; a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell 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. Babel is 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 its knowledge 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?