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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 in this unforgettable work of dark academia 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. The unique magic system of 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, a secret society dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…
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Two academic rivals from Cambridge must travel to Hell to rescue the soul of their advisor. Getting there was easy. Surviving it – and each other – is another thing entirely. White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel. The story of orphaned Rin’s rise to power gets a fresh look with a full-wrap illustrated jacket and black-and-white interior art by JungShan Chang throughout, plus embossed case, designed end papers, and sprayed edges.
Publisher : Harper Voyager
Publication date : August 29, 2023
Language : English
Print length : 560 pages
ISBN-10 : 0063021439
ISBN-13 : 978-0063021433
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.31 x 1.26 x 8 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #3,218 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #2 in Alternate History Science Fiction (Books) #4 in Coming of Age Fantasy (Books) #12 in Historical Fantasy (Books)
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