Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author ofThe 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 & the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, & shakes it out.” --Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author ofThe City of BrassFrom award-winning authorR. F. KuangcomesBabel, a thematic response toThe Secret History& a tonal retort toJonathan Strange&Mr. Norrellthat grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, & the use of language & translation as the dominating tool of theBritish empire.Traduttore, traditore: An act oftranslationis always an act of betrayal.1828.Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera inCanton, is brought toLondonby the mysteriousProfessor Lovell. There, he trains for years inLatin,Ancient Greek, &Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll inOxford University’sprestigiousRoyal Institute of Translation—also known asBabel.Babelis the world's center fortranslation&, more importantly,magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made theBritishunparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest forcolonization.ForRobin,Oxfordis a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, & as aChineseboy raised inBritain,Robinrealizes servingBabelmeans betraying his motherland. As his studies progress,Robinfinds himself caught betweenBabel& the shadowyHermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial e