Robin Swift is brought to England by the mysterious Professor Lowell after his mother dies of illness. He has left Canton behind, but carries language with him wherever he goes. And that is what interests Professor Lowell- training Robin in Ancient Greek, Latin, and Chinese. Robin is destined for Babel, the translation center that powers England. Babel uses silver bars and other country’s languages to activate them. As Robin grows older, he is contacted by the shadowy Hermes Society, who aims to take down Babel once and for all. When Robin learns of a manipulative conspiracy to spark war with China, he must choose whose side he is truly on.

R. F. Kuang weaves a compelling and unputdownable tale of dark academia and colonialism. The characters are lovable and it is impossible not to be filled with fury at the injustices and discrimination that they experience at Oxford. Sadly, this is not a matter of fiction and instead a reality. I particularly loved Robin, Rami, and Victoire. Kuang’s prose is elegant and witty; I highlighted so many fantastic quotes while I read. The humor is dry and unforgiving, which I loved. Kuang has filled this book with history and anecdotes; I frequently found myself researching more about the real-life people and facts presented in footnote form.

The concept of silver-working was such a well-designed and insidious magic system. The system requires a native language speaker to create and use the bars. In this way, language is stolen and used against the people it belongs to. Kuang highlights real-world issues in academia such as racism, discrimination, and the effects of colonialism. She builds the story to an incredible and heartbreaking climax. I can’t wait to get my hard copy and reread everything; I know this is one of the books that will only gain deeper meaning and detail with every reread. Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution is unquestionably a masterpiece. I couldn’t put it down! I would highly recommend it to anyone. Kuang is such a talented writer and I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you so much to R. F. Kuang, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.