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 in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel, 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 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.

WOW this book was absolutely incredible! I loved Yellowface by this author and was excited to read an other of her books. Babel is completely different than Yellowface but is still full of sharp writing and poignant commentary. This book was as much a love letter to language as it was a nineteenth century anti-colonialism manifesto, and I devoured it. Kuang has an astounding mastery of linguistics in multiple languages, and to use that knowledge to create such a unique and gripping tale is nothing short of amazing. The characters were all so complex, multi-faceted, and well developed. I loved Robin’s journey and his friendships with all of his classmates. The use of multiple languages, words and their various meanings, and how things get lost in translation in the magical silver bars was absolutely genius. The plot was gripping and I couldn’t put this book down. I absolutely loved this book! If you haven’t read Babel, what are you waiting for?!