Kaitlyn‘s review of Babel by R.F. Kuang
Historical Fantasy published by Harper Voyage 23 Aug 22
I am so pleasantly surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I also think historical fantasy is just my thing? I love books that blend real world events with a magical twist. This takes place at Oxford in the early 1800’s and covers deep, heavy topics. There are moments that seriously infuriated me, as most historical fiction books do, but I still love them so much.
This is also phenomenal as an audiobook. There’s so many different languages and I really think this is best listened to. There’s also frequent footnotes that are read by a different narrator and that makes for a really great listening experience.
The magic system is incredibly unique and seamlessly incorporated into the history. The characters are all complex and every one adds interesting elements to the story. This is definitely a top read of the year for me, and I’d highly recommend it.
“She learned revolution is, in fact, always unimaginable. It shatters the world you know. The future is unwritten, brimming with potential.”
Grade: A
Summary:
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?
