Babel

Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution.

Orphaned in Canton, Robin Swift is taken to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell and trained in languages to attend Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation—known as Babel. There, scholars use magical silver bars powered by translation to fuel the British Empire’s global dominance.

As a Chinese boy raised in England, Robin finds himself torn between the promise of knowledge and belonging at Babel and the growing realization that his work supports the empire that harmed his homeland. When he becomes entangled with a secret society resisting imperial power, Robin must choose between loyalty and revolution.

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller.