Both have been brought to Babel by white mentors to exploit their knowledge of non-Western languages.ĭespite their prowess, though, Robin, Ramy, and Victoire are still viewed as second-class citizens at Babel because of their race. Robin’s class at Babel includes Ramy, originally from Calcutta and intent on stirring up change at Oxford, and Victoire, a Black girl from France who wants to explore her Haitian roots. But Kuang also isn’t afraid to challenge the traditional image of academia as being primarily rich, white, and elite. The book teems with a devotion to higher learning-for one, the lavish use of educational footnotes to expound upon scenes and descriptions. Kuang-who herself is Chinese American and studied contemporary Chinese at Oxford- has seemingly written both a love letter to and a declaration of war on Oxford. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play Kuang cleverly creates a world in which words act as a finite resource, like oil or diamonds, that can be sold, stolen, depleted, or held captive. England withholds this silver from other countries, hoarding it for itself and its rich citizens, with disastrous consequences for the nations denied access. And yet, as Robin later discovers, this flow of resources is one-sided.

As Western languages have begun to homogenize, Babel is forced to seek out and exploit native speakers from Eastern lands in order to keep the magic flowing. Here’s how the magic works: Translated words are etched onto silver bars to produce miraculous results, such as carriages that don't need horses to power them, previously untreatable diseases that can be instantly cured, and weapons that can destroy enemies on the other side of the globe.īut this magic has a dark side, fueled by greed and imperialism. The novel journeys to a speculative version of 1828 England, where a young Chinese orphan named Robin Swift-a name chosen at his mentor’s insistence-has been transplanted from Canton to study at Oxford’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, colloquially known as “Babel.” There, a select few will use their linguistic skills to harness an alchemy that keeps England not only up and running but in a position of global dominance. With Babel, Kuang expands the genre even further, building a dynasty of political and scholarly corruption that asks us to question everything we know about power, privilege, and knowledge. So-called works of 'dark academia' such as Donna Tartt's The Secret History usually explore morality within the setting of an academic institution. Kuang proved her prowess at blending history and magic with her debut series, The Poppy War, and she's done it once again in this sweeping novel that blends historical fantasy and dark academia. Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a fantastical takedown of 19th-century imperialism that’s as meaty as its title.

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