In Babel by R.F. Kuang, the narrative explores the collision of colonialism, language, and power in an alternate 19th-century Oxford. The story centers on Robin Swift, a boy of Chinese descent, who is orphaned and brought to England. Groomed for a role in the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, or Babel, Robin discovers the dark link between Britain’s wealth and the exploitation of colonized nations.

Language in this world holds magical power, amplified through silver-working, a process controlled by the empire. Robin’s education opens his eyes to the imperial machine that thrives on extraction and subjugation, leading him to question his place in it.

As Robin grows into adulthood, he is drawn into a resistance movement aiming to dismantle Babel’s oppressive system. Torn between loyalty to his benefactors and solidarity with the oppressed, he must make morally complex decisions about rebellion, identity, and sacrifice. The novel’s richly layered themes delve into the relationship between language and identity, the ethics of translation, and the devastating costs of empire¹.