In 1828 Cantonese orphan Robin Swift was brought to London where he was enrolled in the Royal Institute of Translation. Here he learns the craft of silver-working, the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars which has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire’s quest for colonization. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China, Robin must decide, can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes ‘Babel’, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire.

Join the HYP Book Club for their discussion of this wholly original take on the fantasy genre. Please register for the event on Cogran and send any questions to Dave Beaver at d4veb3aver@gmail.com