Babel by R.F. Kuang is a historical fantasy novel. Set in an alternate 19th-century England, the story revolves around the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford University, known as Babel, where translation and linguistics hold magical power through the art of silver-working.
The novel begins with Robin Swift, a young Canton boy orphaned by a cholera outbreak. Professor Lovel, a mysterious scholar, takes him to London and brings him to Oxford University’s prestigious Babel Institute. Lovell trains Robin in various languages, particularly in translation, to prepare him for entry into Babel. As Robin studies at Babel, he learns that the knowledge will serve the interests of the British Empire, which uses silver-working to maintain its global dominance.
At Babel, Robin finds a new life and meets three other students: Ramy Mirza, an Indian student from Calcutta; Victoire Desgraves, a Haitian student of African and French descent; and Letitia Price, an Englishwoman from a noble family. Robin discovers that he is the son of Professor Lovell. He slowly becomes aware that translations are not merely academic exercises but tools for oppressing colonized peoples. The British Empire's wealth relies on exploiting foreign languages, cultures, and resources. The magical silver bars made at Babel help the empire maintain its power and control.
Robin meets his elder stepbrother, Griffin, an outcast from the institute and a member of the resistance group, the Hermes Society. Griffin reveals Professor Lovell's secret plans and Babel's exploitation of colonized languages to him, which makes Robin question his loyalty to Babel, where he has found purpose and belonging, and his growing realization that the system he serves is deeply oppressive. As Robin’s moral conflict deepens, he struggles with his dual heritage, being both Chinese and English. His relationship with Professor Lovell also becomes strained when he realizes that Lovell views him more as a tool for the empire than as a son. This betrayal drives Robin further toward rebellion.
Afterward, Robin accidentally kills Professor Lovell. He goes through Lovell’s secret papers and discovers that the British Empire is planning a war on China. They decide to thwart the plan and join the Hermes Society. However, one of the members, Letty’s betrayal results in Ramy’s death. In the end, the rebellion turns violent. Griffin dies protecting Robin, who realizes that revolutions come with great sacrifice. Robin and his friends give up everything to resist the empire, leading to a tragic conclusion.
