A review by ihavequalities
Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

‘Babel’ is an alternative history of the English empire with magic. By using translations of languages and silver England is now the dominant force on the planet. The protagonist is Robin, a Chinese boy brought to England to learn the art of translation. But as he learns about the power of magic he also learns how colonialism creates it. In addition to ideas around resistance and revolution, Kuang also thinks a lot about translation both literally and figuratively. How ideas can or cannot be understood by other people. The writing is dense, with a welcome smattering off footnotes, but moves the story along and a brisk pace with the tension she builds.