Babylon, or the Necessity of Violence
9.99 €
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Babylon, or the Necessity of Violence
9.99 €
1828. After cholera ravages Cantona, the orphaned Robin Swift is taken to London by the enigmatic Professor Lovell. For years he studies Latin, Ancient Greek and Chinese in preparation for admission to Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babylon. Its tower and its students are a world center of translation and, more importantly, magic. The art of manifesting meanings lost in translation, through the use of enchanted silver bars. It is this magic that has made the British Empire invincible, and Babylon's research into foreign languages serves the Empire's foreign policy.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge is subordinate to power, and being of Chinese descent, Robin realizes that serving Babylon means betraying his own homeland. As his training progresses, the young man is faced with a choice between the interests of Babylon and the secret society Hermes, which seeks to stop imperial expansion. When Britain launches a war of conquest with China for silver and opium, Robin is forced to make a decision....
Can powerful institutions of power be changed from within, without unnecessary sacrifice, or does revolution always require violence?
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge is subordinate to power, and being of Chinese descent, Robin realizes that serving Babylon means betraying his own homeland. As his training progresses, the young man is faced with a choice between the interests of Babylon and the secret society Hermes, which seeks to stop imperial expansion. When Britain launches a war of conquest with China for silver and opium, Robin is forced to make a decision....
Can powerful institutions of power be changed from within, without unnecessary sacrifice, or does revolution always require violence?
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