Babylon. Hidden History
9.99 €
In stock
Babylon. Hidden History
9.99 €
Nebula Award winner. Locus Award nominee. Barnes & Noble and Blackwell's Book of the Year. Time's Top 100 Books. A new novel from the creator of The Opium War trilogy.
A thematic response to The Secret History, with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell thrown in, examining the use of language and the art of translation as the dominant weapon of the British Empire and student revolutions as an act of resistance to authority.
Traduttore, traditore. The act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. After cholera devastates Cantona, orphaned Robin Swift is sent to London to study with the enigmatic Professor Lovell. Over the course of many years, he studies Latin, ancient Greek, and Chinese, preparing to enter the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford University, also known as Babylon. Its tower and its students are the world center of translation and, more importantly, magic. The art of revealing meanings lost in translation, using enchanted silver bars. It was this magic that 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 subject to power, and, being of Chinese descent, Robin understands that serving Babylon means betraying his own homeland. As he studies, the young man faces a choice between the interests of Babylon and the secret society "Hermes", which seeks to stop imperial expansion. When Great Britain unleashes a war of conquest on China for silver and opium, Robin is forced to make a decision...
Is it possible to change powerful institutions of power from within, without unnecessary casualties, or does revolution always require violence?
The Neon Summer series. Color your life in neon with a brilliant collection of bestsellers. Fascinating Russian Empire or enchanting Oxford? Exciting yamisu, dark Chinese thriller, or native Russian prose? The choice is yours, but one thing is certain - this summer will be truly bright.
A thematic response to The Secret History, with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell thrown in, examining the use of language and the art of translation as the dominant weapon of the British Empire and student revolutions as an act of resistance to authority.
Traduttore, traditore. The act of translation is always an act of betrayal.
1828. After cholera devastates Cantona, orphaned Robin Swift is sent to London to study with the enigmatic Professor Lovell. Over the course of many years, he studies Latin, ancient Greek, and Chinese, preparing to enter the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation at Oxford University, also known as Babylon. Its tower and its students are the world center of translation and, more importantly, magic. The art of revealing meanings lost in translation, using enchanted silver bars. It was this magic that 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 subject to power, and, being of Chinese descent, Robin understands that serving Babylon means betraying his own homeland. As he studies, the young man faces a choice between the interests of Babylon and the secret society "Hermes", which seeks to stop imperial expansion. When Great Britain unleashes a war of conquest on China for silver and opium, Robin is forced to make a decision...
Is it possible to change powerful institutions of power from within, without unnecessary casualties, or does revolution always require violence?
The Neon Summer series. Color your life in neon with a brilliant collection of bestsellers. Fascinating Russian Empire or enchanting Oxford? Exciting yamisu, dark Chinese thriller, or native Russian prose? The choice is yours, but one thing is certain - this summer will be truly bright.
See also:
- All books by the publisher
- All books by the author
- All books in the series Neon Summer