Babylon: A Hidden History

Historical epic fantasy about student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as tools of empire dominance.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by the cholera outbreak in Canton, is taken to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, Robin spends years studying Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, preparing to one day enter Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center of translation and, more importantly, magic. Silverworking is the art of manifesting translational losses using silver bars. It is through silverworking that the British have gained unprecedented power, as this secret craft aids the empire in its colonial ambitions.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge bows to power, and as a Chinese boy growing up in Britain, he understands that serving Babel means betraying his homeland. Once his studies begin, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the secret society of Hermes — an organization determined to stop the empire's expansion. When Britain plans to start an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must make a choice.