Babel

Typical size comparisons for our items:

XS fits sizes 0 - 2

S fits sizes 2 - 4

M fits sizes 6 - 8

L fits sizes 10 - 12

XL fits size 14

To get the best fit for you for this item, we recommend reading the entire description to see the specific measurements.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War

"Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out." -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he'll enroll in Oxford University's prestigious Royal Institute of Translation--also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working--the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars--has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide...

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

LOCAL RETURNS (LOCAL DELIVERY, LOCAL PICKUP, AND IN-STORE)

If you are local and choose to shop with us in person, or choose local delivery or pickup at checkout, please send us an email (admin@shopblackbirdboutique.com), text (409-734-7427), or visit us in store to request a return/exchange. You will receive specific instructions on how to return/exchange your item(s). The requirements stated in this policy are still applicable to local orders. Please read this policy in full.

ONLINE ORDER RETURNS

Blackbird Boutique offers returns on all domestic U.S. orders for eligible items. Blackbird Boutique will no longer provide return shipping labels. The customer is responsible for all return shipping costs and must be approved in our returns portal HERE.

We currently do not offer online exchanges. If you need to exchange, please visit us in person or submit a return request in our returns portal. 

Refunds for ALL orders are for store credit only. Store credit can only be accessed in your customer account (Login to your account here) or in person at our storefront. Any and all shipping fees are non-refundable.

Blackbird Boutique will accept eligible return requests within 14 days of the order delivery date. Return items must be delivered to the Blackbird return address within 10 days of the return request acceptance in unworn, unwashed, brand-new condition with labels and tags still attached. Items received outside of the returns window will be refused and sent back to you at your cost.

Not all items are eligible for return and are considered final sale.  Final Sale items include the following:

--Gift Cards

—Books

--Power Hour Sales/BOGO Sales/Flash Sales

--Discounts applied at checkout that are 40% or higher

–Any items marked down from its original price

--Any item marked Final Sale

--All items under the Accessories tab

--Intimates and bodysuits

--all items under our sale/clearance tabs

—Return requests received outside of the 14-day window.

RETURNS PORTAL

Request a return through our returns portal HERE. 

If your return is approved, you will receive an email containing instructions on how to complete your return. Returns received back at our warehouse that are not pre-approved and that do not meet the requirements stated in this policy will be refused and sent back to you at your cost. 

DAMAGED ITEMS

Any damaged items must be reported within 3 days of receiving the merchandise or the item will be considered final sale and cannot be returned. Variation in color is not considered damage. We do our best to ensure that our photos are as true to color as possible. However, due to inconsistencies of various monitors, we cannot guarantee that the color you see on your screen accurately portrays the true color of the product.

REFUNDS

Once your return is received back at our warehouse please allow 5-10 business days to process the return. All refunds will be in the form of store credit found in your customer account. Shipping costs are not refundable.

Blackbird Boutique reserves the right to refuse returns that do not meet the criteria stated in this policy.

If you have any questions please contact admin@shopblackbirdboutique.com