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eelina_creek's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Steampunk, has the futurism vibe of 1984
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
kerrygetsliterary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Body horror, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence and Slavery
clemencepct's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
leona's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Eh.. I had mixed feelings about Senlin Ascends.
I really enjoyed the first 2 parts, but part 3 and the start of part 4 nearly lost me. I found myself so bored and distant from the book, so much so that if I DNFed books I probably would have done so with this one. I decided to just let it sit for a bit (then read Warbreaker) then came back and finished it in 2 days. Although it took me a month to get to this point.
There are several reasons why I struggled with this book, so here is a comprehensive list:
1) I started it in the middle of my exam mocks, so it didn't exactly get my full attention.
2) It follows a plot structure that I must confess I am not a huge fan of, the sort of quest plot to find something missing, where you know where you are supposed to end up and everything else that happens just seems like unimportant side quests to me.
3) I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the side characters, as they are only really present for small sections of the book until *things* happen to them. I liked Senlin, not my favourite character ever, but following only him and a few other people for the rest of the book just bored me after a while.
4) This is a hesitant criticism: In some places I just didn't really connect with Bancroft's writing style. I am generally more of a fan of blunt, to the point styles, with not too much description or detail. Bancroft describes stuff a lot, and I do think his writing style is quite beautiful, despite some of the darker subjects, however I just felt like in some areas it was too much. I liked his simile's up to a point. This isn't a fault of Bancroft or a case of bad writing, I just got bored with it in some areas.
5) The pacing to me was the weakest aspect of the book. I loved the first part of the book and felt quite positive about it despite it being a plot structure I don't typically like. The Parlour was creepy but fascinating and I thought it was a very original concept. I liked some of the description and I think Bancroft does allow you to picture what is going on very well but I felt that these descriptions got in the way a bit sometimes. During The Baths Senlin sort of lost his sense of urgency - I'm not sure if this is meant to be a side effect of this level, as we see with Tarrou, or just a pacing issue but I was nearly lost.
A last comment on some of the darker aspects of the book. There are some pretty gory moments, but I don't think that Bancroft overly describes or focusses on these aspects. I would probably give it a 15+ rating.
The book doesn't really have a magic system, in my opinion, but has a generally sort of mysterious, fever dream, 'I think I know what's going on but something just doesn't seem quite right' and it is very odd. I would almost say it leans kind of sci-fi, in that it is quite steampunk. I must say I did really quite enjoy this setting and it was very fascinating.
For the middle of the book, I thought I would give it 2 stars but I decided to go with 2.5. I certainly enjoyed parts to the story, and I would continue on with it or potentially give it another go at some point. I also don't think Bancroft is a bad writer and he tells the story well, just not in a way that I personally loved. However I would still recommend it to those who find the premise interesting. (Although my sister hastened to tell me after reading the blurb that it was a 'Tower of God' rip off - don't ask me what that means, I have no idea and can neither confirm or deny...).
I really enjoyed the first 2 parts, but part 3 and the start of part 4 nearly lost me. I found myself so bored and distant from the book, so much so that if I DNFed books I probably would have done so with this one. I decided to just let it sit for a bit (then read Warbreaker) then came back and finished it in 2 days. Although it took me a month to get to this point.
There are several reasons why I struggled with this book, so here is a comprehensive list:
1) I started it in the middle of my exam mocks, so it didn't exactly get my full attention.
2) It follows a plot structure that I must confess I am not a huge fan of, the sort of quest plot to find something missing, where you know where you are supposed to end up and everything else that happens just seems like unimportant side quests to me.
3) I didn't feel particularly attached to any of the side characters, as they are only really present for small sections of the book until *things* happen to them. I liked Senlin, not my favourite character ever, but following only him and a few other people for the rest of the book just bored me after a while.
4) This is a hesitant criticism: In some places I just didn't really connect with Bancroft's writing style. I am generally more of a fan of blunt, to the point styles, with not too much description or detail. Bancroft describes stuff a lot, and I do think his writing style is quite beautiful, despite some of the darker subjects, however I just felt like in some areas it was too much. I liked his simile's up to a point. This isn't a fault of Bancroft or a case of bad writing, I just got bored with it in some areas.
5) The pacing to me was the weakest aspect of the book. I loved the first part of the book and felt quite positive about it despite it being a plot structure I don't typically like. The Parlour was creepy but fascinating and I thought it was a very original concept. I liked some of the description and I think Bancroft does allow you to picture what is going on very well but I felt that these descriptions got in the way a bit sometimes. During The Baths Senlin sort of lost his sense of urgency - I'm not sure if this is meant to be a side effect of this level, as we see with Tarrou, or just a pacing issue but I was nearly lost.
A last comment on some of the darker aspects of the book. There are some pretty gory moments, but I don't think that Bancroft overly describes or focusses on these aspects. I would probably give it a 15+ rating.
The book doesn't really have a magic system, in my opinion, but has a generally sort of mysterious, fever dream, 'I think I know what's going on but something just doesn't seem quite right' and it is very odd. I would almost say it leans kind of sci-fi, in that it is quite steampunk. I must say I did really quite enjoy this setting and it was very fascinating.
For the middle of the book, I thought I would give it 2 stars but I decided to go with 2.5. I certainly enjoyed parts to the story, and I would continue on with it or potentially give it another go at some point. I also don't think Bancroft is a bad writer and he tells the story well, just not in a way that I personally loved. However I would still recommend it to those who find the premise interesting. (Although my sister hastened to tell me after reading the blurb that it was a 'Tower of God' rip off - don't ask me what that means, I have no idea and can neither confirm or deny...).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Drug use and Gun violence
Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Torture
2treads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Bancroft makes of the Tower of Babel a rising, stacked mass of capitalism, greed, oppression, thievery, masquerading, authoritarianism, manipulation, and much more. He examines the two-sided coin of relationships, survival, and determination.
I enjoyed the changing experiences as Tom ascended the tower, each level bringing its own difficulties and pushing our characters past their usual limits, encouraging them to adapt to every new experience and difficulty.
The tower is not what is advertised and the longer you stay the more you change. I enjoyed the portrayal of Marya, Tom's lost wife, who shows a wit and survivalism that most authors would not write when the main character is the husband and the main plotline his journey to find her.
The writing is engaging, the characters interesting, and the world-building is well done and the intricacies of the power structure and hierarchy familiar and complex.
I enjoyed the changing experiences as Tom ascended the tower, each level bringing its own difficulties and pushing our characters past their usual limits, encouraging them to adapt to every new experience and difficulty.
The tower is not what is advertised and the longer you stay the more you change. I enjoyed the portrayal of Marya, Tom's lost wife, who shows a wit and survivalism that most authors would not write when the main character is the husband and the main plotline his journey to find her.
The writing is engaging, the characters interesting, and the world-building is well done and the intricacies of the power structure and hierarchy familiar and complex.
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore and Murder
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