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cianarae's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
Unique and intriguing! great character development. I wish we could hear from Marya sometimes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Grief, Gaslighting, Slavery, Trafficking, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, and Drug use
bettysbookishworld's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
This book was awful! I truly hated it even though I was so excited to start this series and I really wanted to be enjoy this one.
Let's start with what I liked about it. The book worldbuilding is based on Tower of Babel where each floor is a completely different world with different rules, and societies. The only thing that was certain was that the world is cruel and Senlin shouldn't trust anyone. I loved the idea and the author gets the credit.
Although, that's probably it. The whole execution was truly bad with the worst main character. Senlin was a British academic who had a lot of knowledge, particularly about Tower of Babel. He was very arrogant, full of himself and when it came to action, totally useless. He didn't have any drive to him, the whole plot just happened to him and there wasn't any driving force. His only motivation was finding his wife. And I do have a problem here, too. I didn't believe he loved her and he married her just because he had to marry someone. When Senlin talked about Marya, it always felt like he was talking about his favourite possession and not about a person he is supposed to be in love with. I didn't believe any emotion expressed by him as their whole marriage felt so superficial. Also, his descriptions of her were just sexist and dumb. In conclusion, I didn't buy it.
Apart from the main character and his marriage, the plot progression was just plain boring. Nothing happened. And when finally something exciting started happening, Senlin was very passive about it and eventually, I got bored again. I really think it was such of waste of opportunity because the world could be so intriguing.
The whole book Senlin is trying to find his lost wife but you know what got me? At the end of it, he still doesn't have any proper clue where she is and she's still missing! What was the point of it then? To only find a trustworthy crew for Senlin so he can finally start properly looking for her? Why was this book so long then?
I'm honestly disappointed as I had such big expectations that I would like it. I won't continue the series and I wouldn't recommend this one either.
Let's start with what I liked about it. The book worldbuilding is based on Tower of Babel where each floor is a completely different world with different rules, and societies. The only thing that was certain was that the world is cruel and Senlin shouldn't trust anyone. I loved the idea and the author gets the credit.
Although, that's probably it. The whole execution was truly bad with the worst main character. Senlin was a British academic who had a lot of knowledge, particularly about Tower of Babel. He was very arrogant, full of himself and when it came to action, totally useless. He didn't have any drive to him, the whole plot just happened to him and there wasn't any driving force. His only motivation was finding his wife. And I do have a problem here, too. I didn't believe he loved her and he married her just because he had to marry someone. When Senlin talked about Marya, it always felt like he was talking about his favourite possession and not about a person he is supposed to be in love with. I didn't believe any emotion expressed by him as their whole marriage felt so superficial. Also, his descriptions of her were just sexist and dumb. In conclusion, I didn't buy it.
Apart from the main character and his marriage, the plot progression was just plain boring. Nothing happened. And when finally something exciting started happening, Senlin was very passive about it and eventually, I got bored again. I really think it was such of waste of opportunity because the world could be so intriguing.
I'm honestly disappointed as I had such big expectations that I would like it. I won't continue the series and I wouldn't recommend this one either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Trafficking, and Slavery
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
nik_a's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Slavery
Minor: Alcohol
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
nicola4e's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Trafficking
Minor: Classism
deedireads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
Senlin Ascends, about a schoolteacher on a quest to find his missing wife in the infamous Tower of Babel, is such a fun adventure. I’d been meaning to read it forever, and I’m glad I finally did!
For you if: You’re a sucker for a bookish main character with a lot of room for growth.
FULL REVIEW:
Senlin Ascends, the first book in Josiah Bancroft’s recently completed Books of Babel quartet, has been waiting for me to pluck it off my shelf for at least two years. I’m glad I finally did! It’s a fun adventure with humor and imagination, but also substance.
The story is about a man named Thomas Senlin. He’s a schoolteacher in his small seaside village, recently married to a bright-spirited woman named Marya. They go to the famous Tower of Babel — a booming metropolis and reputed cultural center of the world that Senlin has long ached to see. But shortly after they get there, Marya disappears, and Senlin realizes the Tower isn’t all that he imagined it to be. His resolve to find her turns into a true quest as he makes his way up the tower’s “ringdoms.” (Yes, there’s an echo of Dante’s Inferno there.)
Certain parts of this book moved a little slowly, but there was, of course, lots of worldbuilding to be done. Anyway, it totally picked up at the end, and I love the hints at a nice little central mystery related to the tower itself, under the bigger mystery of Marya’s whereabouts. I also have such a soft spot in my heart for Senlin. He starts off naive and self-assured, but also clearly lovable. It was a delight to watch him start to change but also stay true to himself! And while there wasn’t much Marya in this book, the picture being painted of her makes me think I’m going to love her even MORE.
Fun fact: The first two books in this series were originally self-published, and they absolutely knocked people’s socks off. Orbit picked them up a few years later, reprinting the first two and finishing the last two. And it’s easy to see why. Book two, I’m coming for you soon!
TL;DR REVIEW:
Senlin Ascends, about a schoolteacher on a quest to find his missing wife in the infamous Tower of Babel, is such a fun adventure. I’d been meaning to read it forever, and I’m glad I finally did!
For you if: You’re a sucker for a bookish main character with a lot of room for growth.
FULL REVIEW:
Senlin Ascends, the first book in Josiah Bancroft’s recently completed Books of Babel quartet, has been waiting for me to pluck it off my shelf for at least two years. I’m glad I finally did! It’s a fun adventure with humor and imagination, but also substance.
The story is about a man named Thomas Senlin. He’s a schoolteacher in his small seaside village, recently married to a bright-spirited woman named Marya. They go to the famous Tower of Babel — a booming metropolis and reputed cultural center of the world that Senlin has long ached to see. But shortly after they get there, Marya disappears, and Senlin realizes the Tower isn’t all that he imagined it to be. His resolve to find her turns into a true quest as he makes his way up the tower’s “ringdoms.” (Yes, there’s an echo of Dante’s Inferno there.)
Certain parts of this book moved a little slowly, but there was, of course, lots of worldbuilding to be done. Anyway, it totally picked up at the end, and I love the hints at a nice little central mystery related to the tower itself, under the bigger mystery of Marya’s whereabouts. I also have such a soft spot in my heart for Senlin. He starts off naive and self-assured, but also clearly lovable. It was a delight to watch him start to change but also stay true to himself! And while there wasn’t much Marya in this book, the picture being painted of her makes me think I’m going to love her even MORE.
Fun fact: The first two books in this series were originally self-published, and they absolutely knocked people’s socks off. Orbit picked them up a few years later, reprinting the first two and finishing the last two. And it’s easy to see why. Book two, I’m coming for you soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Slavery, Drug use, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence
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
bookswithjk's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
This book is a straightforward quest story, in which a man loses his wife and climbs the tower in an effort to find her. I appreciate Senlin’s character growth from a timid daydreaming headmaster to a more hardened realistic pirate to be, but I found that the plot tended to drag a bit in certain areas. I would recommend this to those who enjoyed the Phantom Tollboth - Senlin Ascends definitely reminded me of that book a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, Slavery, and Trafficking
unboxedjack's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Gun violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Drug abuse
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