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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
I flagged this as fantasy but really it could be SF much in the same vein of Perdido Street Station. The prose is beautiful but I felt that the plot was a bit slow moving for a good part of the book.
Fast and fun read. Kind of like a dealt good choose your own adventure without the choosing
Book 1 in my Mr B's Emporium book subscription.
This was excellent. Layers upon layers of detail but it still feels like you're skipping along through the story all the way. A beautifully realised world (or worlds - every level of the tower is connected but unique in its features) that operates consistently according to its own (admittedly bizarre) rules and in which I found myself constantly rooting for Senlin and trying to predict and second guess a way through his predicament.
I would warn you though this is not really a whole book - it's really part one of a much longer story and it isn't tied up in a neat little bow at the end like it's a fully self-contained story with sequels you may or may not choose to continue with. There is still lots to be resolved at the final page.
This was excellent. Layers upon layers of detail but it still feels like you're skipping along through the story all the way. A beautifully realised world (or worlds - every level of the tower is connected but unique in its features) that operates consistently according to its own (admittedly bizarre) rules and in which I found myself constantly rooting for Senlin and trying to predict and second guess a way through his predicament.
I would warn you though this is not really a whole book - it's really part one of a much longer story and it isn't tied up in a neat little bow at the end like it's a fully self-contained story with sequels you may or may not choose to continue with. There is still lots to be resolved at the final page.
Fantasy/Quest/Steampunk/Literary/Hero’s Journey and so much more. Truly unique, loved it. Have to pace myself as the 4th and final book isn’t out until mid/late 2021
At the beginning, every little weird thing seemed like random and irrelevant details. But the more of these Chekovs Guns (which I assumed were unloaded) *actually* went off, I had to shift my perceptions of the book
Nearly perfect. So much fun. When you think about it, kind of like the plot of a super Mario game.
3.5 stars. I liked some sections (The Parlour, New Babel) quite a lot, but others (The Basement, The Baths) dragged on for what seemed like forever. There's a big revolving door of characters, and it's hard to keep track of who's who. I found a lot of the plot points almost too foreshadowed or anticlimactic, though that might be personal taste.
What a great book. I love the Characters and the prose is amazing. I can't wait for the next one.
loved the mystery and intrigue so much, and I genuinely loved all characters and their quirks. the ending felt a bit strange, like it took on an entire different theme that felt a bit random... so that was strange to adapt to and what made it lack that extra star but really looking forward to the 2nd book when I get my hands on it!
* I was sent this for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review *
This book is one I was highly excited to read as it's received an awful lot of praise from many authors and bloggers that I follow and really trust. I'm really glad so many did recommend this to me though, because I really enjoyed it in the end, and I also read this as a buddy read with my partner (his first proper fantasy read) and we had a really good time discussing it as we went and seeing how the story played out.
So, in this book we follow Thomas Senlin and his newly wed wife Marya who are on their honeymoon. They have chosen to visit the Tower of Babel as it's an incredible feat of engineering and Senlin is a Headmaster who teaches about, and has always been fascinated by, the Tower. They're journeying a fair way to get there, and they have the Everyman's Guide which Senlin believes will be invaluable, and yet when they do arrive things are certainly not what either of them expected...
There are various tower levels including the Basement, Parlour, Baths and New Babel and we get to visit them all over the course of the book. Each is almost like its own world or set for the events . that unfold, and we see the ill-advised Senlin as he struggles to navigate the politics, lifestyle, and oddities that the Tower throws at him. Senlin is not your typical 'hero' by any means, and it's always an adjustment for him each time he ascends.
What I really liked about this was the world and the character. Both of these elements are really important to me as a reader and I think they were both handled really nicely by the author. I also feel like although the plot is simple (he's hunting for his wife) it's a good simple story which can be expanded upon and fleshed out and that is exactly what the author has done.
Overall, this is a really solid and unique fantasy with a touch of steampunk thrown in too. I found it a very solidly good book, and I am very happy that I have the sequel (which comes out next month) so I can continue the series soon too! 4*s from me :)
This book is one I was highly excited to read as it's received an awful lot of praise from many authors and bloggers that I follow and really trust. I'm really glad so many did recommend this to me though, because I really enjoyed it in the end, and I also read this as a buddy read with my partner (his first proper fantasy read) and we had a really good time discussing it as we went and seeing how the story played out.
So, in this book we follow Thomas Senlin and his newly wed wife Marya who are on their honeymoon. They have chosen to visit the Tower of Babel as it's an incredible feat of engineering and Senlin is a Headmaster who teaches about, and has always been fascinated by, the Tower. They're journeying a fair way to get there, and they have the Everyman's Guide which Senlin believes will be invaluable, and yet when they do arrive things are certainly not what either of them expected...
There are various tower levels including the Basement, Parlour, Baths and New Babel and we get to visit them all over the course of the book. Each is almost like its own world or set for the events . that unfold, and we see the ill-advised Senlin as he struggles to navigate the politics, lifestyle, and oddities that the Tower throws at him. Senlin is not your typical 'hero' by any means, and it's always an adjustment for him each time he ascends.
What I really liked about this was the world and the character. Both of these elements are really important to me as a reader and I think they were both handled really nicely by the author. I also feel like although the plot is simple (he's hunting for his wife) it's a good simple story which can be expanded upon and fleshed out and that is exactly what the author has done.
Overall, this is a really solid and unique fantasy with a touch of steampunk thrown in too. I found it a very solidly good book, and I am very happy that I have the sequel (which comes out next month) so I can continue the series soon too! 4*s from me :)