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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
the book starts off slow, even though big momentous things happen, and then evolves into as many layers as there are levels on the tower. great stuff. this is probably the smallest big-world creation i've read.
Ahoy there mateys! This book kinda defies categorization. The basic plot is that a reticent schoolmaster, Thomas, takes his bride to the Tower of Babel on their honeymoon. But what is meant to be a romantic holiday turns to hell when Thomas loses his wife in the crowd. He is determined to find her but has to confront the many levels of the Tower with its laws that seem to defy all logic and rationalization. This book is an absolutely lovely slow-burner of a book. I have tried to write a review multiple times for this one only to fall short. This is a super complex and detailed world which fascinates as much as it confounds. I thought the theatre ring of the tower was absolutely perfect. As good as this book is, I don’t find meself rushing to get the next book of the series. Small steps with this one. All I need now is the right mood to savour the next one. Arrrr!
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com
Check out me other reviews at https://thecaptainsquartersblog.wordpress.com
The world is so intriguing and Tom's growth while he searches for his wife throughout the book kept me engaged. Really excited to see where his adventures go.
4.5 stars! What an indie treasure. Incredibly imaginative and original. The world sucks you in and leaves you wanting to know everything about it. The growth of character for Senlin from first page to last feels completely earned and is gripping to read!
Well, that was really good.
For those who don't know, the story is about a school teacher who goes on honeymoon to the Tower of Babel, which is this massive structure with dozens of different layers, each of which has its own distinct culture. He loses his wife in the crowds and makes his way up the tower in search of her.
I picked it up after seeing it recommended by people whose opinions I trust both on Goodreads an on /r/fantasy (reddit's fantasy discussion board) and because the author always makes great contributions to discussions on /r/fantasy. The final straw was when I saw that he had chosen "Papa Won't Leave You Henry" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and "Wave of Mutilation" by Pixies as the theme songs for two of his characters.
Anyway, into the review:
The book is well paced. It drew me in quicker than I expected and kept me interested all the way through.
The premise is intriguing, by which I mean the Tower of Babel is fascinating to read about, and the worldbuilding is handled well (there are no massive info-dumps, you learn about the Tower at a pace that is slow enough to feel natural without being too frustrating).
I thought the prose was very good, which is quite an important aspect for me. It wasn't overly dense, flowery, or descriptive, but every now and then I'd come across a particular turn of phrase which made me pause in appreciation. It was a bit like Ursula Le Guin's writing in that way, although her style is a bit simpler. If I could improve the book in any way I'd probably make the prose a bit denser, as the Tower is a fantastic setting to explore, and I imagine that it would be even more amazing to read about if it was written in a style similar to that of The Book of the New Sun or Gormenghast. Both of these books have brilliant settings, and, when combined with their prose, they instilled in me a great sense of wonder which I felt was so close to happening in Senlin Ascends. This is a minor point, however, and one based on personal taste. The book would probably lose some of its accessibility and wider appeal if it was written in this way.
Characterisation may have been this book's strongest aspect. The majority of the focus is on Thomas Senlin, who was a truly fantastic protagonist. He is likeable yet flawed, which is what a protagonist should be, and the development of his character over the course of the book was superb. He begins as a stuffy, pedantic, self-important little man, and it was very satisfying watching him develop into a better, wiser and more capable person. None of the changes felt unnatural, and they were unnoticeable at the time, but by the end he's a very different man to who he was at the beginning. The side-characters are very good as well. Bancroft manages to give each of them a complex and compelling personality in a relatively short amount of time.
I fully intend to pick up the sequel, and its nice to know that the third installment of the tetralogy should come out later this year.
8.5/10
Update August 2017: Looking back I think I praised this book slightly too highly. It hasn't left that much of an impression on me (which is how I tend to measure the greatness of a book), and a 9/10 would put it among my all time favourites, so I'm knocking it down to 8.5/10. That's still a great score, and this doesn't mean that it was any less of an enjoyable read. It's still one of the best pieces of modern fantasy I've read, and I'd still encourage people to go and read it.
For those who don't know, the story is about a school teacher who goes on honeymoon to the Tower of Babel, which is this massive structure with dozens of different layers, each of which has its own distinct culture. He loses his wife in the crowds and makes his way up the tower in search of her.
I picked it up after seeing it recommended by people whose opinions I trust both on Goodreads an on /r/fantasy (reddit's fantasy discussion board) and because the author always makes great contributions to discussions on /r/fantasy. The final straw was when I saw that he had chosen "Papa Won't Leave You Henry" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and "Wave of Mutilation" by Pixies as the theme songs for two of his characters.
Anyway, into the review:
The book is well paced. It drew me in quicker than I expected and kept me interested all the way through.
The premise is intriguing, by which I mean the Tower of Babel is fascinating to read about, and the worldbuilding is handled well (there are no massive info-dumps, you learn about the Tower at a pace that is slow enough to feel natural without being too frustrating).
I thought the prose was very good, which is quite an important aspect for me. It wasn't overly dense, flowery, or descriptive, but every now and then I'd come across a particular turn of phrase which made me pause in appreciation. It was a bit like Ursula Le Guin's writing in that way, although her style is a bit simpler. If I could improve the book in any way I'd probably make the prose a bit denser, as the Tower is a fantastic setting to explore, and I imagine that it would be even more amazing to read about if it was written in a style similar to that of The Book of the New Sun or Gormenghast. Both of these books have brilliant settings, and, when combined with their prose, they instilled in me a great sense of wonder which I felt was so close to happening in Senlin Ascends. This is a minor point, however, and one based on personal taste. The book would probably lose some of its accessibility and wider appeal if it was written in this way.
Characterisation may have been this book's strongest aspect. The majority of the focus is on Thomas Senlin, who was a truly fantastic protagonist. He is likeable yet flawed, which is what a protagonist should be, and the development of his character over the course of the book was superb. He begins as a stuffy, pedantic, self-important little man, and it was very satisfying watching him develop into a better, wiser and more capable person. None of the changes felt unnatural, and they were unnoticeable at the time, but by the end he's a very different man to who he was at the beginning. The side-characters are very good as well. Bancroft manages to give each of them a complex and compelling personality in a relatively short amount of time.
I fully intend to pick up the sequel, and its nice to know that the third installment of the tetralogy should come out later this year.
8.5/10
Update August 2017: Looking back I think I praised this book slightly too highly. It hasn't left that much of an impression on me (which is how I tend to measure the greatness of a book), and a 9/10 would put it among my all time favourites, so I'm knocking it down to 8.5/10. That's still a great score, and this doesn't mean that it was any less of an enjoyable read. It's still one of the best pieces of modern fantasy I've read, and I'd still encourage people to go and read it.
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
Imagine Dante's '[b:Inferno|15645|Inferno|Dante Alighieri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520255019l/15645._SY75_.jpg|2377563]' meets Carroll's '[b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327872220l/24213._SY75_.jpg|2375385]' with a steampunk edge, and you've got 'Senlin Ascends'.
Whilst reading, it is easy to see the inspiration that fuelled the creation of this novel. And yet Bancroft has carefully tended these sparks, fanning them into a roaring fire of creativity that has resulted in the development of something entirely his own. Thanks to these efforts, 'Senlin Ascends' retains a strong sense of originality in spite of the influence of its famous forebears.
Poor Thomas Senlin is on the honeymoon from hell, having lost his wife within the first ten minutes of reaching their illustrious (if chaotic) destination, the Tower of Babel. Ostensibly the plot revolves around Thomas' search for the missing Marya and the many obstacles thrown into his path; but I was pleasantly surprised by how much further this book went. It took the plotline to the absolute max and fully delivered on the promise of its potential in this regard.
I struggled through the earliest stages of the book, finding it lacked any real sense of pace. Despite the monumental setting of the story, the scope of the world-building also felt too confined and I was left willing it to either end, or get better.
It got better.
It got much better.
The saviour of this novel was Tom's character development and his overall story arc. Each time he adapted to his situation, I fell a bit further into the rabbit hole.
The plot itself is full of intrigue, and you can feel Bancroft's commitment to the storytelling in every page. Colour me impressed.
But a slow start doesn't really warrant a 3.5 star rating. The other issue that held this back from a more deserving 4-4.5 star review was the big chunk in the middle that dragged on a bit. The ending, however, went a long way to making up for it and - despite the blip along the way - the book felt sound in it's construction as a whole.
Besides anything else, I'm curious to see where the story will go from here. My interest has definitely been piqued by the many things that this book got right - enough to keep me invested in the next instalment at the very least.
Overall, a solid debut detailing a novel idea that is generally well executed, but (like most things) has a few minor flaws. Worth the read, for sure.
Reading challenge:
- EHRTBM TBR Revival
Imagine Dante's '[b:Inferno|15645|Inferno|Dante Alighieri|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1520255019l/15645._SY75_.jpg|2377563]' meets Carroll's '[b:Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|24213|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass|Lewis Carroll|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327872220l/24213._SY75_.jpg|2375385]' with a steampunk edge, and you've got 'Senlin Ascends'.
Whilst reading, it is easy to see the inspiration that fuelled the creation of this novel. And yet Bancroft has carefully tended these sparks, fanning them into a roaring fire of creativity that has resulted in the development of something entirely his own. Thanks to these efforts, 'Senlin Ascends' retains a strong sense of originality in spite of the influence of its famous forebears.
Poor Thomas Senlin is on the honeymoon from hell, having lost his wife within the first ten minutes of reaching their illustrious (if chaotic) destination, the Tower of Babel. Ostensibly the plot revolves around Thomas' search for the missing Marya and the many obstacles thrown into his path; but I was pleasantly surprised by how much further this book went. It took the plotline to the absolute max and fully delivered on the promise of its potential in this regard.
I struggled through the earliest stages of the book, finding it lacked any real sense of pace. Despite the monumental setting of the story, the scope of the world-building also felt too confined and I was left willing it to either end, or get better.
It got better.
It got much better.
The saviour of this novel was Tom's character development and his overall story arc. Each time he adapted to his situation, I fell a bit further into the rabbit hole.
The plot itself is full of intrigue, and you can feel Bancroft's commitment to the storytelling in every page. Colour me impressed.
But a slow start doesn't really warrant a 3.5 star rating. The other issue that held this back from a more deserving 4-4.5 star review was the big chunk in the middle that dragged on a bit. The ending, however, went a long way to making up for it and - despite the blip along the way - the book felt sound in it's construction as a whole.
Besides anything else, I'm curious to see where the story will go from here. My interest has definitely been piqued by the many things that this book got right - enough to keep me invested in the next instalment at the very least.
Overall, a solid debut detailing a novel idea that is generally well executed, but (like most things) has a few minor flaws. Worth the read, for sure.
Reading challenge:
- EHRTBM TBR Revival
A strangely charming story about a provincial schoolmaster who finds himself alone on what is meant to be the trip of a lifetime with his new bride. In a sort of steampunk alternate reality, Thomas Senlin considers himself one of the wiser and more worldly citizens of his small community and has dreamt for years of visiting the Tower of Babel, which he views as the pinnacle of human achievement and culture. The novel explores Senlin's adventures, both worldly and emotional/psychological, as he comes to grip with the reality of the tower (and the world) as opposed to his ideas of it.
The book seemed a little plodding at first - I found myself checking my progress often early on, which is not usually a good sign. By the time I got about 1/4 in to the book, however, I was more fully invested in the characters and the search for Mrs. Senlin. Thomas's early experiences in the tower are honestly kind of brutal and off-putting to me, but they set the stage well for this Odyssey-like journey. I like the way Thomas's character is revealed through his memories of his "previous" life, and while I wish we had a fuller view of his wife's personality and journey, she is brought to life through memory and hearsay fully enough to feel like more than just a Macguffin. By the end, I was surprised by how much I was enjoying it and rooting for Thomas and his allies, and his marriage. I am looking forward to reading further in the next book.
The book seemed a little plodding at first - I found myself checking my progress often early on, which is not usually a good sign. By the time I got about 1/4 in to the book, however, I was more fully invested in the characters and the search for Mrs. Senlin. Thomas's early experiences in the tower are honestly kind of brutal and off-putting to me, but they set the stage well for this Odyssey-like journey. I like the way Thomas's character is revealed through his memories of his "previous" life, and while I wish we had a fuller view of his wife's personality and journey, she is brought to life through memory and hearsay fully enough to feel like more than just a Macguffin. By the end, I was surprised by how much I was enjoying it and rooting for Thomas and his allies, and his marriage. I am looking forward to reading further in the next book.
This was such a fun book! I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
This book was so fun and so unexpected in the best way. Senlin was so straightforward as a character but his actions were complex, and his thinking and what he knew were constantly being challenged. His ability to pivot while navigating the unknown was done so well and came with so much hardship on top of what he was already experiencing. It would have been so simple to make resolutions and the correct course action easy for Senlin and I love that Bancroft did not take that route. Senlin had what I thought was the correct ratio of wins to losses. I also love the complexity of all the characters and how the parts they played, big or small, were not only important to the development of the plot but made sense for it as well. Pure greatness.