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loper77's review
adventurous
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
cadmanreads's review
1.0
Rating and review to follow but...
I feel like the child in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'
I feel like the child in 'The Emperor's New Clothes'
brianpipa's review
Couldn't finish it. Was a bit boring and not what I was hoping for.
bmwilhoite's review
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
halcyonb's review
Really like it, very easy to get lost in this world. The main character is a little naive but becomes resourceful. It's not mind bending(it's a fantasy not a SciFi) but it is a comfortable read
elsmasho's review
adventurous
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
songwind's review
3.0
It's difficult for me to know how to review this book, or what to rate it.
First, the Good:
The setting, the Tower of Babel, is quite inventive. The concept of the huge, autonomous tower with its ringdoms and internal squabbling has a ton of potential.
Several of the characters, including Senlin, are quite well defined and interesting.
The writing is solid, and the plot taken as a whole is interesting.
The Not So Good
The setting and setup are interesting and inventive, but the author didn't think very far beyond that, resulting in a world that is described as hugely divergent from our own (the state of Ur is a world-striding power and center of things) but remains solidly pseudo-historical, with Senlin a typical stuffy literary Victorian. But without the world-striding British Empire, that never would have been a thing.
In typical stuffy literary Victorian fashion, Senlin spends a good quarter of the book being a pompous know-it-all, and insisting on his superiority and correctness even in the face of empirical evidence. He does begin to grow as a person, but the annoying git phase lasts long enough that I actually gave up on the book at first.
The basic premise (guy hunts for his wife) doesn't quite support the size of the story. By the end of the volume, more information has come to light that hints of much more complex and wide-ranging developments to come. But that leaves the first 2/3rds of the book feeling very slow paced and full of filler.
Finally, this book is written as the first act of a series. This isn't a problem for everyone, but I prefer series that have a slightly episodic feel, with a story and objective in each book as well as the overarching story. This one felt like it was all set-up with a bit of fantasy travelogue thrown in.
Conclusion
Despite my reservations about the book, by the end I was definitely enjoying it. I will certainly be continuing the story, but I may wait until the whole saga is complete before picking up book 2.
First, the Good:
The setting, the Tower of Babel, is quite inventive. The concept of the huge, autonomous tower with its ringdoms and internal squabbling has a ton of potential.
Several of the characters, including Senlin, are quite well defined and interesting.
The writing is solid, and the plot taken as a whole is interesting.
The Not So Good
The setting and setup are interesting and inventive, but the author didn't think very far beyond that, resulting in a world that is described as hugely divergent from our own (the state of Ur is a world-striding power and center of things) but remains solidly pseudo-historical, with Senlin a typical stuffy literary Victorian. But without the world-striding British Empire, that never would have been a thing.
In typical stuffy literary Victorian fashion, Senlin spends a good quarter of the book being a pompous know-it-all, and insisting on his superiority and correctness even in the face of empirical evidence. He does begin to grow as a person, but the annoying git phase lasts long enough that I actually gave up on the book at first.
The basic premise (guy hunts for his wife) doesn't quite support the size of the story. By the end of the volume, more information has come to light that hints of much more complex and wide-ranging developments to come. But that leaves the first 2/3rds of the book feeling very slow paced and full of filler.
Finally, this book is written as the first act of a series. This isn't a problem for everyone, but I prefer series that have a slightly episodic feel, with a story and objective in each book as well as the overarching story. This one felt like it was all set-up with a bit of fantasy travelogue thrown in.
Conclusion
Despite my reservations about the book, by the end I was definitely enjoying it. I will certainly be continuing the story, but I may wait until the whole saga is complete before picking up book 2.
ndpmclean's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was fun. Very different than other fantasy books. It felt like an old story having been rediscovered. I will certainly try the next book to see what happens next!