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barb4ry1 's review for:
The Hod King
by Josiah Bancroft
Such cruelty and disregard toward his readers and characters‘ feelings… Wow. I haven’t suspected Bancroft had it in him.
I was wrong.
The Hod King opens with the crew preparing to infiltrate Pelphia. Each of them gets a mission from Sphinx. None of them follows instructions. As a result, things go off the rails fast and with shocking and dark outcome. In theory, the plan should have worked - Iren and Voleta would infiltrate Pelphian society and contact Maria, while Tom, posing as a repulsive accountant, would investigate other things. What goes wrong? Tom can’t stay away from Maria. Iren and Voleta lack social graces and subtlety needed to blend in with spoiled, superficial and cruel Pelphians.
Contrary to previous instalments, The Hod King happens almost exclusively in the ringdom of Pelphia. We get glimpses of other levels of the tower, but not as much as some would love. Bancroft‘s imaginative, detailed and surprising world-building continues to entertain me, which is surprising. I rarely enjoy grand-scale, all-inclusive worlds rich with details, but somehow I can’t get enough of the Tower of Babel. The setting, with its Victorian feel, canons, steam trains, strange, clockwork mechanisms and Sphinx living experiments thrills me.
At this stage of the series I like all characters. I’m not sure if I could pick a favourite. Maybe Voleta? But wait, what about Edith? Or Tom? And Iren, Byron and Sphinx? The Hod King focuses strongly on Voleta, Iren and Edith’s arcs. Tom gets plenty of screen time, but his part of the story ends fast with shocking reveals. I can’t say much but consider this - on the surface Maria does well in the tower. She charms Pelphians with her voice and raw approach to playing music. Why would she leave her privileged life?
Voleta and Iren make an excellent duo with great chemistry. I mean, just picture Voleta as a well-behaved lady and Iren as her governess and try not to laugh. I dare you. It can finish only with a catastrophe. And it does. And when it happens, you’ll find yourself gutted. Swearing loudly and, if in a public place, trying hard not to throw your Kindle / book at people around you.
Expect no quarter. Prepare to see your beloved characters at their darkest hours. I’m not emotional, but two scenes near the end of the book hit me hard, made me choked up and shaky. I don’t hate Bancroft for them as it requires a lot of talent to make older readers feel things. And the older I get, the harder it gets to find books that genuinely move me. Well done, Josiah. Well done. You’ve broken me. Happy?
Part III of the book focuses on Edith and I absolutely loved it. I always liked and appreciated her. My feelings solidified. Captain Winters is a formidable, badass and complex character that struggles to stay human despite the odds and being part machine fuelled by Sphinx’s mysterious concoctions. Her relationship with Tom is touching and I’m no longer sure what to expect from the last book. Whatever happens, there’s just no chance for a happy ending for all survivors. This part of the book may infuriate readers willing to learn at once what happens after a twisted cliffhanger that takes place a moment before. They’ll have to be patient, though (or skip 200 pages). Edith’s and Byron adventure starts, chronologically, almost at the beginning of the book. It tests the reader, his patience and trust that the author knows what he‘s doing.
That said, part three is no less magnificent than previous ones. It shows Edith, Byron and two other characters I won’t mention in violent and insane situations. One of the unnamed characters dies, and this death devastated me.
The writing shines with wit, style and elegance and even most discriminate readers will find quotes that’ll stay with them. In the end, I consider Books of Babel one of the best series modern fantasy has to offer. Some may find it too slow, too detailed and not enough plot-driven, others will love unique world, light touch and unique subtlety. I stood firmly in the second camp and I can’t wait to read the ultimate book in the series next year.
I was wrong.
The Hod King opens with the crew preparing to infiltrate Pelphia. Each of them gets a mission from Sphinx. None of them follows instructions. As a result, things go off the rails fast and with shocking and dark outcome. In theory, the plan should have worked - Iren and Voleta would infiltrate Pelphian society and contact Maria, while Tom, posing as a repulsive accountant, would investigate other things. What goes wrong? Tom can’t stay away from Maria. Iren and Voleta lack social graces and subtlety needed to blend in with spoiled, superficial and cruel Pelphians.
Contrary to previous instalments, The Hod King happens almost exclusively in the ringdom of Pelphia. We get glimpses of other levels of the tower, but not as much as some would love. Bancroft‘s imaginative, detailed and surprising world-building continues to entertain me, which is surprising. I rarely enjoy grand-scale, all-inclusive worlds rich with details, but somehow I can’t get enough of the Tower of Babel. The setting, with its Victorian feel, canons, steam trains, strange, clockwork mechanisms and Sphinx living experiments thrills me.
At this stage of the series I like all characters. I’m not sure if I could pick a favourite. Maybe Voleta? But wait, what about Edith? Or Tom? And Iren, Byron and Sphinx? The Hod King focuses strongly on Voleta, Iren and Edith’s arcs. Tom gets plenty of screen time, but his part of the story ends fast with shocking reveals. I can’t say much but consider this - on the surface Maria does well in the tower. She charms Pelphians with her voice and raw approach to playing music. Why would she leave her privileged life?
Voleta and Iren make an excellent duo with great chemistry. I mean, just picture Voleta as a well-behaved lady and Iren as her governess and try not to laugh. I dare you. It can finish only with a catastrophe. And it does. And when it happens, you’ll find yourself gutted. Swearing loudly and, if in a public place, trying hard not to throw your Kindle / book at people around you.
Expect no quarter. Prepare to see your beloved characters at their darkest hours. I’m not emotional, but two scenes near the end of the book hit me hard, made me choked up and shaky. I don’t hate Bancroft for them as it requires a lot of talent to make older readers feel things. And the older I get, the harder it gets to find books that genuinely move me. Well done, Josiah. Well done. You’ve broken me. Happy?
Part III of the book focuses on Edith and I absolutely loved it. I always liked and appreciated her. My feelings solidified. Captain Winters is a formidable, badass and complex character that struggles to stay human despite the odds and being part machine fuelled by Sphinx’s mysterious concoctions. Her relationship with Tom is touching and I’m no longer sure what to expect from the last book. Whatever happens, there’s just no chance for a happy ending for all survivors. This part of the book may infuriate readers willing to learn at once what happens after a twisted cliffhanger that takes place a moment before. They’ll have to be patient, though (or skip 200 pages). Edith’s and Byron adventure starts, chronologically, almost at the beginning of the book. It tests the reader, his patience and trust that the author knows what he‘s doing.
That said, part three is no less magnificent than previous ones. It shows Edith, Byron and two other characters I won’t mention in violent and insane situations. One of the unnamed characters dies, and this death devastated me.
The writing shines with wit, style and elegance and even most discriminate readers will find quotes that’ll stay with them. In the end, I consider Books of Babel one of the best series modern fantasy has to offer. Some may find it too slow, too detailed and not enough plot-driven, others will love unique world, light touch and unique subtlety. I stood firmly in the second camp and I can’t wait to read the ultimate book in the series next year.