A review by morganv10
Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft

4.0

Excellently written. A naive schoolteacher from the countryside loses his wife in a Kafkaesque tower where one must exploit or be exploited. Remains whimsical and lighthearted, optimistic despite the Tower's decidedly uncharitable view of human nature. I didn't think I'd enjoy this story because the constant tribulations of the protagonist provoked my anxiety, but the writing carried me through and I'm excited to read the rest of the series. I adored the setpiece in the final chapter, which brought the book to a triumphant close.