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skayre 's review for:
Senlin Ascends
by Josiah Bancroft
This is very clearly another case of "It's not you, it's me". Senlin Ascends is a very competent book. The prose is well written, the characters are unique and the setting is intriguing. However, it just wasn't for me.
I felt the first three quarters of the book were a little meandering, almost Kafkian. Things keep happening to Senlin and he doesn't seem to have a lot of agency, which I guess makes sense given the main character's personality but it just felt like the plot was taking over when circumstances required it, which broke my suspension of disbelief. Most plot threads and seemingly inconsequential details do come together and receive an explanation later on, but I didn't find the payoff especially worthwhile. The book gets a bit more focused in the last quarter but, without spoiling anything, I didn't think the changes were extremely convincing or interesting.
With all that said, I have the impression that some of my thoughts are colored by my initial expectations. I wouldn't quite consider it a fantasy novel - I'd probably slot it into the magical realism or surrealism categories. I may have also been a victim of the hype surrounding the book.
I felt the first three quarters of the book were a little meandering, almost Kafkian. Things keep happening to Senlin and he doesn't seem to have a lot of agency, which I guess makes sense given the main character's personality but it just felt like the plot was taking over when circumstances required it, which broke my suspension of disbelief. Most plot threads and seemingly inconsequential details do come together and receive an explanation later on, but I didn't find the payoff especially worthwhile. The book gets a bit more focused in the last quarter but, without spoiling anything, I didn't think the changes were extremely convincing or interesting.
With all that said, I have the impression that some of my thoughts are colored by my initial expectations. I wouldn't quite consider it a fantasy novel - I'd probably slot it into the magical realism or surrealism categories. I may have also been a victim of the hype surrounding the book.