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steph33 's review for:
The Fall of Babel
by Josiah Bancroft
The Fall of Babel concludes Josiah Bancroft’s Tower of Babel series with a thrilling finale that was both awe-inspiring in scope and deeply personal in consequences. I’ve been struggling with my thoughts on this one. It’s been a long time since a book or series has left me with a book ‘hangover’ and I needed some time to parse out my feelings
The book begins with something I hope becomes ubiquitous to all long-running series–a summary of events to date. I found it incredibly helpful even though I’d re-read the series recently. This summary was written as if by a tabloid journalist in the Babel universe and it was a joy to read; so much so, I went back to the start and re-read it just to hear the cadence and rich vocabulary out loud. Bancroft’s signature style and love for words comes through clearly throughout the novel. Despite this attention to detail or penchant for poetry, the style never got in the way of the story. Crisp and concise or erudite and flowing, it felt like every sentence was carefully constructed and thought out. The epigraphs remain a treasure trove for quotations. I guarantee you could flip to the start of any chapter and find one worth reading.
I did struggle a little with the overall shape of the narrative. This novel opens by telling the story of a character who was excluded from the previous entry. We remain in that character’s story for a good quarter of the book and they don’t make their return until the last quarter. Don’t get me wrong, it was excellent story, it was just the abrupt change back to the rest of the cast that gave me a bit of narrative whiplash. However, after finishing the book, I can see why the choice was made and in a re-read I would settle into the story more easily.
The setting remains a high point and Bancroft provides a more comprehensive overview of the Tower while dipping in and out of ringdoms. The exaggeration and absurdity of each location remained entertaining rather than overbearing. I felt like there were times where the author was probing the boundaries of credulity but Bancroft’s deft touch won out in the end and I felt that the tone and setting heightened events rather than detracting from them. I guess I’m saying we never go to clown town. Instead, the Tower remains a world unto itself, a mystery of epic proportions, a steampunk continent ripe for exploration. It is both inviting and impenetrable and a fixture around which every character revolves, whether they want to or not.
The characters remain the stars of this series. I’m glad I decided to do a re-read in anticipation of the finale because the characters are dear to me and to see their growth and the trajectory of their arcs has been a pleasure. We did get some new characters introduced, some of great import, and in typical Bancroft fashion, every one felt necessary and distinct. But the focus remained on the friends (and enemies?) that have been with us from the start and I’m so glad. For me, this story has always been about found family, about people trying to do their best, to find themselves or others (hah, Senlin), and to hope. I think the characters were handled with care. The author has this trick of making their evolution entirely natural while maintaining a recognizable core of who they once were. My heart was alternately breaking or filling with joy and I felt like each character had a meaningful resolution.
The ending gave me the greatest pause. I don’t have any outright problems with it and I had to laugh when thinking back because I truly missed the foreshadowing but it doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t anticipating it. That, in combination with some bittersweet events, caused the hesitation and why I wanted to sit on this for a bit. I’m glad I gave myself some breathing room because the more I think about it the more right it feels. I am satisfied and content. Senlin is the pedantic and stubborn, kind and brave hero of my heart. The final scene will stick with me for a long time and I can’t ask for any more. *****
The book begins with something I hope becomes ubiquitous to all long-running series–a summary of events to date. I found it incredibly helpful even though I’d re-read the series recently. This summary was written as if by a tabloid journalist in the Babel universe and it was a joy to read; so much so, I went back to the start and re-read it just to hear the cadence and rich vocabulary out loud. Bancroft’s signature style and love for words comes through clearly throughout the novel. Despite this attention to detail or penchant for poetry, the style never got in the way of the story. Crisp and concise or erudite and flowing, it felt like every sentence was carefully constructed and thought out. The epigraphs remain a treasure trove for quotations. I guarantee you could flip to the start of any chapter and find one worth reading.
I did struggle a little with the overall shape of the narrative. This novel opens by telling the story of a character who was excluded from the previous entry. We remain in that character’s story for a good quarter of the book and they don’t make their return until the last quarter. Don’t get me wrong, it was excellent story, it was just the abrupt change back to the rest of the cast that gave me a bit of narrative whiplash. However, after finishing the book, I can see why the choice was made and in a re-read I would settle into the story more easily.
The setting remains a high point and Bancroft provides a more comprehensive overview of the Tower while dipping in and out of ringdoms. The exaggeration and absurdity of each location remained entertaining rather than overbearing. I felt like there were times where the author was probing the boundaries of credulity but Bancroft’s deft touch won out in the end and I felt that the tone and setting heightened events rather than detracting from them. I guess I’m saying we never go to clown town. Instead, the Tower remains a world unto itself, a mystery of epic proportions, a steampunk continent ripe for exploration. It is both inviting and impenetrable and a fixture around which every character revolves, whether they want to or not.
The characters remain the stars of this series. I’m glad I decided to do a re-read in anticipation of the finale because the characters are dear to me and to see their growth and the trajectory of their arcs has been a pleasure. We did get some new characters introduced, some of great import, and in typical Bancroft fashion, every one felt necessary and distinct. But the focus remained on the friends (and enemies?) that have been with us from the start and I’m so glad. For me, this story has always been about found family, about people trying to do their best, to find themselves or others (hah, Senlin), and to hope. I think the characters were handled with care. The author has this trick of making their evolution entirely natural while maintaining a recognizable core of who they once were. My heart was alternately breaking or filling with joy and I felt like each character had a meaningful resolution.
The ending gave me the greatest pause. I don’t have any outright problems with it and I had to laugh when thinking back because I truly missed the foreshadowing but it doesn’t change the fact that I wasn’t anticipating it. That, in combination with some bittersweet events, caused the hesitation and why I wanted to sit on this for a bit. I’m glad I gave myself some breathing room because the more I think about it the more right it feels. I am satisfied and content. Senlin is the pedantic and stubborn, kind and brave hero of my heart. The final scene will stick with me for a long time and I can’t ask for any more. *****