Jump to content

The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft *Spoilers for all three books*


DaveSumm

Recommended Posts

Comprising Senlin Ascends, The Arm of the Sphinx, The Hod King and an upcoming fourth and concluding book.

I could’ve sworn there was a more recent thread but the only one I could find was archived? Anyway, I finally finished The Hod King and it’s easily on par with the first two. It has a more unusual structure in that it covers the same period of time three times over from different points of view, and each of the three ‘endings’ are very much worthy of being a book ending. It can be a little jarring going from one climax to the slow pace of the next section, but it’s worth it. So much happens here that I didn’t expect, particularly the concluding chapters of the first section. It seems every book is designed to make you think the series will be about one thing, only for the next to wrong foot you. 

This is comfortably my favourite series since reading aSoIaF, I can’t wait for the fourth book.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 9 months later...

Just finished the three books.  Had a blast with them.

The tone changed significantly along the way in each book and I think he handled it masterfully.  I am also looking forward to The Fall of Babel probably more than any other series conclusion currently... though that may be at least partly because it will conclude.  :lol: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Rorshach said:

Hard not to be excited after that video!

Still, I don't need a video to be excited about this book.

I’ve always thought “book trailers” are ridiculous and cringe worthy.  (Seriously... that Dresden one linked recently was awful.) But yeah, this one was awesome.  Love the cute kid and the 80s-tastic song!

4 hours ago, Gaston de Foix said:

I'm very excited too.  And the video is adorable.  My only grumble is why isn't it listed on Amazon (even sans price or publication date) so I can add it to my wishlist?  

Do peeps think the title is maybe a trifle spoilery?

Maybe a touch.  But I don’t think after the way THK ended that there is any chance the status quo will hold up.

I’m dying to know what is going on with the Sphinx at the end?  Why has she gone silent?  And surely Edith’s decision to leave Pell broken but not dead behind them will come back to haunt them...

Is there time travel involved with the people living on the roof?  How did they already know Adam?

One thing I have liked about these books is that everyone seems to resurface.  At first in SA, I really thought the series would be following Tom as he made his way up the tower and many of these characters would be one offs.  But then you have guys like Finn Goll and Tarrou that keep showing up.  Even the daughter of the professor Tom robbed showed up to out him to Pell.

Ohhhh... and I just realized how/where Tom and Marya will be reunited.  She told him she’d wait for him on the roof way back in the first pages of the story... she’ll be up there with Adam and such when it all comes to a head.

I will also throw out some praise for a legit love triangle that works. It’s rare in any media to find a real and believable romantic tangle like this.  I genuinely like Marya in every scene we’ve seen her and I like her with Tom.  But Tom and Edith have a shared basis for a relationship that has been well established and developed. It was heart wrenching to be in Edith’s head when she realized that Tom and Marya had a kid together and what it would mean for her.

I genuinely say this is one of the best written series that I’ve come across and it amazes me that it began as a self published work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Gaston de Foix said:

Do peeps think the title is maybe a trifle spoilery?

Yea, unless it’s an allegorical ‘fall’ or some such thing ... it’s difficult to see how the ending couldn’t be pretty bad given what we’ve been told about the Tower’s importance, and the immense amount of death that its fall would entail.

11 hours ago, Rhom said:

Is there time travel involved with the people living on the roof?  How did they already know Adam?

There’s a sample chapter from Book 4 on the website about Adam, but it doesn’t clear up your question as I recall. That was a hell of a cliffhanger to not pick up at all in the following book.

Shall I add spoilers to the title or shall we tag them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, DaveSumm said:

Yea, unless it’s an allegorical ‘fall’ or some such thing ... it’s difficult to see how the ending couldn’t be pretty bad given what we’ve been told about the Tower’s importance, and the immense amount of death that its fall would entail.

There’s a sample chapter from Book 4 on the website about Adam, but it doesn’t clear up your question as I recall. That was a hell of a cliffhanger to not pick up at all in the following book.

Shall I add spoilers to the title or shall we tag them?

Oooooh… I think I already thought it was spoilers.  You're right.  Up to you, but I'd say tagging it in the title might be easiest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...