Arm of the Sphinx (The Books of Babel, #2) by Josiah Bancroft

Synopsis:

The Tower of Babel is proving to be as difficult to reenter as it was to break out of. Forced into a life of piracy, Senlin and his eclectic crew are struggling to survive aboard their stolen airship as the hunt to rescue Senlin's lost wife continues.

Hopeless and desolate, they turn to a legend of the Tower, the mysterious Sphinx. But help from the Sphinx never comes cheaply, and as Senlin knows, debts aren't always what they seem in the Tower of Babel.

Time is running out, and now Senlin must choose between his friends, his freedom, and his wife.

Does anyone truly escape the Tower?

 

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Wow. Just wow. I'm not sure where to begin my review. I don't know what to say that will even come close to how absolutely brilliant Arm of the Sphinx was. You should read this book. You should read Senlin Ascends, the just-as-incredible book that comes before this one. I don't say this lightly, but I truly do believe that this series is a masterpiece of fantasy, despite its unfinished state at the time of penning this review.

Arm of the Sphinx is a much different beast than Senlin Ascends. Whereas the first novel was about laying a foundation for the world and watching Thomas Senlin grow, this book is slower. It's a study in the characters and their relationships to each other and the world of the Tower. It's not nearly as action-packed as Senlin Ascends was, but filled me with the same sense of excitement and wonder to know more about the world.

I think what strikes me most about the Books of Babel is how organic the world feels despite its tendency toward whimsy. I'm pretty good at suspension of disbelief and becoming entirely engrossed in a world, but I think a lesser writer wouldn't be able to achieve the kind of immersion Bancroft does with his ideas. Parts of the world that should seem cartoonish don't feel so at all. It's really remarkable.

I'm also very impressed with how consistent the quality is between the first book and this one. I find that oftentimes with series, the quality can vary between books. I may love the first book, but hate the second one. This isn't the case at all with Josiah Bancroft's novels. I loved this book just as much as the first one, despite their noticeable differences. I think that's difficult to achieve, and Bancroft has navigated it masterfully.

Honestly, this is the sort of series I want to live inside. Not in the sense that I think I would survive in the Tower (I wouldn't), but that despite the danger the characters undergo, this is the sort of book that makes me feel safe. Reading Senlin Ascends and Arm of the Sphinx both filled me with the sort of feeling I get when I read a long-beloved novel - it feels like coming home. That, in my opinion, is the marker of a true classic. (And mind you, I've never read these books until now.)

With finishing this book, Bancroft has joined my list of authors where I will automatically read anything they write. Heck, Bancroft could scribble his grocery list on a napkin and I'd read it. So, to say the least, The Hod King is now my most anticipated read of 2018.

Also, I love Byron.