Senlin Ascends follows Thomas Senlin, the naïve headmaster of a rural village who goes on a grand honeymoon to the famous Tower of Babel only to lose his new wife, Marya, there on the very first day of their trip. This first book in the Books of Babel series has Senlin ascending the first "ringdoms" of the Tower in his efforts to track down Marya before she disappears forever and it will test everything he thought he knew of the marvel which was supposed to represent the greatness of humanity.

The character work in Senlin is superb. Senlin himself begins as a frustratingly naive person who has built this version of the Tower in his mind as the pinnacle of human achievement and despite constant evidence to the contrary as he ascends, continues to let his optimism guide him down unwise paths. However, Bancroft uses flashbacks to the village and Senlin's life there that give the reader this picture of Senlin as an intelligent but socially awkward man who struggles to know how to interact with others and has a deep love of learning and literature. Not only did this make Senlin sympathetic, but you also get some of the feel for his relationship with Marya and how much she means to him so it's very easy to root for Senlin as he searches the Tower for her and braves many situations for which he is completely unprepared. He's very much a reluctant hero and I'll admit that there is no character I've yelled at out loud more than Senlin when did incredibly unwise things, but I also loved him dearly. He just felt very relatable even when he was being a complete idiot. I will say that there's a bit towards the end where Senlin's unrelenting optimism in the face of everything that the Tower throws at him that did feel a little....difficult to believe. He struggled less than I feel like a normal person would have with a certain betrayal.

And it isn't just Senlin. The people that he meets and chooses to befriend all have their own motivations and challenges and as Senlin blunders through, you get to see more of what's driving these other characters and why they make the choices that they do. Having these complex side characters makes Senlin's optimism and faith all the more impactful and by the end of the book, I loved many of the side characters as much as I loved Senlin. I didn't necessarily trust any of them, but I can't wait to see what happens.

I also have to mention the world-building and the use of the Tower as a character in its own right. At the beginning of the story, the reader is learning the truth about the Tower along with Senlin and the way that the leisurely pacing at the beginning is paired with abrupt instances of bloody violence keeps the reader unsettled and aware that the atmosphere of the Tower can turn deadly at a moment's notice. I'm not always a fan of leisurely pacing but in this case, I felt that the pacing served the tone well, and the acceleration in Part 3 of the story will help even those who aren't fond of leisurely pacing.

Overall, I'd place Senlin Ascends in my list of favorite reads in 2021 and honestly, will likely make my list of favorite fantasy series in general. Bancroft's writing style of dry humor, poetic description and suspenseful, almost menacing tone combine with fantastic character work for an incredible start to a new favorite steampunk tale. If I wasn't trying to pace myself with one book a month until the release of the final book in the series in November, I'd be binging it all this week. Highly recommend it for fans of steampunk and complex characters, with the caveat that the pacing tends toward leisurely for a solid part of the story.

CAWPILE Rating
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Characters: 10/10
Atmosphere: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Intrigue: 9/10
Logic: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 9.43/10

3.75 Stars

At first I wasn’t sure I would like this book. I didn’t vibe with the main character, I thought the world was incoherent (not in a fun way) and the main plot to be lacking.

But I continued through the book because of the excellent writing. I’m glad I finished it, as the majority of my issues with plot, world and character improved as the story unfolded. The arc the main character underwent was engaging, and the story surrounding the main plot became much more interesting. The steampunk parts of the world became more explicit and fun, and some of the other parts I didn’t vibe with were given (at least some) explanation.

I ended up really enjoying this, and am now excited to move onto the second book which can hopefully start with more Oompfh. This is a book which the reader has to stick with, with the knowledge it is the set up for a longer series.

Now, despite my enjoyment, I still had some issues and complaints. The main one for me really is how the main female character, Mayra, is written initially. Through flashbacks we are presented with a pretty one-note character filtered through a male gaze. This improves later in the book somewhat, when we see a different side to Mayra, although this is still heavily filtered by the male character’s perspectives of the situation. The later addition of more female characters also improves this, although of these three, only Edith really receives any depth.

I’m hoping the second book of the series resolves this hang up, and can do something with the characters and world it set up. Overall it’s nice when an author can keep your attention with good writing alone, and reward that faith with an engaging story.