Senlin Ascends

Senlin Ascends is set in one of the most unique fantasy worlds I’ve ever encountered. It’s one part adventure story, one part travelogue, and it’s all heart. As I was reading, it often put me in mind of classic fantasy from my childhood, novels like The Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Neverending Story. Josiah Bancroft has given us the opening chapter in what I am certain will become a classic fantasy series.

Bancroft opens the story with the titular Thomas Senlin and his wife Marya arriving at the Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. From the opening chapter this uniquely imaginative world shines. The Senlins arrive at the Tower of Babel via train, having come from southern, coastal Ur. Their clothing and manners are evocative of Victorian England. On paper, the pitch sounds like a hard sell, “I want to make a steampunk setting—but not in Europe! No, in ancient Ur/Sumer/Babylon. But with Victorian manners. Oh, and it’s going to be kinda a travelogue.” Nevertheless, it works wonderfully. Part of the reason is because Bancroft excels at crafting beautiful, descriptive prose. As Senlin enters the Tower of Babel—in search of his wife, from whom he has been separated—we’re treated to vivid descriptions of steampowered chaos. As Senlin ascends the tower, we’re shown different societies, ways of life, and technology on each level or “ringdom.”

Each of these ringdoms comes alive because of Bancroft’s prose. Beyond the simple words on the page, Senlin Ascends is filled with very well-crafted characters. Senlin himself is incredibly relatable and has a discernible pattern of growth in this book. But many of the side characters he comes into contact with are equally well crafted. We see growth for various characters in myriad small ways. We come to understand their motivations, and even more importantly, their fears and hopes. This makes everything feel real and alive. These characters allow Bancroft to include some wonderful themes of trust, friendship, and how external factors can shape a person. This all comes off with an emotional punch that elevates the entire book. We quickly find ourselves rooting for Senlin, in spite of his flaws. Each of the characters that Senlin brings into his orbit are equally flawed but also somehow people we want to root for. We deeply care about them.

It does bear mentioning that the first half of the novel can feel a bit slow at times. The sense of discovery largely makes up for that, but for those who strongly dislike slow starts you should be aware that it’s absolutely worth pushing through those slow moments toward the beginning. It feels a little like the first forty percent or so of the book is really setting up the plot and other pieces that make the second half of the book shine so brightly. This slow start can combine with the weird world to make things feel a little out of sorts. For me, this ended somewhere around 40% and I was hooked from there.

Senlin Ascends is already much loved. I have no doubt it will be a book that is talked about for years to come. If you, like myself, are late to this party and haven’t enjoyed Bancroft’s debut yet, you should do so posthaste. This one has heart.

4.4/5 stars

5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing