Senlin Ascends: Book One of the Books of Babel

(Paperback)

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Description

'Gracefully written, deliriously imaginative, action-packed, warm, witty and thought-provoking' Madeline Miller, author of Circe

'One of my favourite books of all time' - Mark Lawrence, author of Prince of Thorns

'I'm wildly in love with this book' - Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising

DISCOVER THE EXTRAORDINARY DEBUT THAT HAS GOT EVERYONE TALKING

Mild-mannered headmaster, Thomas Senlin prefers his adventures to be safely contained within the pages of a book. So when he loses his new bride shortly after embarking on the honeymoon of their dreams, he is ill-prepared for the trouble that follows.

To find her, Senlin must enter the Tower of Babel - a world of geniuses and tyrants, of menace and wonder, of unusual animals and mysterious machines. And if he hopes to ever see his wife again, he will have to do more than just survive . . . this quiet man of letters must become a man of action.

'Brilliant' - Publishers Weekly

'I loved it' - Django Wexler

'An engrossing intoxicating delight' - Forbidden Planet

'An extraordinary debut that is well worthy of the hype. A beautifully written, highly engaging page-turning masterpiece' - Fantasy Book Review

'Thomas Senlin is the most unlikely yet likeable hero since a certain hobbit rushed out of Bag End leaving his second breakfast half-finished and entirely unwashed-up' - Fantasy Faction

Reviews

Senlin Ascends is one of the best reads I've had in ages . . . I was dragged in and didn't escape until I'd finished . . . It has truly excellent prose. So many lines made me deeply jealous. Clever, literary, insightful lines that cut to the quick of the matter. The story is compelling. It unfolds and unfolds. Because the characters are excellently drawn, I cared very much about where it was all going. The imagination is unbound and intriguing . . . I hope it finds the audience it deserves

A terrific, free-ranging fantasy that ranges from Kafkaesque horror to heist thriller, all tied together by themes of agency and ascension. What begins as a disconnected series of curious vignettes turns into an exciting and cunningly constructed epic. Senlin is that rare fantasy protagonist that succeeds solely through intelligence and hard work, making his progress (such as it is) all the more impressive. This book is bonkers, entertaining, clever and - quite possibly - unique

Senlin Ascends crosses the everyday strangeness and lyrical prose of Borges and Gogol with all the action and adventure of high fantasy. I loved it, and grabbed the next one as soon as I turned the last page

This is an exceedingly rich book. A depth of imagination married with a poetic turn of phrase and an engaging cast of characters (both those we meet and those who keep us waiting) conspire to deliver an epic story soaring high above the clouds

Author Bio

Before settling down to write fantasy novels, Josiah Bancroft was a poet, college instructor and aspiring comic book artist. When he is not writing, he enjoys recording the Crit Faced podcast with his authorial friends, drawing the world of the Tower and cooking dinner without a recipe. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Sharon, their daughter, Maddie and their two rabbits, Mabel and Chaplin.

More examples of his work, including updates on upcoming instalments in the Books of Babel series, can be found at www.thebooksofbabel.com.