THE SECRETS OF THE TOWER WILL FINALLY BE REVEALED IN THE REMARKABLE CONCLUSION TO THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BOOKS OF BABEL SERIES.
As Marat’s siege engine bores through the Tower, Senlin can do nothing but observe the mayhem from inside the belly of the beast.
Edith and her crew are forced to face Marat on unequal footing, with Senlin caught in the crossfire, while Adam attempts to unravel the mystery of his fame inside the crowning ringdom.
And when the Brick Layer’s true ambition is revealed, neither the Tower nor its inhabitants will ever be the same again.
I’ve been a huge fan of this series the first of which, Senlin Ascends, I bought on something of a whim a couple of years ago. Needless to say that, as book four of a quadrilogy, this isn’t a book you can just pick up without reading the preceding novels, although for anyone who has left a little gap between books three and four there is a handy reminder as to what’s happened so far and where everyone is at the outset of the novel. As it is the final book in the series, I will try to avoid spoilers for the previous novels in this review, although it’s impossible to discuss some elements of the plot without doing so. You have been warned.
The previous book, The Hod King, noticeably glossed over one relatively major character from the first two novels – Adam Boreas – and so it seems only fitting to me that we begin this novel by catching up with Adam and his adventures since we last saw him ascending to the top of the tower – seeking his fortune but getting more than his fair share of fame into the bargain. While Adam has never been my favourite character of these novels, I did enjoy his narrative here. He’s previously been very much caught up in his sister’s, Voleta, shadow, and so to see him isolated like this adds another layer to his character as he makes his choices for himself and himself alone. His journey in this novel is one of discovery – both about himself as he understandably becomes the centre of attention in the crowning ringdom of Nebos, but also as he discovers a little more about the Tower’s mysterious architect, the Bricklayer.
Of the rest of Senlin’s former crew, now captained by the absolutely superb Edith Winters, we catch up with them in the immediate aftermath of the third novel when *things* happened. No spoilers, of course, but they continue on the mission given to them by the Sphinx with some new passengers in tow, and their quest becomes more fraught as they begin to clash with the rebellious Luc Marat. For those remaining aboard Edith’s Ship, I have loved seeing each and every one of them develop over the course of the series, although Iren – little more than a bodyguard (and on the wrong side!) when we first meet her – will always hold a special place. I’ve become so invested in the characters in these novels, and so seeing each one grow and develop (completely organically, I might add – there’s nothing forced here) has been absolutely wonderful.
And that brings us to Senlin himself. As the main character until now, it’s perhaps a little surprising that he is largely absent from the events of this novel. The Fall of Babel finds him posing as a member of Luc Marat’s crew, and so he has little autonomy or power over his own activities, and yet it’s still a little odd to see a main character relegated in this way. That he is a spy in the enemy’s camp illustrates just how far he has come since the first novel, however. His development from fussy, pedantic headmaster to pirate captain and more recently to spy and imposter has been wonderful to watch. His goal throughout has been to reunite with his wife, Marya, whose disappearance started his journey up the tower in the first novel, and given his current location, one wonders if he will get the reconciliation he desires.
Throughout, I’ve found this series to be highly original and incredibly inventive – I love the world of tower and its ringdoms, as well as the discovery of the larger purpose that so few are aware of. And I’ll admit that the direction that this novel takes came as something of a surprise – it makes sense, but definitely wasn’t what I was expecting. While the story concludes satisfactorily, I think that the ending is left open enough to enable additional novels should the author so desire. I can’t recommend this series enough – it’s so original and not quite like anything else I’ve read, and I’m more than a little sad that it’s over.
The Books of Babel series, with links to my reviews:
- Senlin Ascends
- Arm of the Sphinx
- The Hod King
- The Fall of Babel
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