“The Fall of Babel” ends a uniquely epic and comforting fantasy series
Josiah Bancroft’s Books of Babel comes to a memorable close
A few years ago, I purchased Senlin Ascends on a whim as part of a Kindle sale. I had heard good things and was excited to dive in, but I had no idea what was waiting for me within the pages of this ebook. This series — The Books of Babel — is one of those rare ones that truly earns the word “unique” from both its intriguing setting, complex characters, and incredibly-written prose. I don’t say this often, but there are truly no other books out there like these.
After finishing The Fall of Babel (the fourth and final entry) last night, I want to take a few minutes to reflect on what I loved about this series as a whole (traits also present in this singular book). It wasn’t perfect, but its strengths are distinct and memorable enough to elevate it to a level that few other fantasy works can match. Above all else, I’m consistently impressed by Bancroft’s ability as a writer. The Books of Babel are a triumphant success largely on the merits of his prose alone.
I wrote about The Books of Babel back in March of 2020 as I waited for the fourth and final entry to come out. I’m going to include a brief introduction I wrote there to avoid repeating the synopsis of the first few books:
Senlin Ascends takes place in a world where the Tower of Babel was fully built. Separated into discrete floors called “ringdoms,” it houses countless thousands (perhaps millions?) of people spread across an unknown number of sections [note: I now know the final number is 64]. It’s a home for some, a tourist attraction for many, and the setting for each one of the three books in the Books of Babel (the fourth and final one is on the way).
The protagonist is a school headmaster named Thomas Senlin, who loses his wife, Marya, on their honeymoon to the tower. Senlin searches for her throughout the course of the first novel, scouring the first few floors for her trail. Along the way, he meets a colorful cast of friends and enemies as Bancroft gradually unravels the plot.
In short, the setting for these four novels is like none other I’ve encountered and Bancroft does these incredible ideas more than justice. It’s fairly common to find books with a great premise or idea. It’s much more rare to find books based on an incredible idea that carry that idea out so well. And in The Fall of Babel, we have an incredible conclusion to an incredible series.
Perhaps the first strength of The Fall of Babel I should note is that Bancroft successfully ties together an impressive knot of mysteries and plot elements. From the first book onward, the characters are constantly finding new secrets and oddities throughout the enigmatic Tower and I can happily report that essentially all of these are revealed satisfactorily. From the role of different floors, to the goals of mysterious characters, to the purpose of the tower itself, everything is accounted for by the end.
I can also happily report that the plot’s conclusion is as successful as it is ambitious. Without giving too much away, the fourth book is essentially entirely concerned with a conflict between Senlin’s group of friends and the camp of a revolutionary named Luc Marat. The stakes are the control, future, and survival of the tower itself and the action that unfolds throughout the book’s 640-ish pages does this conflict justice. Senlin Ascends started with a lonely schoolmaster trying to find his lost wife. The Fall of Babel ends with something so strange and epic that I can’t say more for fear of spoiling it.
I will say that I wish the fourth book had been a little shorter. I read it in print and paperback, in a font that was much smaller than the previous The Hod King. All of the book is good, to be clear, but I think the story could have been shrunk by a little and been equally engaging. By the time I reached the end of it, I was ready to move on to something else.
But here’s where I’ll lavish my highest praise for Bancroft’s fantasy world. These books, more than nearly any others, stick with me after I stop reading them. The story is so poignant, Bancroft’s witty observations so profound, and the world so inventive, that I have a feeling I’ll keep this book in my head for years to come. And while I’ve read books that were more economical with their word counts, I’ve read very few that were truly better than The Books of Babel.
What strikes me the most about this four-book cycle is that these books are secretly about everyday life dressed up in the guise of a fantasy epic. Most of the chapters begin with fictitious proverbs, such as “wonders only cease when examination ends” (page 281) or “Be wary of helpful persons, lest you go home with a bag full of rot or a box full of rags” (page 389). But one of the more poignant examples comes near the end, when one character concludes a story to another by saying:
“The reason we study and learn, the reason we take only what we need, is because we have all been given a very great gift — the gift of civilization, the gift of understanding, the gift of mastery over our environment — and if we misuse these, if we take these things for granted, the ones who will suffer the most are our sons and daughters” (page 632).
The Fall of Babel and its three predecessors are filled with little ruminations like these, observations that are often apply to much more than the world of the Tower of Babel. They’re often delivered via dialog, or self-reflection, and the story is all the more enjoyable for them. It’s a rare feat to write about characters flying through the air, fighting with mechanized limbs, and battling metal monsters while also including so much that feels grounded and ordinary.
I don’t know if there will be more books set in this universe or not. As satisfying as the ending was, it definitely left the door open for more in the future (for those of you who’ve read this book: I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about). I certainly won’t be sad if this is the end since it was accomplished so effectively. But I’d also welcome more books in this world, should Bancroft choose to go that route. He certainly has the talent and he also certainly has my attention.
Notes and Further Reading:
- Here’s my original post on the Books of Babel:
- And a few other books I’m looking forward to:
- I’m not sure what I’ll read next. Possibly one of the books on this April post, though I’ve recently become aware of a few others that I’d likely enjoy, notable Brian Staveley’s The Empire’s Ruin. It may depend what’s available first at my library.
The views expressed are mine alone and do not represent the views of my employer or any other person or organization.
