This 3rd book within Senlins journey blew my mind when I originally read it a couple years ago. The heart wrenching plot twists had me hooked and it furthers the mysteries + answered some of my brewing questions.
Full review on my YouTube channel.

Bancroft has shown considerable control of his character development and transitions, taking this series from strength to strength. Even as I would have liked certain parts to be less bogged down by confrontations and descriptions, they only served to broaden and deepen the reader's experience in The Tower.

The characters and the bonds they form, the lessons learned, and the sacrifices made for friends are what made this such a pleasure to read. His female characters are the highlight for me, showing equal parts strength and vulnerability as well. The machinations and excess that exist within the ring does are also very interesting along with the brewing revolution. I am excited to see where we go in the finale.

Link to review: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/in-the-hod-king-a-revolution-brews-within-the-tower-of-babel/

It certainly seems like it’s been a considerable period of time since I read the first two Books of Babel. Thanks to the words of Mark Lawrence during the 2016-round of his Self-Published Fantasy Blog-off, I was made aware of this brilliant series that had yet to be picked up by a traditional publication house. In point of fact, it’s been a little less than 18 months since I closed the pages of THE ARM OF THE SPHINX and began my wait for this next book. Would it be the last? Or just the next? Would it be as good? Bah, how could it not be? Tom finally knows where his wife is, and he’s bound to get to her! I had a difficult time believing that anyone that had read the previous two books (that you? hmmmmm?) wouldn’t be just as ecstatic to get into this story as I.

THE HOD KING is the third of the Books of Babel and… wait for it… NOT the last book in the series. Woo-hoo! What can I say? I’m a fan. Also, I have to put a plug in for the book covers. I was extremely happy to see not only that the new publications kept the cover from the self-published version of the first book, but that the covers for the next two books were a perfect extension of those that have come before. I love the simplicity and meaning within each of these covers. Props to Ian Leino for his genius work on these.

The story starts pretty quickly after the end of SPHINX. Senlin is in the city of Pelphia, a place that is instantly unique and engaging, and for Senlin, completely dreadful. The Sphinx of the tower has sent him to Pelphia with a dual purpose. First, to find out what stirrings of rebellion might be rising from the hods and their leader, Luc Marat. Second, to scope the playing field, so to speak, regarding his wife and her location within the city. This last is more important, of course, in Tom’s view. Even more so to find if indeed she is happy with her new life and her new husband, as all of the newspapers and media of the city seem to suggest.

But Tom is not alone. Not by a long shot. His preliminary work to find his wife, and reporting back to the Sphinx, is to inform his shipmates — Captain Edith Winters, Byron, Voleta, and Iren — so they might aid in her rescue. They will infiltrate the stuffy hierarchies of society with the name and power of the Sphinx behind them, approach Marya amidst her roles as an accomplished pianist, singer, and wife of a duke, and then steal her out from under the noses of every Pelphian in the city. A simple plan. Unless, of course, you instantly realize as I did (because I KNOW these characters) that Tom could never keep himself from his wife once he knows her whereabouts, that Voleta might just not be able to conduct herself as a lady for more than five consecutive minutes, or that Iren might not be able to present herself as anything close to the governess at which she is playing. It’s a recipe for disaster, and I was in from the word go.

It was so easy to fall into the pages of Bancroft’s writing. Felt like sitting down with an old friend. This was especially the case because of the three sections this book is broken into, the first deals exclusively with Tom. Tom is still Tom, and we are reminded of that over and over here. We see his goodness, his humanity, his intelligence, and more than anything his undying love for his wife Marya. He wants for nothing more than to find her and give her what she wants. No matter how his own future might work into that equation. While there are brief spurts of an omniscient narrator, and minor spats of POVs from external characters, the story in the main is told from Tom’s POV. I absolutely loved that. My one concern for this book was that the spread of POV time and head-jumping might get larger instead of smaller. I hoped for the latter.

And indeed that is what I found, for the most part. There is still some head-jumping. Not enough that it really bothered me, because the story was just that good, but there was enough that I think the story lost some of it’s potential emotional impact because of it. Regardless, this story still packed a veritable punch. This was helped by the focus and drive of the story. The second section of the book comes through the eyes of Tom’s team of friends, “mostly” from Voleta and Iren, as they prepare for, and then infiltrate the high society of Pelphia.

The end of the first section of the book had me concerned. The end of the second section had me actively worried. I spent the entirety of the third section, which is told “mostly” through the POV of Captain Edith Winters, on the edge of my seat. The climax of the book was seriously awesome and had me both crowing and still fearing for the worst that might yet come from the fallout. There is real impact and power that comes through this story that you just don’t find in other fantasy novels. There is character and soul.

There is a serious number of awesome books on my horizon this year. We might have mentioned them somewhere. The point is that after reading this book, after enjoying only three paltry weeks of this new year… I’m seriously questioning whether I’ll read another book in 2019 that I’ll enjoy as much as this one.

This series is one-of-a-kind brilliance and not to be missed. If you are a reader of fantasy, even in the most loosely defined sense of the word, and haven’t yet read this series, you are missing out on some of the best fantasy that is being written today. Josiah Bancroft has sculpted a masterpiece here. IS sculpting a masterpiece here. Because it is not yet done. There’s at least one more of the Books of Babel on the docket. And I’m already itching for the chance to read it.

“The world is full of wolves and lambs, but precious few shepherds.”

I can’t believe that Josiah Bancroft did it again, but he truly did it again. This is such a wonderful installment in a world that I never want to leave. This entire series is such a unique treat that is truly unlike any other fantasy out there. Every paragraph is so smart, every chapter so perfectly crafted, and each book makes me more and more invested. I am at such a loss for words because of this book’s pure magnificence, but I’m going to try to write this review anyway.

The basic, starting premise of this tale is that a man named Senlin, who is from a small fishing village, recently has gotten married to a woman named Marya. And on their honeymoon, he takes her to this mysterious tower that he is obsessed with, and each level inside this tower is completely unique and an entire world all on its own. Senlin comes equipped with a guidebook and feels confident that he and his new bride will be able to have a safe visit, that is, until his new bride goes missing before they even are able to set foot inside the mysterious tower together. And not to get too spoilery, but we are three books in, and he still hasn’t retrieved Marya, but we have gotten to travel alongside him discovering the individual beauty and horror of each unique level.



Yet, this book is set entirely in Pelphia. And this book is all about the Hods that are forced to live as servants for the rest of the tower. Even though each level of this tower is completely different and unique, the Hods are always present, traveling through the inhumane passages, that are completely unforgiving, but they are forced to walk though nonetheless. But the true mystery of the tower, that this book focuses on, is who is The Hod King and what they and their followers are up to.

“It’s possible, I think, to be so many things at once, that you’re practically nothing at all. If you crush a mountain and spread it across a continent, it doesn’t make little mountains; it just vanishes into dust.”

And this book did surprise me with switching perspectives a few times, but this book starts out with Senlin being sent on a very important mission by the Sphinx, which also happens to be in the same Ringdom that he believes Marya is currently living in. Senlin is truly at a crossroads in this book, and he needs to make a choice to listen to his heart and do what he feels is right, or to listen to his mind and trust in the friends he has made during his time in the tower.

This third installment shines a spotlight on abuse, abusers, and the cycle of abuse those abusers will use to keep their victims stuck in the cycle. This book shows that abusers can be charming, they can be charismatic, they can be leaders and pillars in their community, and abusers can fool you and others into thinking that they are not abusers. But none of these things will ever negate the fact that an abuser is an abuser, and this is a constant theme in The Hod King that I really appreciated. And I truly think that it was so well done, and it really meant a lot to me.

“If someone has absolute control over you, it’s easy to believe they have absolute power over everything and everyone. They can’t be defied or challenged or disobeyed, and every opportunity for escape just feels like a cruel test.”

I also think this book discusses how the tower is very much like our own world, where men view women as resources and investments. Whether that means getting and keeping a woman’s name in the spotlight, to ensuring one will carry your child, to just forcing women in molds that cater to men’s wants and desires. I think Josiah mirrors a lot of relevant themes in our world, but this theme was expertly done and really stood out to me. Especially with how we live in a world that is always expecting and asking more and more of women.

I want this review to be spoiler free, and I don’t want to make this review about the author whatsoever, but I just also wanted to add a little caveat that I think that Josiah becoming a father recently may have subconsciously (or consciously) worked its way into his writing. And, friends, I’m soft, and weak, and I truly think that this element is why The Hod King ended up being my favorite of the series so far. I am not a parent yet, but I think most people can understand that being a parent raises the stakes higher for every aspect of your life. We get to see this very much so in this book, and I completely adored it. I also loved the constant discussion on what it means to raise a child, and what makes a caregiver a parent. Found family is always at the heart of these novels, but it shined so beautifully though in this third installment.

I also loved the theme on how societies do not want to take care or even acknowledge impoverished and underprivileged areas. The rich would rather ignore and exploit the poor than to make a conscious effort to help improve their living conditions that would in turn improve the entire society. In 2014, city officials switched Flint's water supply to cut costs and poisoned an entire city. When I read Senlin Ascends two years ago, Flint was still without clean water. And in 2019, Flint is still without clean water, when powerful men in this world could easily fix an entire city’s plumbing without even noticing they donated the money. I don’t want to get too preachy, but Josiah is a really smart and really talented author, and the messages he wove throughout this book were not missed on me. And this entire story really shows that empathy could improve every world.

What else can I even say? Edith has my heart, Violet is such a badass, I want Iren and Ann to be my moms, because I would already die for that sapphic f/f side relationship, glimpses of Bryon, Goll, and Tarrou made my entire 2019 and we are only in the first month, and getting to learn a little bit about Marya felt like Christmas after being on this journey alongside Senlin for so long.

“I will find her. I will offer my help if she needs it, my heart if she wants it, my head, even if she would see it on a stake!”

Overall, I don’t think I’d fare as well at Tom has in this magical tower that has somehow taken root in my heart, but I’d love to be able to go nonetheless. I truly think that Josiah Bancroft’s storytelling is on a completely different plane of existence than any other SFF writer currently. I truly know that is a very bold sentence to write as a reviewer, but I truly mean it with my entire heart. These characters who I think are some of the best ever crafted, these themes that meant the world to me, these perfectly constructed sentences with a lyrical prose that leaves me highlighting quote after quote, these different adventures that are all completely enthralling, this hidden world that is unlike anything in literature, I am just left in complete and utter awe, friends. Just, please pick up Senlin Ascends if you haven’t already, and come gush with me forever about how astounding this series really is. This final book is truly going to slay me.

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of The Hod King in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC in no way influenced my thoughts or opinions, though the incentive of having my bathtub scrubbed clean by Josiah was pretty hard to pass up.

Have you ever been reading a novel, or a series, that you wished would never end? You become so completely engrossed with the world and its peculiarities, its characters and their machinations, the… Beer-Me-Go-Rounds? Well, The Books of Babel has been that for me. It is, simply put, a masterpiece. The only negative things I have to say are thus: that I can’t believe this story will soon end, and that I can never read it for the first time EVER AGAIN.

Sigh… where to begin.

The Hod King drops us right where we left of in Arm of the Sphinx. Now, our fascinating gaggle of characters find their way to the ringdom of Pelphia, all on separate missions handed down by the Sphinx.
Senlin must investigate an arena where hods fight for the ringdom’s entertainment, but instead finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation and thrust into the Duke’s spotlight.
Voleta and Iren are charged with posing as a noble lady and her handmaid in order to infiltrate the ringdom’s elite and reach Marya. What they didn’t plan on was Voleta garnering the pursuit of a prince whose reputation, though a little soiled, brings with it many obstacles that stand to ruin their plans.
Now captain of the Sphinx’s ship, Edith, with the help of a fellow wakeman, attempts to locate a confidant who has gone missing. Her search takes her into the bowels of the tower where word of The Hod King is whispered in the walls.

But just who is The Hod King, and what does he want?

Soooo, I went into The Hod King thinking it was the last book in the series.

NOPE. Big FAT nope.

And I couldn’t be happier.

If you LOVED Senlin Ascends, and you THOUGHT it couldn’t get any better than Arm of the Sphinx, you are in for the surprise of a lifetime. The Hod King is, in the coveted words of Chris Traeger, LITERALLY, the best book I have read since I began reviewing. It has everything you want in a piece of fantasy fiction, wrapped up with the bow of originality, and signed with an engraved ink pen that states JUST FREAKING READ THIS SERIES.

There really are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this novel. Bancroft continues to outdo himself with rich storytelling, imaginative world-building with vivid detail, and enough wit to last a lifetime. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. You may ask the bartender for a warm glass of water just for the confused look you’ll receive in return. But one thing you won’t do is regret picking up this book.

Along with RJ Barker’s ‘The Wounded Kingdom’ trilogy, The Books of Babel is the best series, to date, that I have ever read. I will continue to push these books on family, friends, hods, those people that still take ticket stubs at movie theaters even though everything you need is now on your phone, Uber drivers, gas station attendants (do they still have those?)… you get my point. If you were already planning on reading it, pre-order it. If you haven’t given the series a shot, why not?

This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year, I’ve been blown away by the skill of this author in his previous books and could not wait to get my hands on this. THANK YOU SO MUCH ORBIT!!!

This is going to be a tough review for me because I’m going to try and keep this as spoiler free as possible – but how to do that with a third book in the series? I’ll give it a go.

Senlin is now a wanted man, his “likeness” is posted throughout the Tower portraying him as the feared pirate Thomas Mudd. Luckily for Senlin, his portrait isn’t all that accurate so he can continue to blend into the crowd. This is helped along by his new disguise as a member of the “Boskop” ringdom. They’re known for their muted and dull behavior, preferring lukewarm water over an alcoholic beverage, no spices on their food, and a monotone wardrobe of mostly grey. Boskop people are beneath most people’s notice, so it makes it easier to be a spy for the Sphinx. Senlin and the Sphinx have a shared interest in the fifth ringdom, Pelphia, which is sometimes known as “The Closet” They’re known for their clothes, fashion seasons that only last a month or so, and stiff competition between dressmakers. This makes him dressing as a Boskop the perfect way for people to ignore him because he’s not worth their time or interest.

Senlin knows where his wife is, and she’s actually become quite the star in the Pelphia ringdom. She’s known for her piano, playwrights, and singing skills – she puts on performances for the wealthiest people in Pelphia and is quickly becoming a household name. The newspapers have taken to writing about her often, and Senlin sifts through them endlessly hoping to learn more about her condition. She’s been married off to the very rich and powerful Duke, and Senlin doesn’t know if she was coerced or if she’ happy in her new life. The Sphinx has warned him not to go near her, try to contact her, or try and interfere with the Duke. Senlin doesn’t listen, he goes to meet Marya, and it leads him into a load of trouble.

This book is split into three parts, and each part follows one character, so the first part focuses on Senlin, the second part focuses on Voleta, and the third part centers around Edith. I was super upset when we first switched from Senlin to Voleta. I like Voleta but I was so enraptured with what was happening to Senlin that I was like “nnooooooo, what happens to him!?” Then I felt the exact same way about Voleta… and then again with Edith. That’s a sign of some amazing storytelling.

Voleta is the one who is supposed to be making contact with Marya instead of Senlin, she’s supposed to work her way up through the nobles of the city posing as the Sphinx’s niece. This was probably an unwise decision considering Voleta’s temperament being diametrically opposed to the temperament of a noble lady. She makes a scene at one of the parties (no surprise there) but actually manages to win over the hearts of the people because she’s something new to gossip about. Her strange behavior like leaping on rooftops in the middle of the night has made her into a sensation and caught the attention of a prince.

In this one we get answers to so many questions, only to have new questions raised. There’s a lot more to the world building in this one and we hear about many of the other ringdoms and their cultures. There are even more steampunk elements in this one as we get to hear about the backstory of The Red Hand, the Spinx, and how the tower itself works. There are mechanical moths that send messages, mechanical spiders you swallow to keep tabs on each other, there are chimney cats that like to chew on the hods as they make their way through the tunnels of the tower.

Despite this being 608 pages long, I made it through this in just 24 hours – although I did take a break to sleep. The writing in this was just so beautiful and flowing I didn’t notice the hours floating by me. I was relentlessly turning pages to find out what happened next and now I am gutted I have to wait for the conclusion because this left off with a doozy of a revelation.

I thoroughly recommend this, it was an emotional rollercoaster that actually raised my pulse as I was reading it – literally. I’ve got a heart monitor and my heart rate hit 100 more than once reading this book. Watching Senlin change and grow from the first book through this book has been one of the best character arcs I’ve read in a very, very long time. He’s someone I didn’t like in the beginning of the first book, and throughout his journey, I’ve become more and more attached. At this point, I’m 150% behind him and I’m so worried about him and the rest of his journey. The character he was and the character he is now are like day and night and it’s fascinating to watch him reflect on who he was at the start of all this – a naive man with a really bad guidebook. There were multiple times where I felt like I was going to explode if I didn’t have someone to talk to about what I just read. Edge of my seat kind of shit.

Ratings:
Plot: 14/15
Characters: 14/15
World Building: 15/15
Writing: 15/15
Pacing: 14/15
Originality: 15/15
Personal Enjoyment: 10/10
Final Score: 97/100 – the highest score of the year

Have you heard of the podcast Crit Faced? It’s the one where five fantasy authors record themselves playing Dungeons and Dragons each week. Josiah Bancroft is one of them. His character, Jean Mallerme, is a bard – one of the more challenging occupations to role play, but one of great versatility. Through Bancroft’s full commitment to the role, Mallarme morphs into an actor, a troubadour, a thief, a comic relief, a cad, and a master of disguise. He speaks in Mallarme’s voice and embodies Mallarme’s spirit, bringing this character more to life with each passing week. It is plain to see that these characteristics are not only descriptive of Jean Mallerme, but extensions of Bancroft’s natural talents. Josiah himself is an accomplished musician, visual artist, poet, and writer, and all these qualifications help define his unique storytelling voice. In The Hod King, Bancroft’s third and best entry in the Books of Babel series, Bancroft pools all these talents with remarkable results. The Hod King is a vibrant, wholly original, and finely crafted novel that transcends genre fantasy. An instant literary classic.

This entry in the series is more grounded, both in a literal and personal sense. While the previous books had our heroes explore the full length of the Tower, most of The Hod King takes place in one ringdom: the city of Pelphia, home of a fake, mechanical sun, and fake, mechanical nobility. These Pelphians throw extravagant parties and fool themselves into self-importance while their insecurities bubble just beneath the surface. They bicker and connive to ascend a meaningless social ladder and turn a blind eye to the community’s failures. Their traits are further exacerbated when the narrative shift perspectives from the high society of noble Pelphia to the low society of the Black Trail, home to thousands of indebted hods, swept under society’s rug. As hod rebel Luc Marat’s influence on the Trail continues to rise, it becomes inevitable that a reckoning of the ruling class is ahead. (Note: The interludes that are set within The Black Trail are without chapter annotation, akin to how the Trail is relegated to the back passages and forgotten tunnels of the Tower.)

Identity is one of the major themes that is explored throughout the story. Our heroes are forced to act outside of their comfort zones amidst foreign environments, and in doing so, further explain their own boundaries and capabilities. All our main characters take on new identities and responsibilities: the Sphinx sends Senlin into Pelphia to suss out any news of a hod rebellion, but the temptation to reunite with his wife threatens to destroy everything they’re working towards; Voleta and Iren, posing as a lady and her governess, attempt to infiltrate Pelphia’s noble society with the hopes of gaining access to the elusive Marya; and Edith, fully a Wakeman, learns the shocking truth behind the Tower, and must collect the missing paintings from each ringdom before all is lost. The cast widens considerably as we’re introduced to several new characters - - some are allies, but most are villains. Yet every character – even the brief acquaintances – are given ample depth and personality. It’s plain to see how much Bancroft respects and carefully considers each of his creations while giving them all an important role to play in the story. Much like the intricate machinery that populates the Tower, this book is lovingly crafted, with attentive detail given to all its parts.

As mentioned above, there is no shortage of villains in this book, which brings up another major difference between The Hod King and its predecessors: in the first two novels, the central antagonist was the Tower itself. This time around, the mantle of villainy is passed on to humans. This narrative decision allows the struggles to feel more personal, yielding new and thrilling conflicts of interest. The foils are numerous and not always obvious as Senlin, Edith, Voleta and Iren elbow their way through political conspiracies, social injustice, and acts of domestic terrorism. Even a parrot acts the villain, repeating the most offensive phrases to a crowd at the most inopportune times. It’s as if the closer we scrutinize a ringdom’s society, the more we are privy to its dark underbelly.

And although this book has a lion’s share of tragic moments, it is also rife with hope and redemption. “We aren’t what we hope for; we are only what we do” is a repeated phrase throughout the story and becomes a point of contention during Senlin’s search for his wife. Is it possible that his hope for a reunion and future with Marya is secondary to the consequences of his deeds along the way? He has earned the dedication and love of a small group of friends that have thrown themselves in with his cause, and there’s something truly beautiful about seeing the bonds of their companionship strengthen while society crumbles around them. But what final fates befalls Thomas Senlin and his crew will have to wait until the final book of this series. All the pieces are in place for a truly epic and unpredictable finale, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it.

9.5 / 10