This might be one of my fav finales of all time ! This is everything I wanted and more. The character growth especially from a certain thief is excellent, and I shed both tears of joy and sadness, its just a really good book.
I can't say much without spoiling the series, but I aim to do a series review, but this is a fav series of all time, I will reread this often and I look forward to rereading it on audio.
Just overall a bloody great series.

This is the long awaited finale to a fantasy series that I very much love. You definitely need to read the whole series as this last book is the conclusion of Senlin’s travel up the tower, and search for his lost wife Marya. I doubt it would have much impact without the context, I don’t think you can dip in and out of this story. This book is full of action from many perspectives and you don’t really get much room to breathe before the next event takes place. I did however, read dreadfully quickly because I couldn’t wait to find out what happens next so maybe that’s just me! Despite Senlin being the main character, we also follow Adam – who was never a favourite of mine but was exceedingly likeable in his portion, Edith, Iren, Violeta, Byron and our other less loved pals. They all get sections of the book devoted to their narrative and through all of them together we finally piece together some of the mysteries of the Tower. Were all questions answered? Certainly not. But, the main strings of narrative were tied off. This book wasn’t as emotionally brutal as it could have been but my love for the characters meant I didn’t regret that much. The clear growth and difference between each person from the start of the series to who they were by the end of this book was fantastic, and that character growth is one of the best parts of the series.

For me, the tower was huge and I didn’t really follow the specific lore in a way that I could retell but to be honest, knowing it was there was sufficient background and I didn’t try and get my head round everything so I probably missed out on some of the world depth in the series.

This was a great ending to these books. I guess my only dissatisfaction is that I would have liked to have more answers. But, wouldn't we all?

What a finale. This is the culmination of 3-novels worth of build-up and, for me, results in an ending that was wonderfully unexpected but brings an appropriate end to this series. For me, to talk about the prose, the world building, the setting and relationships is moot by this point as we're at the 4th book in an amazing series. So, what to say - if you're readying this review having seen 'The Fall of Babel' on you local bookshop shelf, then go to the first book and be prepared for a journey safe in the knowledge there is no need to wait for the next installment of a fantastic series.

With this magnificent masterpiece of imagination Josiah Bancroft joins the pantheon of my favourite writers of all time. Every tiny weakness that the previous books had has been erased, more, turned out to be a strength after all because in this last installment of the Books of Babel, all of them are revealed to have served a great and brilliant purpose.
Booktube review: https://youtu.be/MNUMeun8ykU

The Fall of Babel does not just stick the landing and put the perfect capstone on top of the pyramid of this unique and fascinating series, it is also a masterpiece in its own right: the best in the series and without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read this year. Readers will marvel at the beauty of its prose and the grand reveals of its plot, will discuss about the surprising ending and never forget its wonderful characters. Steadfast headmasters, human stags and inhumane villains roam the pages of The Fall of Babel, and all of their lives and storylines come together here in one huge, epic finale – I have compared this series to The Lord of the Rings before, and I’m definitely doing that again now.

The travails of Senlin, Edith, and all the others, the grand quest for Marya through the fascinating ringdoms of the Tower always reminded me of Tolkien’s magnum opus, and the structure of this final installment and the imagery of the final confrontation continued to do so. But while Tolkien’s quest for the destruction of the One Ring can easily be placed into the Fantasy genre, Senlin’s quest for his missing wife transcends all genres. It is part steampunk, part fantasy, part romance, part adventure – and all of these parts come together perfectly.

The book addresses many issues of our modern world, and especially towards the ending things might feel a bit too on the nose, too preachy even for some readers – not for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this, even though I had my issues with Marya and the beginning of the book, because almost the entire first part of it is spent without meeting our favourites – instead, readers finally find out what the heck Adam Boreas has been up to. And while that part was certainly interesting, I kept asking myself “What about Tom/Edith/Voleta though?”. But once I was able to guess why Bancroft had decided to show us this part first, and once that guess came true, it all made perfect sense.

I was not a big fan of how the book started, I questioned that decision throughout the entirety of part one, but at the ending it was more than justified – all of the complaints I had about the unusual pacing of this book and its prequels have vanished. There was a purpose, and it was totally worth it. Not everyone will like the ending, not everyone will be pleased with how it all ends here – but it worked for me, all of it made sense, all of it resonated with me – five stars, easily.
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Many thanks to the publisher (Little, Brown Book Group) and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advanced reading copy in return for an honest review.
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Dialogue 5
Setting 6
Characters 4
Writing Style 6
Plot 4
25/25 (100%) 5 stars

The Fall of Babel is the fourth and final instalment in the Books of Babel series and it does not disappoint! What an ending to a great series!

It has everything in spades that made the three previous books so great–imaginative world-building, amazing and very real feeling characters, and beautiful prose.
I think everyone that loved the first three books will love this one just as much. And if you haven’t read the earlier books yet – what are you waiting for? Go and read them, now!

The ending answers most of the questions, but not all of them, which I think is very fitting for the overall tone of the series. The tower has always been a mystery and leaving us readers with questions (and maybe even a potential for more in the future) seems the perfect way to end these books.

If I had to raise one small criticism, it would be the slightly disjointed beginning. The book starts with Adam (who we last saw in “The Arm of the Sphinx”) and it’s almost a quarter into the book until we finally meet up with the other characters. I would have preferred if part of Adam’s story had already been presented to us in the third book, instead of having to catch up with him before we return to where the story left us at the end of “The Hod King”.

However, I did enjoy my time with Adam on the roof of the tower and am therefore not complaining too much. I also enjoyed the new characters that were introduced, something that rarely happens in the last book of a series. Overall, my favourite part of the Books of Babel are still the characters, and they all get to shine in this last book. The pace felt a bit quicker and there was maybe slightly less time for the characters to gather their thoughts and to react to what was happening to them, given how much was going on, but I think this is to be expected for a final book.

In short: The Fall of Babel is a great ending to an outstanding and very unique series. I highly recommend the books and am looking forward to Bancroft’s next projects!


PS: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thomas Senlin; a headteacher, a scholar, a husband and at the start of his story.... a little bit of a loser, it is both heart-warming and sad that his journey through the Tower of Babel has finally come to an end. The Fall of Babel which is the last within a series of four novels by the incredibly talent Josiah Bancroft, acts as a conclusion within the series. The Fall of Babel feels very much like a conclusion, gathering up all the loose ends through the previous novels and tying a neat little bow on each of the character's stories. I have been incredibly excited to get my hands on this novel and I was not disappointed at any point, however that is to say that The Fall of Babel wasn't my favourite within the series but the novel fulfilled the purpose of concluding the story.

The Fall of Babel picks up with one of our forgotten heroes, who was silent during the Hod King. We find ourselves spending the first third of the story with Adam, who recently been taken by the lightning farmers. Adam's story was the highlight of this novel and a fantastic way to engage the reader, since we have been wondering what had happened to him. His story explores his kidnappers and the ringdom that they inhabit - this new ringdom was a joy to read about, continuing Bancroft's unique twists within each ringdom. I won't go into detail because discovering this new ringdom for yourself will be a treat as a reader. It is safe to say however, that Adam, like all the member of the State of Art crew, get themselves into trouble and rocking the boat (Pun intended). After completing the novel, it is clear why Bancroft withheld Adam's story until this final novel, since the finale collides all the stories together.

My favourite character within this novel was Luc Marat - the crazed Hod King himself, who has gained power through control of the Hods and had decided to build himself a massive mechanical creature in his final attempt at gaining power from the Sphinx. Luc Marat is written on the perfect side of crazy. He is equal parts clever and witty, matching his crazy ideas and missing sense of morality, with some of the darkest moments of this novel due to his hands. I found Marat's character a perfect partner for Senlin's more reserved demeanour. The best scenes in my opinion were held between these two, constantly trying to outwit and out think the other, both playing the long game against each other. As well as Marat, I enjoyed his crazed side cast of characters that followed on his mechanical onslaught. Mr Gedge was a personal favourite, acting as the groups mad scientist and sceptic. He had some interesting moments throughout the novel, knowing that whenever his name was mentioned that something was around the corner. Otherwise in this novel we follow the remaining members of the State of the Art, who are continuing their quest to find the remaining art pieces left by the Brick layer, whilst trying to foil Marat's plans, keep Marya safe and find Senlin. It was good to be apart of the crew once more, with this book challenging the dynamics within the team. There were some great character moments to be had upon the ship, with each member being allowed an opportunity to shine. I did find certain characters to steal the lime-light more than others - Violett being very much in the spot light throughout these sections, where as I found Edith to sometimes be left in the shadows as just being the ship's captain. We have had huge moments with Edith in the past, so I didn't mind this too much.
The true highlight of Bancroft's novels, is the writing itself. Josiah Bancroft writes with an effortless genius. One of my pet peeves within reading is when authors attempt to shoe horn complex vocabulary into their work, often at the cost of pace within the sentences. Bancroft on the other hand seems to have mastered the art of using a rich vocabulary with maintaining pace within his sentences. There were a few moments, I was sent happily to google a new word that I had encountered in order to discover the definition. At no point I ever felt it a hindrance to the tale he was telling. Even now I still remember my favourite new word - Bloviate, meaning to talk for a very long time. The only crux I felt with this final edition, was very much that it was the final. At times I wondered whether we had enjoyed the main dramatic sections of the story within the previous instalments, not to say that The Fall of Babel was absent of any drama, but it was more a goodbye letter to the series. The ending to the series itself was pretty good, not setting my world on fire too much, but it left our characters on a good note. Personally I would have preferred an ending that satisfied me better and being a more closed but it didn't detract from the overall series.

Thank you very much Orbit for this review copy. An interesting conclusion that will surely generate different opinions among the readers. That being said, I am feeling extremely grateful for the series is now finished with hints of more adventures to come. However, I would have liked more answers but poor Tom did ascend spectacularly.

Some negatives:

1. Fight scenes are too elaborate.
2. Can't believe I'm saying this but at some places I sure would have preferred telling rather than showing and vice-versa.

Where's Senlin? Iren and Voleta? I kept asking myself these questions while reading the opening of the last book of The Books of Babel. Instead of jumping straight into their misadventures, Bancroft started by showing readers what happened with Adam. Do you remember him? Voleta's unlikable brother? Yes? Good for you, I didn't.

Ultimately, everything works out fine and all arcs connect but the pacing felt off to me for a significant part of the story. Bancroft excels at creative world-building and has a knack for stunning (if slightly baroque) sentences so I've enjoyed the ride. Just not as much as the first three books.

Summary: The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft is a triumphant end to a beloved series, answering mysteries, providing epic final confrontations, and reuniting characters for the final act.

I have to confess something about The Books of Babel – before I picked up Senlin Ascends, I was fairly mainstream in my reading habits, and tended to only pick up the same five or six authors. Every time o tried something new, I was mostly disappointed, so I was in a bit of a reading rut. The Books of Babel, and specifically the excellent Arm of the Sphinx, showed me how wrong I was to give up on the wider fantasy genre. But how does this relate to The Fall of Babel, the last book in the series? Well, The Fall of Babel distills much about what is great about the series, and shows how different things can get, while still delivering compelling protagonists, bombastic action and moments of serene poigniance.

The book opens with Adam, bringing his timeline up to speed (and then some) with the other protagonists. I loved this section – it gave us a great new bizarre locale in detail, and also provided Adam with some excellently delivered character growth, leading to a crucial decision and hanging plot thread that are not picked back up until much later in the book.

Next we see the rest of the crew, bouncing back between scenes of Senlin on the Hod King, trying to figure out how to sabotage the engine with his now compatriots Finn Goll and John Tarou; and the others (Edith, Iren, Byron, Ann, Voletta, Marya and Reddleman) as they attempt to hunt down the remaining copies of The Bricklayers Daughter before Marat does. There was an odd narrative decision with the second group’s section that had me a little confused and I wasn’t quite as into their sections as it seemed like we knew where it was going. I’m not sure if I could ever get enough of Senlin, though, and the insight we get into Marat and his closest compatriots helps set up the final acts.

Speaking of the final acts, the latter half of the book was incredibly dynamic and exciting, with loads of edge of your seat scenes that I’d expect in a fourth and final entry to a series like this. The action was great, as always, with clear stakes, conflicting goals, imaginative setups and some incredibly imposing foes.

Ever since Arm of the Sphinx, Edith has been a standout POV, and she only gets better here, with her responsibilities stretched, her relationship with Senlin thrown into disarray with the message he sent to her, and her crew in a state of flux after Voletta’s death and resurrection. If the first part of the book was Adam’s, much of the rest belongs to Edith, as the only person who can truly challenge Marat. Senlin’s role is much more passive, which is understandable given the situation, but I need more!

I’ll not be spoiling the ending, but I will say that it didn’t entirely work for me – I didn’t mind the content of it, but I could have done with a bit more to make everything sink in thematically. And it certainly wasn’t one of those dreaded endings that spoils everything that came before. The important thing I think is that the characters all had natural conclusions to their arcs.

There’s something satisfying and heartbreaking about seeing the end to a favourite series, and the final book is so crucial to how you perceive that series in the future. I can now say that The Books of Babel have stuck the landing, delivering a final entry that pulls out all the stops. I can’t see anyone who enjoyed the previous books not enjoying this one too.

Rating: 9.5/10

A big thanks for Netgalley for the arc of this book. I've been very excited to be able to read this last book.
I have really enjoyed the first 3 books in the series. The story and the characters are fascinating.
Even though the story can be a bit slow building at places, it's still ok because the world is just so cleverly amazing!
It was the same with this one - a fascinating finale that had me wanting to keep reading! It was well worth waiting for it, and looking forward to more books from the writer.

4.25/5

The Fall of Babel by Josiah Bancroft is a fitting end to a brilliant series

First of all huge thanks to the author and publishers for accepting my request in Netgalley and it goes without saying that this review is my unbiased opinion.

Quick Summary: The Fall of Babel is an answer to all the questions raised throughout the series... What is the purpose of this tower ? Where is Adam ? Who is Sphinx and Brick layer ? and most important of them all Will Senlin reunite with his wife ?

WHAT WORKED FOR ME IN THIS BOOK:

Prose: Like the previous works by Josiah Bancroft, the prose in this book were pure brilliant. He outdone himself.

Answers: As the author says in the beginning of this book. All the questions raised in the previous books were answered. Most of the reveals delivers the impact the plot requires.

Final Act: Everything comes together in the last 100 pages to make an explosive finale that will make you feel extremely happy that you stick with this series.

WHAT DIDN'T WORKED FOR ME IN THIS BOOK:

I felt that the pacing was quite slow in some parts. As a result it didn't quite held my attention here and there.

Another nitpick is that there's just very little of our favourite Headmaster. I'm not saying there's barely anything of Senlin. But his page time is somewhat lesser than other characters and it affected me since I'm a Senlin simp 😅. Probably wouldn't affect other's reading experience.

FINAL WORD:
Josiah Bancroft definitely stuck the landing. The Fall of Babel effectively concludes The Books of Babel series.