Senlin Ascends
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Senlin Ascends
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Narrated by:
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John Banks
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Written by:
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Josiah Bancroft
About this listen
The first book in the word-of-mouth phenomenon debut fantasy series about one man's dangerous journey through a labyrinthine world.
"One of my favorite books of all time" (Mark Lawrence)
The Tower of Babel is the greatest marvel in the world. Immense as a mountain, the ancient Tower holds unnumbered ringdoms, warring and peaceful, stacked one on the other like the layers of a cake. It is a world of geniuses and tyrants, of luxury and menace, of unusual animals and mysterious machines. Soon after arriving for his honeymoon at the Tower, the mild-mannered headmaster of a small village school, Thomas Senlin, gets separated from his wife, Marya, in the overwhelming swarm of tourists, residents, and miscreants.
Senlin is determined to find Marya, but to do so he'll have to navigate madhouses, ballrooms, and burlesque theaters. He must survive betrayal, assassins, and the illusions of the Tower. But if he hopes to find his wife, he will have to do more than just endure. This quiet man of letters must become a man of action.
©2017 Josiah Bancroft (P)2018 Hachette AudioWhat the critics say
"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." (Django Wexler, author of The Thousand Names)
"Josiah Bancroft is a magician. His books are that rare alchemy: gracefully written, deliriously imaginative, action-packed, warm, witty, and thought-provoking. I can't wait for more." (Madeline Miller, author of Circe)
"Senlin is a man worth rooting for, and his strengthening resolve and character is as marvelous and sprawling as the tower he climbs." (The Washington Post)
What listeners say about Senlin Ascends
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2018-08-11
not the most uplifting story
good plot, but sort of depressing, highlighting selfishness and backstabbing. very good world and character building.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Allan
- 2024-06-23
What an adventure!
while I took a little time to warm to this book, it quickly become something I simply could not put down. A unique twisting and turning adventure with peril and delightments at every turn. I am so happy to see there are another three books in the series!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Peter
- 2023-01-04
Unique
An alright adventure story set in a steam punk world different from a lot of the fantasy settings I’ve read. Narrator is good. I thought I wouldn’t like this after 15 minutes, but it improved.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R'john Bernales
- 2023-06-27
The other reviews were right
It was a bit weird and slow at first and almost lost me. It took me months to get back to it,but I’m so glad I did.
Give it a chance. The book really caught me in the second half and I will be getting the next in the series when my next credit comes.
Since I can’t give a half star,I gave it a 5,although I really rate it 4.5. That’s still pretty good I think.
The voice talent is excellent and It really brought this world to life for me.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eli Gaudreau
- 2021-04-21
WOW
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH I CRIED. ITS INCREDIBLE. PLEASE, READ OR LISTEN TO IT IT'S AMAZING
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kyle T
- 2019-01-14
At first I wasn't sure I'd like it...
At first I wasn't sure I'd like it, but a few hours in I became enthralled. I would highly recommend this book!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Le Blanc
- 2019-08-27
Five Stars by the End
I found this book tricky to stay with at times. It occasionally felt a little too Alice-in-Wonderland-y. I usually hate that kind of setting. Nothing in the world was relatable or familiar, but when recalling the chapters I had read I found that the world was... memorable. It flowed as a series of adventures. The main character was likable to a point, but again not very relatable. However, as the climax approached his character growth was becoming apparent and was something to root for. The climax itself was exciting and very well done. It tied the whole story together with greater sense and meaning as the main character starts to figure things out. It sets up the sequels nicely and compellingly at the very end. I am surprised I'm giving it five stars given how I felt about the story along the way. But at the end I had to concede it was all extremely well done.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy Braun
- 2022-06-14
Utterly Unique
SENLIN ASCENDS is a quirky, exciting, unique book that follows its main character on an unforgettable journey in an unforgettable place. The more I think about it, the more I realize how much I truly enjoyed it: The characters, the world, the prose, all of it providing a fresh story that I am eager to continue.
Thomas Senlin arrives at the mythical Tower of Babel on a honeymoon with his new wife, Marya, only to lose her and begin an epic rescue. And I had no idea the trouble he was in for, or how charmed I would be by him.
Thomas is wonderful. He isn’t a soldier or superhero or diplomat or spy. He is literally a teacher with an air of propriety who is entirely out of his element. That was enough to make me love him. The way he grows and progresses makes him instantly likeable, an every man in a chaotic place just trying to do the right thing and find his wife. There are plenty of admirable and complex characters he meets with along the way, though Marya will always be my favourite.
I loved the Tower of Babel. It is such a unique setting and perfectly encapsulates the themes of the story. Every level is different, dark, and dangerous. You never know what to expect or who you’ll run into.
I was also surprised at the amount of action. Bancroft is very, very skilled with his prose and the simplest sentence could make for a chilling moment.
This is a completely original and unique story. It’s part fantasy, part steampunk, part romance, part thriller. All of it is perfection. I absolutely adored it and highly recommend it to any reader looking for a fresh new book.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Roman
- 2023-04-05
Not like Brent weeks
I love Brent weeks. I read this based on the recommendation on the cover.
But this lacks everything that I like about his epics.
I find this story very boring. It's basically a long sting of hollow plot devices that makes the whole story feel pointless.
I didn't finish it, but no scene felt like it really mattered.
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