Arm of the Sphinx

Josiah Bancroft's Books of Babel series is difficult to categorize. It takes its titular inspiration from the ancient world of Ur and the Tower of Babel, but then applies a whimsical steampunk fantasy overlay across the top. This combination of biblical myth and steampunk is certainly unique to my mind! The second book here see the further evolution of our protagonist. The careful naivete of the school teacher Thomas Senlin has been replaced by a much more pragmatic, if a little less stable outlook on life. We learn a bit more about the background behind the tower and get to meet the Sphinx - a character much alluded to previously. The whimsy and creativity is very much still in evidence.

The story does suffer a little from middle book syndrome - the first book set up our character, introduced the gang that we spend most of the time with in this book. Arm of the Sphinx loses a little bit of the drive of the first book - the overriding objective of Senlin to find his wife seems a little bit lost and buried here. The whimsy and creativity mean that this is still an excellent book. Senlin's companions are an interesting bunch and we get to learn more about them and their motivations in tis book.

I remain intrigued to see where the next book takes us!

4.5 out of 5 stars

In my reading life, I want to get sucked into stories, invested in characters, enraptured by action, and delighted by prose. If only one or two of those boxes can be checked by any given book, I'm perfectly satisfied. Josiah Bancroft's books check a fifth box — all of the above. Every page of Arm of the Sphinx is a delectable treat, with countless delightful passages, characters, and a story that gets more intriguing as mysteries build and questions are answered.

The Tower of Babel and its surrounding airspace feels pulled from a fairy tale. Bancroft has created a fantastical setting that remains beguiling and limitless in terms of storytelling possibilities. I'm enjoying learning more about the Tower and the direction that the story seems to be going in that regard.

This book expands upon the backstories of each character, doles out meaningful motivations, and pairs the characters up in fun and refreshing ways. The story hits a few lulls leading up to the sections involving the Sphinx, but things pick up again and finish with a satisfying flourish.

Like Senlin Ascends before it, Arm of the Sphinx is inventive, clever, and imbued with a sense of virtuousness and humanity. Bancroft is weaving together a wonderful series that has all the makings of a modern fantasy classic. I cannot wait to get my hands on The Hod King later this year.

See this review and others at The Speculative Shelf.