Please note, The Fall of Babel is the final novel in The Books of Babel sequence. If you haven’t read what has transpired before it is highly likely the review that follows will contain spoilers. Don’t say you have not been warned!
As Marat’s siege engine bores through the Tower, erupting inside ringdoms and leaving chaos in its wake, Senlin can do nothing but observe the mayhem from inside the belly of the beast. Caught in a charade, Senlin desperiately tries to sabotage the rampaging Hod King, even as Marat’s objective grows increasingly clear. The leader of the zealots is bound for the Sphinx’s lair and the unimaginable power it contains.
In the city under glass at the Tower’s summit, Adam discovers a utopia where everyone inexplicably knows the details of his past. As Adam unravels the mystery of his fame, he soon discovers the crowning ringdom conceals a much darker secret.
Aboard the State of Art, Edith and her crew adjust to the reality that Voleta has awoken from death changed. She seems to share more in common with the Red Hand now than her former self. While Edith wars for the soul of the young woman, a greater crisis looms: They will have to face Marat on unequal footing and with Senlin caught in the crossfire.
And when the Bridge of Babel is finally opened, and the Brick Layer’s true ambition revealed, neither they nor the Tower will ever be the same again.
I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. If you’ve reached this point in The Books of Babel then all you really want to know is does the grand finale deliver? Does Thomas Senlin and his merry band of oddballs finally manage to confront the religious zealots threatening the existence of the mighty Tower of Babel? Will the enigmatic nature of the Sphinx and the crafty Brick Layer finally be revealed? Does the Tower have a purpose? Where the hell has Adam been? Actually, as an aside, that particular question does take up a good chunk of the novel’s beginning but that’s ok The Fall of Babel is a suitably hefty tome. Don’t fret, all your favourite characters get the opportunity to shine.
The Fall of Babel delivers action aplenty, revelations galore and as I’ve come to expect, there are moments of mesmeric chaos dotted throughout the narrative. You’ll find everything from large quantities of raw sewage, some aggrieved nudists and a group of very angry swans playing their part.
The novel answers all the burning questions you may have and suggests a few more. I shall miss Senlin and Edith, Iren, Voleta and Byron. Put it this way, if Josiah Bancroft ever decides to revisit the Tower and its denizens, I will be there, front row centre, ready to pick up from where we left off. The author leaves us with a few tantalising tidbits about where the various characters respective futures may lie. Am I being greedy for wanting more? I can’t help it, The Books of Babel has been an excellent series from beginning to end. This is a perfect swansong. Bravo!
The Fall of Babel is published by Orbit and is available now.
My musical recommendation to accompany The Fall of Babel is the soundtrack to Shadow and Bone by Joseph Trapanese. It has a grand scope that fits the tone of the novel perfectly.
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