He falls in love with one of his ex- student’s (Marya), and as their relationship blossoms Senlin gains the courage to ask for her hand in marriage. Thomas Senlin is a mild mannered and quite reserved headmaster of a school in a small village. It had almost everything I could ask for in a book, there were some quite dark and surreal moments throughout the Tower of Babel that really grabbed my attention, and some surprises that caught me out a treat. “Do you go everywhere lashed together?” A note of mockery crept into his voice now.”Yes, of course,” replied the older of the two.”Ever since we lost our little sister.”įirst off I must say what a great book this turned out to be, I didn’t know quite what to expect, even though I had heard good things about it I tried to stay away from other reviews for obvious reasons. And so begins Thomas’s search for his beloved Marya, Senlin’s Ascent begins! As the hours tick by it soon dawns on Thomas that Marya isn’t coming back and has gotten lost in the sheer numbers of people that surround the tower. As Thomas waits for his beloved Marya to return the market seems to change around him. Unfortunately before they even get to the tower Thomas and Marya become separated as Marya goes looking for something new to wear in the many market stalls that surround it. Upon arrival in the throng of thousands of people Thomas and Marya try to push their way through the huge market on their way to the base of the tower to start their honeymoon in the Baths (the third Ringdom in the Tower of Babel). As they approach the end of their journey the sheer enormity of the Tower becomes evident, not to mention the veritable menagerie of people descending upon it in the hopes of riches and a new life.

Thomas Senlin and his new bride Marya are on their way to the ancient Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. They’ll sell you rumours, maps, guidebooks, things more suited for wrapping fish than finding wives!” May I thank all at Orbit Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Marya senlin ascends