He wasn’t accustomed to feeling panic, nor did he know how to console himself when despair descended upon him. Their honeymoon was ruined, that much seemed certain. They would have to fabricate some fable of luxury to tell their friends, and he would, of course, make it all up to her with a quiet weekend in a pastoral cottage, but for the rest of their marriage she would remember what a terrible trial their honeymoon had been. It was an inauspicious start. Objectively, this was a pretty great book (Bancroft is an artist, I will never say otherwise) but I was so personally invested in this series, there was so much riding on this book for me. Honestly, I’ve incorporated this series into my personality at this point given the amount I rave about it and recommend it to everyone and anyone. Because, though fallen - the thing still stands! There are no easy ways out, and indeed sometimes there are none at all. Felony Misdemeanor: Edith Winters gets charged with failing to stoke the fireplaces in addition to playing her role in the Parlor, as she's too busy running from an armed drunk, while Senlin doesn't, as he's a habitual fire stoker. It still doesn't prevent him from being detained. He asked them if they were from the East, and they responded with the name of a fishing village that was not far from Isaugh. They exchanged the usual nostalgia common to costal folk: sunrises, starfish, and the pleasant muttering of the surf at night, and then he asked, “You’ve come on holiday?”

Bancroft, Josiah (3 December 2021). "Acquisition Announcement: The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft". Orbit Books . Retrieved 1 June 2022.Fiction Book Review: Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft". Publishers Weekly . Retrieved 28 January 2020. I only wanted to have a look at this series because it was recommended to me by several people - and then I found myself racing through all four books within 11 days. Overall, it’s a wonderful conclusion to a unique series that features some great characters, an interesting plot, and fascinating worldbuilding. There is a lot of potential for further stories to be told as well. I’ll read whatever Bancroft puts out after this, whether it be set in this world or something completely new. Today, Marya wore her traveling clothes: a knee-length khaki skirt and plain white blouse with a somewhat eccentric pith helmet covering her rolling auburn hair. She had dyed the helmet red, which Senlin didn’t particularly like, but she’d sold him on the fashion by saying it would make her easier to spot in a crowd. Senlin wore a gray suit of thin corduroy which he felt was too casual, even for traveling, but which she had said was fashionable and a little frolicsome, and wasn’t that the whole point of a honeymoon after all?

Jones, Ant (22 January 2019). "In 'The Hod King,' a man goes on a mystical quest when his wife vanishes on their steampunkish honeymoon". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 29 January 2020. The plot progression and the conclusion I thought was satisfying, both in the way the story played out and the interspersing of the PoV sections. It was steadily paced with a constant sense of story movement, though some of the action scenes I thought extended a tad too long. There are mysteries slowly being unravelled about the nature and function of the Tower after getting bits and pieces peppered throughout the previous books. One of my favourite aspects of any fantastical world is getting to know the lore, figuring out how all of it fits together logically. This series mostly delivers on that front, as there are awaited revelations about the various ringdoms and the Tower, as well as a deeper exploration of the workings of the mysterious red substance. We can cower behind oaths and excuses, but it does not change the fact that many are suffering and dying. Perhaps we are not responsible for the crimes of our fathers, but make no mistake, we are beneficiaries of those crimes, which makes us answerable to its victims.” That being said: This series is more than a mere reference to the Tower of Babel; it is a reinvention of a story featuring a great, magnificent and proud building whose creators, in their hubris, were so much convinced of its magnificence that they ultimately allowed its demise. And this demise, dark and painful despite its many solemn and memorable touches, I’d hoped we can finally read about in detail in the grand finale.Indentured Servitude: The punishment for failing to pay one's debts is being caught, shaved, collared and put to work as a hod, essentially slaves forced to carry goods and do other maintenance throughout the Tower. It's John Tarrou's eventual fate, when he's caught redhanded aiding Senlin for the theft of a painting, and the authorities stop ignoring his outstanding debts as a result.