Josiah Bancroft

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. The Books of BabelSenlin AscendsArm of the Sphinx

Senlin Ascends

Senlin continues his ascent up the tower in the word-of-mouth phenomenon fantasy series about one man's dangerous journey through a labyrinthine world. "One of my favorite books of all time" - Mark Lawrence on Senlin Ascends The Tower of Babel is proving to be as difficult to reenter as it was to break out of. Forced into a life of piracy, Senlin and his eclectic crew are struggling to survive aboard their stolen airship as the hunt to rescue Senlin's lost wife continues. Hopeless and desolate, they turn to a legend of the Tower, the mysterious Sphinx. But help from the Sphinx never comes cheaply, and as Senlin knows, debts aren't always what they seem in the Tower of Babel. Time is running out, and now Senlin must choose between his friends, his freedom, and his wife. Does anyone truly escape the Tower? The Books of BabelSenlin AscendsArm of the Sphinx

Arm of the Sphinx

THE SECRETS OF THE TOWER WILL FINALLY BE REVEALED IN THE REMARKABLE CONCLUSION TO THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BOOKS OF BABEL SERIES. Praise for The Books of Babel 'Josiah Bancroft is a magician. His books are that rare alchemy: gracefully written, deliriously imaginative, action-packed, warm, witty and thought-provoking' Madeline Miller, author of Circe 'The Books of Babel are something you hope to see perhaps once a decade - future classics, which may be remembered long after the series concludes' LA Times 'It is not merely a 5 star book, it's a masterpiece' Mark Lawrence 'A vibrant, wholly original, and expertly crafted novel that transcends genre fantasy. It is an instant literary classic' Fantasy Book Review 'It's rare to finad a modern book that feels like a timeless classic. I'm wildly in love with this book' Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising 'One of the most original, intriguing, well written, witty and wondrous fantasy fiction debuts I've ever read' Fantasy Faction The Books of Babel Senlin Ascends The Arm of the Sphinx The Hod King The Fall of Babel

Book Four of the Books of Babel

The Fall of Babel

THE THIRD NOVEL IN THE HIGHLY ACCLAIMED BOOKS OF BABEL SERIES, SET IN A LABYRINTHINE WORLD OF MENACE AND WONDER. 'It is not merely a 5* book, it's a masterpiece' Mark Lawrence 'A vibrant, wholly original, and expertly crafted novel that transcends genre fantasy. It is an instant literary classic' Fantasy Book Review Thomas Senlin and his crew have been separated following the orders of the mysterious Sphinx. Meanwhile, the enslaved hods climb the Black Trail and whisper secrets in the dark. As Senlin and his crew are dragged ever further into the Tower's conspiracies, everything falls to one question: who is the Hod King? Praise for the series: 'Josiah Bancroft is a magician. His books are that rare alchemy: gracefully written, deliriously imaginative, action-packed, warm, witty and thought-provoking' Madeline Miller, author of Circe 'I'm wildly in love with this book' - Pierce Brown, author of Red Rising 'Brilliant' - Publishers Weekly 'I loved it' - Django Wexler, author of The Thousand Names 'A universe of stars out of five' Superstar Drifter 'These books are absolutely incredible' - The Quill to Live 'Spectacular . . . fabulously gripping' - BookBag 'An impressive display of imagination and humour' - SciFiNow 'An engrossing, intoxicating delight' - Forbidden Planet

Book Three of the Books of Babel

The Hod King

The first book in a wildly entertaining new fantasy series from acclaimed author Josiah Bancroft where a married couple team up to solve magical, and often quite odd, mysteries. The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case. But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent antiroyalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people. Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for whatever springs from the alleys, graves, and shadows next.

The Hexologists

Hexologists

Short Stories & Vignettes from the Babel-verse

A Ascensão de Senlin

Der Turm von Babel ist das gewaltigste Bauwerk des Seidenen Zeitalters: er ragt so hoch in die Wolken hinein, dass niemand weiß, wo er endet; in seinem Inneren gibt es ganze Königreiche und unzählige Labyrinthe voller geheimnisvoller Kreaturen und tödlicher Gefahren. Eigentlich wollte der furchtsame Thomas Senlin nur einen kurzen Blick auf dieses Weltwunder werfen und dann weiterreisen. »Falls wir uns in der Menschenmenge verlieren, treffen wir uns auf der Spitze des Turmes wieder«, sagt seine frisch angetraute Frau Marya noch kokett zu ihm, kurz darauf ist sie tatsächlich spurlos verschwunden. Senlin bleibt keine Wahl: Er muss rein in den Turm und rauf auf die Spitze, wenn er seine Frau wiederfinden will. Das Abenteuer beginnt ...

Roman

Im Turm

L'ascesa di Senlin

Senlin continues his ascent up the tower in the word-of-mouth phenomenon fantasy series about one man's dangerous journey through a labyrinthine world. "One of my favorite books of all time" - Mark Lawrence on Senlin Ascends The Tower of Babel is proving to be as difficult to reenter as it was to break out of. Forced into a life of piracy, Senlin and his eclectic crew are struggling to survive aboard their stolen airship as the hunt to rescue Senlin's lost wife continues. Hopeless and desolate, they turn to a legend of the Tower, the mysterious Sphinx. But help from the Sphinx never comes cheaply, and as Senlin knows, debts aren't always what they seem in the Tower of Babel. Time is running out, and now Senlin must choose between his friends, his freedom, and his wife. Does anyone truly escape the Tower? The Books of BabelSenlin AscendsArm of the SphinxThe Hod King

The incredible final book in the phenomenon fantasy series described as “future classics" follows one man's dangerous journey through a labyrinthine world and the mysteries he uncovers along the way (Los Angeles Times). "Josiah Bancroft is a magician. His books are that rare alchemy: gracefully written, deliriously imaginative, action packed, warm, witty, and thought provoking." — Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe 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 desperately 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. Also by Josiah Bancroft: The Books of Babel Senlin Ascends Arm of the Sphinx The Hod King The Fall of Babel

From the acclaimed author of Senlin Ascends comes the first book in a wildly inventive new fantasy series where magical mysteries abound and only one team can solve them: The Hexologists. 'Bancroft is a wonder as ever! The Hexologists was a joyous delight on every page - buoyantly inventive, witty, poignant, gripping, and deeply satisfying' Madeline Miller, author of Circe The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case. But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake - going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven - the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent antiroyalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people. Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for whatever springs from the alleys, graves, and shadows next. 'Fantastic! The Hexologists fizzes eloquently with wit and elegance, but also has marvellous worldbuilding and an excellent plot - and a central pair of characters who I quite simply love. A cocktail of a book made with the very best champagne' Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library

UNTITLED JOSIAH BANCROFT 3

UNTITLED JOSIAH BANCROFT 2

Pokud chce Thomas Senlin zachránit svou ženu, musí se z tichého knihomola proměnit v muže činu. Vznešená a prastará babylonská věž je nejúžasnější div světa, sestávající z nesčetných prstencových říší naskládaných na sebe jako vrstvy svatebního dortu. Je světem géniů a tyranů, vzducholodí a parních strojů, neobyčejných zvířat i záhadných vynálezů. A je to také letovisko, kde chce strávit líbánky ředitel malé venkovské školy Thomas Senlin se svou ženou Maryou. Krátce po příjezdu však Thomas manželku ve víru turistů, starousedlíků a podvodníků ztratí. Ve snaze ji najít se vydává na hrdinskou pouť, během které musí překonat řadu nástrah — zradu, pokus o vraždu i namířené hlavně létající pevnosti. První díl knižní série o Thomasi Senlinovi vydal Josiah Bancroft vlastním nákladem. Cesta do Babylonu si navzdory minimální reklamě získala u čtenářů mimořádnou oblibu, a tak v roce 2018 vyšla znovu, tentokrát již v řádném nákladu. Vřelé přijetí si vysloužila i od kritiků a deník The Washington Post ji zařadil mezi pět nejlepších fantasy knih roku 2018. Mimořádný debut, hodný rozruchu, který ho provází. Krásně napsané a velmi zajímavé mistrovské dílo, které mě donutilo otáčet stránku za stránkou a neustále stát Senlinovi po boku. - Fantasy Book Review Cesta do Babylonu je jednou z nejlepších knih, jaké jsem v posledních letech četl. Polapila mě a nemohl jsem uniknout, dokud jsem ji o tři dny později nedočetl. - Mark Lawrence, autor trilogie Roztříštěná říše Kromě bohatého a výrazného stylu je román pozoruhodný Bancroftovým vyobrazením Senlina, dobrého člověka v zoufalé situaci, a způsobem, jakým se mění v důsledku zkušeností, kterých nabývá cestou vzhůru. Cesta do Babylonu sbírá nadšené ohlasy oprávněně. – The Guardian

Josiah Bancroft

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