Arm of the Sphinx (Books of Babel #2)[April 11, 2025]

[Yanique, Thread Master]

This is a Buddy Read for Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft starting on April 11, 2025.


Happy Reading!

[Nirkatze]

Thank you!

1. Senlin Ascends (Aug 20 2024) [link]
2. Arm of the Sphinx (April 11 2025)
3. The Hod King (Sept 11) [link]
4. The Fall of Babel (Dec 11)

[Beena]

Just a heads up, I'm gonna be late to this one.

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

After all the hard work we did, not reading this for 5-6-9 months...

[Nirkatze]

Started this, and really enjoying a lot of the turns of phrase--latest "Senlin determined the [story] was a spittoon overflowing with drivel."

Took me a while to remember who was who and what had happened at the end of the previous book, but I'm glad to be back with these characters again. Through Chapter 6--oh crap, I'm not sure if this was Part I or Part II Chapter 6... I think Part I? (view spoiler)[That Senlin is seeing weird enduring drug-visions of his wife is disturbing. Especially since she doesn't seem to act like his wife... but more like a conglomeration of all the women he's met in Babel and beyond since then. Makes me think--wasn't there a quote in the first book about him starting to forget her? He has the painting so he can remember... I had more hope in the first book.

I like that Adam is trying to win his way back into trustworthiness--and that it isn't easy. It shouldn't be easy. (hide spoiler)]

[Nirkatze]

Through Part III Chapter 6 now, and man this is trippy... I'm feeling the Alice in Wonderland vibes, but now I remember someone (I think Iain?) bringing that up in the BR for book one...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I'll get to this this weekend or next weekend... was waitiing because Beena said they'd be late, at first...

[Nirkatze]

Finished, and enjoyed. Stayed trippy to the end. (view spoiler)[I have to admit I kind of am glad that Senlin is falling for Edith, which I usually wouldn't like--but we've not really met Marya outside a few scenes, and we know Edith really well. But Marya's situation is ... ugh. Cheating is never a good plotline. And it's made worse by the fact that not only is Marya still trapped, it seems she's been forced to have a child. That's... complicated.

But... how much of is the Sphinx's influence? She seems to have fingers in a lot of pots... and she says she intercedes if she thinks one of the keys might be harmed. How far could she have interceded to bring people like Edith and Senlin into her debt? Did I imagine that she was happy both about the kiss and what her spies brought back about Marya?

I'm glad at least that Senlin's visions are (hopefully) done. Makes sense that it would have been the painting--but man, those scenes crawling through the library were triiiiiippy. Love the cat though. Love Voleta's squirrel too, and I'm glad that Adam is finally ready accept that Voleta is her own woman and can choose her own path.

I also really liked that Iren is going through menopause. I swear, I've not read a single fantasy book that deals with that part of womanhood. Broken Earth comes close but not quite. (hide spoiler)]

[Beena]

Lol, sorry Iain, go ahead if you want to (I'll still read this within a few weeks time). I was away for a bit, so paused on the book I was reading and am still halfway through it at the moment...

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Did I not comment in this thread?

I totally read this when I saw Nirkatze reading it...

I remembered a fair bit of this one, just like the first one...

My memories of this series are pretty positive with books 1-2, a bit more mixed with book 3, and I just wasn't ready to read book 4 when it came out, without a re-read, I guess...

My favorite aspects of this second one, are starting to understand the larger scope and purpose of The Tower... altho, how this is all gonna end/resolve becomes murkier...

Also some cool action sequences...

[Nirkatze]

Yeah, some of the end reveals were pretty cool... (view spoiler)[the ack--what are they called? how the paintings are really those moving picture thingies, and a lock. To another world. Or something. Very trippy. (hide spoiler)]

[Beena]

I picked this up at the beginning of this week, not exactly gripping me yet, but easy to read at least.

[Nirkatze]

Yay for beginnings!

[Beena]

Ugh guys, I've been crawling through this without much interest and finally had time to sit down properly and give it a good go, and I am SO bored. The storytelling is fine, I just don't care to be perfectly honest.

So this is gonna be a DNF, even though I'm at 60%, I just can't force myself anymore.

Over to you two to read the last two books together.

[Paula]

I am up to read the next two books

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

That sucks, but Paula swooped in quick...

To Beena Determined reading dates renamed To Paula Determined ;D

[Paula]

Yeah haha, and I am behind BR and a bit overbooked next couple of months. So at the earliest is September

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Ouch... Well OK... We already went from August/November to April, the first time around ... As long as we read eventually, and don't wait more than like 6 months per book, we should be fine hopefully?... And not feel the need to rerereread :D

[Paula]

Yeah, I want to finish the series this year. I stopped a couple of years ago because of the bad reviews of book 4 and now I want to continue and finish and see if the reviews are true

[Beena]

Well, looks like I've got a replacement, thanks Paula! Haha.

Look Iain, this is what happens when you audio bookers want to BR with peeps eye- reading, who are not at Choko-level speed. ;)

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

I wasn't trying to make it sound like there was anything wrong with the way we read .. I was 3 months late on book 1 myself... I rejoined since it was going at such a slow pace when I finally had time in my reading schedule...

You were pretty much spot on with that 6 months goal I said, and I only mentioned it now since I had no idea when Paula read 1-2 and give some ideas of my expectations... September is 5 months from April just as April was 5 months from November...

[Paula]

You are welcome Beena! haha

Yeah, I didn't want to reread the series again (well, book one and two) so it's been about two years since I last read them. But i still remember most things. And I really want to finish the series. People really loved Hod king even when the last book sucked so I want to finish everything. Problem is time :'(

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

Yea... I read Hod King... Never read the finale... Was busy when it finally came out and missed the BR...

I've seen some spoilers tho, and don't like what I've seen really, but I reserve judgement until we read book 4, and see if it's more tolerable in immersive context maybe...

[Paula]

Yeah, too many bad reviews for book four, but maybe it's not that bad

[Nirkatze]

Sorry to hear that the book didn't jive with you @Beena, but glad you have your decision made. And glad that Paula & Iain still want to continue!

Sept... Keep the 11th? Do we want to sched for Sept & Oct, or just schedule #3 for Sept and see how schedules are?

[Paula]

I think it's better to schedule for 3, on the 11th, and wait to see. I am behind every BR now (Wise man's fear is really good but its so chunky I will not finish until a week from now) so better take it easy

[Timelord Iain, Tech Support]

3s fine with me, and we can schedule 4 around then, in October or later... it's so far off that we may as well stick with the current slow scheduling of the next book...

[Nirkatze]

Request made!

[Paula]

Thanks!

[Nirkatze]

Paula wrote: "I think it's better to schedule for 3, on the 11th, and wait to see. I am behind every BR now (Wise man's fear is really good but its so chunky I will not finish until a week from now) so better ta..."

Hey Paula--checking in for book 4 scheduling--what do you think of December? Keep it spread out?

[Paula]

Sounds good, December for 4 then

[Nirkatze]

Request made!