Reviews

Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft

bionicturtle64's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

midnarose's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a good continuation of the first book in the series. 

Senlin is still on the journey to find his wife, his just now a pirate with a crew of friends he has made along his journey so far. 

While i found the first book introduced the characters in the story and brought them together , this one introduced plot lines and story arcs for the characters we were introduced to in the first book. 
I found a lot of this book was the building blocks for the next, it gave us some information but introduced so many more mysteries to be solved. 

By the end it definitely made me want to pick up the next book to find answers and to see what happens next. 

benaurelia's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

sumeetv's review against another edition

4.0

Bancroft's sequel to Senlin Ascends shows that the series isn't going to slow down one bit. The prose is smooth, the dialogue is snappy, and the characters are as entertaining as before. There is some character growth that feels natural and unforced, but none of it will really blow you away. A few layers of the tower's mystique are slowly revealed over the course of the book. As is almost always the case, the reality falls a little short of whatever fantastical ideas we may have imagined or hoped for. The reveals are still engaging and will pull you even deeper into the broader machinations of the tower. Regardless, the overarching story is starting to come together with some hints about the future of the series and our beloved protagonist(s). If you enjoyed the first book, which I most definitely did, the successor is absolutely worth your time. I can't wait for the third book to come out.

yknight's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was pretty skeptical after the first one but this one was stronger I think, maybe just because I've gotten my head around what this world is.

cjbeaupa's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

perch15's review

5.0

As good or better than the first, despite some structural choices I didn’t care for. The characters truly come into their own in this book. And what a stage Bancroft has set for the next volume... Excellent work.

yurugu's review against another edition

3.0

Arm of the Sphinx cuts away the dense fog of mystery and confusion of the first book, but what remains isn't particularly captivating.

abattleofmice's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

stone_cloud's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

5.0