What do you think?
Rate this book
Babylon Steel #1
Bad Gods (1)
A critically acclaimed, fun, smart, inclusive take on a classic fantasy trope, with gorgeous cover art by Discworld artist Stephen Player
All Tastes! • All Species! • All Currencies!
You can find anything in Scalentine, the city of portals, but you won’t find a better brothel than the Red Lantern. And its proprietor, Babylon Steel (ex-mercenary, ex-priestess, ex… lots of things), means to keep it that way.
But a prurient cult are protesting in the streets, sex workers are disappearing, and Babylon has bills to pay. When the powerful Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress, she has to take the job.
And then her past starts to catch up with her...
All Tastes! • All Species! • All Currencies!
You can find anything in Scalentine, the city of portals, but you won’t find a better brothel than the Red Lantern. And its proprietor, Babylon Steel (ex-mercenary, ex-priestess, ex… lots of things), means to keep it that way.
But a prurient cult are protesting in the streets, sex workers are disappearing, and Babylon has bills to pay. When the powerful Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress, she has to take the job.
And then her past starts to catch up with her...
464 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2011
114 people are currently reading
1602 people want to read
About the author
Gaie Sebold
29 books91 followersGaie Sebold
Gaie’s debut novel Babylon Steel http://tinyurl.com/bwzcsbu was published by Solaris in January 2012 to enthusiastic reviews…
“…a pacey fantasy romp;” The Guardian
“Ingenious, gripping and full of pleasures on every level. Exceptional.” Mike Carey
“…an absolutely wonderful author who should be warmly welcomed alongside those authors pushing fantasy into new directions,” Fantasy Faction
… and was also shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award.
The sequel, Dangerous Gifts, came out in 2013 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dangerous-Gi... .
Shanghai Sparrow https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shanghai-Spa... - the first in the "Gears of Empire" steampunk series was published in 2014 and Sparrow Falling https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparrow-Fall... in 2016.
Gaie is an accomplished short story writer and poet; her stories have appeared in a number of anthologies.
Gaie was born in the US, and lives in London. She has worked as a cleaner, secretary, till-monkey, stage-tour-manager, editor, and charity administrator. She now writes full time and runs occasional writing workshops. She is an obsessive reader, enthusiastic gardener, and has been known to run around in woods hitting people with latex swords and to declaim poetry in public, though not usually at the same time. She also has the standard cat apparently issued to most fantasy writers.
Gaie’s debut novel Babylon Steel http://tinyurl.com/bwzcsbu was published by Solaris in January 2012 to enthusiastic reviews…
“…a pacey fantasy romp;” The Guardian
“Ingenious, gripping and full of pleasures on every level. Exceptional.” Mike Carey
“…an absolutely wonderful author who should be warmly welcomed alongside those authors pushing fantasy into new directions,” Fantasy Faction
… and was also shortlisted for the Compton Crook Award.
The sequel, Dangerous Gifts, came out in 2013 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dangerous-Gi... .
Shanghai Sparrow https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shanghai-Spa... - the first in the "Gears of Empire" steampunk series was published in 2014 and Sparrow Falling https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparrow-Fall... in 2016.
Gaie is an accomplished short story writer and poet; her stories have appeared in a number of anthologies.
Gaie was born in the US, and lives in London. She has worked as a cleaner, secretary, till-monkey, stage-tour-manager, editor, and charity administrator. She now writes full time and runs occasional writing workshops. She is an obsessive reader, enthusiastic gardener, and has been known to run around in woods hitting people with latex swords and to declaim poetry in public, though not usually at the same time. She also has the standard cat apparently issued to most fantasy writers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews
January 19, 2019
Actual rating: 4.8698548458 stars. And a half.
Acute Acronymitis (AA™) is strong in this one. So consider your little selves warned and stuff. Oh, and by the way, I tried to make this short. I really did. I miserably failed. I really did.
① Thou shalt not judge this book by its Super Extra Deceiving Cover (SEDC™). No, thou shalt not.
② Thou shalt not judge this book by its Mighty Plenty Misleading Blurb (MPMB™). No, thou shall not.
Because NO, this is not some Remarkably Light and Uncommonly Trashy Humorous Fantasy Type Thingie (RLaUTHFTT™). And because YES, this is an Awesome Piece of Awesome Awesomeness (APoAA™), packed with, um, you know, awesome stuff. “What kind of awesome stuff,” you ask? The kind that makes me feel a little like this:
Aka Nearly Almost Pure Bliss (NAPB™) and stuff. Sorry, what? You want more details? Crispy darnation of the gosh-darn damnation! But you are a relentlessly demanding bunch, Little Barnacles Mine! Well you know what? In luck you seem to be, foruncharacteristically particularly amicable and uncommonly exceptionally generous I feel today, and reveal to you what makes Babylon Steel a most excellent APoAA™ graciously I shall :
⚡️ The Yummilicious World ⚡️
A healthy dose of Fantasy + a touch of Sci-Fi = the originally fresh and freshly imaginative setting of this book. This is a deliciously intriguing, scrumptiously fleshed-out world made of different planes connected by mysterious portals, and populated by humans and weird creatures and alien-like races and gods and avatars and stuff. Where did the portals come from? How do they work? Is it magic? Is it some long-lost technology? No one has a bloody fishing clue. Hey, looks like Little Barnacles are not the only clueless bunch around! Be glad and rejoice, my Tiny Decapods, for there might be hope for you yet! Just kidding.
Some People of the Despicable Book Taste (PotDBT™) might argue that this book is fraught with bucket loads of unnecessary info dumping *eyerolls so much she nearly loses one of her beloved compound eyes* Do you puny humans seriously think I’d be here writing a 4.8698548458-star review if that were the case? Or did you forget I was awarded theI Have As Much Patience As a Teenage Hermit Crab on Crack Prize (IHAMPAaTHCoCP™) DNFs Overly Descriptive Fantasy Books of Death Faster Than It Takes To Say Unleash The Crustaceans Medal (DNFODFBoDFTITTSUTCM™) multiple times? NO, the book isn’t supremely action-packed and YES, there are more descriptions than my exoskeleton is used to withstand, but instead of dragging the pace of the book down and turning the story into the perfect cure for insomnia, said descriptions make for a very vivid, vibrant world that sucks you right in and feels amazingly real. So QED and stuff.
⚡️ The Delectably Intriguing Story ⚡️
Okay, to be revoltingly honest, the premise of the book isn’t that exciting: Babylon Steel, my new, brothel boss of a girlfriend (she’s already been safely locked up in the Maximum Security Wing of my High Security Harem, so don’t you get any silly ideas in your silly little heads) is in bad need of hard cash to pay her taxes, and therefore takes a job from a mysteriously mysterious casino owner to look for a mysteriously mysterious missing girl. Most mysterious, maybe, but neither terribly fascinating nor stupendously original, I admit. Nevertheless, however and stuff. Things are not as simple as they first appear to be, you see, and what started off as your Tremendously Average Search and Rescue Operation (TASaRO™) quickly turns into a Super Extra Crunchy Tale with Unsuspected Depth on Top (SECTwUDoT™).
Yes, RLY, dear Creepy Child. Your curiosity has been appropriately piqued, I hope?
“And how exactly did Sebold manage such a feat,” you ask? By masterfully alternating two seemingly unrelated plotlines that flawlessly blend into one as the story progresses and adda shitload bucketloads of complexity to the book, that’s how. Also: twists and turns and surprises, oh my! I rest in my case.
⚡️ Babylon Steel aka The Swashbuckling Babe ⚡️
My new girlfriend isprime harem material pretty much perfect, if you ask me: she is strong, she is tough, she is fierce, she is independent. She is also honest and compassionate and beautifully smart-mouthed. She doesn’t take crap from anyone. She has an obscure past. She is unapologetic about who she is and what her life choices are. She can be vulnerable but spoiler spoiler spoiler and stuff. She thinks swords are the best fashion accessories ever. She is a former mercenary turned brothel owner. And she says stuff like this:
⚡️ Diversity Wonderland ⚡️
Rarely have I come across such a Lusciously Colourful Cast of Wondrously Diverse Characters (LCCoWDC™). There are Fey, there are fauns, there are lamias. There are angels and were-people and emotion-sucking vamps. There are blue people and furry people and apron-wearing people with gleaming tusks. There are mouse-like people who blush lavender and hermaphrodite half-human half-giant furry caterpillar people (don’t ask). There are super hot lizard people who make me swoon and drool and stuff (I kid you not), and people who look like fat green dogs. It’s kind of like ♫ It’s A Small World ♫, only a little, um, you know, weirder and stuff.
Sorry what, you got thatsilly, stupid song delightful tune stuck in your little head and it’s all my fault? Why, you are quite welcome, my Comely Branchiopoda. My pleasure and stuff.
The great thing is, the supremely diverse diversity in this book isn’t only limited to the characters’ species/skin color and texture/physical appearance/whatever. There are different cultures, religions and belief systems. There are different sexual orientations and gender identities. And, bless my shrimpy gods, this is NOT one of those infuriating books where the author uses diversity as a gimmick, or because it’s cool and the in thing to do. Sebold, with her down-to-earth, realistic writing, makes it all feel genuine and natural. As it should be. She doesn’t judge the characters or try to explain/justify their choices. This is who they are and what they do, period. (That is what makes Sebold’s take on sex and sex workers particularly refreshing, methinks.) She is candid, honest, and open-minded, which does wonders for the narrative and makes the reader accept what could potentially be, um, slightly, err, awkward situations without blinking. I mean, the last time I read about ahuman/weird bug intra-species relationship, I nearly nuked our silly planet to tiny little pieces in retaliation . Here, however, a certain hot scene involving a certain hot lizard I may or may not have mentioned previously had me fangirling like a slightly hysterical, underage decapod in heat (and on acid).
This is a dog, you say? Not a slightly hysterical, underage decapod in heat (and on acid)? Oh please, don’t be ridiculous. Do you seriously think I don’t know what a decapod looks like? Need I remind you that I used to breed murderous crustaceans for a living? I think I know what unbalanced Malacostraca look like better than you ever will, you Silly Amphipodian Bunch (SAB™). So don’t insult me and stuff.
⚡️ The Trope Crushing Fest ⚡️
So first, Sebold starts by mercilessly (and most deliciously) blowing up every misconstrued, preconceived notions one might have about prostitution. All ridiculous clichés about sex workers get viciously butchered along, obviously. Then Sebold goes on her merry way, cheerfully demolishing overused and overworked Fantasy tropes such as the Usually Yawn Worthy “Chosen” Business (UYWCB™). And finally she goes in for the kill by joyfully slaughtering what must be the Undisputed Monarch of All Suicide-Inducing Fantasy Tropes (UMoASIFT™): the Magically Enhanced Dubious Consent of Doom and Complete Annihilation of All Life on this Planet Bullshit (MEDCoDaCAoALotPB™). And that isquite orgasmic highly satisfying, if you ask me. And even if you don’t. Ask me, I mean.
⚡️ Hahahahaha. Haha. Hahahaha. Ha. ⚡️
I think one can fairly say that some parts of this book might possibly be somewhat amusing and moderately droll. Maybe. Perhaps. I mean, Fleet Admiral DaShrimp of the Decidedly Stern Disposition (FADSotDSD™) read the book along with me, and I actually caught him gleefully LOLing away multiples times. Now if that isn’t undeniable proof that this book is somewhat amusing and moderately droll, I don’t know what is.
➽ And the moral of this Why The Stinking Fish Does This Book Have Such a Pathetically Miserable Average Star Rating Aren’t You People Tired of Reading Books Wrong Crappy Non Review (WtSFDTBHSaPMASRAYPToRBWCNR™) is: as my favorite sexpot of a lizard would say, “Pain for fun? You mammals are weird.” Truer words were never spoken, methinks.
➽ And the other moral of this WtSFDTBHSaPMASRAYPToRBWCNR™ is:
P.S. Babylon? MINE. Kittack? MINE. Chief Bitternut? MINE. Glinchen of The “Stabbings in the Chestings?” MINE. Any faun within a 10,000 mile radius? MINE. As for the rest of the characters, I’m pre-emptivelykidnapping adopting 98.5769% of them. Just in case. So kindly back off and stuff.
· Book 2: Dangerous Gifts ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
This book kinda sorta made me feel a little like this:
(I think this might mean I may have enjoyed it somewhat. Perhaps.)
➽ Full Behold Babylon Steel Ruthless Destroyer of Silly Fantasy Tropes and Unforgiving Champion of Most Deliciously Diverse Diversity Crappy Non review (BBSRDoSFTaUCoMDDDCNR™) to come.
➽ Excerpt from ze blurb : Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex… other things, runs the best brothel in Scalentine; city of many portals, two moons, and a wide variety of races, were-creatures, and religions, not to mention the occasional insane warlock.
Wow. This has the potential to be either superiorly craptastic, or stupendously awesome. Either way, it's only $0.99 today so you might want to grab a copy posthaste and stuff. At least if the book ends up being eminently suicide-inducing you won't regret spending your great great great great grandchildren's inheritance on it.
I know, right? Oh, and by the way, I love your hairstyle. Just thought you'd like to know. You are quite welcome.
Acute Acronymitis (AA™) is strong in this one. So consider your little selves warned and stuff. Oh, and by the way, I tried to make this short. I really did. I miserably failed. I really did.
① Thou shalt not judge this book by its Super Extra Deceiving Cover (SEDC™). No, thou shalt not.
② Thou shalt not judge this book by its Mighty Plenty Misleading Blurb (MPMB™). No, thou shall not.
Because NO, this is not some Remarkably Light and Uncommonly Trashy Humorous Fantasy Type Thingie (RLaUTHFTT™). And because YES, this is an Awesome Piece of Awesome Awesomeness (APoAA™), packed with, um, you know, awesome stuff. “What kind of awesome stuff,” you ask? The kind that makes me feel a little like this:
Aka Nearly Almost Pure Bliss (NAPB™) and stuff. Sorry, what? You want more details? Crispy darnation of the gosh-darn damnation! But you are a relentlessly demanding bunch, Little Barnacles Mine! Well you know what? In luck you seem to be, for
⚡️ The Yummilicious World ⚡️
A healthy dose of Fantasy + a touch of Sci-Fi = the originally fresh and freshly imaginative setting of this book. This is a deliciously intriguing, scrumptiously fleshed-out world made of different planes connected by mysterious portals, and populated by humans and weird creatures and alien-like races and gods and avatars and stuff. Where did the portals come from? How do they work? Is it magic? Is it some long-lost technology? No one has a bloody fishing clue. Hey, looks like Little Barnacles are not the only clueless bunch around! Be glad and rejoice, my Tiny Decapods, for there might be hope for you yet! Just kidding.
Some People of the Despicable Book Taste (PotDBT™) might argue that this book is fraught with bucket loads of unnecessary info dumping *eyerolls so much she nearly loses one of her beloved compound eyes* Do you puny humans seriously think I’d be here writing a 4.8698548458-star review if that were the case? Or did you forget I was awarded the
⚡️ The Delectably Intriguing Story ⚡️
Okay, to be revoltingly honest, the premise of the book isn’t that exciting: Babylon Steel, my new, brothel boss of a girlfriend (she’s already been safely locked up in the Maximum Security Wing of my High Security Harem, so don’t you get any silly ideas in your silly little heads) is in bad need of hard cash to pay her taxes, and therefore takes a job from a mysteriously mysterious casino owner to look for a mysteriously mysterious missing girl. Most mysterious, maybe, but neither terribly fascinating nor stupendously original, I admit. Nevertheless, however and stuff. Things are not as simple as they first appear to be, you see, and what started off as your Tremendously Average Search and Rescue Operation (TASaRO™) quickly turns into a Super Extra Crunchy Tale with Unsuspected Depth on Top (SECTwUDoT™).
Yes, RLY, dear Creepy Child. Your curiosity has been appropriately piqued, I hope?
“And how exactly did Sebold manage such a feat,” you ask? By masterfully alternating two seemingly unrelated plotlines that flawlessly blend into one as the story progresses and add
⚡️ Babylon Steel aka The Swashbuckling Babe ⚡️
My new girlfriend is
“You’ll regret this, Babylon Steel!”How the fish was I supposed to NOT fall in lurve with her, I ask you?! Especially since she comes fully equipped with a Most Excellent Crew of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Sidekicks (MECoSS™). Poof Gone Harem (PGH™), I say!
“Oh, get in line,” I said. “But right now, get your arse out the door, Crewe, before I slice myself some pork.”
⚡️ Diversity Wonderland ⚡️
Rarely have I come across such a Lusciously Colourful Cast of Wondrously Diverse Characters (LCCoWDC™). There are Fey, there are fauns, there are lamias. There are angels and were-people and emotion-sucking vamps. There are blue people and furry people and apron-wearing people with gleaming tusks. There are mouse-like people who blush lavender and hermaphrodite half-human half-giant furry caterpillar people (don’t ask). There are super hot lizard people who make me swoon and drool and stuff (I kid you not), and people who look like fat green dogs. It’s kind of like ♫ It’s A Small World ♫, only a little, um, you know, weirder and stuff.
Sorry what, you got that
The great thing is, the supremely diverse diversity in this book isn’t only limited to the characters’ species/skin color and texture/physical appearance/whatever. There are different cultures, religions and belief systems. There are different sexual orientations and gender identities. And, bless my shrimpy gods, this is NOT one of those infuriating books where the author uses diversity as a gimmick, or because it’s cool and the in thing to do. Sebold, with her down-to-earth, realistic writing, makes it all feel genuine and natural. As it should be. She doesn’t judge the characters or try to explain/justify their choices. This is who they are and what they do, period. (That is what makes Sebold’s take on sex and sex workers particularly refreshing, methinks.) She is candid, honest, and open-minded, which does wonders for the narrative and makes the reader accept what could potentially be, um, slightly, err, awkward situations without blinking. I mean, the last time I read about a
This is a dog, you say? Not a slightly hysterical, underage decapod in heat (and on acid)? Oh please, don’t be ridiculous. Do you seriously think I don’t know what a decapod looks like? Need I remind you that I used to breed murderous crustaceans for a living? I think I know what unbalanced Malacostraca look like better than you ever will, you Silly Amphipodian Bunch (SAB™). So don’t insult me and stuff.
⚡️ The Trope Crushing Fest ⚡️
So first, Sebold starts by mercilessly (and most deliciously) blowing up every misconstrued, preconceived notions one might have about prostitution. All ridiculous clichés about sex workers get viciously butchered along, obviously. Then Sebold goes on her merry way, cheerfully demolishing overused and overworked Fantasy tropes such as the Usually Yawn Worthy “Chosen” Business (UYWCB™). And finally she goes in for the kill by joyfully slaughtering what must be the Undisputed Monarch of All Suicide-Inducing Fantasy Tropes (UMoASIFT™): the Magically Enhanced Dubious Consent of Doom and Complete Annihilation of All Life on this Planet Bullshit (MEDCoDaCAoALotPB™). And that is
⚡️ Hahahahaha. Haha. Hahahaha. Ha. ⚡️
I think one can fairly say that some parts of this book might possibly be somewhat amusing and moderately droll. Maybe. Perhaps. I mean, Fleet Admiral DaShrimp of the Decidedly Stern Disposition (FADSotDSD™) read the book along with me, and I actually caught him gleefully LOLing away multiples times. Now if that isn’t undeniable proof that this book is somewhat amusing and moderately droll, I don’t know what is.
➽ And the moral of this Why The Stinking Fish Does This Book Have Such a Pathetically Miserable Average Star Rating Aren’t You People Tired of Reading Books Wrong Crappy Non Review (WtSFDTBHSaPMASRAYPToRBWCNR™) is: as my favorite sexpot of a lizard would say, “Pain for fun? You mammals are weird.” Truer words were never spoken, methinks.
➽ And the other moral of this WtSFDTBHSaPMASRAYPToRBWCNR™ is:
P.S. Babylon? MINE. Kittack? MINE. Chief Bitternut? MINE. Glinchen of The “Stabbings in the Chestings?” MINE. Any faun within a 10,000 mile radius? MINE. As for the rest of the characters, I’m pre-emptively
· Book 2: Dangerous Gifts ★★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
This book kinda sorta made me feel a little like this:
(I think this might mean I may have enjoyed it somewhat. Perhaps.)
➽ Full Behold Babylon Steel Ruthless Destroyer of Silly Fantasy Tropes and Unforgiving Champion of Most Deliciously Diverse Diversity Crappy Non review (BBSRDoSFTaUCoMDDDCNR™) to come.
➽ Excerpt from ze blurb : Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex… other things, runs the best brothel in Scalentine; city of many portals, two moons, and a wide variety of races, were-creatures, and religions, not to mention the occasional insane warlock.
Wow. This has the potential to be either superiorly craptastic, or stupendously awesome. Either way, it's only $0.99 today so you might want to grab a copy posthaste and stuff. At least if the book ends up being eminently suicide-inducing you won't regret spending your great great great great grandchildren's inheritance on it.
I know, right? Oh, and by the way, I love your hairstyle. Just thought you'd like to know. You are quite welcome.
January 24, 2012
Brothel owner and operator and former mercenary Babylon Steel has religious zealots, the Vessels of Purity, driving off her business, tax problems, and a secret past she'd rather keep hidden when casino owner Darask Fain pays her to find a missing girl. Only every step she takes brings her a little closer to her secret past. Can Steel find the missing girl before her past finally catches up to her?
Right off the bat, I'd like to say this book is a super nova of pure entertainment. Don't come in expecting to discover a lost work of Shakespeare.
Babylon Steel tells two stories, one of a brothel owner, the other of an orphan girl who eventually becomes the avatar of a goddess. I'm not going to come right out and say it but you can see where the tales will intersect. The story is largely a mystery. Without giving too much of the plot away, I like what Sebold has done with certain fantasy cliches like prophecies, chosen ones, and gods in this book.
Babylon is a fairly well-rounded character. She's tough but feminine. The fact that she's a prostitute that runs a brothel seems almost secondary. Actually, I didn't quite buy her as a prostitute until The supporting cast is fairly well done, from her staff at the Red Lantern to her uneasy relationship with Chief Bitternut, the head of the city watch. Scalentine, the setting, is one of the more interesting fantasy cities I've read about in recent years. It's located at the conjunction of multiple planar portals. It's no Bas Lag but few fantasy cities are.
Both the city and the writing style remind me of Simon Green's Nightside series quite a bit, only with less tedium and more smut. I'd say the writing is better than Green's.
Any complaints? Not really. Like I said earlier, this is a brain candy book. You probably won't find yourself quoting the prose to your friends while you're reading it. That being said, I think this will be a big hit with fantasy readers who also enjoy a bit of paranormal romance. Based on entertainment value alone, I'm caving in and giving it four stars. It was a lot of fun and I couldn't seem to put it down for long.
Right off the bat, I'd like to say this book is a super nova of pure entertainment. Don't come in expecting to discover a lost work of Shakespeare.
Babylon Steel tells two stories, one of a brothel owner, the other of an orphan girl who eventually becomes the avatar of a goddess. I'm not going to come right out and say it but you can see where the tales will intersect. The story is largely a mystery. Without giving too much of the plot away, I like what Sebold has done with certain fantasy cliches like prophecies, chosen ones, and gods in this book.
Babylon is a fairly well-rounded character. She's tough but feminine. The fact that she's a prostitute that runs a brothel seems almost secondary. Actually, I didn't quite buy her as a prostitute until The supporting cast is fairly well done, from her staff at the Red Lantern to her uneasy relationship with Chief Bitternut, the head of the city watch. Scalentine, the setting, is one of the more interesting fantasy cities I've read about in recent years. It's located at the conjunction of multiple planar portals. It's no Bas Lag but few fantasy cities are.
Both the city and the writing style remind me of Simon Green's Nightside series quite a bit, only with less tedium and more smut. I'd say the writing is better than Green's.
Any complaints? Not really. Like I said earlier, this is a brain candy book. You probably won't find yourself quoting the prose to your friends while you're reading it. That being said, I think this will be a big hit with fantasy readers who also enjoy a bit of paranormal romance. Based on entertainment value alone, I'm caving in and giving it four stars. It was a lot of fun and I couldn't seem to put it down for long.
April 5, 2012
This one is right on the cusp of fantasy and sci-fi - a city filled with alien races, surrounded by portals to other planes which come and go mysteriously, and are not understood by anyone. Is this magic or a lost technology? But there is a certain amount of magic in this universe, both learned and innate, and gods and demi-gods as well. There is enough inventiveness here to satisfy the needs of the most demanding of fantasy world connoisseurs, with languages and bizarre races and strange mannerisms and belief systems splattered around with gay abandon. Fey folk? Check. Were-beasts? Check. Lizard people? Check. Caterpillary things? Check. Fades, who didn't quite make it through a portal? Yep, got them too. And sex. Lots of sex, everyone having sex with everyone else, furred, scaled or feathered, male, female or hermaphrodite. So if you think mildly graphic lizard/human sex would turn your stomach, this is not the book for you.
The book has two different threads which (and this isn't giving much away) blend together quite early on, and each illuminates the other rather well. The main thread, as it were, that of brothel-keeper Babylon, quickly develops into a sort of find-the-missing-girl mystery, which conveniently takes her into every nook and cranny of the extraordinary city of Scalentine, so we get to hang out in a lot of bars and brothels and unsavoury back-street locations, and meet many of the city's weird inhabitants. This is quite fun, up to a point, but after a while it becomes really difficult to keep the various characters straight. Is this the lizardy one or the one with cute little wings? Or maybe the one whose portal magic went wrong and left him a sort of emotion-sucking vampire? Boy, there are some weird things (people? creatures?) in this book. Thank goodness for the Kindle search facility.
Scalentine feels very real - a truly vibrant melting pot of cultures, without the chaotic and dismal nature of many fantasy settings. Yes, there are scams and thieves and the occasional murder, but the citizens are (mostly) protected by a quite efficient administration. It feels like a rather civilised place, on the whole, although I thought the Red Lantern was a little too laid back to be a well-run business. No wonder it was in some financial difficulties. But the names - ! Previous? A pair of bondage specialists called Cruel and Unusual? Chief Bitternut?? Enthemmerlee??? Fantasy names are always difficult, but still...
The main plot of the missing girl quickly got tedious but fortunately the focus of the second thread, the Avatars of Tiresana, takes over and things get more lively. There are also a number of minor mysteries sprinkled throughout the book to keep things bubbling along. And yes, everything builds to a suitably dramatic finale, and if sometimes the uncovering of vital information felt just a little too convenient and glib, and if the ending was a little underwhelming, and if Babylon was just a little bit too resourceful and implausibly popular, it's easy enough to get swept along in the excitement and just enjoy the ride. This is not a book where an overly critical and logical mind is called for.
This is a fun read, a hugely imaginative piece of work, with vivid characters (even the ones with tails or tusks or issues with full moons), and a good pacy story (or cluster of stories, really - there's a lot going on), and the author manages to take several swipes at organised religion along the way. I liked the chatty first person narration, which brings out Babylon's self-confidence mixed with moments of terror perfectly, and is often very funny. I thought the two parallel threads, Scalentine and Tiresana, worked brilliantly to add depth to the story. I'm not quite sure where things go from here - a pointer to a possible sequel was squeezed in rather clumsily at the end, but whether this is going to be a trilogy or a series isn't clear. Whatever it turns out to be, this is a great start to it - four stars.
The book has two different threads which (and this isn't giving much away) blend together quite early on, and each illuminates the other rather well. The main thread, as it were, that of brothel-keeper Babylon, quickly develops into a sort of find-the-missing-girl mystery, which conveniently takes her into every nook and cranny of the extraordinary city of Scalentine, so we get to hang out in a lot of bars and brothels and unsavoury back-street locations, and meet many of the city's weird inhabitants. This is quite fun, up to a point, but after a while it becomes really difficult to keep the various characters straight. Is this the lizardy one or the one with cute little wings? Or maybe the one whose portal magic went wrong and left him a sort of emotion-sucking vampire? Boy, there are some weird things (people? creatures?) in this book. Thank goodness for the Kindle search facility.
Scalentine feels very real - a truly vibrant melting pot of cultures, without the chaotic and dismal nature of many fantasy settings. Yes, there are scams and thieves and the occasional murder, but the citizens are (mostly) protected by a quite efficient administration. It feels like a rather civilised place, on the whole, although I thought the Red Lantern was a little too laid back to be a well-run business. No wonder it was in some financial difficulties. But the names - ! Previous? A pair of bondage specialists called Cruel and Unusual? Chief Bitternut?? Enthemmerlee??? Fantasy names are always difficult, but still...
The main plot of the missing girl quickly got tedious but fortunately the focus of the second thread, the Avatars of Tiresana, takes over and things get more lively. There are also a number of minor mysteries sprinkled throughout the book to keep things bubbling along. And yes, everything builds to a suitably dramatic finale, and if sometimes the uncovering of vital information felt just a little too convenient and glib, and if the ending was a little underwhelming, and if Babylon was just a little bit too resourceful and implausibly popular, it's easy enough to get swept along in the excitement and just enjoy the ride. This is not a book where an overly critical and logical mind is called for.
This is a fun read, a hugely imaginative piece of work, with vivid characters (even the ones with tails or tusks or issues with full moons), and a good pacy story (or cluster of stories, really - there's a lot going on), and the author manages to take several swipes at organised religion along the way. I liked the chatty first person narration, which brings out Babylon's self-confidence mixed with moments of terror perfectly, and is often very funny. I thought the two parallel threads, Scalentine and Tiresana, worked brilliantly to add depth to the story. I'm not quite sure where things go from here - a pointer to a possible sequel was squeezed in rather clumsily at the end, but whether this is going to be a trilogy or a series isn't clear. Whatever it turns out to be, this is a great start to it - four stars.
April 23, 2012
When you’ve been reading within the fantasy genre for a while, you tend to familiarise yourself with the tropes and even find yourself looking for them as you read through a new novel.
Well, if you try that with Babylon Steel you will find that you’ve set yourself an almost impossible task. Babylon Steel is a book that takes a number of popular tropes in fantasy and puts a great twist on them. This results in a book that not only feels unique, but is also able to continually keep you guessing as the plot twists and turns through the pages.
The most impressive aspect on the novel is the quality of the first person narration. Our protagonist is a highly experienced courtesan and provides us with a narrative style that is not only full of sass, but open, honest and at times touching. Of course, Babylon is a woman and although this is not unheard of in fantasy, it is relatively rare. In addition, having a female character that enjoyed sex and violence was something that felt very fresh to me and something I’d like to see more of.
So, as well as being a courtesan herself, Babylon Steel runs her own brothel. This brothel has run relatively successful over the years having gaining a reputation for the skills of the residents who can provide you with anything from an intense, romantic evening through to fairly heavy sadomasochism. The characters that provide these services are also very interesting. I myself took a liking to Laney, a fey whose powers are somewhat limited by her presence on the world of Scalentine. The way that the author, Gaie Sebold, weaves a believable level of innocence and sweetness into this character was admirable. In addition to Laney though, you also have Flower who is an Orc like creature that specialises in housework and cooking. You have Previous, a short stout female, who works security on the door. And you have the twine, Cruel and Unusual, who serve the more adventurous clients. The brothel’s resident workers then are certainly an interesting combination of characters, but the dynamic they have and the love they share for one another will completely warp your view on how an establishment such as this operates.
Moving on from the characters though, what on Earth is this book about? Well, it isn’t on Earth for a start. Scalentine is a World that has two moons and a number of portals that enable entities to cross between Worlds. What this means is that Scalentine is inhabited by a wide number of characters, all of whom have their own ideas as to what constitutes the right way to live. Whereas the majority of people living on this planet are fine with Babylon and her brothel; there are those who are disgusted by its presence. A group known as ‘The Vessels of Purity’ have taken to standing outside of Babylon’s establishment, driving away customers and this, in addition to the fact that Babylon pays out too much money – to keep her staff well-fed and establishment to the highest possible level – means that she is struggling financially.
Then, just as it looks like she may have to close down her beloved ‘Red Lantern’, Babylon Steel is offered an out by the stunningly handsome and yet very mysterious, Mr Darask Fain. Fain offers her more than enough money to keep the establishment up and running for at least another year. All she needs to do is help him track down a missing girl… Sounds too easy, right? Well, of course it is. Bodies of working girls have been showing up in seemingly random order across Scalentine and Babylon needs to work out whether this is connected or something completely different.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, a number of shady characters appear on Scalentine that start a separate plot thread into Babylon’s past. Questions are raised about just who Babylon is, how she learnt to fight as well as she does and the past that she has hidden from even her closest friends.
The way that Gaie Sebold unravels the complicated past of Babylon, merges it with the present and makes it believable is one of the most impressive feats I have seen a reader achieve in recent memory. By the end of the novel I was left feeling very, very sympathetic to Babylon and highly supportive of her as a character. You are taken through every kind of emotion; one moment you will be laughing along with Babylon, the next you will wince at the cruelty she has experienced and the next you will be swinging your fists, in a bid to help her out of a precarious situation.
The setting that Babylon explores is a great blend of fantasy and sci-fi. Rarely does this kind of world work, but Sebold seems to have nailed it. The multiple plates are connected, as previously said, by portals that mean things never feel ‘safe’. You are very aware throughout the novel that anyone could come and anyone could go. Although I felt this element of the world was under-utilised in this novel – i.e. only a few times are portals mentioned, the ending means that this is likely to be a very important element in the future and that is thoroughly exciting. In theory, because of how travelling through the portals stops you taking certain powers with you, Babylon could walk into these portals and end up anywhere from a fey-world through to a world that is technologically advanced. The great news is that we are likely to see more exploration in future books because of how this one ends and Gaie Sebold has already announced that she had pretty much finished a sequel, which excites me a great deal!
In summary, there is not a moment in this novel where you will feel bored. The pace is just blistering. Whether Babylon is investigating and driving the mystery element of the novel forwards, revealing the increasingly disturbing secrets of her past or flirting / fighting with a newly introduced character – you’ll be flicking through the pages at an almost unprecedented speed. I think Gaie Sebold is an absolutely wonderful author who should be warmly welcomed alongside some of those authors pushing fantasy into new directions.
Well, if you try that with Babylon Steel you will find that you’ve set yourself an almost impossible task. Babylon Steel is a book that takes a number of popular tropes in fantasy and puts a great twist on them. This results in a book that not only feels unique, but is also able to continually keep you guessing as the plot twists and turns through the pages.
The most impressive aspect on the novel is the quality of the first person narration. Our protagonist is a highly experienced courtesan and provides us with a narrative style that is not only full of sass, but open, honest and at times touching. Of course, Babylon is a woman and although this is not unheard of in fantasy, it is relatively rare. In addition, having a female character that enjoyed sex and violence was something that felt very fresh to me and something I’d like to see more of.
So, as well as being a courtesan herself, Babylon Steel runs her own brothel. This brothel has run relatively successful over the years having gaining a reputation for the skills of the residents who can provide you with anything from an intense, romantic evening through to fairly heavy sadomasochism. The characters that provide these services are also very interesting. I myself took a liking to Laney, a fey whose powers are somewhat limited by her presence on the world of Scalentine. The way that the author, Gaie Sebold, weaves a believable level of innocence and sweetness into this character was admirable. In addition to Laney though, you also have Flower who is an Orc like creature that specialises in housework and cooking. You have Previous, a short stout female, who works security on the door. And you have the twine, Cruel and Unusual, who serve the more adventurous clients. The brothel’s resident workers then are certainly an interesting combination of characters, but the dynamic they have and the love they share for one another will completely warp your view on how an establishment such as this operates.
Moving on from the characters though, what on Earth is this book about? Well, it isn’t on Earth for a start. Scalentine is a World that has two moons and a number of portals that enable entities to cross between Worlds. What this means is that Scalentine is inhabited by a wide number of characters, all of whom have their own ideas as to what constitutes the right way to live. Whereas the majority of people living on this planet are fine with Babylon and her brothel; there are those who are disgusted by its presence. A group known as ‘The Vessels of Purity’ have taken to standing outside of Babylon’s establishment, driving away customers and this, in addition to the fact that Babylon pays out too much money – to keep her staff well-fed and establishment to the highest possible level – means that she is struggling financially.
Then, just as it looks like she may have to close down her beloved ‘Red Lantern’, Babylon Steel is offered an out by the stunningly handsome and yet very mysterious, Mr Darask Fain. Fain offers her more than enough money to keep the establishment up and running for at least another year. All she needs to do is help him track down a missing girl… Sounds too easy, right? Well, of course it is. Bodies of working girls have been showing up in seemingly random order across Scalentine and Babylon needs to work out whether this is connected or something completely different.
And, as if that wasn’t enough, a number of shady characters appear on Scalentine that start a separate plot thread into Babylon’s past. Questions are raised about just who Babylon is, how she learnt to fight as well as she does and the past that she has hidden from even her closest friends.
The way that Gaie Sebold unravels the complicated past of Babylon, merges it with the present and makes it believable is one of the most impressive feats I have seen a reader achieve in recent memory. By the end of the novel I was left feeling very, very sympathetic to Babylon and highly supportive of her as a character. You are taken through every kind of emotion; one moment you will be laughing along with Babylon, the next you will wince at the cruelty she has experienced and the next you will be swinging your fists, in a bid to help her out of a precarious situation.
The setting that Babylon explores is a great blend of fantasy and sci-fi. Rarely does this kind of world work, but Sebold seems to have nailed it. The multiple plates are connected, as previously said, by portals that mean things never feel ‘safe’. You are very aware throughout the novel that anyone could come and anyone could go. Although I felt this element of the world was under-utilised in this novel – i.e. only a few times are portals mentioned, the ending means that this is likely to be a very important element in the future and that is thoroughly exciting. In theory, because of how travelling through the portals stops you taking certain powers with you, Babylon could walk into these portals and end up anywhere from a fey-world through to a world that is technologically advanced. The great news is that we are likely to see more exploration in future books because of how this one ends and Gaie Sebold has already announced that she had pretty much finished a sequel, which excites me a great deal!
In summary, there is not a moment in this novel where you will feel bored. The pace is just blistering. Whether Babylon is investigating and driving the mystery element of the novel forwards, revealing the increasingly disturbing secrets of her past or flirting / fighting with a newly introduced character – you’ll be flicking through the pages at an almost unprecedented speed. I think Gaie Sebold is an absolutely wonderful author who should be warmly welcomed alongside some of those authors pushing fantasy into new directions.
April 19, 2023
This was brilliant! This really is sci-fantasy at its best. Its pretty old school and I was totally engrossed in the great cast of characters and their species. The complex world building was skilfully done. The plot was interesting. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
January 23, 2022
Loved the characters! This new cover truly captures the characters. Especially, Previous. And that's another thing, the characters names are unique and interesting.
I loved all the different types of alien races. Would be an awesome sight to see on the big screen. The story includes portals to different planes, demi-gods and gods. But it's much more than the world building. I think the magic lies in the characters and their relationships.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.
I loved all the different types of alien races. Would be an awesome sight to see on the big screen. The story includes portals to different planes, demi-gods and gods. But it's much more than the world building. I think the magic lies in the characters and their relationships.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, so I could give an honest review.
October 25, 2016
I read a lot of fantasy fiction so when I received a review copy of 'Babylon Steel' I was mightly interested as it looked just a bit different. Then I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. I expected a light, amusing read with a bit of sexual innuendo, what I got was a fully fleshed world, packed with original, fascinating and unusual characters, a plot that kept me turning pages long into the night and a sensitive and well balanced opinion on the oldest job in the world. Bravo for such a refreshing joy of a novel!
January 3, 2012
This book started off incredibly slow for me and more often than I not I questioned why I was reading it in the first place. You see, I had been waiting for this book to come out so I was a bit disappointed that it took so long to pick up.
You know what though? It's a grower. It grows on you and while there were things to complain about (ex. the lack of one seamless plot - there are about four different things happening all at once, which do converge, but could've been knocked down to two) by the end of the book it picks up and sweeps you along. I also found myself thinking about this book after I had read it because there was something about it that I really liked that I can't put my finger on.
I liked Babylon Steel, she's tough and unapologetic about her career, she is vulnerable and generous but can be hard and brash. I liked her backstory and I liked her connection to her crew and the Chief. Speaking of...I also really liked her crew and the Chief. For a character that wasn't in the book too much, I really took a liking to Chief Bitternut (yes, the name made me giggle too) and he sort of reminded me a bit of Maccon from Soulless.
On reminding me:
This book reminded me, simultaneously might I add, of the Kushiel's Dart/the Dhulyn and Parno series/the Moira J Moore Hero's series with a dash of Dragon Age (minus the dragon). This is a compliment because I love or really like all of the abovementioned. But don't think that it's all just an almagamation of series'. Babylon Steel has it's own flair and that's a great thing.
Now, I mentioned that the story started off extremely slow. It did. Very much so. In hindsight it also started off with a plot that made little to no sense to the overarching plot (which only kicks in about 300+ pages in) but takes up a large amount of this book and sets things up for a possible sequel.
There were too many plots in this book that could've been cut out or used for another installation or just sort of glossed over. To me the second half of the book was the best as was the "flashbacks" to Babylon's past.
The final showdown was unexpected and written well. It made sense but it wasn't without its own sense of loss and bloodshed.
The one character I'd be more interested in learning about is Darask Fain . He has a certain allure that reminds me of the rakes from my favorite historical romances.
I really hope there's a sequel. It goes to show you how much a taleweaver Sebold is because if you had asked me a few days ago I wouldn't have been able to answer you why I was still reading it and would have shrugged at the mention of a sequel. But she got me. She got me good and now I want more.
You know what though? It's a grower. It grows on you and while there were things to complain about (ex. the lack of one seamless plot - there are about four different things happening all at once, which do converge, but could've been knocked down to two) by the end of the book it picks up and sweeps you along. I also found myself thinking about this book after I had read it because there was something about it that I really liked that I can't put my finger on.
I liked Babylon Steel, she's tough and unapologetic about her career, she is vulnerable and generous but can be hard and brash. I liked her backstory and I liked her connection to her crew and the Chief. Speaking of...I also really liked her crew and the Chief. For a character that wasn't in the book too much, I really took a liking to Chief Bitternut (yes, the name made me giggle too) and he sort of reminded me a bit of Maccon from Soulless.
On reminding me:
This book reminded me, simultaneously might I add, of the Kushiel's Dart/the Dhulyn and Parno series/the Moira J Moore Hero's series with a dash of Dragon Age (minus the dragon). This is a compliment because I love or really like all of the abovementioned. But don't think that it's all just an almagamation of series'. Babylon Steel has it's own flair and that's a great thing.
Now, I mentioned that the story started off extremely slow. It did. Very much so. In hindsight it also started off with a plot that made little to no sense to the overarching plot (which only kicks in about 300+ pages in) but takes up a large amount of this book and sets things up for a possible sequel.
There were too many plots in this book that could've been cut out or used for another installation or just sort of glossed over. To me the second half of the book was the best as was the "flashbacks" to Babylon's past.
The final showdown was unexpected and written well. It made sense but it wasn't without its own sense of loss and bloodshed.
The one character I'd be more interested in learning about is Darask Fain . He has a certain allure that reminds me of the rakes from my favorite historical romances.
I really hope there's a sequel. It goes to show you how much a taleweaver Sebold is because if you had asked me a few days ago I wouldn't have been able to answer you why I was still reading it and would have shrugged at the mention of a sequel. But she got me. She got me good and now I want more.
June 1, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed read this story, it was different to the books I have read recently, the heroine is a badass but also has a more vulnerable, protective side. Her life experiences have made her who she is; unlike some books where the characters wants for nothing, our heroine finds it difficult to make ends meet to run her business (which by the way is a brothel).
The story has a lot of potential and the main characters are endearing, but I found it was at times difficult to follow, too much was going on at the the same time. It felt as if you blink and something has happened and you missed it!
There was too much description of even the most minor characters, what they did or where they were from and which sometimes caused you could lose the plot, literally! I think two books worth of story was crammed into one book as there was a lots happening it can come a bit confusing keeping everything straight.
I give it a 3 stars but don't recommend it to anybody who hasn't read a sci-fi/fantasy novel before, it can become a little confusing, but don't put it down after a few chapters it is worth the read. Skipping pages is also out of the question as you will miss what is happening. All in all lots of potential and not a bad read.
August 14, 2020
I liked it; I really did. But it felt like the author took a gigantic bite and could only chew up and process about half of it.
The main character, who goes by the chosen moniker of Babylon Steel, is well fleshed out; however, the plethora of secondary characters (all interesting) are barely more than foils for Steel. It becomes difficult to keep them separated, particularly because nearly each one is a different race.
The various areas of the city are described in rich detail, but they, too, are difficult to keep separate after a while.
The split chapter sequences, which are flashbacks to Steel growing up, seem out of place until about a third of the way through the book.
What appears to be the initial plot line (a missing girl) falls by the wayside with a good 70 pages of the book to go, although it, too, acts as a foil to Steel's background.
The finale is satisfying for the most part (I did shed a few tears), and the final scene sets up the character for possible sequels, which I would read if it appears.
All in all, it's an interesting book about identity, choice, religion, politics, and sexuality.
The main character, who goes by the chosen moniker of Babylon Steel, is well fleshed out; however, the plethora of secondary characters (all interesting) are barely more than foils for Steel. It becomes difficult to keep them separated, particularly because nearly each one is a different race.
The various areas of the city are described in rich detail, but they, too, are difficult to keep separate after a while.
The split chapter sequences, which are flashbacks to Steel growing up, seem out of place until about a third of the way through the book.
What appears to be the initial plot line (a missing girl) falls by the wayside with a good 70 pages of the book to go, although it, too, acts as a foil to Steel's background.
The finale is satisfying for the most part (I did shed a few tears), and the final scene sets up the character for possible sequels, which I would read if it appears.
All in all, it's an interesting book about identity, choice, religion, politics, and sexuality.
January 15, 2012
Just brilliant. I've been reading fantasy since I was a kid and I can't remember the last non-Pratchett that made me laugh all the way through. Babylon Steel is a straight-talking, no-nonsense hero with a fascinating backplot; the supporting cast are quirky and loyal and the plot, whilst not particularly complicated (compared with, say, Game of Thrones!), is engaging. Unlike Pratchett, though, the humour isn't through sly asides, it's through great characterisation. It's sort of like the love-child of Pratchett and David Gaider (author of the Dragon Age novels/lead writer on the games) - a sensible universe with a streak of humour a mile wide. I suppose I am a bit biased as Babylon Steel herself is rather how I play my characters in the Dragon Age games!
The sign of a great fantasy to me as a role-playing geek is "would I want to play in this universe?" - and the answer for this novel is "HELLS, yes!". I very much hope the author will take us to Scalentine again. :)
The sign of a great fantasy to me as a role-playing geek is "would I want to play in this universe?" - and the answer for this novel is "HELLS, yes!". I very much hope the author will take us to Scalentine again. :)
January 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book.. like a 4.5! I always round up in here..
anyway, all the different characters and languages and species reminded me of that Cantina in Star Wars.. so many and so different each one!
this was the oddest book.. a mix of sleuthing, whoring, gods and goddesses and religious fanaticism
Like all with the most varied species, and characters and it was SO ENTERTAINING!!
Like I want to crawl into this authors brain!
anyway, all the different characters and languages and species reminded me of that Cantina in Star Wars.. so many and so different each one!
this was the oddest book.. a mix of sleuthing, whoring, gods and goddesses and religious fanaticism
Like all with the most varied species, and characters and it was SO ENTERTAINING!!
Like I want to crawl into this authors brain!
October 22, 2021
Received a digital advance.
This is a reissue of Babylon Steel with fantastic new cover art. The characters are fun, strong and inventive with the same adventure and whimsy as Xena, Warrior Princess.
This is a reissue of Babylon Steel with fantastic new cover art. The characters are fun, strong and inventive with the same adventure and whimsy as Xena, Warrior Princess.
January 13, 2013
Babylon Steel is the freshest, lightest and most entertaining fantasy I’ve read in a very long time. For anyone who’s had enough of medieval style fantasy, or is rapidly tiring of the new Eastern trend, Sebold offers a whole new bag of tricks. I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone else who, like me, is late to the party with this one, I’m just going to say…cross world portals. Genius.
It’s a fascinating mix of sword and sorcery fantasy with a pinch of Sci-Fi that works brilliantly. For me it was the diverse mix of races and characters that made this such an interesting read. Character driven fantasy is always what floats my personal boat, and Sebold does an outstanding job of creating a cast of characters that offer something unique whilst retaining enough familiarity to make me feel at ease. Babylon is a fantastic female protagonist, and that’s not a comment I can make often within this genre!
I really enjoyed the parallel chapter set-up of the past and present threads, that’s not usually a technique that I’m a fan of because it can often make the story feel disjointed, and there usually tends to be one you’ll have a preference for and one that you’ll tire of faster..but here they work perfectly together. The plot on both sides is pacey and interesting throughout, and the world Sebold creates is a fitting playground for some beautifully imagined and vividly portrayed individuals.
Sebold writes with a sharp wit, and has breathed fresh life into my favourite genre. I can’t fault Babylon Steel, it’s a massive amount of fun. I’d recommend it to anyone who has a sense of humour and an appreciation for originality.
http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...
It’s a fascinating mix of sword and sorcery fantasy with a pinch of Sci-Fi that works brilliantly. For me it was the diverse mix of races and characters that made this such an interesting read. Character driven fantasy is always what floats my personal boat, and Sebold does an outstanding job of creating a cast of characters that offer something unique whilst retaining enough familiarity to make me feel at ease. Babylon is a fantastic female protagonist, and that’s not a comment I can make often within this genre!
I really enjoyed the parallel chapter set-up of the past and present threads, that’s not usually a technique that I’m a fan of because it can often make the story feel disjointed, and there usually tends to be one you’ll have a preference for and one that you’ll tire of faster..but here they work perfectly together. The plot on both sides is pacey and interesting throughout, and the world Sebold creates is a fitting playground for some beautifully imagined and vividly portrayed individuals.
Sebold writes with a sharp wit, and has breathed fresh life into my favourite genre. I can’t fault Babylon Steel, it’s a massive amount of fun. I’d recommend it to anyone who has a sense of humour and an appreciation for originality.
http://phoenixfantasyreviews.com/2013...
January 17, 2012
If I don't read fantasy because of its lack of strong female characters, this is a book to disabuse me of that notion. Babylon Steel, the title character, is a strong, independent minded woman. Abandoned as an infant, she has a somewhat dubious past, which is gradually revealed as the book progresses. During her upbringing, Babylon has learned a variety of skills including, among other things, the art of seduction and how to wield a sword.
As the story begins she has made her home in the city of Scalentine, a city of two moons and many portals, running the Red Lantern, a brothel catering to all species, all genders (and there are more than two on Scalentine - we encounter a race of hermaphrodites) and all tastes. The only thing Babylon isn't so good at, though, is doing her accounts. Hence, at the start of the novel, she owes money to the Tax Office, and when she is offered cash to find a missing girl, she decides to go back to her mercenary roots and take the job.
This proves to be the start of a sub-plot that leads to the major story arc, as Babylon has to face the past she's been trying to escape from.
The world building in this novel is complex, and there are rather too many characters to keep track of, but this may be a trait of the genre rather than a weakness in the novel - I am really not very well read in fantasy.
Gaie Sebold's prose style is witty and accessible, and Babylon is a character you'll be rooting for. Even if you're not a fan of fantasy, this is a book worth reading, as a brilliant debut novel from an author worth keeping an eye on in the future.
As the story begins she has made her home in the city of Scalentine, a city of two moons and many portals, running the Red Lantern, a brothel catering to all species, all genders (and there are more than two on Scalentine - we encounter a race of hermaphrodites) and all tastes. The only thing Babylon isn't so good at, though, is doing her accounts. Hence, at the start of the novel, she owes money to the Tax Office, and when she is offered cash to find a missing girl, she decides to go back to her mercenary roots and take the job.
This proves to be the start of a sub-plot that leads to the major story arc, as Babylon has to face the past she's been trying to escape from.
The world building in this novel is complex, and there are rather too many characters to keep track of, but this may be a trait of the genre rather than a weakness in the novel - I am really not very well read in fantasy.
Gaie Sebold's prose style is witty and accessible, and Babylon is a character you'll be rooting for. Even if you're not a fan of fantasy, this is a book worth reading, as a brilliant debut novel from an author worth keeping an eye on in the future.
December 30, 2012
OMG WAT?! This book was awesome! The author had a couple irksome ticks (STOP IT WITH THE "DOT DOT DOT SOMETHING" GIMMICK: Babylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex… other things) but they were seriously tiny little things and considering the genre totally forgivable. The pacing was lightning fast, the characters were awesome, the humor was dry, the gender politics were spot on (including a hermaphroditic prostitute with hir/ze pronouns), the sex scenes were hot (LIZARD SEX! DEMIGOD SEX!) and all 'n' all, it was just a rollicking good time. Totally recommended if you need something light, bad-ass, and sexy. Also, loved the jab at literary scabs and hucksters. HA!
Read
July 9, 2012It does not happen that often that I stop reading a book.
I stopped reading Babylon Steel after 170 pages. There have been some nice ideas but I could not really connect to the characters and the story went along like a snail.
I stopped reading Babylon Steel after 170 pages. There have been some nice ideas but I could not really connect to the characters and the story went along like a snail.
December 31, 2021
The trade dress and blurb for Bad Gods makes it look like it is aiming a the Pratchett zone of comic fantasy. And while there is a fair bit of humour in here, that really isn't all that fair. This is a republish of a book that is ten years old buyt has probably come into a more sympathetic time, being a fantasy adventure set primarily in a brothel, and is very sex worker positive. It is a very good setting, brothels are the slinking unloved twins of fantasy taverns, engaging in an activity that much heroic fantasy would rather suggest didn't happen. But here not only is the establishment well run and safe for all involved, it also allows a natural place for the camaraderie of its female ensemble, all of which rotate around the proprietor Babylon Steel.
Admittedly that was a relatively hard pill to swallow, and I am not sure the name Babylon Steel gets any better when you discover it is a result of self renaming. Nevertheless swallow that and you get some really interesting world building, a large city located at the heart of a number of planar portals, to different worlds to different societies (all with different rules on magic etc). Again with the Pratchett there is a touch of Ankh-Morpork in this melting pot (inclusing a xympathetic multi-species guards), and Steel is - as well as a brothel-owner - an occasional troubleshooter who is hired here to find a missing girl. At the same time we her backstory parcelled out in short intermediate chapters, and its a tale of Gods, chosen ones and really rather interesting.
Once I got into Bad Gods (which wasn't hard) I really enjoyed it. It perhaps is a little lumpy in places with knowing what story to tell, the missing person storyline drifts as the backstory catches up to the now and we are left with a rather surprising heroic quest ending that didn't feel like it was being cued up. The characters and setting is good, and I see there is already a sequel, though this is series rather than a trilogy, it stands perfectly well as a stand-alone and wraps pretty much everything up. But there was something interesting about both the idea of this transit city, and running a bordello in such a diverse city. There are some clever parallels made between sex workers and soldiers in the middle section which I think gives the book some extra depth over just its narrative and it was a real pleasant surprise.
Admittedly that was a relatively hard pill to swallow, and I am not sure the name Babylon Steel gets any better when you discover it is a result of self renaming. Nevertheless swallow that and you get some really interesting world building, a large city located at the heart of a number of planar portals, to different worlds to different societies (all with different rules on magic etc). Again with the Pratchett there is a touch of Ankh-Morpork in this melting pot (inclusing a xympathetic multi-species guards), and Steel is - as well as a brothel-owner - an occasional troubleshooter who is hired here to find a missing girl. At the same time we her backstory parcelled out in short intermediate chapters, and its a tale of Gods, chosen ones and really rather interesting.
Once I got into Bad Gods (which wasn't hard) I really enjoyed it. It perhaps is a little lumpy in places with knowing what story to tell, the missing person storyline drifts as the backstory catches up to the now and we are left with a rather surprising heroic quest ending that didn't feel like it was being cued up. The characters and setting is good, and I see there is already a sequel, though this is series rather than a trilogy, it stands perfectly well as a stand-alone and wraps pretty much everything up. But there was something interesting about both the idea of this transit city, and running a bordello in such a diverse city. There are some clever parallels made between sex workers and soldiers in the middle section which I think gives the book some extra depth over just its narrative and it was a real pleasant surprise.
July 26, 2020
Solid writting.... but
Well written and enjoyable. Some superb world building.
But it's got too much going on. Information overload with a side of super detail. It's got at least one too many plot lines going.
Which really distracts from the main story. Cut a quarter or so out and it would be a 5 star review.
Well written and enjoyable. Some superb world building.
But it's got too much going on. Information overload with a side of super detail. It's got at least one too many plot lines going.
Which really distracts from the main story. Cut a quarter or so out and it would be a 5 star review.
March 26, 2023
This was very well written and unique, quite unlike other fantasy I've read. I was enjoying it quite a bit in the first half, but then I found it to drag and ultimately it just felt too long and didn't hold my interest as much throughout.
January 3, 2022
I have to admit I requested this mainly because of the cover , it drew me like a comic book cover so I was drawn in, I am so glad I did, this is funny, creative, clever , a completely captivating and enchanting read. I think you definitely need to be a fantasy , it’s got some very original and odd characters, fantastic writing and a fabulous female lead.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
April 10, 2023
Just not for me. I was quite bored the entire time. Things happened but it felt like nothing happened.
December 7, 2012
I've read Babylon Steel at least 3 times now, and I love it just as much each time I come back to it.
Without giving too much of the plot away beyond the two or three chapters: welcome to Scalentine, a city in a magical plane linked to many portals. Your tour guide is the sharp and funny Babylon Steel, owner of one of the best brothels in town, The Red Lantern. Scalentine's even more wild and strange than usual right now; it's coming up to the time of two moon, the weres are having a doubly difficult time of it and all kinds of craziness is breaking loose. Meanwhile, with Laney the Fey ordering silk by the yard; big, green, tusky Flower the cook insisting on the best ingredients; and the twins, Cruel and Unusual needing expensive -er- custom equipment, The Lantern has got a serious cash flow problem. It's not made better by The Vessels of Purity lurking outside in their creepy bird-like masks putting off the customers. If Babylon doesn't sort out the accounts and pay her taxes, she and her crew will all be out on the streets, at the worst possible time to be there. So when she's approached by the darkly intriguing Darask Fain to look for a missing girl for a sizeable fee, there are all kinds of reasons she can't say no. Of course, it's not as easy as it seems, especially at two moon, and her investigations take her to dangerous and forgotten places.
The present timeline story of Babylon's investigation runs parallel to the story of her past. Little Ebi is abandoned to the mercy of a merchant's family in the heat-soaked deserts of Tiresana. This past thread shows us how little Ebi becomes Babylon, a madam with a good sword arm.
The two stories complement each other nicely. The past timelines is just as complex and gripping as the present (if not more so).
The whole story is told in Babylon's voice, with plenty of wry humour. Ms. Sebold's use of descriptions are economical, precise and vivid. The characters bounce off the page and I felt like I knew them all by the time I finished the book. The finale of the book ramps up the tension and the complications and delivers an ingenious and satisfying ending.
There is a tendency among some reviewers to use the word "romp" and "fluffy" in describing this book and to label it as "another paranormal romance". I wonder if they've actually read it or just looked at the cover. True, the story cracks along at a brisk pace and gallops at the end. Yes, there is some romance (and some sex), but it very much takes a back seat to the plot. And while there are light-hearted moments and humour, the stakes are high for the characters, and the story deals with some serious themes and very dark subject matter. And it made me feel and it made me care, which is what I'm reading fiction for in the first place.
So, to sum up: this book *is* great fun, but that's not all it is. I'd say it's fantasy crime told in a witty style, beautifully written, that brings Scalentine and Tiresan and the people to life, and delivers emotional punch. Likeable characters and a clever, pacey plot make a for a gripping read. Just don't expect it to be all dreamy elf sex and fluffy pinkness and rainbow-pooping unicorns, or you'll be in for a shock.
Without giving too much of the plot away beyond the two or three chapters: welcome to Scalentine, a city in a magical plane linked to many portals. Your tour guide is the sharp and funny Babylon Steel, owner of one of the best brothels in town, The Red Lantern. Scalentine's even more wild and strange than usual right now; it's coming up to the time of two moon, the weres are having a doubly difficult time of it and all kinds of craziness is breaking loose. Meanwhile, with Laney the Fey ordering silk by the yard; big, green, tusky Flower the cook insisting on the best ingredients; and the twins, Cruel and Unusual needing expensive -er- custom equipment, The Lantern has got a serious cash flow problem. It's not made better by The Vessels of Purity lurking outside in their creepy bird-like masks putting off the customers. If Babylon doesn't sort out the accounts and pay her taxes, she and her crew will all be out on the streets, at the worst possible time to be there. So when she's approached by the darkly intriguing Darask Fain to look for a missing girl for a sizeable fee, there are all kinds of reasons she can't say no. Of course, it's not as easy as it seems, especially at two moon, and her investigations take her to dangerous and forgotten places.
The present timeline story of Babylon's investigation runs parallel to the story of her past. Little Ebi is abandoned to the mercy of a merchant's family in the heat-soaked deserts of Tiresana. This past thread shows us how little Ebi becomes Babylon, a madam with a good sword arm.
The two stories complement each other nicely. The past timelines is just as complex and gripping as the present (if not more so).
The whole story is told in Babylon's voice, with plenty of wry humour. Ms. Sebold's use of descriptions are economical, precise and vivid. The characters bounce off the page and I felt like I knew them all by the time I finished the book. The finale of the book ramps up the tension and the complications and delivers an ingenious and satisfying ending.
There is a tendency among some reviewers to use the word "romp" and "fluffy" in describing this book and to label it as "another paranormal romance". I wonder if they've actually read it or just looked at the cover. True, the story cracks along at a brisk pace and gallops at the end. Yes, there is some romance (and some sex), but it very much takes a back seat to the plot. And while there are light-hearted moments and humour, the stakes are high for the characters, and the story deals with some serious themes and very dark subject matter. And it made me feel and it made me care, which is what I'm reading fiction for in the first place.
So, to sum up: this book *is* great fun, but that's not all it is. I'd say it's fantasy crime told in a witty style, beautifully written, that brings Scalentine and Tiresan and the people to life, and delivers emotional punch. Likeable characters and a clever, pacey plot make a for a gripping read. Just don't expect it to be all dreamy elf sex and fluffy pinkness and rainbow-pooping unicorns, or you'll be in for a shock.
May 10, 2016
I’ve had this book on my to-be-read pile ever since it came out but somehow never managed to read it. It turns out that it was my bad luck because it’s brilliant and now I have to go and read Ms Sebold’s other books: Shanghai Sparrow and Dangerous Gifts (another Babylon Steel novel).
Babylon Steel is a high-class brothel keeper in Scalentine, a place with many portals to other planes and a mixed population of humans and other races, furred, scaled and magical.. She’s a tough cookie, revelling in sex and always ready for a fight. She’s gathered about her a family of sorts: her cook, her guards and her prostitutes, plus there’s a police chief she can rely on for a good game of chess. She prides herself on running the best brothel in town, but she’s not having a good week. Her taxes are way overdue and sher’s not sure she can pay the bill. The Vessels of Purity, a strict religious order (of men) are protesting against brothels.
When the mysterious (and very attractive) Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl, Babylon decides to take it, but there are complications. Neither Fain nor the missing girl are quite what they seem, but neither is Babylon, and Babylon’s secret past is about to catch up with her. Babylon’s past and present are told in alternating chapters, beautifully timed so that they both come together at exactly the right time. Babylon has a thing about young girls being taken advantage of and what she’ll do to help goes beyond money.
This book has a great cast of characters and there’s never a dull moment. Babylon has the knack of making friends and her contacts across the city are introduced both as characters and as part of the world-building. From lizard men and four-breasted hermaphrodites to Police Chief Bitternut who’s a were… but a were what… this is fascinating glimpse into the world of Scalentine as Twomoon approaches – a massive conjunction that echoes across all the planes of existence.
I particularly liked Babylon’s crew. Flower, the big green troll cook, Cruel and Unusual, a pair of siblings who cater for clients with ‘special tastes’, Laney the fae and Previous, the ex-mercenary who guards the door, but doesn’t do ‘upstairs’ work.. They don’t get much page time, but they are well drawn and sympathetic, particularly Previous.
What you think is going to be the main thrust of the story isn’t actually, but it looks as though it will re-emerge in Dangerous Gifts, which I’m looking forward to reading. In the meantime I thoroughly recommend this story. Don’t leave it as long to read it as I did.
Babylon Steel is a high-class brothel keeper in Scalentine, a place with many portals to other planes and a mixed population of humans and other races, furred, scaled and magical.. She’s a tough cookie, revelling in sex and always ready for a fight. She’s gathered about her a family of sorts: her cook, her guards and her prostitutes, plus there’s a police chief she can rely on for a good game of chess. She prides herself on running the best brothel in town, but she’s not having a good week. Her taxes are way overdue and sher’s not sure she can pay the bill. The Vessels of Purity, a strict religious order (of men) are protesting against brothels.
When the mysterious (and very attractive) Darask Fain offers her a job finding a missing girl, Babylon decides to take it, but there are complications. Neither Fain nor the missing girl are quite what they seem, but neither is Babylon, and Babylon’s secret past is about to catch up with her. Babylon’s past and present are told in alternating chapters, beautifully timed so that they both come together at exactly the right time. Babylon has a thing about young girls being taken advantage of and what she’ll do to help goes beyond money.
This book has a great cast of characters and there’s never a dull moment. Babylon has the knack of making friends and her contacts across the city are introduced both as characters and as part of the world-building. From lizard men and four-breasted hermaphrodites to Police Chief Bitternut who’s a were… but a were what… this is fascinating glimpse into the world of Scalentine as Twomoon approaches – a massive conjunction that echoes across all the planes of existence.
I particularly liked Babylon’s crew. Flower, the big green troll cook, Cruel and Unusual, a pair of siblings who cater for clients with ‘special tastes’, Laney the fae and Previous, the ex-mercenary who guards the door, but doesn’t do ‘upstairs’ work.. They don’t get much page time, but they are well drawn and sympathetic, particularly Previous.
What you think is going to be the main thrust of the story isn’t actually, but it looks as though it will re-emerge in Dangerous Gifts, which I’m looking forward to reading. In the meantime I thoroughly recommend this story. Don’t leave it as long to read it as I did.
February 3, 2022
I enjoyed revisiting this book – more so this time around, I think, because right now I thoroughly appreciate reading a story with a humorous element. That said – this isn’t some rollicking farcical adventure played solely for laughs. There are some really gnarly subjects covered in this adventure, including kidnapping, sexual and mental abuse, religious intolerance and a series of very grisly deaths. What keeps this story bubbling along is the first person narrative from Babylon’s viewpoint. I really like her tough, no-nonsense attitude. And the found family of strays who work together at the Red Lantern are a joy – their everyday activities provide a lot of the humour that runs through the story.
Despite the story being told from one viewpoint, it is also dual narrative. Alongside events unfolding in Scalentine, Babylon also tells her backstory in interludes. It’s a difficult technique to successfully pull off. Far too often I get caught up with one plotline and feel frustrated when narrative flips across to the other one, so start skim-reading to get back to the storyline I prefer. Not so this time around. The story of how Babylon comes to be in Scalentine and running a brothel is every bit as riveting as the events unfolding in the bustling portal town.
I was impressed all over again with the quality of Sebold’s writing and was sorry to reach the end of this adventure. So I was pleased to discover there is another Babylon Steel story, Dangerous Gifts. I’ll be tracking it down very soon, as I’ve really missed Babylon’s character and the dangerous, layered society that makes up Scalentine. Very highly recommended for fantasy fans. The sharp-eyed among you will be aware that the first time I reviewed this book, I gave it a 9, while this time it’s a 10. I originally knocked off a point because I was unhappy that the cover featured a white protagonist when the book repeatedly mentioned her darker, copper skin. The new cover is a huge improvement and I commend the publishers for deciding to fix this issue. While I obtained an arc of Bad Gods from Netgalley via the publishers, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
Despite the story being told from one viewpoint, it is also dual narrative. Alongside events unfolding in Scalentine, Babylon also tells her backstory in interludes. It’s a difficult technique to successfully pull off. Far too often I get caught up with one plotline and feel frustrated when narrative flips across to the other one, so start skim-reading to get back to the storyline I prefer. Not so this time around. The story of how Babylon comes to be in Scalentine and running a brothel is every bit as riveting as the events unfolding in the bustling portal town.
I was impressed all over again with the quality of Sebold’s writing and was sorry to reach the end of this adventure. So I was pleased to discover there is another Babylon Steel story, Dangerous Gifts. I’ll be tracking it down very soon, as I’ve really missed Babylon’s character and the dangerous, layered society that makes up Scalentine. Very highly recommended for fantasy fans. The sharp-eyed among you will be aware that the first time I reviewed this book, I gave it a 9, while this time it’s a 10. I originally knocked off a point because I was unhappy that the cover featured a white protagonist when the book repeatedly mentioned her darker, copper skin. The new cover is a huge improvement and I commend the publishers for deciding to fix this issue. While I obtained an arc of Bad Gods from Netgalley via the publishers, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
10/10
December 4, 2013
Everyone knows that Star Wars isn't really science fiction, it's just fantasy with space ships. Which doesn't make it any less amazing (when it's amazing), mind. Babylon Steel's setting is basically the Star Wars universe at its most fun, exciting and dramatic, only with dimensional portals instead of the space stuff, and without the Evil Empire and past-its-sell-by-date Hero's Journey story structure.
The titular heroine is charming and capable (and non-white, whatever the otherwise amazing cover art might imply) and might be described as Han Solo and Princess Leia rolled into one, but let's leave the whole SW comparison behind, because Babylon Steel is a great enough character to stand on her own. If a fascinating, fleshed-out setting (Scalentine, a city-dimension vibrant and exciting enough to hold its own against Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork -- to drop a different name), a singular protagonist and a lovable supporting cast isn't enough to convince you this is a book worth reading, Gaie Sebold creates a brilliant story structure around them.
If I ever need to explain to someone why I think twists are overrated in fiction, I can point to the way Sebold uses gradual reveals of secrets from the past not to create jaw-dropping surprises, but to increase the stakes and the emotional investment of the reader in her story and characters. It's beautifully done, and more than anything, it's this one element that makes me feel like Sebold is doing something more than churning out a deftly turned romp. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but still, there's nothing better than coming to be entertained, and leaving with more than you bargained for.
The titular heroine is charming and capable (and non-white, whatever the otherwise amazing cover art might imply) and might be described as Han Solo and Princess Leia rolled into one, but let's leave the whole SW comparison behind, because Babylon Steel is a great enough character to stand on her own. If a fascinating, fleshed-out setting (Scalentine, a city-dimension vibrant and exciting enough to hold its own against Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork -- to drop a different name), a singular protagonist and a lovable supporting cast isn't enough to convince you this is a book worth reading, Gaie Sebold creates a brilliant story structure around them.
If I ever need to explain to someone why I think twists are overrated in fiction, I can point to the way Sebold uses gradual reveals of secrets from the past not to create jaw-dropping surprises, but to increase the stakes and the emotional investment of the reader in her story and characters. It's beautifully done, and more than anything, it's this one element that makes me feel like Sebold is doing something more than churning out a deftly turned romp. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but still, there's nothing better than coming to be entertained, and leaving with more than you bargained for.
January 2, 2022
4.5 out of 5 stars. BAD GODS is a far more layered read than I expected from the book's description. I went in expecting an irreverent, sex-positive, found-family-based romp detailing episodes of problem-solving across various species and unfamiliar cultures in a fantasy brothel. What's hidden by the book blurb's generalizations describing an ex-mercenary-now-madam are the layers of manipulation and introspection that have made proprietress Babylon Steele into the successful leader she is.
My attention wandered at the beginning, while the stage was set and almost everyone was introduced at once. There is also some awkwardness arising from two stories being told simultaneously across several chapters. But Babylon hits her stride as she skillfully navigates (or manipulates) old and new connections to find a missing heiress, deal with religious zealotry, and keep the Red Lantern financially afloat, The intimate relationships forged through the brothel's operations are used with respect here rather than just as owed favors or blackmail material, and this kind of power becomes important as Babylon's own shadowed history starts to catch up with her.
There are countless story opportunities presented by portal travel between disparate planes and civilizations. I enjoyed this first taste enough to come back for more, and I look forward to the adventures Babylon will encounter and the cast of friends and enemies she'll make along the way.
I received an opportunity to review an eARC of this novel through NetGalley.
My attention wandered at the beginning, while the stage was set and almost everyone was introduced at once. There is also some awkwardness arising from two stories being told simultaneously across several chapters. But Babylon hits her stride as she skillfully navigates (or manipulates) old and new connections to find a missing heiress, deal with religious zealotry, and keep the Red Lantern financially afloat, The intimate relationships forged through the brothel's operations are used with respect here rather than just as owed favors or blackmail material, and this kind of power becomes important as Babylon's own shadowed history starts to catch up with her.
There are countless story opportunities presented by portal travel between disparate planes and civilizations. I enjoyed this first taste enough to come back for more, and I look forward to the adventures Babylon will encounter and the cast of friends and enemies she'll make along the way.
I received an opportunity to review an eARC of this novel through NetGalley.
June 3, 2016
I enjoyed this one hugely. At first there was a lot to take in (I probably still couldn't list all the different species among Babylon's friends) but it got better and better. The flashbacks in particular went from what I assumed was everyday blah backstory to a past so engrossing I almost wanted to skip the chapters themselves just to read what happened previously.
Babylon herself was a refreshing lead in that she's a straight-talking, no-shit-taking character who is actually both those things instead of just being labelled as them. She's adept with her body, not just a blade, and has a really positive attitude to sex which was such a pleasant breath of fresh air I can't praise it enough. She's compassionate and fierce and smart but she also has a few things that freak her and by the end of the book she was so real I didn't want to put the universe down and leave her.
One of the other things I really liked about this book is how its main characters all stay very much on the level. Babylon has brushes with power, but unlike a lot of fantasy novels where your lead is scrabbling to regain a throne or be king/queen of something (anything!), there's none of that rush for elevation over others here, something that fits well given the story, but which also struck me as interesting.
Babylon herself was a refreshing lead in that she's a straight-talking, no-shit-taking character who is actually both those things instead of just being labelled as them. She's adept with her body, not just a blade, and has a really positive attitude to sex which was such a pleasant breath of fresh air I can't praise it enough. She's compassionate and fierce and smart but she also has a few things that freak her and by the end of the book she was so real I didn't want to put the universe down and leave her.
One of the other things I really liked about this book is how its main characters all stay very much on the level. Babylon has brushes with power, but unlike a lot of fantasy novels where your lead is scrabbling to regain a throne or be king/queen of something (anything!), there's none of that rush for elevation over others here, something that fits well given the story, but which also struck me as interesting.
April 22, 2012
This is a fantasy romp featuring the titular Babylon Steel, a brothel madam/swordmistress who lives on the chaotic and varied Scalentine, a tiny plane which is fed by a number of mysterious portals disgorging numerous strange refugees and other travellers. Babylon herself has been one such refugees, but having settled down in Scalentine she will find that she and her crew at the Red Lantern will be drawn into the search for a missing girl which will culminate in a confrontation between her and the mysterious past she's left behind.
I was part of the original workshop for the initial draft, but even then it was clear it was something special. The writing is great - Gaie has a light, lucid prose style and the city shows a fantastic and playful inventiveness. Babylon is a tough but likeable heroine ably supported by a well-drawn supporting cast, and all in all, it's a wonderful fun read. Highly recommended.
I was part of the original workshop for the initial draft, but even then it was clear it was something special. The writing is great - Gaie has a light, lucid prose style and the city shows a fantastic and playful inventiveness. Babylon is a tough but likeable heroine ably supported by a well-drawn supporting cast, and all in all, it's a wonderful fun read. Highly recommended.
March 17, 2018
I quite often buy books on offer cheaply as I like a bargain and a wide variety of genres. This means I read a lot of average books. Once in a blue twomoon, however I come across a real nugget of exceptional writing - and this is one of those!
You get a lot of pages for your pennies - so many fantasy authors churn out short books in a series of sagas, containing mediocre storylines with a cliffhanger ending to entice you to buy in to the next. Not so with Babylon - a full and compelling read, with well rounded and thought out characters and an unfolding storyline which comes together beautifully.
Another issue I have with the plethora of fantasy books out there is getting to know the races / pronounce their names / differing abilities etc., Sebold, however, introduces her disparate characters well so that you feel like you’re actually becoming friends / enemies with them personally.
An excellent read, would definitely recommend
You get a lot of pages for your pennies - so many fantasy authors churn out short books in a series of sagas, containing mediocre storylines with a cliffhanger ending to entice you to buy in to the next. Not so with Babylon - a full and compelling read, with well rounded and thought out characters and an unfolding storyline which comes together beautifully.
Another issue I have with the plethora of fantasy books out there is getting to know the races / pronounce their names / differing abilities etc., Sebold, however, introduces her disparate characters well so that you feel like you’re actually becoming friends / enemies with them personally.
An excellent read, would definitely recommend
Displaying 1 - 30 of 173 reviews