Novel Playlists from Fantasy Novelists treats each fantasy novel like a feature film and encourages the author to put together their own dream soundtrack. Rising out of Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off to earn a deal with Orbit with his debut Senlin Ascends, which he followed up with The Arm of the Sphinx and The Hod King, Josiah Bancroft graces us with a playlist as enjoyable and eclectic as the Tower of Babel. Listen to it in Spotify here.

Fearing an uprising, the Sphinx sends Senlin to investigate a plot that has taken hold in the ringdom of Pelphia. Alone in the city, Senlin infiltrates a bloody arena where hods battle for the public’s entertainment. But his investigation is quickly derailed by a gruesome crime and an unexpected reunion.

Posing as a noble lady and her handmaid, Voleta and Iren attempt to reach Marya, who is isolated by her fame. While navigating the court, Voleta attracts the unwanted attention of a powerful prince whose pursuit of her threatens their plan.

Edith, now captain of the Sphinx’s fierce flagship, joins forces with a fellow wakeman to investigate the disappearance of a beloved friend. She must decide who to trust as her desperate search brings her nearer to the Black Trail where the hods climb in darkness and whisper of the Hod King.

As Senlin and his crew become further dragged in to the conspiracies of the Tower, everything falls to one question: Who is The Hod King?

The Playlist

The Hod King [2 LP]

Side 1 – The Mermaid

A Man Out of Time – Elvis Costello
(Self explanatory.)

Playboy – Hot Chip
Nerdy over-analysis of a fraught relationship.

I’ll Believe In Anything – Wolf Parade
When the well-intended are gullible.

Dead Man’s Party – Oingo Boingo
The mania of coming up short.

Side 2 – The Leaping Lady

Bourgeois – Phoenix
The tyranny of polite society.

Paris 1919 – John Cale
The dangerous gaze of a narcissist.

Hang With Me – Robyn
The unexpected blooming of friendship into love.

Skeletons – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The dizzy, ecstatic nature of mortality.

Side 3 – The Gold Watch

Are Friends Electric? – Gary Numan
A necessary evolution of the human condition.

Land of Confusion – Genesis
An avuncular tyrant is still a tyrant.

Fake Palindromes – Andrew Bird
“I’m going to drill a tiny hole into your head.”

Army of Me – Bjork
A righteous anger burns hotter.

Side 4 – (Epilogue)

Spirit” – The Caesars
A hopeful anthem for the precipice.

About the author

Josiah Bancroft’s fantasy-adventure series is published by Orbit Books (US/UK). Before settling down to write fantasy novels, Josiah was a poet, college instructor, and aspiring comic book artist. When he is not writing, he enjoys playing post-pop music with his band, Dirt Dirt, drawing chalk pictures on his office wall, and cooking pub curry for his wife, Sharon. He shares a home with her and their two rabbits, Mabel and Chaplin, in Philadelphia.

He can be found online at https://www.thebooksofbabel.com/, and on Twitter.