FANTASTIC! 5 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the first book that I’ve read of Robert Jackson Bennett and I was impressed. The writing of Foundryside is great from the beginning, to the end.
It starts off strong, the pacing is well done, and the ending was a blast! The action sequences impressed the hell out of me.

The characterization of Sancia Grado was one of the best things in this book. I loved this badass woman. I'm looking forward to the upcoming books in the series for the rest of her story.
Sancia is a thief living in Tevanne. She has unusually talents that give her an edge with her occupation of thieving.

The world building is excellent in this book. You can tell Bennett took the time to create Tevanne and the whole system of how scriving came about.
The city of Tevanne is an interesting place. It’s built on greed, slavery, human despair and the 1% owning everything. So, it was damn fun cheering for the down trodden and underdogs in this book!

The magical technology in this book was bloody fantastic! It took me a bit to figure out the complexities of the technology as the book went along. It’s like a cool AI trick with everyday objects and having those objects do physical attributes that they’re not suppose to do in an original state.
Whew! Yeah, that wore me out typing that as much as you reading it.
Does that makes sense?
Paging! Paging! Can I get a fantasy lover over here that specializes in physics that can explain scriving to this dumbass?

Foundryside lived up to my expectations though!

So why should you read this book?
1. The main character is a thief with “special” skills. HELL YES!
2. Tons of heist happen in this. Can I get another HELL YES?!
3. The magical technology is highly original. I’ve never read anything like it. I’m sure there might be something similar out there and if you’re aware of it, let me know. I loved the concept of scriving.
4. The writing is excellent! While reading this book, I was not bored once.
And last of all…
5. The rest of the characters in this book were also fantastic! Bennett wrote wonderful characters that were all original and strong, that stood on their own.

Recommended to fantasy fans and anyone that loves Brandon Sanderson. This had a similar feel of Mistborn to me and maybe that’s why I loved this so much!

I would like to thank Penguin Random House for reaching out to me about Foundryside. This was a fantastic fantasy novel, and I appreciate them letting me review this through NetGalley!

A Synopsis: Sancia Grado is a skilled thief. But when she is sent to a locked down warehouse, she just thinks it is another day on the job. However, what she is sent to steal is anything but ordinary. The artifact she is sent to retrieve is one that could change magic and the world she knows forever.

My Thoughts: This book is fantastic! I can't believe I've never read a Robert Jackson Bennett book before, but I will make sure to pick up the rest of his books from here on out. Sancia is a wonderfully fleshed out character, and I thoroughly enjoyed the magic system in this book. Scriving, which is using commands to suggest or command an object to behave differently than it is supposed to, is such an interesting twist in how "magic" traditionally portrayed. Overall, this book was rich with characters and world-building, and I am so glad I was able to get a copy!

This will be posted on GoodReads, Twitter, and my blog.

After reading some of Bennett's other work, I was excited to find out that he had a new novel coming out. The premise for Foundryside sounded fantastic and I knew the world building would be top notch. Even with my high expectations, Foundryside still managed to surprise and impress me. Full of adventure, magic, and political intrigue, this book is one you won't want to put down.

At the beginning, I struggled a bit with understanding the world. This was partially because of its complexity and partially because Bennett changes the foundations of his magic system as he establishes them for the reader. However, about a third of the way through the book, something clicked and the world made sense. Bennett's world building is so intricate and detailed, you'll find yourself wanting a guide to all the cool gadgets mentioned or additional stories about random side characters.

Sancia, the main character, is a thief. And she's one of the best due to her very unique skillset. After she's hired to steal an unknown object, what she finds may shake the very foundations of her world. Luckily, Sancia is smart, crafty, and has plenty of inner strength and determination. I loved the relationship between her and Clef, the unexpectedly sentient key she stole. The other characters in the book were interesting. However, I struggled to really connect with any of them, despite how entertaining and intriguing I found them.

The story was a wild, action-packed ride. It would be brilliant if translated to screen (plus the magic system is one that wouldn't be too difficult to portray well). I enjoyed the action scenes and seeing how Sancia and Clef escaped each new peril. This book was equal parts heist, mystery, and political intrigue. Plus there were some unexpected musings on morality that I found fascinating. One of Bennett's strengths as a writer lies in crafting the overarching mythology for his series and this is on full display in Foundryside. While there were parts of the book that I thought could have been stronger, it was nevertheless an entertaining read.

Foundryside had strong, unique world-building and an entertaining, action-packed plot. This was a strong start to a promising new series and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next book.

I was very impressed with this story. It was fast paced, well plotted and unique. I’m looking forward to the next installment!

Foundryside is the first book I've read from Robert Jackson Bennett and it will definitely not be my last. Mr. Bennett has built and amazing world where the founders, the wealthy families, live decadent lives while on the other side of the walls people are living in squalor. The city runs on industrialized magic called scriving. It gives inanimate objects the ability to do the tasks they have been inscribed to do.
The story begins with a young woman named Sancia who is a very talented thief. Her unique ability allows her to be successful where many have failed. She only has to touch an object and it's history flows into her mind, this allows her to navigate places she has never been. She has been hired by an unnamed source to steal a small box from the docks of the Trevanne family. After pulling off this heist she has to keep the box for 3 days and that's a bit too long for her to hold on to something as intriguing as this box. She breaks her own rule and opens the box and discovers an ornate key that seems to be able to talk to her inside her head. She quickly realizes that whoever wanted this box will most likely try to kill her and take the key so she keeps it. This quickly starts off a huge chain of events that will lead her to new friends, will lead her to discover more about her past and opens a whole new world that is so very different from her slavery past.
I absolutely loved this book. The characters were interesting and compelling. The world building was like nothing I've ever read before, it is vast, intricate and totally absorbing. It does have a steampunk feel to it but it's not overwhelming. It's simply a unique amazing read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series! Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this awesome book!

4.5 -I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. First,I must say I love the cover art,it really caught my attention. This was an enjoyable read from start to finish and will definitely read more from this author. In this book there is a technique called scriving which changes the capabilities of an object. I did get lost a little when the technique was explained but found this concept very interesting. The main character,Sancia, is a thief with a purpose and a strong female character I wouldn’t want to mess with. So many unanswered questions,hope book 2 comes out soon!

When I first started reading this novel and there was so much information about "scriving," I had trouble getting into the story and plot line. While the first third of the book was somewhat slow and complicated, I am really glad I stuck with it because by the time I was halfway in - I was hooked! Author Robert Bennett threw in so many interesting twists and turns that I only wish there had been a few in the beginning to hook me in sooner.

I can't remember the last time I was pulled into a book so completely. The opening chapters are a master class in character- and world-building, plotting, and tension.

In a pseudo-Renaissance-era Italy there are two worlds: The campos are run by the wealthy and powerful families, and the foundryside is where the poor folks work, live, and die, scrabbling for everything they have.

It's also a world of scrivings: "instructions written upon mindless objects that convinced them to disobey reality in select ways." So you could scrive wheels such that they think they're on a hill, even when they're on level ground, thus causing them to roll with nothing to pull them. Or you can scrive an arrow to believe it's moving vertically instead of horizontally, and that gravity is 3x normal. That would make a heckuva hole...

Anyway, as the book opens we're traveling with Sancia, a thief who's been tasked with stealing a box. When she opens that box, it turns her world upside down. She joins a motley crew of friends and former enemies to save the world from bad people getting what's in that box. He can't maintain the tension promise of the first few chapters. And secondary characters aren't as well-drawn as Sancia. And the romance between Sancia and another character feels terribly rushed and unrealistic.

Still, I quite enjoyed this book and will eagerly read the next books in the series.

(Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing for providing an ARC. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.)

In the course of the story, Sancia Grado is sent to retrieve a box for an enormously tempting sum of money. But, once she has it, she is curious about what’s in it. Inside she finds an ornate key that somehow is able to talk to her and can open anything. The key calls itself Clef. Being no fool, Sancia realizes that someone from one of the founder Houses will be coming for the key and will probably not want to leave any loose ends. And so starts Sancia’s adventures.

Sancia may be a thief in the city of Tevanne, but she is like a superthief. She accepts work from a friend of hers named Sark. She accomplishes her objectives with the use of scrived objects. Scrived objects are magical things that have been written on to alter their realities – for example making a wheel think that it is going downhill so it will roll forward without being pulled. She gets her scrived objects from a group of people known as “Scrappers.” They scrive things illegally with scraps they find. And Sancia has a special ability to listen to things like a stone wall and tell if the coast is clear.

Along the way, she will encounter interesting characters such as Gregor Dandalo- a captain in the guard at the waterfront, and Orso and Berenice who are scrivers for one of the Houses. What happens to Sancia as she meets and interacts with these people will change her view of reality.

It’s a good fantasy book with a good story. The only problem I found was that there were occasional parts that were dense with information that slowed things down a little. The information needs to be imparted somehow because it has to do with world-building and how things work in Tevanne, the various founder Houses, and historically speaking with the ancients who started the process of scriving. Once you get past or through these spots, things speed along. And as the book goes, there are fewer of these parts as the story progresses.

This is definitely book one in a series. While most plot points are resolved at the end, there is enough left open to see where the second book might begin to go. But not so much is left open as to make it frustrating. Still, I look forward to book two.

Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It’s well-written. The magic and world-building are different. The characters are interesting. If you enjoy a good fantasy tale, this should be right up your alley.

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett was published August 21st, 2018 by Crown.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Robert Jackson Bennett has delivered another quality, compelling story that may be just as unique as his Divine Cities trilogy. I loved the Divine Cities trilogy and when news came forth that he was starting a new series in a brand new world, I practically jumped for joy! Foundryside is, as I mentioned, set in a brand new world so you don’t need to have read his other books to enjoy it. It’s full of strange technology, fascinating characters, and suspense (oh the suspense!!).

Sancia Grado is a stunningly talented thief thanks to her unique ability to know a room merely by touching its walls, or know a safe combination by touching the safe. Sancia truly one of a kind and this means she gets the exciting jobs, like stealing ancient Occidental artifacts for powerful Merchant Houses. The Houses are like city-states where those affiliated with them can live and work in luxury and they have SO much power. Each of the four houses competes with the others to create better, more powerful, and more efficient scriving techniques which basically make their country run. Scriving is the act of convincing an object that either is or is doing something entirely different than what it really is – they’re basically altering the reality of an object to achieve a certain goal. It’s really interesting, though it’s a magic system that definitely leaves some things up to the reader’s imagination.

Back to Sancia. She steals a box containing an ancient key that, SURPRISE, she can communicate with because Sancia herself is a scrived human. That’s generally illegal or at least unacceptable by the way. The key, who is named Clef, is full of ancient knowledge and in my opinion has a heck of a personality and definitely elicits sympathy from the reader. Two of the houses are after the key, one of which initial purchased it and the other which mostly recently hired Sancia to swipe it. Danger ensues – think chases across rooftops, near death, flying assassins, and eventual conspiring with a merchant house. It was a real edge of your seat, nail biting good time. I loved every page of it and will be thrilled for news of a sequel!

Overall, this was an excellent story and it’s clear that RJB is a talented worldbuilder and crafter of tales as this is the second series of his that I’ve loved. The characters are multi-faceted and enjoyable to read about and the story was fast paced throughout. Never a dull moment here!! I would highly recommend this if you’re a fan of heist novels and unique magic systems. Fans of The Lies of Locke Lamora will probably find this particularly appealing, though it doesn’t have quite the same sense of camaraderie for much of the book as the characters don’t come together until later.

Lots of fun! Though magic languages and reality manipulation are not new concepts in fiction, I thought this was a cool take on those ideas, and done in an interesting world. I’m not sure I’d like to visit that world, but I sure like reading about it.

DNF ~25%

I tried really hard with this one. Really hard. At first, I was optimistic- the magic system is FASCINATING, very original and creative. Also it was my first ARC (thank you to Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review!) So sad that my first review is ultimately negative. Almost feels like a betrayal of the publisher's generosity. But . . . I just can't finish it.

It was the writing. There were a few too many exclamation marks, the characters weren't all that fleshed out, and outside the city of Tevanne, I felt like the rest of this world was a complete blank. Maybe further in the story all of this gets worked out, but I can't bring myself to keep reading when it's been such a struggle so far.

In a bit more coherency, here is what worked and what didn't work:

-Magic system is fucking cool. Objects are "scrived" with demands that convince them that their reality is different. For example, a carriage might be scrived to think it is always falling downwards, that there is a greater pull of gravity tugging it down. This makes it roll on its own. Its fucking genius.

-Plot seemed to be heading in an interesting direction, but I wasn't invested in the characters and the stakes weren't all that clear.

-Clef started off very funny and likable, and Sancia (mc) seemed to have an interesting conflict, considering the pain she felt from interacting with basically everything. But Gregor was irritating and bland, and at some point we just stop talking about Sancia's pain.

This leads to my biggest critique; the writing started off strong, but then got weaker and weaker as it went along. I was reading an arc, so perhaps the prose, dialogue, character development, and pacing, gets edited some more before publication, but I don't think I'll be checking out the finished product either way.

I was so torn reading this book; do I speed thru the pages as fast as I can, immersed in a whirlwind of thrills and chills, so I can find out what's happening next?! Or do I take my time, savor each sentence, each nuance of delightful storytelling, make it last as long as possible, knowing it's gonna be a while before there will be a sequel? There IS going to be a sequel, right?!

And here I am, not a fan at all of wizardry, magic and the like. I started this novel with a touch of trepidation, fearing it was going to be a fight for me to finish. Well color me embarrassed. Evidently I do like wizardry, magic, fallen gods from long ago, sigils (magical words), scrivings (commands written using sigils), lands and people from far ago (or far in the future?).

First we meet Sancia, a scruffy, scrappy little thief, scratching out survival by taking on jobs to steal things for high paying clients. We also come to know and love Gregor, a young soldier who survived a horrendous war; Orso, a specialist in writing scrivings, making inanimate objects do his bidding; Berenice, his lovely young assistant; and Clef, a key that can open any lock, has droll sense of humor and calls Sancia 'kid'. This motley crew will draw you in, make you care, thrill you with their exploits, terrify you with their risky antics, and have you shedding tears when things go horribly wrong.

Oh my, this was so good. Tasty as an Eton Mess (look up the recipe or find a restaurant that serves it, you'll thank me later). Quick pace, succinct descriptions that brought a wondrous new world to life, characters who had grit and whimsy and so much likeability. Even the ones who at first seem rather nasty and untrustworthy (I'm looking at you, Orso). A plot that draws you in, explaining as it goes with quick, clever descriptions of what you need to know at that moment in the story. No stopping to fill the reader in with long, boring descriptions of every little thing, lasting paragraphs and pages.

And can't recommend this book enough, Get it, read it, trust me, you'll enjoy it. And you'll like an Eton Mess too.

Foundryside was such a delightfully refreshing read. I've been buried in a hole of sad historical fiction and heavy reads and wasn't sure that I was prepared to switch gears so suddenly into the fantastical world of Foundryside. But I'm definitely glad I took the leap.

From the moment I read the first word, I was enamored by Sancia and her life. I love books in which the protagonists live on the fringes of society. I love characters who do what they can to survive, even if it means breaking the law. I have a soft spot for characters like Sancia, who are tormented and leave the read with more questions than answers. The skilled thief stole my heart immediately.

I also found myself completely immersed in the world Bennett presented in Foundryside from the start. I was entranced by the entire process of scriving. Equal parts magic and science, scriving gives power to inanimate objects and creates a rich world for Sancia to exist in.

The hunt for Sancia and the secrets her past hold kept me on the edge of my seat and I can't wait to see more from this series. It is a book I will definitely recommend.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

foundryside (Robert Jackson Bennett)

Title: foundryside

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Publisher: Crown Publishing

Publication Date: Available Now! (hardcover/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1524760366

Source: NetGalley

So what Peter Newman did with a goat in his novel the vagrant, this book does with a key.  Seriously read this for the key.  In any case, I be a sucker for a heist story.  Especially a heist gone wrong.  This is the story about thief-extraordinaire, Sancia Grado and the consequences of her latest conquest.  Sadly for her, it involves everyone wanting her dead.  I adored Sancia.  From the first page, I was rooting for her.  She is snarky, smart, moody, and wonderful.  She is the heart and soul of the story.

The world building in this one is lovely as well.  The major city is called Tevanni.  It is run by four competing merchant Houses, called campos, that remind me of medieval guilds.  These campos work with magical writing called scrivings.  These are formed by writing sigils onto inanimate objects to change the reality within the object.  Wheels that roll themselves, floating lamps, doors that require specific commands to open, etc.  The science behind these scrivings are highly controlled by the houses and competition is fierce.

For people outside of the campos, like Sancia, there is only the struggle to survive.  Scrivings are for the rich Houses.  The poor live in shanty towns, called Commons, with no laws, no clean drinking water, and very little food.  Trust is scarce and death is a careless moment away.

Of course Sancia is a fighter and watching her take on the campos is where the fun is.  The plot does get to be a bit melodramatic and unrealistic but I didn't care.  I loved learning about the scrivings.  I reveled in the schemes of Sancia.  I adored the magic system.  I was fascinated by the history.  I chuckled at the humor.  While I was a little confused by the very ending of this book, I certainly want to read the next book.  I have to know what happens next!

So lastly . . .

Thank you Crown Publishing!

Goodreads has this to say about the novel:

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

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foundryside - Book

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I received a free copy of this book from the author. I had the opportunity to review or not.

This epic fantasy by Robert Jackson Bennett is my first venture into his writing. I had no idea what to expect upon opening the book, but I can say this – it was not at all like anything I have read before. The intricate connection of life, humans and reality defy ordinary belief, yet I believed.

Mr. Bennett’s presentation is superb. His characters are alive and filled with wonder. His description of the world is definitive and believable while being out of this world. Everything is based on scriving, a form of written magic. Scriving uses the reality of an item and changes it to think it is something else. What mortal thought that up?

The deeper I got involved with the characters, the more, yet less, I knew. Sometimes they didn’t know either.

In the city of Tevanne, the four Guild Houses own approximately 80% of the city property and function almost like city-states. The remaining 20% are the Commons, where those that don't belong to a Guild House live. There are no laws to protect the people, and it is in this place where Sancia Grado lives as a thief with extraordinary abilities. She stole an item from the docks, and it turns out to be more than an ordinary magical technological item. This one isn't scrived with the usual magical languages and is able to overwrite the magic the Guild Houses use. That would allow it to control all of reality if Sancia hands it over. When she decides not to fulfill the job, she has to collect allies and figure out a way to survive in Tevanne.

The use of magical sigils isn't a new concept in fantasy novels, but the foundations and practice to turn ordinary items into magic ones is. It's very clearly and cleverly laid out in the opening chapters, as we follow Sancia through the streets and the job to steal the box out of the docks. Due to the scrivened plate that was installed in her head against her will, she is able to sense the magic items as a murmur and talk to the key. Explaining her society to Clef also explains it to us in a very natural kind of way.

Backstories evolve over time in very natural ways, and we're introduced to more and more of how the world works as we learn them. Not only do I really feel for Sancia as she struggles through the novel, but for her erstwhile companions as they try to figure out why Clef is so important, as well as who wants to kill them. Even that changes over time so that in the final two parts of the novel, things we thought were true are stood on their head and it's a race to the finish line. It's very masterfully done, and I had to keep reading to find out what happened, even though I had other things that needed doing! I was wholly absorbed in the developments and surprises, and then there were fascinating teases that are sure to be fleshed out in the next two books. This is a great start to the Founders Trilogy, and I can't wait to see the rest of the series.

Ah, I loved this book! I absolutely scrumming loved it! There's this little place in my heart that begs for gritty Fantasy. The kinds of stories that feature more than their fair share of backstabbing, and unbelievable twists. The kinds of stories where characters that I already love come to be characters that I can't dream of living without by the end of the book. That, my friends, was Foundryside. I'm smitten, and I don't care who knows it.

This story is heavily character focused, and I think it just works. Sancia Grado, our main character, is so much more than that just an epic thief. Bennett slowly, gently, draws the reader into Sancia's past, her present, and then leaves this beautiful opening for what will happen to her in the future. I was so attached to this proud woman after the first few chapters, that I actually legitimately cried when her backstory was revealed. Her character is an opportunity to showcase the damage that being someone's property does to a person, and Bennett weaves that whole story arc masterfully through the story. Sancia is definitely someone that you'll care about.

Further kudos go to the author for walking that really thin line between epic world building and forward plot movement. I never felt like I wasn't fully settled in Tevanne, but I also never felt like the book dragged to allow me to feel that way. I basically learned my surroundings by following along with Sancia, and seeing through her eyes. The dark alleys, the ramshackle homes, all stood in stark contrast to the shining campos. Bennett manages to say so much about equality, and the concept of self worth, without every actually saying anything at all. I can't even explain it to you, only promise you that it's a beautiful thing.

So, if it wasn't glaringly obvious, I have fallen in love with this series. I don't know what I expected from this book, to be honest with you. All I know is that it blew everything I have been feeling about cookie cutter Fantasy books completely out of the picture. This is good fiction. I absolutely cannot wait for more.

I want to thank the publisher for sending me a physical copy of Foundryside (Founders #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving a copy of the novel does not influence my thoughts or opinions on the material, author, or publisher.

Why has it taken me so long to get around to reading Robert Jackson Bennett’s work? I have had his Divine Cities trilogy sitting on my Kindle for what seems like forever and now, after having read Foundryside, it has jumped to the top of my list.

Sancia Grado is much like the other denizens of Tevanne: poor, hungry, and hanging on by the skin of her teeth while those of the Merchant Houses stay wealthy, filled, and still crave more. Good news is, Sancia is a darn good thief and is able to live a little bit above her peers, even if it means sticking her neck out on occasion.

She is hired by an unknown party to steal a box from a dockside warehouse owned by one of the four (4) merchant houses, but faces obstacles at every corner. When she finally gets her hands on the prize, she can’t wait to see just exactly what she was paid so handsomely for (but you know, curiosity killed the cat and all that). It turns out to be a key, but to what, she has no idea. When she reaches in the box and pulls the key out, a voice begins echoing around inside her mind and tells her that his name is “Clef”.

Oh yeah, did I mention the part where Sancia has this ability to touch inanimate objects and they sorta… well, talk to her? Sounds pretty cool, but it is also debilitating. Even routine tasks like changing clothes or taking a shower will bring her to her knees.
Now, these items, they have to be what is called ‘scrived’ in order for Sancia to use her ability. Scriving is simply defined as magical directions being etched onto metal plates that can, well, “convince” normal objects to be something else. As an example, scriving a crossbow bolt to believe it is falling from a great height in order to increase its speed as it moves toward a target. Pretty neat, right?

Ok, back to the storyline. As Clef begins to tell Sancia just exactly what he can be used for, the picture for Sancia becomes framed, so to speak, and what she thought would be an easy B&E becomes everything she didn’t sign up for. Now, on the run, Sancia decides to keep Clef, to learn more about him, but to also keep him from falling into the wrong hands. Her life is in danger, but the fate of Tevanne and beyond its borders is a little more important to her.

Every innovation—technological, sociological, or otherwise—begins as a crusade, organizes itself into a practical business, and then, over time, degrades into common exploitation.

Wow. Where to begin. First off, the magic system. Scriving is one of the coolest uses of magic I have ever seen. The ability to make every day objects act like something else, even if for a short period of time, is absolutely fascinating. Bennett expertly crafts Tevanne around this industrialized system and weaves a magnificent story that I can only imagine will continue to get better. The world-building is top-notch; from the lowly apartments to the fancy merchant houses, the amount of detail the author puts into bringing the reader into his world is astounding. But in all honesty, the relationship between Sancia and Clef is what steals the show; but mostly Clef. His witty banter and consistent comic relief makes this read so enjoyable, even with the dark machinations happening in the background that lead up to a dramatic conclusion.

Foundryside is the start to what I expect to be a fantastic series through and through. I highly recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read, especially for the magic system.

Before anything else, can we have a moment to reflect on the beauty of this book cover? The flames, the shadows, the golden hand and key… oh, yeah. And that crescent moon above the flames—gimme a print of this, stat!

This was a super fast and fun read. Fast because it’s a lot of info dumping masquerading as dialogue that my brain glazed over, and fun because there’s a lot of action scenes and not much depth. In a way, it’s sort of comforting, because somehow I feel like I’ve read this before. It’s one of those stories, you know? You gotta know what I mean. Read this on a plane headed to the beach or save it for a cool autumn weekend, you’ll breeze through it regardless. (And there’s such joy in reading a large book so quickly, isn't there?)

This will appeal to certain fantasy readers—in fact, I’ve already recommended this to one fantasy fan that I know—but it’s not my particular cup of fantasy tea (fantastea?), or, at least it’s not what I’m craving at this time. I appreciate it for what it is, though.

For years now I’ve wanted to read anything by Bennett, and I’m so glad I’ve finally gotten the chance. If I’m in the right mood for a fast, fun fantasy, I definitely see myself reaching for the second book in the future.