Foundryside is the first installment in an exciting new epic fantasy series from Robert Jackson Bennett. Set in Tevanne, a city that runs on industrialized magic called scriving, and that is controlled by four rival Merchant Houses, Foundryside follows the story of Sancia Grado, a master thief who takes on what is supposed to be a simple job but that ends up landing her in some serious hot water.

Sancia has no idea who has hired her – she has been hired as a subcontractor of sorts by a fellow lawbreaker. Her task is to steal a small box that is stored in a safe located in a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s waterfront. She has simple instruction: retrieve the box, return it to the person who hired her, and don’t look inside the box.

Well, let’s just say that things don’t go quite as smoothly as Sancia would have hoped. She accidentally sets fire to the waterfront and makes an enemy of Captain Gregor Dandolo, who is the closest thing to law enforcement Tevanne has. On top of all that, Sancia also can’t resist taking a peek to see what’s in the stolen box and as soon as she does, she realizes she is caught up in something way bigger than she expected. The box contains a powerful magical artifact that could pretty much destroy life as they know it if it were to get into the wrong hands. With that in mind, she decides she’s not going to hand over what’s in the box, especially after the guy who hired her turns up missing and it becomes clear that someone very powerful would like to get rid of her as well.

To survive, Sancia is going to have to get creative. She needs allies, resources, and she needs to figure out a way to harness the power of the artifact herself. It’s the only way she can make herself strong enough to prevail…

I really loved the whole cast of characters in Foundryside, particularly Sancia. She of course falls on the anti-hero side of things a bit since she does make her living as a thief, but that just makes her all the more interesting, especially since she’s, without a doubt, the best thief in the city. What makes her such a great thief is another fascinating side of her character – Sancia has the ability to touch something and immediately know everything about it. If she touches a building, for example, it’s almost like a blueprint of the building immediately pops into her head, as well as any potential obstacles that lie in her path. Definitely a handy trick for a thief to have, even if Sancia has no idea how she came by this ability. I don’t want to say too much else about it, but I’ll just say that we do find out how she has acquired this ability later in the book and it’s truly an OMG kind of moment!

In addition to her abilities, what also drew me to Sancia is that she is sassy, fierce, and resourceful, and because she never backs down from a fight. I loved her sense of determination. Through flashbacks, we also get hints that she has a troubled past that still haunts her and this of course gives her an added layer of vulnerability to round out her character.

Aside from Sancia, there’s also a fantastic cast of secondary characters, namely the ones who end up forming Sancia’s crew. Captain Gregor Dandolo comes across as a bit of a butthead in the beginning as he goes head-to-head with Sancia and tries to arrest her. Later on though, I really found myself warming up to him and admiring him for his sense of honor. He really does want to bring some law and order to what is currently little more than a mob-run town because of the Merchant Houses.

Rounding out Sancia’s crew are Orso and Berenice, both of whom are skilled in the art of scriving. Orso is the quintessential grumpy old man and is absolutely hilarious at times because he just grouses and grumbles his way through everything. We don’t get to know too much about Berenice, but she is much nicer than Orso and thus is a lovely foil to his curmudgeonly personality.

Last but not least, there’s Clef. You really need to discover Clef yourself without any hints from me, so I’m just going to say that you will adore everything about him, especially how funny he is. As much as I loved Sancia, Clef really gave her a run for her money in terms of who was my favorite character.

The worldbuilding and the intricate magical system is where Robert Jackson Bennett truly excels with Foundryside. He paints such a vivid portrait of the industrialized city of Tevanne and its Merchant Houses that I really felt like I was there, and the magical system of scriving was equally impressive and utterly unique. I haven’t talked much about scriving, so let me give you a quick rundown. On its most basic level, scriving is a magical code. Those who are skilled in it can carve a list of scrived commands onto any object and it gives that object sentience. What that means is that scrived commands can actually alter reality. You could place a scrived command on a piece of cloth, for example, telling it that it’s a brick wall and the cloth would then act as if it had the properties of a brick wall.

Whoever controls this power would thus have the ability to alter the world to suit whatever their purposes are, no matter how good or bad, which is why the artifact in Sancia’s possession is so dangerous. That artifact is tied to even more powerful ancient scriving magic. If the ancient language can be decoded, it would give someone practically unlimited powers.

The only reason I didn’t give Foundryside 5 stars is because every once in a while, there was a bit of overexplaining that dragged down what was otherwise a very well-paced narrative. I understand the need to fully establish and explain the intricate magical system and the history of its evolution, but I just didn’t like having those lengthy explanations interrupt an intense action scene. It frustrated me because I wanted to keep following Sancia and her crew and see what they were up to, not get a mini lesson on the history of scriving.

I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of why you should give Foundryside a try, but to say anymore would be too spoilerish and I don’t want to go there. If you enjoy epic fantasies with a bit of a heist plot thrown in, Foundryside is your book. It’s also your book if you’re into anti heroes and misfits who actually end up making the perfect team. The closest book I can think of to compare it to is perhaps Six of Crows. If you enjoyed Six of Crows, I think you’d get a kick out of this book too.

Foundryside is a wonderful example of world building. I found this to be a truly unique story. Although slow to start it did come through with some good action. I will definitely recommend.

4/5 stars

I have to admit, I was beyond ecstatic when I got approved for an ARC of this. I've seen it circulating on Goodreads prior and once I read the description I was SOLD! Well, if you know me then you know that anything that has "thief" in it sells me basically. I just love my grey characters!

But Sancia is much more than just a thief. Sancia is different, and I don't mean it in the "ohhh I'm so pretty but I think I'm so ugly special snowflake character" way - these should be outlawed by the way, lol. Sancia is strong, witty, brave and brutally honest. She also is not the one to fall down to peer pressure. You know how in most fantasy books it's "hey I just met you but can you go and do all this crazy dangerous stuff for me that can get you killed but it's a prophecy so you must do it" ? Well, Sancia is having none of that. Sancia knows how and when to say no, and when to say yes and I loved her for that.

If you can't tell, Sancia is my girl, and I truly enjoyed her character. Every little bit of it. And I also enjoyed Clef a lot. Clef is the most hilarious and at the same time the saddest character out there. You just have to read this to experience this paradox. And as I am a reader that always goes for the side characters, Berenice is the knees bees - the only complaint is that I wish we got more of her. Next book hopefully!

Now, the whole time I was reading this- I felt at home. Familiar. And then I realized why. It gave me the biggest, strongest Mistborn vibes. A street urchin with anxieties, a heist, a voice in the head, people able to fly in the air, god-like characters and much more. Is this Mistborn re-imagined or is this an ode to Brandon Sanderson? Fine with me either way to be honest, because I loved it nonetheless.

​The writing did feel a bit silly to me at first, especially the dialog. Might be because before this book I just finished The Return of the King, and coming back to regular language after the grandeur of Tolkien was a bit shocking. But once I got used to it I enjoyed it tons. It was so readable - I flew through this in 3 days (would have read it faster if I didn't have to work). Damn you work!

The book held my attention almost completely, but it did have few moments in which I started drifting away, but which book doesn't, right? Also I must mention - the book got progressively more and more brutal. Like, wow hold on to your chairs brutal.

​Lastly, I want to talk about this book's diversity. Flawless. You know how most books nowadays force diversity on the reader (because that's where them only are apparently). Well. not this book. It was so seamless, so perfect and it gave so much dimension to the story. Especially thankful for two main characters having ptsd and for how believable it was portrayed. But I am evermore thankful for my "ship" for sailing.

​I was dismayed to learn that the book ends in a way that makes you want, need, must must must read the next book immediately. So, Jackson Bennett, you better write second book soon and quick, thank you.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own, honest and come from the heart.

I greatly enjoyed this book. The world building was fascinating. I'm very curious where the author plans to take the series.

I received a copy from net galley in exchange for an honest review.

I am pleasantly surprised with Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett, which shouldn’t even be a surprise considering how many good things I’ve heard about Bennett’s writing. The reason for my surprise is I partly went into this reading the synopsis with my brain thinking oh, girl thief story? Must be a YA fantasy and let me tell you I’ve never been happier to be mistaken! The world-building is absolutely incredible and Bennett is unafraid at showing the rough half of having a world accustomed to convenience.

Before I get into the world-building, let’s talk about the characters! I hope I’m not the only one that looked at young girl thief and automatically thought oh no another typical YA fantasy, as this was anything but. Sancia is truly a well-rounded and fleshed out character whom we see struggle with her place in society and whether she even wants to belong to society. A realist living day to day in a putrid city that cares little for the little people. Her foil, in MANY WAYS, Gregor Dandolo, the son of a wealthy and powerful family who knows his place in society and rejects it in order to make the city he loves and calls home a more just place. Their paths intertwine and their worlds combine in a way I was not expecting, which was incredibly refreshing.

But now, to one of the novel’s greatest strengths – its sublime world-building. Bennett uses Italian sounding names and surnames, as well as words, to center the reader in a world that feels familiar and intimate. We don’t feel as though we’re stepping into some strange land with fourteen syllable cities or characters with names that sound like generic prescriptions. Using that, Bennett adds small tweaks to a world we already know, making it fantastical. And that’s why it works, because the world makes sense. Our brains are able to fill in what the history is because we’ve already lived through the motions, and Bennet doesn’t shy away from showing how great advancements can often come from horrible injustices. Slavery, wars, revolutions, fights for power, cold wars – it’s all we know and the only difference is the tools used. Bennett has the people of Tevanne fight not with simple guns, but with enchantments. It’s a clever addition to the Words/Names Are Power popularized with Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea series, as well as Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles and Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files. Bennett puts actual science behind this notion so that it isn’t simply magic that is explained with a shrug and a, “That’s just how it is.” And this is what makes the world-building so amazing — that Bennett actually took the time come up with and explain the science behind what makes everything work in world.

With such strong praise, why not an easy 5 stars? Because Foundryside is a first novel in a new world and as such, I want to leave room for the following book in the series to grow. Additionally, while I loved the science behind how everything works in the world, the lengthy descriptions did slow the pacing slightly. I imagine the second book in the series will move much quicker with readers having a much greater understanding of the world and how things work. I’m ready for the intrigue and the subterfuge.

If you’re looking for a new fantasy novel that escapes the usual cliche trappings, or reinvents them completely, I wholeheartedly recommend Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett. This is such a strong introductory novel to a new series sure to be a fave!

When a book throws you into the sewers right off the bat, you can either hold on for the ride or soak in the smell. It takes guts to put a reader in this situation, but it was well written and worth the trouble. I loved the little key. It fit in with the character and pushed the story along. There was so much to this story that sometimes I got lost, but was able to quickly catch up and keep reading. This was a good weekend read that I'm excited to share with you. Three stars for a good read.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

I started Foundryside with a bit of trepidation. I've read every novel that Robert Jackson Bennett has written and fell in love with his Divine Cities Trilogy - the first trilogy he's written. Could Bennett once again create a striking world with wonderful characters that drive the story? Could the plot again be compelling, deeply engaging and as exciting? Could I care about the characters as deeply? The answer to all these questions is an unequivocal "yes".

Foundryside is set in city of Tevanne which is run by four Merchant Houses. The Merchant Houses have monetized magic technology and have become rich and greedy. The areas in Tevanne not controlled by the Merchant Houses are lawless, grimy and extremely dangerous. One of these areas is called Foundryside and this is where we find Sancia Grado, an extraordinary thief. She's taken on a job to steal an artifact and has no idea what she is getting herself into. Because of this particular heist more than one person wants Sancia dead. In order to survive, she will team up with an unlikely group of individuals from within and without the Merchant Houses.

Sancia is a wonderful character - strong, flawed, damaged, funny, brave. She comes from a horrific background. She is such a remarkable thief because of something that was done to her; something that Bennett reveals slowly and the horror of it for Sancia (and the reader) is palpable. However, this is an ensemble piece and the people that Sancia encounters and works with are wonderfully developed throughout the novel. In their own rights each of the characters is remarkable. There are also plenty of bad actors and villains to go around. This world is full of gray and everything is not as black and white as it may seem.

The magic system is intricate and Bennett delves deeply into how it works and its antecedents. There is a lot of history of this world and Bennett does not skimp with explaining much of it while not overwhelming the story. There is still a great deal we don't know about this magical technology and this world. Social issues are touched upon as well - how the technological marvels created only benefit some and not all; how some people are disposable and others are elevated; and more.

While Bennett resolves the main plot of Foundryside he leaves open several questions for the upcoming novels. Note for those who don't like cliffhangers - there isn't one. There is mystery, nail-biting action, magic, technology, fights, heists, some gore, and much to love about this new world and these new characters. Bennett has done it again. Foundryside is a marvelously entertaining, thrilling and riveting start of a new epic fantasy trilogy.

This is another one that I really wanted to like, but just never fell into the way I thought (hoped) I would... There's nothing wrong per se, I just never felt like the characters/writing engaged me in such a way that I felt sucked into their story and drama. I think I was just not a good fit for this one...

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first RJB book and it was pretty much perfection!!!! The characterization, worldbuilding, plot, and concluding hook....(happy sigh)!

Sancia is such a great protagonist because she is sarcastically funny, courageous, loyal, and humanly flawed. As a twenty-ish young woman she is refreshing real. The side characters (Orso, Berenice, Clef) were as interesting as the main characters (Sancia and Gregor) and I found myself loving and rooting for them all equally.

I cannot wait for book #2!

"Foundryside" eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Robert Jackson Bennett (http://www.robertjacksonbennett.com). Mr. Bennett has published eight novels and this is the first in his "Founders" series. 

I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence and Mature Language. The story is set in a world where magic exists and is one of the driving forces behind manufacturing. The primary character is Sancia Grado a young woman and a very good thief. 

Grado is engaged to steal a box from a safe. Little does she know what having accomplished that will bring her. The artifact contained in the box contains powerful magic. A magic that the powerful Merchant Houses are willing to kill to obtain. She must recruit strong and unusual allies in order to survive. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 13.5 hours I spent reading this 512 page fantasy. I liked the characters and the plot of this novel and I hope to see sequels set in this universe in the future. The cover art is OK, but I can imagine art that ties more closely to the story. I give this novel a 5 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

A city that runs on magic but is yet very primitive. An interesting mix of social classes working together to keep the artifact safe that could rewright the entire structure of the city. Santiago is a thief for hire and steals this important artifact, but what cab a poor young person do with something so powerful.

“The worst part is that it tricks you. [...] It makes you think you’re a thing. It makes you resign yourself to becoming a crude good. It makes things out of people so thoroughly, they ... they don’t even know that they’ve become things. Even after you’re free, you don’t even know how to be free! It changes your reality, and you don’t know how to change it back!"

This book was absolutely amazing! High fantasy is often very hit or miss for me but I'm so glad I decided to take a chance on this book because it was an incredible fast-paced story with excellent characters and some really unique world-building. It was definitely a long read [for me at least, I think it took me about a week to get through the whole thing] and there was a lot of exposition at times, but I honestly don't think it could have been done any other way and the exposition is mostly about the magic system which I find very interesting so I didn't feel like it was necessarily dragging at all.

As I said, the thing that stood out to me the most was the magic system. Basically the people use this ancient alphabet to engrave different items and tell them how to behave [a process called scriving] so it's a little bit science-based but definitely still firmly in the magic arena. I thought it was very interesting to see the intricacies of this system and I really loved the out-of-the-box thinking with the way it worked. For example all the gates are scrived to open only for certain keys but the main character has a way to 'talk' to the objects and manages to convince them that their instructions only count for the door swinging outward and that swinging inward does not count as 'opening'. Another example is scriving weapons to think that they are falling down when they are really moving horizontal so they end up hitting their targets with a lot more force than they normally would.

Sancia was a really great protagonist as well and all the characters felt very three-dimensional and real so I can't wait to see where their adventures take them next. Also I just wanted to say that I tagged this lgbtia because there is kind of the beginning of a relationship between Sancia and another female character but it is not the focus of the story and I would definitely not call this a romance by any means. I personally like the slow build of the relationship so far but I wouldn't want anyone to go into this expecting something different than what they will be getting. Definitely a great start to a series and I'm looking forward to the next one!

3.5★★★Stars

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction
Type: Book 1 of Founders Series
POV: First Person - Multiple

This book started pretty slow for me; luckily I continued reading and didn't give up on the story because after fifty percent everything started to make sense and I started getting attached to couple of characters.

We have Sancia Grado; who is one of the best thieves in Foundryside and the main character in this story. I liked her strength and how hard she fought for survival. Sancia’s path crosses with so many different characters in this story, but amazingly they all start to piece together what is a much bigger picture in the story than any of them realized.

Written in multiple points of view, this book delivered an excellent story full of feels, action and emotions. Clef and Sancia are everything to me, I actually had few tears in one of their scenes together; however I found myself loving a third character and I am super excited to see what is to come for all of them in the next installment.

Overall; I really loved the last thirty percent of the book. I found myself unable to stop reading each page and when I got to the final page I couldn't believe that I have to wait to continue this awesome journey.

I felt this story had a combination of the terminator meets inception movies. Truly enjoyed the ride with the exception of the first half. I hope the second book in the series is more fast speed and I am seriously excited for more.

What an absolutely wonderful read. I loved the entire Divine Cities trilogy, and I can tell I'm going to love this whole series as well. Wonderful and unique use of magic here, but the true strength of the novel lies in the characters who really have to work at true change and rethinking the way their place in society is determined by others, especially those who have power over them. Honestly this is one of the most subtly progressive fantasy works I've read in ages. Cannot recommend enough

FOUNDRYSIDE by Robert Jackson Bennett is the start of a fabulous sci-fi series by a master of the genre. Bennett has been recognized with numerous awards (Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, an Edgar Award winner for Best Paperback Original, and a Philip K Dick Award Citation of Excellence) and many other short-list nominations. FOUNDRYSIDE is intended to be the first in a trilogy involving heroine Sancia Grado who has been sent to steal a powerful artifact in a world that uses coded commands and a revolutionary, magical technology to allow a type of consciousness for everyday items. The mix of sci-fi fantasy and mystery is especially appealing.

The only potential drawback I see is the length (512 pages) and yet, for fans of sci-fi authors like Brandon Sanderson – who lavishly praises this new book – that is not a barrier at all. Nor is it a surprise that FOUNDRYSIDE received well-deserved starred reviews from Kirkus, Library Journal and Publishers Weekly; the last summarizes FOUNDRYSIDE as "a crackling, wonderfully weird blend of science fiction, fantasy, heist adventure, and a pointed commentary on what it means to be human in a culture obsessed with technology, money, and power." Wow! Start reading now!

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett is Founders Book #1. As we are introduced to this world we begin with Sancia Grado a thief in a world that is squeezing out her kind. Her talents and magical abilities make her idea to steal a particular magical artifact for a large amount of money. Little does she know that it will set her on a path to something different than she ever imagined.

In Foundryside, Mr. Bennett creates a well developed world with its own unique and functionally believable magic system. Adding to that are characters who are easy to connect with and make the story one that pulls you in on many levels. Sancia was a character who I felt worked well with the world and gave us a good introduction to the magic around her, in a conversational and easy way.

Overall I very much enjoyed Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett and the world and characters he created. I can't wait for more.

(I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.)

4.5 Stars

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sancia Grado is a very good thief. Her natural talents are enhanced by a magical scrived plate in her head that allows her to sense the condition of objects to their molecular level. This helps her commit burglaries with amazing success. Merchant Houses control the magical technology called scriving that is used to code objects to improve or enhance their properties. They rule the land with their technology, but always thirst for more power.

Sancia is hired to commit a dangerous, but profitable, burglary of a heavily guarded warehouse near the docks. The burglary is a success, but Sancia's curiosity gets the better of her and she looks inside the box she has stolen and finds a key. The key is an ancient artifact. It has magical qualities and can talk to her. Sancia quickly learns that competing Merchant Houses are trying to get possession of the key, and will murder her if necessary to get it. On the run, Sancia finds herself in the middle of a dangerous power struggle that could have disastrous consequences for everyone in Tevanne.

This is a very good first book in a new series. The characters are interesting and the world building is well done. The magical world is unique and fresh. The action is fast-paced, with plenty of twists and turns. I highly recommend you read this book.

Foundryside is the first book in a new fantasy series by Robert Jackson Bennett. The author is best known for his Divine Cities Trilogy (City of Stairs, City of Blades, City of Miracles) which was recently nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Series.

In his newest release, Bennett embarks upon an ambitious fantasy series that follows a street smart thief caught up in the schemes of the Merchant Houses in the city of Tevanne. The world in Foundryside features a fantasy setting with a few elements that feel like steampunk, even though the devices are powered by magic rather than steam. Carriages are horseless, lights hover in the streets, and weapons are enchanted to have greater speed or to explode. All of the magic in the story is controlled by scrivings, symbols carved into objects that tell them how to circumvent the laws of nature. These scrivings are writing in the language of the lost civilization of the Hierophants, and the Merchant Houses are always searching for new symbols.

The four Merchant Houses in Tevanne are powerful family-owned miniature cities with their own vast economies. Each house is physically walled off from the rest of the city, where law enforcement is unknown and poverty is widespread. The miraculous devices powered by scrivings are rare outside of the Merchant Houses, but there is always a black market for valuables.

Sancia Grado is a thief from Foundryside, one of the poorest sections of Tevanne. However, she has a unique ability to sense the physical nature of anything she touches. This lets her work as a successful thief, but is also a curse because she has to keep most of her skin covered to avoid being overwhelmed. Sancia’s power comes from a scrived plate in her head, and she dreams of the day that she can afford to have it removed. When she takes a job to steal something from a safe at the waterfront, Sancia never imagines that her plans will go so far awry. She breaks into the safe and takes a sealed box, but inadvertently sets the entire waterfront on fire, attracting the attention of Gregor Dandolo, self-appointed head of the new city watch.

After Sancia escapes the scene, she decides to open the box to find an artifact with unusual powers. She decides to deliver the stolen goods at the prearranged location, but nearly falls into a trap. Whoever set the trap has powers and devices that Sancia’s never seen before, and seems determined to see her dead.

The plot spins into a complicated chase from there, and Sancia tries to figure out who is her enemy and who might be her friend. The tension never slows for very long, and as more details about the stolen artifact emerge, the stakes get higher. Foundryside was an action-filled tale that drew me in with both the characters and the plot. The magic of scriving was unique and fascinating, although I thought that it was used in a few ways that felt far-fetched to me by the ending.

Without giving any spoilers away, I have to say that the ending of the book did a nice job in resolving the current dilemma while opening up a larger story. Even though Foundryside is the first book in a series, you can read it without being left with a cliffhanger at the end.

Disclaimer: I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

So I just finished a 512-page book in a day in a half...if that tells you anything about how much I absolutely loved this book. And also am super bummed now because this means I have to wait for book 2 now-especially when the ending was sooooooo good!
This was so much more than what I was expecting. The world building and magic system in this are so unique and done so well thought out. It wasn't like an info dump all at once either with the magic system-this one kept you guessing and wondering and then small tidbits were explained here and there-which led to this being one action-packed adventure...the middle was just a little slow; however, that ending made up for it.
The main character Sancia was such a delight to read. The way we slowly see her world and scriving turn into something so much much more.
Clef- will say is my favorite character. There were multiple times I laughed at loud with his sarcasm.

This is the first book I've read by Bennett and certainly won't be my last. I need to order his series The Divine Cities now.

I received this arc courtesy of NetGalley and Crown Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't even have to think about giving this book 5 stars - I loved it start to finish.

The world and magic system is great, and appeals to my mathematics/ coding background (although you certainly wouldn't have to be technical to appreciate it). One of the things I liked the most about the world though is that it is revealed little by little, as needed. I never felt confused, but I also liked not having a huge information dump - it was done very skillfully. The pacing was spot on - it made the book very hard to put down.

Probably what makes or breaks a book for me is the characters, and I became very invested in all of them. Sancia the thief is great, and skillful, and the side characters are equally well-drawn.

The fight scenes as well as the heist scenes were also excellent.