This book was just as action packed as the first! I was constantly on the edge of my seat while reading this. The villain in this book has to be one of my new favorites. It was good to be back with the gang again and follow them through all their heists. Definitely continues to be a favorite series for me!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, Shorefall took forever to get through. So much happened in this one and I'm not sure how I'm still handling/processing everything. The ending was such a damn cliffhanger and now I'm left with endless questions! I'm hoping a certain someone isn't dead and maybe just slightly injured??

Besides hoping, again, so much happened in this book. Thankfully this sequel didn't get hit with the horrible second book syndrome. Although I will admit some chapters were a bit slow for me to get through. Yet, pacing isn't a huge thing to get upset about when there are so many moving pieces to follow throughout the book.

Other than that, I loved getting to see the characters again. They really grew up from the first one and I thought they were getting better at bad ass plans and saving everyone. Unfortunately, I'm left here waiting and wanting more. I most definitely need the next book and can't wait for it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Just when I think okay I got this figured out there was a plot twist and it went somewhere else. The only complaint I really has was trying to figure how much time had past between the first book and the second. However, the reason that the times didn't really match up in my head was explained just later on in the book. I'm very interested in seeing how Sancia and her friends end up solving their problem in book three.

This series continues to wow me. I really enjoyed the first book and I may like this one even more. There is such a rich atmosphere and engaging set of characters. I love the fantasy and sci-fi elements to this story and it was such a whirlwind of action and emotions.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Del Rey for this ARC. I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well this book definitely didn't suffer from middle book syndrome where nothing happens. I thought this was phenomenal. I read Foundryside in Jan and I think it was helpful to have that relatively recently in my memory as there is fairly little recap.

The events of Shorefall start about 3 years after Foundryside ends. Sancia, Orso, Gregor, and Berenice have been hard at work establishing Foundryside and there has been significant shift in scrivers moving to their establishment from the main houses. The book starts off with a heist with the team as they continue to try to bring down the power of the main houses. However, Valaria comes to Sancia one night while she's sleeping and tells her that Ofelia Dandolo is reviving Crasedes, and this changes everything.

I did find this book more grim than book 1 and there are definitely darker scenes in this book. The characters felt more nuanced with considerably more character background and backstory for the Dandolos, Crasedes, Clef, etc. I thought it was well-written and incredibly gripping. Also there were lots of new 'scriving' inventions that we were introduced to, which are always so fun and inventive.

Overall, a highly enjoyable read but definitely book 1 needs to be read first.

A densely-packed, complex thrill ride that I liked just a wee bit less than Foundryside.

I think part of the problem is that the world introduced in Foundryside is a complicated one, and the concept of "scriving" can be a bit hard to wrap your brain around. Also, we jumped right back into this story and I had a hard time remembering all of the events and characters of the first book (which I read back in 2018). The world-building is extensive here, so it can be difficult to keep all of the details straight.

As with the first book, this is Sancia's story and she's an awesome hero who is easy to root for. Glad to see that the rest of her gang was fleshed out a bit more in this book. A few new characters were added, but with the exception of the "big bad," they weren't given much to do.

The villain in this book is pretty great and a genuine adversary for Sanica and Co. I thought all of the scenes he was in were amazing--well written, ominous, with just a bit of twisted humor to keep things interesting (the dialogue between he and Sanica practically crackles with life.)

Overall, this was a great read. I think it would have been even better had I simply waited and read Foundryside immediately before reading this one. Having the gap between books meant I had to work a little harder as a reader and that made the story just a bit less enjoyable for me personally.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a scientifically remarkable fantasy. Exceptional thought provoking magic. Part horror, part apocalypse, mind boggling, thriller. I found it infinitely more interesting thinking "how did the author even think of this magic". This second book in the series brings Sancia, Gregor, Orso and Ber on their mission to bring down the houses and restore Clef. Such unique magic, you must read this series! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

Sancia and company return in Robert Jackson Bennett’s Shorefall, the sequel to Foundryside. I was eager to read more from this world that Bennett has built and am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC.
The former slave and her friends have set up a scrivers business that allows for sharing of information among like minded independent workers. Sancia, Bernice, Orso and Gregor are working to overthrow the campos whose power and wealth keep so many in Tevanne poor- and they use their ability to convince materials to reject the physics to their advantage. Don’t want to be caught by soldiers with more powerful weapons? Convince the air around you to be a super strong clear box and you’ll be (mostly) safe!
But there are godlike others that change the group’s plan and the plot of the book. Crasedes and Valaria, who can change reality on an even deeper level, claim to be tired of much the same things Sancia and Co. wish to change: slavery, power struggles leading to the wealth of a cruel few. Can these powerful creatures be trusted in any way at all?
I found I was very interested in how the author might answer the question posed by both sides: can ‘a world be made without suffering, without pain, without war?’ If so, how? Through shared information and cooperation or enforced by a stronger entity?
I would rate this book between a 3 and a 4. I think this story would be enjoyed by young adults who enjoy novels about underdogs fighting for what’s right but are willing to see that ‘right’ isn’t easy to define at times.
Note: Shorefall can’t be read as a stand alone and there is a doozy of a cliffhanger at the end. I’m looking forward to book 3.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**


Robert Jackson Bennett brings a beautifully wrought and intricate magic system to his fantasy series, the Founders trilogy. This book, Shorefall, is the second in the series and I will do my very best to keep things as spoiler free as possible. I will certainly not spoil this book, but there may be some accidental spoilers for the first book in the series, Foundryside.

It is important to know that Shorefall picks up three years after the end of Foundryside, and if you attempt to read these books out of order, you will be doing yourself a disservice. The events of Foundryside utterly shape the setting and climate of Shorefall. You will miss all of the introduction to the magic of scriving and will also miss all of the character introductions. Shorefall truly just throws you back into the mix of the newly formed Lamplands in the Commons.

Our main characters are arguably Sancia, Berenice, Gregor, and Orso, though there are other individuals who play key roles in the story. Berenice and Orso are both scrivers, Sancia is a (former) thief, and Gregor is a soldier turned head of security. Shorefall follows the company of Foundryside Limited as they compete with the Founders' Houses. All progress is interrupted, however, when additional Occidental technology has found its way into the city. The team has to take on this new threat in an attempt to preserve the order of all things as they know them.

Robert Jackson Bennett is incredibly talented at world-building and the magic system in this series is truly one of the keys to it being successful. Every character is also well thought out with developed histories and motivations. If you enjoy ethical dilemmas and the morally grey, this will be a great series for you character-wise. Somehow, with all of this infrastructure, information, and development, this book is not at all bogged down and it still reads very fast.

Overall, I am thrilled with what this author has produced in the first two books of the series and I cannot wait for the conclusion.

Shorefall, the second in Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders trilogy, is without a doubt one mind blowing, complex, and explosive follow up to 2018's Foundryside. Easily one of my favorite reads, and I highly recommend to any fan of sci-fi and fantasy looking for something new to PICK THIS SERIES UP NOW!

It's three years after the events of Foundryside and Sancia, Gregor, Orso and Berenice, having settled into their new reality with their own scriving firm, are in the business of using their technologies to spread the scrivings throughout all of Tevanne and not just hoarded by the merchant houses. But everything changes when one house resurrects an ancient and immortal being - a heirophant; more akin to a god than man.

If there is one thing that mesmerized me from Foundryside and continues with Shorefall is Bennett's mastery of complex world building and this unique presentation of a magic system. There is a vast wealth of knowledge presented to readers between books 1 and 2 (I would definitely not recommend going into Shorefall without reading Foudnryside first) but the way that it is presented makes everything feel natural and organic. This world makes sense, logically, despite how much information is thrown at you. And oh, how quickly everything is thrown at you.

Shorefall picks up right in the thick of things, a new type of heist for Sancia and co., and things never quite slow from there. You can feel it; the stakes are high, and nothing for Sancia and co are going to be easy. They will be tested. They will succeed. They will fail. Anything and everything can and will happen, wether you expect them to or not. And oh, so many things were completely unexpected for me, and I find that entirely thrilling. I found myself on the edge of my seat in anticipation more than once.

I will say, you definitely feel that Shorefall is the middle of a trilogy, setting you up for the events and the finale of book three. It is explosive and leaves you questioning everything. I for one cannot wait to see how this ends. Sign me up already!

Thank you to DelRey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for review.

The second book in Robert Jackson Bennett's Founders series, _Shorefall_ takes the construct introduced in _Foundryside_ and brings it to the next level. In the process, the main characters -- Sancia, Gregor, Berenice, and Orso -- develop exponentially as well. They grow together. Until they don't. Who remains? What will they retain? What will they discard? But that's for the third book in the trilogy to tell us. _Shorefall_ is as fast-paced as its predecessor. It takes the art, magic, and science of scriving (the hacking of reality) -- the foundation of this civilization, this city of Tevanne -- and expands it. By the end of the book, the characters, the construct, and the ever-amplifying conflict are set to go out into the wider world. Can't wait to join them for the endgame.

[I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

What a twisted scribed magical fiendish web of deceit the author has woven. I just finished and feel like I need to catch my breath. I’m still hanging off the side of the cliffhanger ending. Everything was a question with unknown answers, with lies, truthful answers that could be twisted to seem other. You think you know, they thought they knew but could you know if you have been lied to ? But, which are the lies ?
Oh it is intense, there was some serious power struggles going on. Power rearing its ugly face with a God like being determined to rule them all. Oh but it was not just one, no there were others involved other with secrets and a desire for something more. Battles are lost people are hurt, some characters die, it is a brutal desperate battle. I cringed a couple times when one of my favorites was, well you’ll find out.
I really enjoyed the slow building of the characters relationships with each other. They had to learn to trust, to open themselves up. There had been so much trauma, and lies. The author did this beautifully and believably. It also made it harder to say goodbye to them.
Oh the ending was such a shock, I never saw that coming ! Yes, I knew something was wrong but WOAH ! Now I must wait for book 3, waiting can be so hard .

Thank you for the early copy

DNF. This one was not for me. I did not connect with the writing style and decided to put it down.

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

I loved the first book so much and I was incredibly excited to receive an ARC of the second book! And I think I read it at the exact right time. Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett said it best in that "most of the great triumphs and tragedies of history are caused, not by people being fundamentally good or fundamentally bad, but by people being fundamentally people." (Good Omens). I think Bennett is channeling that same opinion, whether he knows it or not. Terrible things have happened to Sancia and Gregor (and just about everyone else, too) but there's unfortunately no way to separate that abuse of power from what it means to be human on the most basic level. The events and choices they are all forced to make combine into a lovely commentary on society.

There were parts I found slow and a bit tedious at times. But there were others that were so innovative, so powerful and touching that I kept going to see how they would be used further. And I love that while I could figure out bits and pieces of the impending twists, I couldn't predict all of them. It kept me invested in the story and I very much appreciate that.

Our friends have difficult choices ahead of them. I have no idea if all will end happily, terribly, or somewhere in the middle. But I'm excited to see where they go and how they use what they've learned for the best.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book but with one caveat: the third one is not out yet. So if a work-in-progress is a deal-breaker for you, just tuck this into your to-be-read pile and keep your eyes open for the rest of the story!

This was one heck of a ride! I enjoyed this book a lot, but several parts of it dragged on. The characters weren't as much of the focus except for the villain that returns from the debut. I really believe that the villain made this book along with the concerted efforts by the protagonist to combat him.

Lots of ideas were presented extremely well. The author approached the sins of empires, oppression, human suffering, as well as the mirroring traits of empathy and apathy. These functioned in an airtight manner with the plot to drive the characters and the opposition between them. While there wasn't as much action this time around, the author made up for it in heart and soul.

As much as I loved the debut novel, the second book in this series was much more difficult to get into. I mainly base this off of the continued use of many of the first book's unique ideas without enough exploration into their further use. I also had a much more difficult time with all the explanations of the scriving technology. It was far too technical and vague compared to how simple it was in the last book.

I recommend this book to all fans of the original debut. You have to continue this series and it is well worth the read. The ending was spectacular and I cannot wait for the final entry in the trilogy.

This series is something else. I've said it before, but this is the PERFECT fantasy series for those who dont like fantasy or are wanting to get more into the genre. It's a very subtle magical system - it plays a great part in the story, but it doesn't demand attention. It feels natural and is integrated very well into the setting and plot.

I also want to make a note that I didn't reread ‘Foundryside’ before starting this and I was a little nervous because so much world-building and plot happened in the first book. And while I did forget some things, there is enough recap subtly scattered - not an awkward info dump - throughout the first few chapters to catch the reader up to speed. and I am so appreciative of that!

And I love how this builds so perfectly upon the events of the previous novel. This is by no means a filler sequel. Every word, every page, every letter has a purpose and so masterfully creates an engaging plot. the pacing is nonstop, the action is exciting, and the characters are every bit of interesting as I remember them being.

I am so beyond pleased with this installment and I can't wait to find out what happens next!

This sequel is amazing if you loved how so many wonderful things can come out of the magical system that is Scriving and how it can argue all reality out of commission. Then settle in for a thrilling joy ride as you pick up the the story in book two Shorefall. This book for all of its steampunk goodness from book one book two falls much more into the programmers of the world spectrum.

A lot more details about how scriving can be twisted and used for personal gain. “Humankind is most innovative at turning innovation to the cruelest ends.” Is the best way to sum up some of the plot twist that unfold in this amazing sequel to Foundryside. I have to give props to the author for pulling off that this villain makes a pretty-damm good case to justify his reign of terror.

If i keep talking i give it all away so just do yourself a favor pick up book one Foundryside and then come April 2020 you be ready for the sequel Shorefall. Your Welcome!

Oh Shorefall, how short have you fallen ( I think I'm so clever). My expectations for this book were higher than high. I kept checking the release date, kept waiting for cover reveal and when I got an ARC for this I literally screamed (happy screams, happy screams).

And now that I have read it - I have very mediocre feelings about it. Because that's what this was - mediocre. Like lukewarm tea, you have to finish because you don't want to waste it.

Ok, that was a bit dramatic, and don't get me wrong Shorefall was not bad, but it wasn't Foundryside good. Foundryside was electric! It was fast paced and exciting, and page turning. Shorefall was, well it just was.

One might say, second book syndrome. But I don't believe in those. Second books are my FAVORITE books (Two Towers, Well of Ascension are some examples). So what happened? Where was the spark? Or, more honestly put, why the absence of a spark?

No spoilers, so when you read Foundryside - you know how it ended. Clef and Sancia were separated. And you know what, their conversations were what makes the book! In Shorefall there's no Clef/Sancia team, there's no banter and you, as a reader, miss it dearly.
There's also the problem of the cast of the book - it is very minuscule. Which can be nice, but for a fantasy of a scale that this should be, it felt lacking. Not to mention that the existing characters I absolutely loved from book 1 were lacking themselves. They didn't feel as multi-demential as they needed to be.

In the end I did enjoy it, and am very still excited for the next book. This one felt like it was setting up for big things. But those things better be big. BIG.

This is one of my favorite series of all time. I love science-y/magic stuff like this. This world feels like the stuff of genius. And that big twist? Did not see that coming. Sancia and Berenice are just ... god, I love them. The way that they complement each other, it's fantastic writing. Their relationship is taken to the next level in this second book, and I can't wait to see how that plays out. Gregor is probably my favorite character, and the way things end ... god, I have hope the 3rd book will see some resolution.

The only negatives I have for this book is that it would be so much better with tighter writing. And I saw that the cover has been changed and no longer matches book 1's cover. I would not buy this second book based on the cover. I requested Foundryside just because of the cover. Sincerely hope book 2 cover is changed back to the original.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC. Cannot wait for the 3rd book!

ARC provided by the publisher—Del Rey—in exchange for an honest review.

Shorefall is mind-bending great; Robert Jackson Bennett once again proved himself that he is a precious gift for the SFF genre.

I feel like there needs to be a new genre classification for Robert Jackson Bennett’s books, an urban fantasy? Check. High fantasy? Check. Sci-fi? Check. Urban high SFF it is. Yes, it is always a safe bet to read Bennett’s books when you’re in need of a refreshing, fabulous, and incredible read that brims with fascinating ideas and concepts. Having read The Divine Cities Trilogy and Foundryside in 2018, I can’t believe that I made it through 2019 without reading any books written by Bennett. Both The Divine Cities trilogy and Foundryside was enough to establish Bennett as one of my favorite authors, and Shorefall—one of my most anticipated books of the year—continue to amplify that notion.

“If there be a person alive with more power than myself, then over time circumstances shall eventually degrade until, inevitably, I am their slave. And if our situations were to be reversed, then they shall inevitably become mine.”—Crasedes Magnus


Shorefall is the second book in The Founders trilogy, and the story starts almost three years after the end of Foundryside. Still taking place in the city of Tevanne, Bennett takes everything good about Foundryside and expand upon them tremendously. In my review of Foundryside, I mentioned that a lot of aspects in the book reminded me of reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Shorefall, in many ways, feels more original and unique. Bennett writes a stupefying engaging story that includes power, slavery, freedom, oppression, social structure, and the dangers that come with each new invention as the main themes. Most importantly, Bennett also made sure that the characters and their developments are still the main driving force of his narrative.

“Humankind is the most innovative at turning innovation to the cruelest ends. Power alters the soul far more than any innovation I could imagine, even at the height of my privileges.”


Sancia Grado and the members of the Foundrysiders are great characters with a distinct personality that became easier and easier to root for as the story progressed. To narrow it down collectively, they are kind-hearted people genuinely trying their best to change the city of Tevanne for the better. I loved reading about them, and if I may be frank, I didn’t expect that I would be emotionally attached to each one of them as much as I did for the characters in The Divine Cities trilogy; clearly, I was wrong. Sancia and the Foundrysiders have to learn a lot about hardship, invention, love, friendship, camaraderie, freedom, and sacrifices through insane adversities here. Plus, Bennett writes an LGBT relationship superbly well. Additionally, what impressed me even further, though, was the fact that the on-point characterizations don’t apply exclusively to the protagonists. It just astounded me how careful and effective was the humanization Bennett imbued into the antagonist’s vision and reasoning, making me feel invested in knowing more about the villain’s motivation and their unflinching brutality.

“Learn what your city has forgotten,” he said. “What men of power have forgotten time and time again, throughout history—that there is always, always something mightier.”


Bennett is so damn good at writing terrifying mythical or powerful figures with awesome abilities. He has demonstrated this in The Divine Cities trilogy, and he remind us how good he is at it in Shorefall. The dreadful feelings and fear caused by the encounter with these avatars of menace simply burst to life palpably. I truly felt the character’s fear and their struggle as they unleashed everything in their arsenal to augment their hope of overcoming impossible odds. Shorefall is most likely the most action-packed book that Bennett has written so far. It is fast-paced, thoroughly breathtaking, and filled with well-written out-of-this-world action sequences that combine fantasy, innovations, and technology into one destructive package. I mean, I’m talking about a myriad of stones flying through the air like a shooting star of death here; the sky is the color of doom, the threat of a wave of blood flooding the Tevanne is real. The stakes exceeded every conflict bestowed in Foundryside, and my god, I was completely enthralled by every page of this marvel.

“But it is a regrettable thing that in order to fix a monstrous world, one must become a little monstrous in one’s own right.”


Scriving—the magic of giving commands/sentience to an everyday object—is a fascinating and intricate hard magic system redolent of Sanderson’s specialty, Bennett’s achievement with pulling off the expansion of Scriving in Shorefall is nothing short of outstanding, reaching vast scope that I never would’ve expected. Bennett has successfully created a world-building that put the history of the world into account for the present predicament. Readers get to learn more about the origin and inconceivable capabilities of scriving—a titanic power capable of governing the very nature of the world, and also at the same time, altering the kindest of souls towards a darker path due to its limitless possibility.

“Maybe you, like so many of this city, believe that all the world should be your servant because you haven’t ever learned what it’s like to be powerless.”


I’ll stop my review here, I wish I can speak more about the brilliance that occurred in this book in much more detail, but I don’t want to spoil your reading experience; I’ve said more than enough anyway. Shorefall is definitely one of Bennett’s best work so far, it’s as least as good as City of Miracles, and I’m not saying that lightly. Shorefall is an absolutely spellbinding sequel that blew my mind with its compelling plot progression, sympathizing characters, thrilling actions, and clever inventiveness in its manipulation of reality, time, and souls. Overflowing with originality and maximum wow factors, Bennett blends sci-fi and fantasy organically, creating a sequel on a magnitude and imagination that can only be executed expertly by the most gifted of authors. And fortunately, Robert Jackson Bennett—without a doubt—belongs in that group of SFF authors.

Official release date: 21st April 2020

You can order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions