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allisonh59's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shrubb's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
samueldhall's review
3.0
I certainly didn't like this as much as the first, but the ending almost dragged it to 4 stars. Hopefully just the mid book slump and the trilogy finishes off as good as it began.
shuyinggg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
eleana_p's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
coolascucumber's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
lisyda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Humankind is most innovative at turning innovation to the cruelest ends.
The sequel to Foundryside kicks off 3 years after the events of the first book. And it kicks off FAST, diving quickly into action sequences. This pace actually continues throughout most of the book, with the characters barely getting downtime for slower moments, which I kind of missed at times.
There is a big bad villain that takes centre stage in this book, who is both interesting and overtly invested in Bad Guy Monologues, though those also provided some interesting tidbits about the world and its lore. Communication is actually a big feature in this book as a ton of exposition is done through the characters talking to each other about what they're going to do. This was completely fine at times, especially when it involves providing some context to how the magic system will work/be used, but at times, it also got a bit tedious and I just wanted to see them do this or that already.
I liked the heists or heist-like parts of this book, which was a strength in the first book as well. It's simply a lot of fun to see the magic system of this world at work, even if sometimes, the solutions the gang comes up with really push the boundaries of what seems doable. It's still entertaining!
“You all…You are thieves, yes?”
“No,” said Gregor.
“Yes,” said Sancia.
“Sometimes,” said Orso.
I still love the Foundrysiders! The dynamic established between them in the first book continues to shine in this book and the depth of their found family relationship is taken to a whole new level through the use of a very specific plot device. Oh and Orso's comments are still the best!
We also get some crucial reveals about certain characters, which I won't go into due to spoilers. They're hinted at heavily throughout as well, so they're not shocking reveals, but I loved waiting to see my theories confirmed.
One dream dies, but another’s born. Let’s make sure it survives.
Shorefall is clearly a middle book. There's a bunch of plot that happens, changing the status quo, taking the characters and the world to where they need to be, and revealing important pieces of information. For me, it was overall enjoyable, but missing some of the characteristics here and there that I liked better in the first book. I do still have a couple of theories in the back of my head about some things so I'm curious to see whether they get confirmed in the last book or not. So, on to the next one!
radiance_01's review
5.0
A much faster paced book than the first installment in the series, Shorefall advances the setting some years as well as the state of the city of Tevanne; and the world. Initially the book seems to be heading in a singular, linear direction, the newest threat to Sancia and Co and the city itself, before developing further, with twists and turns that leave you wondering several things; who is right? Who is wrong? Is there a difference?
It can require some patient reading - the state of scriving advances much since Foundryside, and it can seem overwhelming.
Revelations come in bounds by the end of this book, latching onto the readers mind to wonder "What next?" even as the last page flashes up, and it is hard to put down by the second half of it. Who's side are you on? Are your assumptions baseless, or credited? Is this the end, or the start of something better, or the start of something far worse?
A brilliant thread to tie the trilogy together, with a smattering love interest from the main duo, action-packed scenes, and a crew of misfits that are impossible to take your eyes off of.
It can require some patient reading - the state of scriving advances much since Foundryside, and it can seem overwhelming.
Revelations come in bounds by the end of this book, latching onto the readers mind to wonder "What next?" even as the last page flashes up, and it is hard to put down by the second half of it. Who's side are you on? Are your assumptions baseless, or credited? Is this the end, or the start of something better, or the start of something far worse?
A brilliant thread to tie the trilogy together, with a smattering love interest from the main duo, action-packed scenes, and a crew of misfits that are impossible to take your eyes off of.
timinbc's review
3.0
3.5, really. Better than average.
Lookit, the magic system here is completely ridiculous. Right off, it assumes that reality has a personality and can be persuaded that things are not as they seem. (So do real things, which is not quite as much of a stretch. Many of us speak to inanimate objects; the only difference is that we don't expect a reply). No, Siri, I'm not talking to you, and I'm sorry if you thought I was calling YOU inanimate.
OTOH, SF/F authors are allowed one impossible thing, of which they can say, "I know, but what if?"
Bennett has done that here, as meticulously as any Agatha Christie plot.
It's a long, slow, wordy book. Like so many fantasy books these days, it relies heavily on offscreen slaughter of millions of ordinary people, and often seems to revel in it, providing juicy detail. I know, I know, orc genocide goes back beyond Tolkien, and what does gore mean after Game of Thrones?
Sancia's still good. Orso's weary world view is useful. Gregor is far too visible in his noble suffering.
Orfelia's way too predictable.
I like the idea of dual Bad Guys. I didn't care for Crasedes's James-Bond-villain gloating and explaining, but it was nicely balanced by Valeria's underexplaining.
The plot was mostly predictable, but Bennett left room for us to wonder WHO would do the inevitable things. The Tevanne twist at the end was good.
There's far too much reliance on the old trope of "stall them while I get this done" ... "ugh, eck, I can't" ... "you have to" ... "3,2,1" .. "got it!" This is just the red LED timer on the bomb, the one that never explodes but also never gets stopped with more than one second left.
I recognize the considerable effort Bennett has made here to think about what, in a world like this, would define the bad guy, and even to think about whether there is, or can be, a macro-level good guy. Are we just hopeless, with our own Aziraphale and Crowley maintaining the dynamic tension without which we'd all just tear ourselves apart?
Worth reading, but I'm also glad it's over. Bennett has left the door open for another volume, for which I am a definite "maybe."
Lookit, the magic system here is completely ridiculous. Right off, it assumes that reality has a personality and can be persuaded that things are not as they seem. (So do real things, which is not quite as much of a stretch. Many of us speak to inanimate objects; the only difference is that we don't expect a reply). No, Siri, I'm not talking to you, and I'm sorry if you thought I was calling YOU inanimate.
OTOH, SF/F authors are allowed one impossible thing, of which they can say, "I know, but what if?"
Bennett has done that here, as meticulously as any Agatha Christie plot.
It's a long, slow, wordy book. Like so many fantasy books these days, it relies heavily on offscreen slaughter of millions of ordinary people, and often seems to revel in it, providing juicy detail. I know, I know, orc genocide goes back beyond Tolkien, and what does gore mean after Game of Thrones?
Sancia's still good. Orso's weary world view is useful. Gregor is far too visible in his noble suffering.
Orfelia's way too predictable.
I like the idea of dual Bad Guys. I didn't care for Crasedes's James-Bond-villain gloating and explaining, but it was nicely balanced by Valeria's underexplaining.
The plot was mostly predictable, but Bennett left room for us to wonder WHO would do the inevitable things. The Tevanne twist at the end was good.
There's far too much reliance on the old trope of "stall them while I get this done" ... "ugh, eck, I can't" ... "you have to" ... "3,2,1" .. "got it!" This is just the red LED timer on the bomb, the one that never explodes but also never gets stopped with more than one second left.
I recognize the considerable effort Bennett has made here to think about what, in a world like this, would define the bad guy, and even to think about whether there is, or can be, a macro-level good guy. Are we just hopeless, with our own Aziraphale and Crowley maintaining the dynamic tension without which we'd all just tear ourselves apart?
Worth reading, but I'm also glad it's over. Bennett has left the door open for another volume, for which I am a definite "maybe."
emlouise42's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0