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2thicc4this's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Extremely fascinating concept for magic, cool capitalist dystopia, and few amazing main characters. Most other characters, including bad guys, are cartoonish and over the top in way that detracts from the story. Much of the dialogue is also pretty bad. Some attempts at humor hit, but most don’t. Overall a thrilling and fun book with fun adventures and a few excellent characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Physical abuse, Colonisation, Slavery, Sexual harassment, and War
ashley_mrose530's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is such a good book and I'm really excited for this series. I loved the characters and the magic system and world building was so good. I think Cleff was my favorite character but they were all still really good.
I will say that there was something off-putting to me at first. I'm not entirely sure what it was but it had something to do with the voice whether it was the voice of the main character or the writing style or if it was the actual voice of the narrator, I'm not sure. But I was able to get used to it and get over it after a little bit.
I also didn't like the multiple threats of SA in this book. It seemed like every time the main character was in danger, she was also being threatened with rape. It happened like at least three times that I remember for sure and probably more than that and it was just really unnecessary. Like we get it, they're really bad men, but we don't need that referenced every time she's alone with one of them. It was frustrating and could be very triggering so be wary of that.
But other than those two things, I enjoyed this first book in the series. I thought the magic system was so interesting even though learning it did take some time and sometimes I still didn't understand how they were programming things and its intricacies - like sometimes it had to do with math and I was just lost haha - but I was able to understand it overall and in general so it didn't bother me too much.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series but I don't think my Libby has them so we'll see when that is.
I will say that there was something off-putting to me at first. I'm not entirely sure what it was but it had something to do with the voice whether it was the voice of the main character or the writing style or if it was the actual voice of the narrator, I'm not sure. But I was able to get used to it and get over it after a little bit.
I also didn't like the multiple threats of SA in this book. It seemed like every time the main character was in danger, she was also being threatened with rape. It happened like at least three times that I remember for sure and probably more than that and it was just really unnecessary. Like we get it, they're really bad men, but we don't need that referenced every time she's alone with one of them. It was frustrating and could be very triggering so be wary of that.
But other than those two things, I enjoyed this first book in the series. I thought the magic system was so interesting even though learning it did take some time and sometimes I still didn't understand how they were programming things and its intricacies - like sometimes it had to do with math and I was just lost haha - but I was able to understand it overall and in general so it didn't bother me too much.
I can't wait to read the rest of the series but I don't think my Libby has them so we'll see when that is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Infidelity, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: War and Misogyny
thoseoldcrows23's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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
3.0
This was a fun read that I had a really good time with. However, I found the worldbuilding to be quite clunky and the plot is riddled with convenience. So many times in this book handy-dandy pieces of lore are just revealed out of nowhere so that the characters can escape certain death, or so that a difficult thing that needs doing can be done quickly, and these little tidbits where never foreshadowed or hinted at in any way beforehand. I also feel that, though I enjoyed the characters and their relationships, things develop way too fast. You have these people who are coming from completely opposite circumstance and who have every reason to distrust each other, and it takes them exactly 10 minutes to be willing to risk life and limb for each other/on each others word. Still, as I said, I did have a good time, and I will be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Torture, Violence, War, Slavery, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Vomit and Cannibalism
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent, Child death, and Sexual violence
laraloops's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
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
4.5
Very cool premise and world building throughout, the pacing is also great and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I found all the characters memorable, especially the main characters and the writing for them was funny as well. The themes of capitalism were well woven into the story and there were some amazing lines regarding the dehumanization that is integral to the system of capitalism. There are some triggers for this novel to keep an eye on if you are affected by anything in particular.
I do appreciate a novel that tears down the whole "we just need more female CEO's" concept. The ultimate antagonist of the novel is a woman who has gone through abuse but it very much does not justify her actions.
Having a novel that focuses on dehumanization and makes it part of the magic system was very very interesting to me. I especially like it when people make magic systems that are not only cool but are part of the fictional world and reflect on issues in our own world.
The overall descriptions of the magic/world were very intriguing to me and I am very excited to continue to read this trilogy and see what other revelations are in store.
Having a novel that focuses on dehumanization and makes it part of the magic system was very very interesting to me. I especially like it when people make magic systems that are not only cool but are part of the fictional world and reflect on issues in our own world.
The overall descriptions of the magic/world were very intriguing to me and I am very excited to continue to read this trilogy and see what other revelations are in store.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: War
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content
hybridhavoc's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I find myself kind of genuinely surprised at the amount of praise that has been showered on this book. About halfway through the book I was willing to write off a lot of the issues I had with it as being the result of a first-time author. Unfortunately that is not the case.
My largest issue with the book is that the author seems very taken with their magic system and everything else seems to mostly be in service to that. Most of the characters seem flat and inconsistent; knowledge of the world is info-dumped on us very abruptly; dialogue is often to-the-point in a way that feels incredibly unnatural and isn't even necessary. Sometimes the book just skips over what should be important dialogue. Need to convince this character to betray their own family? "He told her only what she needed to hear." That's not a conversation, that's a cop-out.
I know that the trend for modern fantasy is all about hard magic systems, and it seems like that is maybe where the love for this book comes from. After all, it does have what seems to be a clever magic system. I hesitate to call it a hard magic system though, as there are almost no actual details provided, and very little in the way of hard boundaries set. That makes sense, given that the magic system is basically programming, and when you're programming reality there aren't many boundaries beyond your knowledge and imagination. But by its very nature, then, I can't view this as a hard magic system. There is no point at which the author can't simply say "Sure they're in a pickle right now, but what's this? They just got cleverer and came up with a new bit of programming."
I think the part of the book that had me eye-rolling the hardest has to be the villains. They are absolute caricatures, the flattest of flat characters. I suspect that this, at least, gets better in future books in the series. But I honestly can't know for certain because almost none of the characters are consistent in this book.
There is more positive than negative in Foundryside, but I don't think there's enough positive for me to keep going with the series.
My largest issue with the book is that the author seems very taken with their magic system and everything else seems to mostly be in service to that. Most of the characters seem flat and inconsistent; knowledge of the world is info-dumped on us very abruptly; dialogue is often to-the-point in a way that feels incredibly unnatural and isn't even necessary. Sometimes the book just skips over what should be important dialogue. Need to convince this character to betray their own family? "He told her only what she needed to hear." That's not a conversation, that's a cop-out.
I know that the trend for modern fantasy is all about hard magic systems, and it seems like that is maybe where the love for this book comes from. After all, it does have what seems to be a clever magic system. I hesitate to call it a hard magic system though, as there are almost no actual details provided, and very little in the way of hard boundaries set. That makes sense, given that the magic system is basically programming, and when you're programming reality there aren't many boundaries beyond your knowledge and imagination. But by its very nature, then, I can't view this as a hard magic system. There is no point at which the author can't simply say "Sure they're in a pickle right now, but what's this? They just got cleverer and came up with a new bit of programming."
I think the part of the book that had me eye-rolling the hardest has to be the villains. They are absolute caricatures, the flattest of flat characters. I suspect that this, at least, gets better in future books in the series. But I honestly can't know for certain because almost none of the characters are consistent in this book.
There is more positive than negative in Foundryside, but I don't think there's enough positive for me to keep going with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Classism and War
Minor: Slavery, Sexual assault, Rape, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse
raneyak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Really enjoyed it! Good world building and an interesting magic system. Points docked for the lackluster romance buildup and overuse of the word “scrumming”.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Trafficking
Minor: War, Sexual content, Pedophilia, and Vomit
nokvi's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
I contemplated a lot about how to effectively rate this book. Beautiful magic system and lovable characters, Foundryside was one of my more enjoyable reads. Bennett does his best to ease you into the world of Foundryside and the fact that our MC Sancia is just as confused about the magic system as we are is the cherry on top. We navigate the world with Sancia as Bennett, explains the magic system to us over...
and over
and over
okay Robert I understand the basics now I promise
The man can write an action scene because trust there are some gory points in this book. Other than Robert's tendency to tell instead of show sometimes and his over explaining (which I can understand why people DNF this book)
Foundryside is wonderful critique of human greed, capitalism and hard limits. It begs us to ask just how much are we willing to do in the name of advancement? At what point does righteous anger become needless slaughter? We meet men and women willing to bend the very fabric of our world to ensure that they get what they want. Tevanne is a city filled with so much woes and those with the ability to assist can't be bothered thus leaving thousands without. Foundryside examines how history is twisted and lost thus influencing the world to repeat or get trapped in a similar cycle. It ask us to look within as we try to understand world as our characters do
We follow three characters as they interact with the environment and circumstances around them and in a limited third person POV, Bennett produces exceptional world building (other than when he info dumps), which is an experience when 1 member of your cast is as lost as the reader, the other is been blindsided and is naive to just how corrupt the system he is trying to fix is (Gregor my baby) and the last one is so deep within the magical system and power structure that his morals tend to be more self serving before reaching for the better.
Foundryside definitely made it's impact and I do so look forward to what is done in book 2
and over
and over
okay Robert I understand the basics now I promise
The man can write an action scene because trust there are some gory points in this book. Other than Robert's tendency to tell instead of show sometimes and his over explaining (which I can understand why people DNF this book)
Foundryside is wonderful critique of human greed, capitalism and hard limits. It begs us to ask just how much are we willing to do in the name of advancement? At what point does righteous anger become needless slaughter? We meet men and women willing to bend the very fabric of our world to ensure that they get what they want. Tevanne is a city filled with so much woes and those with the ability to assist can't be bothered thus leaving thousands without. Foundryside examines how history is twisted and lost thus influencing the world to repeat or get trapped in a similar cycle. It ask us to look within as we try to understand world as our characters do
We follow three characters as they interact with the environment and circumstances around them and in a limited third person POV, Bennett produces exceptional world building (other than when he info dumps), which is an experience when 1 member of your cast is as lost as the reader, the other is been blindsided and is naive to just how corrupt the system he is trying to fix is (Gregor my baby) and the last one is so deep within the magical system and power structure that his morals tend to be more self serving before reaching for the better.
Foundryside definitely made it's impact and I do so look forward to what is done in book 2
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Classism
Moderate: War, Violence, Body horror, Fatphobia, Gore, and Slavery
skrulls's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Moderate: Rape, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Classism, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Vomit, and War
beebidon'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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Slavery, Trafficking, War, Child abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, Classism, Murder, Mental illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Police brutality, Torture, Sexism, Grief, Gore, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Super fun fantasy novel, big fan of the Italian inspired setting! I liked the characters a lot and I'm excited to see the magic system unfold here
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, War, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual violence