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A review by alexbthelibrarian
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
5.0
This book is a fantasy heist of epic proportions, and I loved every second of it.
The character building in this book is phenomenal. The main character, Sancia, has so much depth and reacts in ways that are expected of a thief who is just trying to survive. Her character arc in this book was well developed and beautiful in a healing sort of way. I also have to mention probably my favorite character which is Clef. Clef is a key. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to emotionally attach to an object in a fantasy novel, well this is the book for you. Clef's character is interesting and left me wondering more about his history.
The other cast of characters were also beautiful and unique in their own way. Gregor is a soldier who just wants to make the world a better place. His story is heartbreaking and his story is only partially fleshed out in this first book. Berenice is smart, witty, and able to think on her feet. She is essentially the one who can quickly pull scrivings (this worlds magic) together and save everyone's tails. Then there is Orso, the mastermind genius who is always trying to think 10 steps ahead of everything and everyone. All wonderful, all unique, all heartbreakingly beautiful characters.
The setting for me felt like a master class on how to write a world without having lengthy pages of info dumping. While the world is vast, it also has so much depth and nuance to why things are the way they are. The reader isn't bogged down with too much information, and given time to process how everything works. The history of the world draws you deeper into itself and invites you into the secrets of this world.
I highly recommend this book. It is heist fueled fantasy with political intrigue and spying. If you are looking for a book that is similar to Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, this is the next series for you to devour.
The character building in this book is phenomenal. The main character, Sancia, has so much depth and reacts in ways that are expected of a thief who is just trying to survive. Her character arc in this book was well developed and beautiful in a healing sort of way. I also have to mention probably my favorite character which is Clef. Clef is a key. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to emotionally attach to an object in a fantasy novel, well this is the book for you. Clef's character is interesting and left me wondering more about his history.
The other cast of characters were also beautiful and unique in their own way. Gregor is a soldier who just wants to make the world a better place. His story is heartbreaking and his story is only partially fleshed out in this first book. Berenice is smart, witty, and able to think on her feet. She is essentially the one who can quickly pull scrivings (this worlds magic) together and save everyone's tails. Then there is Orso, the mastermind genius who is always trying to think 10 steps ahead of everything and everyone. All wonderful, all unique, all heartbreakingly beautiful characters.
The setting for me felt like a master class on how to write a world without having lengthy pages of info dumping. While the world is vast, it also has so much depth and nuance to why things are the way they are. The reader isn't bogged down with too much information, and given time to process how everything works. The history of the world draws you deeper into itself and invites you into the secrets of this world.
I highly recommend this book. It is heist fueled fantasy with political intrigue and spying. If you are looking for a book that is similar to Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, this is the next series for you to devour.