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A review by caidyn
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This review can also be found on my blog!
CW: violence, gore, murder, domestic abuse, PTSD, and human experimentation
When I picked this book, it was pretty random. I needed a heist book for the prompt. Literally all the books I could think of, I’d read or DNFed or didn’t have any interest in. I actually had one picked out and my library didn’t have it. So, I saw this on my dash with a review about it being a heist. So, I picked it. (Also, I’d read another book by him and enjoyed it!)
And, damn, was this a ride.
The world itself was so interesting. There are the Founders, who founded this new city and world. However, they pine back for the old people who built things that were quite impossible. The Founders do their best to follow their lead by using magic or something to make stronger, more powerful artifacts like the people before them.
Sancia is a thief, a very good one thanks to something odd about her. She’s given a mission to steal something from a lord of a city. It has a lot of power behind it and people desperately want it.
What I liked most about Sancia was that she wasn’t like other female characters in fantasy books. She was thoughtful. She didn’t brashly rush into things, nearly getting herself and everyone else killed in the process. She thought. She thought things through to make calculated moves. She was just an impressive character. Oh, and she’s queer. It’s never stated outright, but there are only female love interests shown for her.
The book then introduces more people. The son of a powerful Founder, a man who collects artifacts, a woman who works for the collector (and is also queer and going to be a part of a burgeoning sapphic romance), and others. Basically, we got ourselves a team.
Throw in epic fights, an interesting world that kept expanding, and some very interesting pasts, and you got a recipe for a great book.
As I said, it was so impressive. I really loved reading every little bit of it because I wanted to know what was going to happen. It was just a damn good book and I’m super excited for the next one.
CW: violence, gore, murder, domestic abuse, PTSD, and human experimentation
When I picked this book, it was pretty random. I needed a heist book for the prompt. Literally all the books I could think of, I’d read or DNFed or didn’t have any interest in. I actually had one picked out and my library didn’t have it. So, I saw this on my dash with a review about it being a heist. So, I picked it. (Also, I’d read another book by him and enjoyed it!)
And, damn, was this a ride.
The world itself was so interesting. There are the Founders, who founded this new city and world. However, they pine back for the old people who built things that were quite impossible. The Founders do their best to follow their lead by using magic or something to make stronger, more powerful artifacts like the people before them.
Sancia is a thief, a very good one thanks to something odd about her. She’s given a mission to steal something from a lord of a city. It has a lot of power behind it and people desperately want it.
What I liked most about Sancia was that she wasn’t like other female characters in fantasy books. She was thoughtful. She didn’t brashly rush into things, nearly getting herself and everyone else killed in the process. She thought. She thought things through to make calculated moves. She was just an impressive character. Oh, and she’s queer. It’s never stated outright, but there are only female love interests shown for her.
The book then introduces more people. The son of a powerful Founder, a man who collects artifacts, a woman who works for the collector (and is also queer and going to be a part of a burgeoning sapphic romance), and others. Basically, we got ourselves a team.
Throw in epic fights, an interesting world that kept expanding, and some very interesting pasts, and you got a recipe for a great book.
As I said, it was so impressive. I really loved reading every little bit of it because I wanted to know what was going to happen. It was just a damn good book and I’m super excited for the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Violence