‘A refreshing look at magic – featuring a heroine every reader will root for – from one of the smartest writers I know’, says Peter V. Brett, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon Cycle
The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it’s not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won’t tolerate competition, and they’re willing to do anything to crush Foundryside.
But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that’s not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees – especially Sancia.
Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself – before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.
The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it’s not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won’t tolerate competition, and they’re willing to do anything to crush Foundryside.
But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that’s not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees – especially Sancia.
Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself – before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.
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Reviews
The exciting beginning of a promising new epic fantasy series. Prepare for ancient mysteries, innovative magic, and heart-pounding heists
Complex characters, magic that is tech and vice versa, a world bound by warring trade dynasties: Bennett will leave you in awe once you remember to breathe!
Foundryside will not disappoint. It's a world like no other, a concept like no other and a read like no other
A compelling treatise on power and its misuse
Brings an intricate, sciencey magic system to the crime party . . . The action is energising, the story is self-contained, and the world is made of pure, gleeful imagination
Funny, exciting, pacy and gory, this terrific debut promises greater things to come
Inventive, immersive and thrilling, Foundryside is a fascinating look at how our best intentions can be corrupted -
and how wickedly awesome and terrifying gravity belts can be. Do yourself a favour and pick this up
Absolutely riveting . . . I felt fully, utterly engaged by the ideas, and in awe of Bennett's craft. A magnificent, mind-blowing start to a series I'm hungry for
A good and absorbing continuation of the Founders trilogy
Shorefall maintains the all-action, techno-magic-mayhem of the first, while upping the ante on epic stakes, compelling characters, and the mind-bending worldbuilding that is the author's trademark
Bennett has created a new genrewith this series -- maybe call it magical Renaissance cyberpunk -- and I am here for it. The second book in the series rockets along, with all the action taking place over the course of a few days, but it still finds time to add nuance to an already rich world and give the characters space to grow
Shorefall is a slice of genius slathered with unfiltered madness; it is an innovation on invention. I want to scrive in this world, to create and experiment with Berenice and Orso, to scale towers and improvise with Sancia, to fight battles and defend my friends with Gregor. I loved this book
Foundryside blew me away, and this is a perfect sequel . . . the book I've most thoroughly and uncomplicatedly enjoyed this year so far. It shocked and delighted and upset me from page to page, managing to thread humour and pathos and intrigue together with the speed and precision of a loom. Its comments on our present moment are so deft and sly that when they turn earnest it's deeply affecting . . . [and] sometimes brought me to tears. . . . I'm so excited to see what happens next
The large-scale conflicts, new characters, and climactic ending set the stage for more exciting action and adventure to come in the complex, ever-expanding world of the series
Bennett's characterisation . . . strikes a perfect balance between terror and allure. This thrilling instalment will leave readers eager for the series finalé
An expertly spun yarn by one of the best fantasy writers on the scene today
Shorefall maintains the all-action, techno-magic-mayhem of the first, while upping the ante on epic stakes, compelling characters, and the mind-bending worldbuilding that is the author's trademark
Shorefall is a slice of genius slathered with unfiltered madness; it is an innovation on invention. I want to scrive in this world, to create and experiment with Berenice and Orso, to scale towers and improvise with Sancia, to fight battles and defend my friends with Gregor. I loved this book
A fantastic second book in a trilogy . . . Entertaining while probing some deep philosophical ideals makes for an impressive novel
Bennett's expert touch and effortless prose . . . A riveting epic fantasy that gives you a little bit of everything, but so seamlessly, you're going to wonder when you got to the ending. It has heart and intricate characters who love and care for each other. It has wonder and danger, oftentimes attached at the hip. It has upheavals and twists and morality and action, that culminates in a breathless series of events that will have you eagerly awaiting book three. Bennett has written another stunning novel that shows exactly what this genre can do and why we love it
This series must be one of the best fantasies around at the moment.
It's a fascinating take on magic, and it was great to see it evolve further. Once again, the novel's dialogue is on point. Fast, funny, and authentic. Bennett's sharp eye for dialogue is part of what makes his novels so special
Shorefall maintains the all-action, techno-magic-mayhem of the first, while upping the ante on epic stakes, compelling characters, and the mind-bending worldbuilding that is the author's trademark
