Kate (Blogging with Dragons)
Written on May 12, 2020
'The exciting beginning of a promising new epic fantasy series. Prepare for ancient mysteries, innovative magic, and heart-pounding heists' Brandon Sanderson, New York Times bestselling author of Oathbringer
She thought it was just another job. But her discovery could bring the city to its knees . . .
In the city of Tevanne, you either have everything, or nothing. For escaped slave Sancia Grado, eking out a precarious living in the hellhole known as the Commons, nothing is just one misstep away.
So when she is offered a lucrative job to steal an ancient artefact from a heavily guarded warehouse, she leaps at the chance.
But instead of a way out of Tevanne, she finds herself the target of a murderous conspiracy. Someone powerful wants the artefact, and Sancia dead.
To survive, Sancia will need every ally and every ounce of wits at her disposal - because if her unknown enemy unlocks the artefact's secrets, the world - and reality - will never be the same.
'Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience' Brent Weeks
'An altogether terrific read' Sebastien de Castell
'Intricate worldbuilding, fascinating magic, and engaging characters. More please!' Felicia Day
'Inventive, immersive, and thrilling . . . Do yourself a favor and pick this up!' Kevin Hearne
- ISBN10 1786487853
- ISBN13 9781786487858
- Publish Date 8 August 2019 (first published 21 August 2018)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Arcadia Books
- Format Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
- Pages 512
- Language English
Reviews
tweetybugshouse
Written on Mar 5, 2020
But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.
Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.
To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.
Beth C.
Written on May 30, 2019
In a world where things are "scrived" to imbue them with a form of magic - which is actually nothing more than an alternate version of reality - SOMEONE is collecting old artifacts from those believed to have perfected the scriving process. A thief is hired, things go awry, and it's off to the races. It's a fun read, though I did find myself getting confused by names after a while, because there are a lot of characters here. I occasionally felt that the story went on a *smidge* longer than necessary, but it didn't detract from the story in any way. And yes, there is a twist at the end that I did *not* see coming. Sad and scary and DANG.
I've already investigated when book 2 will be out, so...that's how much I enjoyed this one.
layawaydragon
Written on Oct 30, 2018
I am struggling to write this review. My first draft was "aodkij;lqskdjfpo;isadjuf;laksdnf;alsidjhuf;'oalsihjfpioaew;uhrf[3ijhwrgf[oQIRHGJF".
So, I'm kicking it old school and doing a gif review.
Sancia:
Gregor:
Magical:
Seriously LOVE the intricate workings of magic here!!!
Romance!!
This was so good. I legit did not think it was written by a straight white dude.
The sequels?!?
kimbacaffeinate
Written on Oct 5, 2018
- Sancia Grado is a thief in a world built and ruled by the Merchant Houses who control magic. They use a mystical process called scriving to alter everyday objects. Objects that have been scribed behave differently than intended. Say, for example, you scrive a piece of paper with rock making it more durable, it will become stronger paper. The Houses fight among themselves for more power. They’ve transformed technology and raw power to suit their needs. The commoners are nothing more than slaves in their pursuit for power. Sancia steals an artifact of unimaginable power. In the wrong hands it holds immersible power and will tip the scales. With a price on her head and unlikely allies can Sancia unlock the artifact’s power and save the world?
- The world-building is brilliant from the landscape to the different scribed gadgets. The story made me want more stories and I love when I am already eager to return to a world. When I closed my eyes, I could see the dilapidated cities that have sprung up around the houses and imagine all the scribed objects. My favorite aspect was the magic in Foundryside. Sancia herself is unusual, and she can manipulate objects. Her story is fascinating and I will leave you to uncover it.
- The characters themselves are what brought this tale to life for me. Sancia is spirited and quick in a crisis but suffers from PTSD. She is desperate to change something about herself which has led her to become a thief. She has formed ties with others around her, but has trust issues. We see her develop romantic feelings for another female. Clef, was perhaps my favorite character. I will leave you to discover who he is. The interaction between him and Sancia were delightful. We have villains, allies and objects to round out the tale and all were developed and added to the overall tale. Secondary characters like Giovanni and Claudia who are Sancia’s scrapper friends offered interest from gadgets to stories.
- Action, suspense and fantastic scenes that made me question why this was the first time I’ve heard of Robert Jackson Bennett. I really need to pay more attention to this genre. I would classify this as a dystopian fantasy.
- Diversity, complex characters, PTSD, character growth and sacrifice are all explored. The story also presents questions about our morality, technological advancements, politics and greed.
- This was my first experience with Tara Sands, but it won’t be my last. I loved how her narration enhanced each character from Orso’s cursing fits to Clef’s unique voice. Her pacing was spot on and though emotion and pitch she set the tone of the story.
abookishblether
Written on Mar 10, 2018
The plot concerns Sancia and her unique ability to hear scrivings. Scrivings are the language that is engraved onto objects which can alter reality and change how these objects work. Sancia uses this skill to steal objects because she is desperate to change her life. It is definitely changed when she steals a talking key called Clef and discovers the job she was doing is so much more than it seemed.
I found the plot fairly fast paced and for the majority of the book it was really easy to read. I got fatigued with the plot in a way I've never experienced before and would end up skim reading every 40 pages or so. The world was fleshed out, but I found the set up quite info-dumpy. While this initially didn't bother me it did become repetitive throughout the book. I lowered the rating a star also in part due to fact that the book read partially like a young adult novel and partially adult.
My biggest issue concerns the rules of the city the story takes in. The city has four merchant houses with large compounds and the poor slum areas fill the gaps between the compounds. Early on in the book, Sancia mentions that there are no rules that govern the city and the individual merchant houses enforce their own rules within their compounds. It is mentioned at least twice later on, however, that certain things are illegal or prohibited in the city. I found this contradiction distracting, so I lowered the rating a star partially for this reason. It could have been my fault for misinterpreting or misreading the initial comment in the book, but I can't check now as my library comment has been returned now.
I would recommend Foundryside to readers of YA fantasy or any readers of fantasy in general. It was a quick, fun read and the characters were enjoyable. A few twists towards the end kept me engaged and interested and I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for the sequel.