NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The jaw-dropping conclusion to the acclaimed Founders Trilogy, from the Hugo–nominated author of Foundryside and Shorefall
“It’s so rare to love every single book in a trilogy, to admire the aim, precision, and storytelling stamina this much.”—The New York Times Book Review
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The Quill to Live
Sancia, Clef, and Berenice have gone up against long odds in the past. But the war they’re fighting now is one even they can’t win.
This time, they’re not facing robber-baron elites or even an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe—one that uses the magic of scriving to control not just objects but human minds.
To fight it, they’ve used scriving technology to transform themselves and their allies into an army—a society—unlike anything humanity has seen before. With its strength at their backs, they’ve freed a handful of their enemy’s hosts from servitude, and even defeated some of its fearsome, reality-altering dreadnoughts.
Yet despite their efforts, their enemy marches on. Implacable. Unstoppable.
Now, as their opponent closes in on its true prize—an ancient doorway, long buried, that leads to the chambers at the center of creation itself—Sancia and her friends glimpse a last opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe. To do so, they’ll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving’s origins, embark on a desperate mission into the heart of their enemy’s power, and pull off the most daring heist they’ve ever attempted.
But their adversary might have a spy in their ranks—and a last trick up its sleeve.
And to have a chance at victory, Sancia, Clef, and Berenice will have to make a sacrifice beyond anything that’s come before.
Locklands is the third and final book in the Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett. Released in the US 28th June 2022 by Penguin Random House on their Del Rey Books imprint, it's 560 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.
This is a sweeping campaign fantasy rich in detail and world building. It provides political action, campaigning, skulduggery, questing, magic, a seriously nasty and powerful antagonist, and everything for the 'doorstop fantasy' fan. I have followed the progress of the series and world building since the beginning, and will say right away that I believe that this final book will suffer greatly by attempting to read it as a standalone. There's way too much backstory and context necessary to be read by itself.
This is such a beautifully written book. The prose flows, the dialogue is realistic and the characters are distinctly individual and despite containing a large cast of secondary characters, I didn't have any troubles keeping them separate. The many disparate plot threads wind together throughout into a satisfying climax, denouement, and conclusion. I gasped out loud at the epilogue.
The unabridged audiobook has a run-time of 21 hours and 35 minutes and is capably narrated by Tara Sands. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.
Five stars. Perfect for fans of campaign fantasy. It would also be a good choice for library acquisition.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
