On This Page
Description
"The exciting beginning of a promising new epic fantasy series. Prepare for ancient mysteries, innovative magic, and heart-pounding heists."--Brandon Sanderson "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!"--Tamora Pierce In a city that runs on industrialized magic, a secret war will be fought to overwrite reality itself--the first in a dazzling new series from City of Stairs show more author Robert Jackson Bennett. Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne's docks, is nothing her unique abilities can't handle. 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. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Ah, I loved this book! I absolutely scrumming loved it! There's this little place in my heart that begs for gritty Fantasy. The kinds of stories that feature more than their fair share of backstabbing, and unbelievable twists. The kinds of stories where characters that I already love come to be characters that I can't dream of living without by the end of the book. That, my friends, was Foundryside. I'm smitten, and I don't care who knows it.
This story is heavily character focused, and I think it just works. Sancia Grado, our main character, is so much more than that just an epic thief. Bennett slowly, gently, draws the reader into Sancia's past, her present, and then leaves this beautiful opening for what will happen to her in the show more future. I was so attached to this proud woman after the first few chapters, that I actually legitimately cried when her backstory was revealed. Her character is an opportunity to showcase the damage that being someone's property does to a person, and Bennett weaves that whole story arc masterfully through the story. Sancia is definitely someone that you'll care about.
Further kudos go to the author for walking that really thin line between epic world building and forward plot movement. I never felt like I wasn't fully settled in Tevanne, but I also never felt like the book dragged to allow me to feel that way. I basically learned my surroundings by following along with Sancia, and seeing through her eyes. The dark alleys, the ramshackle homes, all stood in stark contrast to the shining campos. Bennett manages to say so much about equality, and the concept of self worth, without every actually saying anything at all. I can't even explain it to you, only promise you that it's a beautiful thing.
So, if it wasn't glaringly obvious, I have fallen in love with this series. I don't know what I expected from this book, to be honest with you. All I know is that it blew everything I have been feeling about cookie cutter Fantasy books completely out of the picture. This is good fiction. I absolutely cannot wait for more. show less
This story is heavily character focused, and I think it just works. Sancia Grado, our main character, is so much more than that just an epic thief. Bennett slowly, gently, draws the reader into Sancia's past, her present, and then leaves this beautiful opening for what will happen to her in the show more future. I was so attached to this proud woman after the first few chapters, that I actually legitimately cried when her backstory was revealed. Her character is an opportunity to showcase the damage that being someone's property does to a person, and Bennett weaves that whole story arc masterfully through the story. Sancia is definitely someone that you'll care about.
Further kudos go to the author for walking that really thin line between epic world building and forward plot movement. I never felt like I wasn't fully settled in Tevanne, but I also never felt like the book dragged to allow me to feel that way. I basically learned my surroundings by following along with Sancia, and seeing through her eyes. The dark alleys, the ramshackle homes, all stood in stark contrast to the shining campos. Bennett manages to say so much about equality, and the concept of self worth, without every actually saying anything at all. I can't even explain it to you, only promise you that it's a beautiful thing.
So, if it wasn't glaringly obvious, I have fallen in love with this series. I don't know what I expected from this book, to be honest with you. All I know is that it blew everything I have been feeling about cookie cutter Fantasy books completely out of the picture. This is good fiction. I absolutely cannot wait for more. show less
https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-founders-trilogy-by-robert-jackson-bennett/
I very much enjoyed Bennett’s previous Divine Cities trilogy; this is a different fantasy world, but one where magic and machinery intersect according to a series of complex rules. So often in books like this, worldbuilding stops at the point where the writer needs it to in order to drive the plot; I really don’t get that sense here, I feel that the writer is playing fair with us all the way through, and the barriers that the characters face because of how the world has been created don’t seem artificial. There’s also a good spectrum of emotional engagement, romance, parent-child dynamics, deep and committed friendships; and Bennett’s not afraid to show more kill off important characters as he goes. And the sense of place is very well realised, whether it’s a cityscape, a blasted heath or a vast natural fortress. show less
I very much enjoyed Bennett’s previous Divine Cities trilogy; this is a different fantasy world, but one where magic and machinery intersect according to a series of complex rules. So often in books like this, worldbuilding stops at the point where the writer needs it to in order to drive the plot; I really don’t get that sense here, I feel that the writer is playing fair with us all the way through, and the barriers that the characters face because of how the world has been created don’t seem artificial. There’s also a good spectrum of emotional engagement, romance, parent-child dynamics, deep and committed friendships; and Bennett’s not afraid to show more kill off important characters as he goes. And the sense of place is very well realised, whether it’s a cityscape, a blasted heath or a vast natural fortress. show less
Having adored Bennett's "Divine Cities" series I'll admit that I had some mixed feelings regarding this new series. While it's great to have a new series from Bennett, I'll also note that I expected to be impressed. Was I impressed? For the most part, yes. Starting with "peak" Venice as one's model there are certain expectations, and certain cliches to be transcended. If I have a particular issue it's that the prime characters do seem to serve the plot in a, dare I say it, mechanistic kind of way. However, just about all those characters are going to have their fortunes dramatically transformed in the course of this novel, and very little is as it appears. Recommended.
The magic system in this universe is very well done. Basically, you warp an object’s reality to make it do what you want. It works a bit like computer programming, with some real science behind it. My nerdy heart was happy!
It seemed a pity to spend all this lovely world building on heist after heist after heist after heist, and capture/escape/repeat. I think I would also enjoy a slower book set in the same world. But I did like the speed of light plot – it was very exciting and kept me reading. There is also a lot of blood and gore and horrible things being done to people, so you’ve been warned.
Sancia is the most interesting character. Her special abilities are amazing, and the way she is handicapped by them is akin to some show more aspects of autism. I wonder if that was intentional? It’s a good idea, anyway. Also, I loved her interactions with Clef and wanted more of them.
The other characters were somewhat tropey – especially Orso, the genius with zero social skills. He does grow on you as the story progresses. Here is a fun quote: “Orso grinned deliriously and topped the side of his head. “I don’t know what it is about mortal panic,” he said, “but it keeps giving me the best scrumming ideas.” (Scrumming is a local swearword. They use it a lot. A lot.)
The plot is in such a rush, that some character development has to make way. For example, I thought our team of unlikely heroes started working together so smoothly way too fast. But it was fun to be around them. There was good banter :)
“I did not drive it into the building,” he said, indignant. “We crashed.”
Naturally, the stakes kept going up, up, up, and the ending is a cliffhanger. Give me the sequels, please!
Thank you, thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-book! show less
It seemed a pity to spend all this lovely world building on heist after heist after heist after heist, and capture/escape/repeat. I think I would also enjoy a slower book set in the same world. But I did like the speed of light plot – it was very exciting and kept me reading. There is also a lot of blood and gore and horrible things being done to people, so you’ve been warned.
Sancia is the most interesting character. Her special abilities are amazing, and the way she is handicapped by them is akin to some show more aspects of autism. I wonder if that was intentional? It’s a good idea, anyway. Also, I loved her interactions with Clef and wanted more of them.
The other characters were somewhat tropey – especially Orso, the genius with zero social skills. He does grow on you as the story progresses. Here is a fun quote: “Orso grinned deliriously and topped the side of his head. “I don’t know what it is about mortal panic,” he said, “but it keeps giving me the best scrumming ideas.” (Scrumming is a local swearword. They use it a lot. A lot.)
The plot is in such a rush, that some character development has to make way. For example, I thought our team of unlikely heroes started working together so smoothly way too fast. But it was fun to be around them. There was good banter :)
“I did not drive it into the building,” he said, indignant. “We crashed.”
Naturally, the stakes kept going up, up, up, and the ending is a cliffhanger. Give me the sequels, please!
Thank you, thank you, to NetGalley and the publisher for the free e-book! show less
I'm obsessed. This book is like "Inception" meets "Six of Crows" meets "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and it was everything I feel like I'd been craving to read lately! The magic system is complex and unique, the mystery element has these great sneaky layers to it, and the characters are so wonderfully fleshed out and human. The whole story is just chock full of mayhem and chaos that drags you right down into the depths of it and holds you there. Like, things get so batshit wild and I was livinggggg for it. I can't wait to read the rest of the trilogy!
Initial thoughts: “Robert Jackson Bennett became an author to watch with his stunning City of Stairs trilogy. With his newest series, he entered my automatic read list. Mr. Bennett’s world-building is superb, and his stories are intense and complicated and exciting in all the best ways. However, it is with his characters where he truly shines, and Sanchia is one of the best heroines I have read in a while. She is feisty, fierce, more than a little capable, and intensely vulnerable. You cannot help but fall a little in love with her, even though she would probably punch you in the throat for doing so. Her supporting cast is equally impressive, and I am excited to see where their stories take them. Mr. Bennett’s stories are not the show more types for quick reading. Instead, I savored every sentence and will now wait patiently for the rest of the series.”
Now: My initial assessment still stands. Foundryside is a fantastic story. There is magic. There are legends. There is science. There are the human interactions which fuel the drama. There are the socio-economic strata that will always cause strife. There is a larger-than-life cast of characters which not just support but enhance Sanchia’s role as the hero. Nothing is black and white. The myriad shades of gray not only add action and drama, but they also serve as cautionary lessons that define and develop Sanchia as a character. The story is creative and intense, with the stakes being much higher than they initially appear to be. With a classic style of storytelling that takes its time, Foundryside solidifies Mr. Bennett’s place among my all-time favorite authors, and I eagerly anticipate the next book in the Founders series. show less
Now: My initial assessment still stands. Foundryside is a fantastic story. There is magic. There are legends. There is science. There are the human interactions which fuel the drama. There are the socio-economic strata that will always cause strife. There is a larger-than-life cast of characters which not just support but enhance Sanchia’s role as the hero. Nothing is black and white. The myriad shades of gray not only add action and drama, but they also serve as cautionary lessons that define and develop Sanchia as a character. The story is creative and intense, with the stakes being much higher than they initially appear to be. With a classic style of storytelling that takes its time, Foundryside solidifies Mr. Bennett’s place among my all-time favorite authors, and I eagerly anticipate the next book in the Founders series. show less
The Divine Cities trilogy is one of my favorite reads from last year and probably one of the most impactful fantasies I have ever read. Though I never went back to reading RJB’s earlier works, I knew I would want to check out his upcoming books. When I realized the ARCs for his latest were available, I had my fingers crossed and I can’t describe the elation I felt when my request was approved. Foundryside is another amazing action packed new fantasy series with interesting characters, a corrupt city and a rich history full of almost godlike beings.
Sancia Garbo is a master thief in the city of Tevanne who is on her way to her latest job, which might just provide a solution to all her troubles. When she realizes the object she has show more stolen might lead to devastating consequences in the wrong hands, it’s obvious that she might not be safe anymore. Captain Gregor Dandolo is a righteous war veteran who just wants to bring some law and justice to his city where none exist and wants to start that by bringing the thief who stole from his warehouse and burned half the waterfront to justice. What starts off as a typical cops and robbers type of chase turns into much more when assassins start looking for Sancia and Gregor is caught in the crossfire. Both of them join hands with an unlikely crew to dig deeper and figure out the conspiracy that might have far reaching consequences to their world.
The worldbuilding here is rich and masterful and it comes alive in the skilled hands of RJB. Tevanne is a city divided between the four merchant house compounds who are law unto themselves. Anyone who can’t afford to live in the campos has to make do living in the slums between the compounds called The Commons where there is hardly any food or work and every day is a struggle to survive. The merchant houses have become all powerful and rich using the magic system called “scriving”, which is a way of writing sigils on objects that make them slightly sentient and change their reality – like making a carriage believe it’s always going downhill so that it goes faster and without a driver (or) making an arrow believe it has been falling down from a much longer distance so that it hits with a very high velocity. As the story progresses, we get to know about more complicated scrivings, the scrivers who are responsible for imagining new possibilities while keeping ahead of the rival merchant houses and the washed out scrappers who work the underground market to provide some comfort to the poor people living in the Commons.
Sancia is an excellent protagonist. She is fiery, angry and pragmatic, her survival skills are top notch and she is extremely brave. Her past as a tortured slave still haunts her, leaving her with some form of PTSD. Her special talents also make her a unique being in the city, someone who could be used for nefarious purposes but the way her character is written is very realistic and likable and she never falls into the “special snowflake” trope. Gregor starts off as the stereotype of a soldier – proper, polite, righteous, thinks he can bring about a change by just instituting laws – but he quickly sees through the rampant corruption of the merchant houses, especially by listening to Sancia’s history and resolves that the city needs a revolution. Orso is the master scriver of Dandolo house and comes across as a pretentious academic, but he is ultimately just a seeker of knowledge and has his heart in the right place. His assistant Berenice is talented and confident and can think on her feet even in dire situations rigging up scrived objects to get them out. Claudia and Gio are scrappers but are quick to help Sancia not just for the money, but also the opportunity to do more with their scriving talents. And most important and my favorite is Clef, the artifact that Sancia initially stole who is so much more than just a key and the one around whom much of the story revolves.
The story is full of action packed heists and chases, planning daring adventures and figuring out the history of the ancient hierophants, who did much more than just bending the reality of objects. The world and magic system is very original and unique and thoroughly detailed and I loved getting to know more about it. The writing is also very easy to read and not as intimidating or dense as other adult fantasies and I couldn’t put it down once I started. Between all the life and death stakes that the characters are fighting, we also get some wit and humor – I especially enjoyed the conversations that Sancia and Clef had with scrived objects to make them do things they didn’t want to.
Just like I expect from RJB, we get some subtle commentary on the effects of slavery, how rampant and unchecked capitalism concentrates wealth and power in the hands of the few and lets the ordinary people suffer, how the pursuit of knowledge run amok can blur the lines of morality. The parallels to our world are uncanny because these are all questions we do ponder on frequently, especially with the rising wealth gap and extreme advances in biotechnology and genomics. The magic system of “scriving” and the way Sancia uses her talents to get around the loopholes in scrived objects is also eerily similar to computer programming, hacking and artificial intelligence and how the creations might get ahead of the creators one day. The author actually calls it “the magic equivalent of database management” and I think that’s a brilliant analogy.
The city of Tevanne is so dependent on scriving and rigged objects that even a minute failure in an essential component can bring down the whole infrastructure; this is a direct parallel to our over dependence on technology in everyday life and the constant threat of cyber warfare and collapse of our technological infrastructure. On the other hand, the slavery in the plantations is an essential component of trade and wealth for Tevanne and none of the merchant houses care for the conditions of the slaves or how they are tortured, which is again how our world works; in most cases, we live in our own bubbles while human rights are violated every day in other parts of the world and we believe that it would never affect us. The deft way that the author incorporates all these themes into a fantasy heist story just shows his amazing talent as a writer.
I’m so much in love with this book and it’s characters and I’m definitely looking forward to reading it again. This would be a delight for all Robert Jackson Bennett’s fans and anyone who enjoys reading about well developed fantasy worlds with unique scientific magic systems.
Thanks to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for proving me with the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are solely mine. show less
Sancia Garbo is a master thief in the city of Tevanne who is on her way to her latest job, which might just provide a solution to all her troubles. When she realizes the object she has show more stolen might lead to devastating consequences in the wrong hands, it’s obvious that she might not be safe anymore. Captain Gregor Dandolo is a righteous war veteran who just wants to bring some law and justice to his city where none exist and wants to start that by bringing the thief who stole from his warehouse and burned half the waterfront to justice. What starts off as a typical cops and robbers type of chase turns into much more when assassins start looking for Sancia and Gregor is caught in the crossfire. Both of them join hands with an unlikely crew to dig deeper and figure out the conspiracy that might have far reaching consequences to their world.
The worldbuilding here is rich and masterful and it comes alive in the skilled hands of RJB. Tevanne is a city divided between the four merchant house compounds who are law unto themselves. Anyone who can’t afford to live in the campos has to make do living in the slums between the compounds called The Commons where there is hardly any food or work and every day is a struggle to survive. The merchant houses have become all powerful and rich using the magic system called “scriving”, which is a way of writing sigils on objects that make them slightly sentient and change their reality – like making a carriage believe it’s always going downhill so that it goes faster and without a driver (or) making an arrow believe it has been falling down from a much longer distance so that it hits with a very high velocity. As the story progresses, we get to know about more complicated scrivings, the scrivers who are responsible for imagining new possibilities while keeping ahead of the rival merchant houses and the washed out scrappers who work the underground market to provide some comfort to the poor people living in the Commons.
Sancia is an excellent protagonist. She is fiery, angry and pragmatic, her survival skills are top notch and she is extremely brave. Her past as a tortured slave still haunts her, leaving her with some form of PTSD. Her special talents also make her a unique being in the city, someone who could be used for nefarious purposes but the way her character is written is very realistic and likable and she never falls into the “special snowflake” trope. Gregor starts off as the stereotype of a soldier – proper, polite, righteous, thinks he can bring about a change by just instituting laws – but he quickly sees through the rampant corruption of the merchant houses, especially by listening to Sancia’s history and resolves that the city needs a revolution. Orso is the master scriver of Dandolo house and comes across as a pretentious academic, but he is ultimately just a seeker of knowledge and has his heart in the right place. His assistant Berenice is talented and confident and can think on her feet even in dire situations rigging up scrived objects to get them out. Claudia and Gio are scrappers but are quick to help Sancia not just for the money, but also the opportunity to do more with their scriving talents. And most important and my favorite is Clef, the artifact that Sancia initially stole who is so much more than just a key and the one around whom much of the story revolves.
The story is full of action packed heists and chases, planning daring adventures and figuring out the history of the ancient hierophants, who did much more than just bending the reality of objects. The world and magic system is very original and unique and thoroughly detailed and I loved getting to know more about it. The writing is also very easy to read and not as intimidating or dense as other adult fantasies and I couldn’t put it down once I started. Between all the life and death stakes that the characters are fighting, we also get some wit and humor – I especially enjoyed the conversations that Sancia and Clef had with scrived objects to make them do things they didn’t want to.
Just like I expect from RJB, we get some subtle commentary on the effects of slavery, how rampant and unchecked capitalism concentrates wealth and power in the hands of the few and lets the ordinary people suffer, how the pursuit of knowledge run amok can blur the lines of morality. The parallels to our world are uncanny because these are all questions we do ponder on frequently, especially with the rising wealth gap and extreme advances in biotechnology and genomics. The magic system of “scriving” and the way Sancia uses her talents to get around the loopholes in scrived objects is also eerily similar to computer programming, hacking and artificial intelligence and how the creations might get ahead of the creators one day. The author actually calls it “the magic equivalent of database management” and I think that’s a brilliant analogy.
The city of Tevanne is so dependent on scriving and rigged objects that even a minute failure in an essential component can bring down the whole infrastructure; this is a direct parallel to our over dependence on technology in everyday life and the constant threat of cyber warfare and collapse of our technological infrastructure. On the other hand, the slavery in the plantations is an essential component of trade and wealth for Tevanne and none of the merchant houses care for the conditions of the slaves or how they are tortured, which is again how our world works; in most cases, we live in our own bubbles while human rights are violated every day in other parts of the world and we believe that it would never affect us. The deft way that the author incorporates all these themes into a fantasy heist story just shows his amazing talent as a writer.
I’m so much in love with this book and it’s characters and I’m definitely looking forward to reading it again. This would be a delight for all Robert Jackson Bennett’s fans and anyone who enjoys reading about well developed fantasy worlds with unique scientific magic systems.
Thanks to Crown Publishing and Netgalley for proving me with the advance copy of this book. All opinions expressed are solely mine. show less
Members
- Recently Added By
Lists
Female Protagonist
1,056 works; 57 members
ALA The Reading List
490 works; 28 members
Top Five Books of 2020
982 works; 350 members
One Book, Many Authors
441 works; 40 members
LIBROS DE CIENCIA FICCIÓN Y FANTASIA
60 works; 1 member
Kirkus Starred Fiction Reviews of Books Published in 2018
330 works; 3 members
infjsarah's wishlist
408 works; 2 members
Amazon best fictional genre picks monthly for 2018
418 works; 9 members
Books Read in 2020
4,379 works; 124 members
hypatian_kat to-read
429 works; 3 members
Books Read in 2024
4,623 works; 126 members
Books recommended by Calgary Public Library staff
1,588 works; 4 members
Fantastical Cities
23 works; 1 member
Author Information
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Distinctions
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Foundryside
- Original title
- Foundryside
- Original publication date
- 2018-08-21
- People/Characters
- Sancia Grado; Gregor Dandolo; Orso Ignacio; Clef; Berenice Grimaldi
- Important places
- Tevanne
- Dedication
- For Jackson and Harvey
- First words
- All things have a value. Sometimes the value is paid in coin.Other times, it is paid in time and sweat. And finally, sometimes it is paid in blood.
Humanity seems most eager to use this latter currency. And we never no... (show all)te how much of it we're spending, unless it happens to be our own. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)No. The war is not lost before it ever began. rather, it is just beginning. She will begin once more the process she started so long ago. and we must work quickly to stop her.
"So... what shall we do, my prophet?"
There was a long silence.
he said, - Publisher's editor
- Pavia, Julian
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.6
- Canonical LCC
- PS3602.E66455
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 2,614
- Popularity
- 7,218
- Reviews
- 111
- Rating
- (4.06)
- Languages
- 7 — Czech, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 17
- ASINs
- 8