We all know I love the Shadow of the Leviathan series by Robert Jackson Bennett, and I managed to find this fantasy series of his written before The Tainted Cup, so I bought the paperbacks and have had them sitting pretty on my bookshelf, awaiting their turn to be read. The time has come, and I picked up Foundryside for its turn in the reading chair.

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 artefact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionise 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 artefact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims. Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artefact 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 underway—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artefact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

First, let me talk about this magic system. The magic within this story world can be imbued into materials, such as the wood of building supports, doors, and weapons, or metals, like locks, carriage wheels, and, yes, more weapons. If you liked the magic system within Babel, then this is similar but a little more advanced and variable. The philosophy of this magic working in such a way is really interesting, especially considering we get to see how it works and ‘converses’ with Sancia and the artefact she has snatched up. Sancia has a very interesting ability, and seeing how she uses it to her advantage as a thief is so satisfying. This is without even going into the cultural, societal, and political influences created by this technology.

Another comparison I need to make is to the Six of Crows duology because the vibes are familiar and bring the same feelings of excitement, immersion, and intrigue as the underbelly of Ketterdam. I know so many readers who enjoyed Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom will enjoy Foundryside. The banter is playful and snarky, the heists are ballsy and charged with tension, and the stakes continue to build, making for an engaging and fun read.

I know I will enjoy this series, and I can’t get enough of Robert Jackson Bennett’s fantasy writing. This series will have to tide me over until A Trade of Blood, but I don’t think it will struggle to do so. I am enjoying it so much, and I want nothing more than to spend a long few days snuggled up with Locklands and Shorefall. The Founders series is going to be a potential favourite for sure, so we’ll just have to keep watch on this space. If you’re a fantasy reader, especially high fantasy, then you should add The Founders trilogy to your tbr list and have a look at Foundryside.