Foundryside

A Novel

By: Robert Jackson Bennett

Narrated by: Tara Sands

"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 fantasy series from City of Stairs 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.

©2018 Robert Jackson Bennett (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An absolutely riveting secondary world fantasy.... I felt fully, utterly engaged by the ideas, actually in love with the core characters for their differences and the immensely generative friction between them, and in awe of Bennett’s craft. I went to bed late reading it and woke up early to finish it. A magnificent, mind-blowing start to a series I’m hungry for.” (Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times Book Review)

“An excellent first novel in what promises to be another home-run series for Bennett [featuring] expert writing, complicated and distinct characters, and an intriguing, deadly, wonderful new city where reality can be shuffled like a deck of cards, provided you can justify it.” (Tor.com)

“An epic, breathtaking novel that’s as much cyberpunk as it is fantasy...Bennett lays out a fantastic story ladened with fantastic characters, but it’s his take on magic that stands out here.” (The Verge)

The narrator ruined it for me

This is such a great story, but the narrator, OMG, fingernails on a blackboard, chewing on tinfoil, Jaja Binks. The nasally, whiny thing was just too much- I thought her portrayal of Sancia was bad until I heard her Klef voice. Totally ruined it for me.

great new fantasy. but a lot of deus machina

great new fantasy. but a lot of deus machina, quite literally the whole story is about deus ex machina I suppose

Solid 10 audible experience

Just finished this book and thought the audible book reader/performer was a solid 10. Great book, fascinating world, and lots of character development that gets deep fast. I think I love every main and supporting character in this book. Exciting cliff hanger end, can’t wait to read the next entry in this series. Loved the Sancia & Baroniece burgeoning romance they are soooo cute. Giving me Korrasami feels. Gregor is a teddy bear, Otho is hilarious. This book was so much fun to read. A real pandemic escape. The only thing I’d suggest to potential readers is buying the hardcopy or kindle version to read along with the narration because sometimes when the author discusses the idea of bending realities it gets heady and hard to imagine. I think I’m going to buy a hardcover of foundryside down the line just so I can go back and take in the mechanics of the magic system at a slower pace. But overall, great book.

Fantastic in all facets.

Fantastic writing, complex yet elegant magic system with deep broken characters. Not to mention an absolutely stellar performance by Tara Sands. Robert J Bennett crushes it out of the park with this one, I often felt like I was reading a Sanderson novel. A great man once said:
"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day."
In each of the two days it took me to get through this book Robert J Bennett brought me to laugh, think and cry. This is a heck of a book and I strongly recommend that everybody read it.

Beautifully constructed

The world the author constructed here is excellent, from its government down to its people. The characters really feel like they have motivation and desires to be living thier lives how they are written. Magic systems here start out hard as nails and soften a bit after a while, it's very well constructed.

The narrator did a fine job, personally, I found the most voices she gave characters quite similar to one another. Not a huge deal to me personally, but I know some people like a bit more variety.

Gotta read the second one now

So the half of this book I was like "I'm enjoying this and all, but I really don't see what the huge hype is about" and in that second half things really start to pick up and get deeper and deeper and I was totally hooked by 60% in. by the end I loved every single character and am super interested to see what happens to them from here.

Had some issues with the narrator. she was fine over all but the voices for the men were atrocious. Like, a crime against humanity. Other than the male voices, she was fine.

Overall, really enjoyed it when it kicked it up a notch and I'm itching for the second book.

It's just ok

Struggled to finish and gave up with 6 hours left. Pacing is interrupted with needless details of the magic system while the world building is half done. Not what I'm looking for, unfortunately.

Late bloomer

First 3 chapters are boring but after that it gets interesting and action packed. Well read too!

Fantastically entertaining!!

I found this book to be one the best I’ve listened to in long time. A great mix of action character development and a well rounded complex hard magic system which I found to be very interesting and full of potential. If your a Brandon Sanderson fan you’ll love this book!

Slow Burn but Stick With It!

I almost didn't finish this book. In fact, I almost stopped only a couple of hours in. Not because it was unlistenable but because it just didn't seem to be super original, a bit bland. I kept at it, though and am DEFINITELY picking up the next book now! This is a slow burn, alt-fantasy world with a magic system that seems shallow at first but never stops growing in depth and complexity, all the while slowly revealing a deeper world lore with some ancient mysteries. Some aspects of this story and the characters has hints of influence from The Gentlemen Bastards series.

PS. The reader is fantastic. Enjoy!