Actual rating 4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed Foundryside. The magic system is complex in it potential (and spectacularly used in a variety of innovative and unique ways throughout the narrative) but simple to understand and with enough restrictions and rules to make for clever and enjoyable uses.
The world building is strong, allowing a deep, tactile sense of the city and the way it's composed and operates. A lot of this is directly due to the magic system, but just as much of it revolves exploring how the magic system would affect the world and the culture of the Merchant Houses.
Sancia as the primary protagonist is immensely likeable and fun to follow through the story, with good complexity that's well integrated into the plot, world, and her own history/ motivations. She tough and creative, while still being subordinate to the world and subject to its rules and culture, and so always has an 'underdog' feel and is constantly demanding meaningful choices of her.
The plot and pacing as excellent, balancing action scenes, with enjoyable character interactions, description, backstory, lore, and revelations wonderfully. The heist scenes are intelligent and fun.
The secondary characters are likewise fun and complex, while also being distinctive in their behaviors and personalities. ( )

I can't remember who recommended 'Foundryside' to me, but am glad they did as it is an ideal lockdown read. I raced through it, thanks to a pleasing combination of non-stop action, appealing characters, and a fascinating and original magic concept called scriving. The latter is truly brilliant and ingeniously explored. In the city of Tevanne, magical sigils alter reality by convincing objects to defy the laws of nature. This basic concept isn't itself new, but the clever way it is applied was a joy to read. While the city's socioeconomic world-building is less well-developed, I appreciated the focus on scriving and its implications. The plot twists were clearly telegraphed, which I was fine with, and all the fight, heist, and chase scenes thrilling. The main character Sancia is an excellent protagonist with a satisfying arc. She has a tragic past as a slave who was experimented upon with scriving, giving her the superpower 'object empathy'. She uses this to escape, burn down the plantation where she was enslaved, and become a very successful thief in Tevanne. After going through a hell of a lot during the book, she ends it with even better superpowers and a cute girlfriend. I approve. I initially thought that the less interesting Gregor Dandolo would be co-protagonist, then was pleasantly surprised to find him deployed more sparingly. I wasn't surprised when he turned out to be a revenant and it was inevitable that he'd end up in the creepy shadow armour. His mother was suitably unsettling, always accompanied by moths. Events rush along at a great pace, culminating in a spectacular denouement. As this is the first of a trilogy, it ends by setting up the next book. Although I'm intrigued by the threat of magical godlike beings looming over the next installment, I appreciated the human antagonists and thorough explanation of magical technology in 'Foundryside'. Overall, a very involving fantasy thriller with a distinctive magic system. ( )

When the key starts talking, I hear a stand-up comedian. Something in between Eddie Murphy and the crustacean in that Disney movie with the Ariel story minus the death and sadness. Keeping in mind that the key in question is an ancient sentient artifact, and that the world in which it exist is a mix between Renaissance Venice and Ayn Rand's idea of heaven with magic, I hope you'll forgive me for putting the book down, kinda forever (no, I am not honest here. If I find a hardcover copy for free, I may use it to prop my tablet.)
I should have seen it coming. The walled, guarded waterfront from where nobody could escape short of a daring, dangerous, ingenious master plan going perfectly... Oh look she threw a magic version of a bomb in the yard and, of course, all the guards including their cunning, famous boss run to the explosion, leaving the entrance, well, unguarded. After the boss himself had heard something suspect in the SAFE vault. Yeah sure, Jane. This was the second scene of the first chapter. I should never have made it to the part with the talking key.
A pity, though. The idea of industrialised magic based on reality overwriting was extremely cool, which is why I kept reading after noticing:
- the juvenile use of language
- the improbable plot-solving mechanisms (see bombs in the yard) already abundant in the first ten pages (whoa)
- the total lack of flesh on the bones of the setting: we are TOLD that the city looks like this and that, never SHOWN
- the Katniss-copycat heroine (aaaargh). Sorry guys, I grew up reading adult literature since I was too young to do a lot of other things, even by problematic teenager standards. No YA in this house.

That key talking like that, though, was too much. I give in. What a waste. ( )

Still holds up on the 2nd read, I missed this book! Need to write a full review. ( )

When the key starts talking, I hear a stand-up comedian. Something in between Eddie Murphy and the crustacean in that Disney movie with the Ariel story minus the death and sadness. Keeping in mind that the key in question is an ancient sentient artifact, and that the world in which it exist is a mix between Renaissance Venice and Ayn Rand's idea of heaven with magic, I hope you'll forgive me for putting the book down, kinda forever (no, I am not honest here. If I find a hardcover copy for free, I may use it to prop my tablet.)
I should have seen it coming. The walled, guarded waterfront from where nobody could escape short of a daring, dangerous, ingenious master plan going perfectly... Oh look she threw a magic version of a bomb in the yard and, of course, all the guards including their cunning, famous boss run to the explosion, leaving the entrance, well, unguarded. After the boss himself had heard something suspect in the SAFE vault. Yeah sure, Jane. This was the second scene of the first chapter. I should never have made it to the part with the talking key.
A pity, though. The idea of industrialised magic based on reality overwriting was extremely cool, which is why I kept reading after noticing:
- the juvenile use of language
- the improbable plot-solving mechanisms (see bombs in the yard) already abundant in the first ten pages (whoa)
- the total lack of flesh on the bones of the setting: we are TOLD that the city looks like this and that, never SHOWN
- the Katniss-copycat heroine (aaaargh). Sorry guys, I grew up reading adult literature since I was too young to do a lot of other things, even by problematic teenager standards. No YA in this house.

That key talking like that, though, was too much. I give in. What a waste. ( )