Shorefall (Founders #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett (ARC) - Review

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I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The upstart firm Foundryside is struggling to make it. Orso Igancio and his star employee, former thief Sancia Grado, are accomplishing brilliant things with scriving, the magical art of encoding sentience into everyday objects, but it's not enough. The massive merchant houses of Tevanne won't tolerate competition, and they're willing to do anything to crush Foundryside. But even the merchant houses of Tevanne might have met their match. An immensely powerful and deadly entity has been resurrected in the shadows of Tevanne, one that's not interested in wealth or trade routes: a hierophant, one of the ancient practitioners of scriving. And he has a great fascination for Foundryside, and its employees - especially Sancia. Now Sancia and the rest of Foundryside must race to combat this new menace, which means understanding the origins of scriving itself - before the hierophant burns Tevanne to the ground.

Shorefall (Founders #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. The previous installment of the series, Foundryside, was hands down one of my favorite reads of 2018, so I was absolutely thrilled when I got approved on NetGalley for an ARC of the sequel as well. Luckily for me, Shorefall is a more than worthy follow up and it's just as easily made my best of 2020 list. I enjoyed every second of being back in the world of Tevanne and seeing Sancia and company again. Bennett's style is absolutely addicting from the unique magic system, cast of characters, and the world-building. The novel is over 500 pages, but it doesn't feel like it in the least because I was so engrossed in the story. I particularly enjoyed that we get to explore more of the city which is practically a character in its own right. The author builds quite organically upon everything we learned in book one and everything here is vital - irresistibly so.

Overall, I can't recommend the Founders trilogy enough. It's so skillfully put together and it's incredibly creative and unique. I can't resist the characters and the world they inhabit. If you're looking for an action-packed, fast-paced, and mind-bending sequel with plenty of thrilling moments, Shorefall might be perfect for you. I can't wait to see where this series will go in the final installment, but I'm sure it will be a doozy. I do know that I'll have to read more of his work to tide me over until then. I'm especially looking forward to diving into The Divine Cities series.

I read this ARC from April 6 - 10, 2020 and my review is also on Goodreads. Shorefall (Founders #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett will be released on April 21, 2020.