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amelrose's review against another edition
5.0
I really, truly loved this novel. Sancia is a smart, sarcastic character whose voice any teen reader would enjoy following. The story was just fantastical enough to be intriguing but not overwhelming. However, what I would really like to complement [a:Robert Jackson Bennett|2916869|Robert Jackson Bennett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1328633063p2/2916869.jpg] on is the burgeoning LGBTQ relationship. I have waited years for a fun, action-packed fantasy novel where the main character just happens to be queer. It's not a big deal, it's not a main plot point, it's just another aspect of the character that let's me connect to the book even more. I can't wait for the next book to see where the plot and this relationship lead!
nikkinair23's review against another edition
ran out of time (you'd think four days would be enough but i wasn't super compelled by this in general)
maxfelixwp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Amazing worldbuilding and an incredibly cool magic/science system - like all the best steampunk-adjacent work, Foundryside mixes fantasy and sci-fi in a unique way! I love love love the physics, science, and programming mixed with the history, metaphysics, and the occult. The aesthetics hold up, too.
Sancia is a great main character and so fun to walk with. Her friendship with Clef is the star of the show, her emerging romance with Berenice is mostly off-screen but captivating, and her evolving friendships with Orso, Gregor, and the Scrappers are solid gold - each of whom are their own characters in their own right.
Points off are mainly to do with pacing: this book would have been a solid 5 out of 5 if it were a solid two-thirds shorter. Especially when it's so action-adventure forward, it really ought to have been shaved down at least 25% to 35% percent.
Huge CW for slavery, plantations, and the Caribbean sugarcane slave trade (we're not in our world so it's not an exact one-to-one, but close enough).
Sancia is a great main character and so fun to walk with. Her friendship with Clef is the star of the show, her emerging romance with Berenice is mostly off-screen but captivating, and her evolving friendships with Orso, Gregor, and the Scrappers are solid gold - each of whom are their own characters in their own right.
Points off are mainly to do with pacing: this book would have been a solid 5 out of 5 if it were a solid two-thirds shorter. Especially when it's so action-adventure forward, it really ought to have been shaved down at least 25% to 35% percent.
Huge CW for slavery, plantations, and the Caribbean sugarcane slave trade (we're not in our world so it's not an exact one-to-one, but close enough).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
melissap97's review against another edition
5.0
The world building in this book is incredible! It is such a unique and interesting story; I tore through this book!
abbyn17's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nev_skye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The plot twists were so predictable. The hints were too obvious and I had easily come to those conclusions long before there were officially revealed
meegmog's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
bijou3owl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bridget_coe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75