Review: Foundryside, by 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.

"Move thoughtfully, give freedom to others, and you'll rarely do wrong". Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside is the incredible first book in a trilogy that delves deep into matters of free will, that asks the question: what makes something or someone conscious? It explores the damages of capitalism in a setting that is reminiscent of Venice at the heights of its commercial power, governed by merchant houses that have no care for the poor and the afflicted. In fact, there's abuse of power and terrifying experiments that threaten to break the very fabric of reality.

The book starts like many other fantasy novels, with a heist, but it quickly becomes so much more. The magic system is complex: inscriptions can contain a number of instructions, to make objects do pretty much anything. The limit depends on one's morals, as we discover as the novel goes on. Scriving on human beings is apparently banned, but unfortunately not everyone follows the rules. There's a slight horror vibe to this book when it explores the lengths some people go to in order to obtain power. There's a cautionary tale in the past of this world, a veritable mystery about an ancient war, but the warnings aren't heeded. Mysteries abound and our incredible band of main characters will have to unveil them quickly.

The true protagonist of the novel, Sancia, is a twenty-something thief with a terrible past that allows her to be the best at her profession. A painful past bothers also the cop that reluctantly begins helping her, a man with powerful connections and an agenda of justice; to complete the cast, there's a caustic scriver and his assistant, a quick-witted woman who'll start a romance with Sancia. And then there's the sentient key, who is a sheer delight of a character. Nothing is as it seems, though, and as the characters unveil a conspiracy, they find out that they might have bitten off more than they can chew.

The writing is phenomenal, sharp and cutting and, also, funny in some places, especially with Sancia's remarks and some of her conversations with the key.

Foundryside is a frantic heist book with great depth.

✨ 4.5 stars

Review: Lava Red Feather Blue, by Molly Ringle

Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they're supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue.
Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island.

"Being interesting keeps you alive longer in there". Molly Ringle's Lava Red Feather Blue is a standalone fantasy adventure with a fairy-tale feel and a modern twist. Set in our time, but on a hidden island in the Pacific, it's a sweet tale of love and sacrifice, about the machinations of power and about finding common ground. The ending, after the tension is expertly built up, feels a bit rushed, but it manages to stick the landing.

The cast is huge and varied, but the two POV characters shine. They're two vivid and believable figures, one a bit of a troublemaker, the other bound by duty; they clash and merge so beautifully. Merrick is only looking for a way to save his father when he stumbles upon the ancient curse keeping his island safe from danger; Larkin struggles when he suddenly finds himself waking up in the future, everyone he knew dead, with a heavy burden. Their relationship proceeds gradually, as they don't have time for affairs when they're racing against time to save their island. The second half of the novel is where they're really put to the test, with all sorts of trials and dangers.

The world-building was done beautifully. This is a lush paradise hidden from view, the last refuge of the fairies driven away from the rest of the world. The cohabitation isn't easy, and there are grudges on both sides, and clear lines of separation. Humans can't cross the border, for there are many dangers in the parts of the island inhabited by faeries. The fairies are strange and dangerous, and time spent in their land passes differently; it's not an otherworld, it's still on the island's territory, but the rules are different there. Living on the island has also rendered the humans magical and capable of inheriting three different types of magic; and there are half-fae characters, born from unions between humans and fairies.

The contrast with the modern world makes the novel even more interesting, especially with Larkin and his confusion at electricity and the internet. The island isn't cut out from the rest of the world; people from the island can travel elsewhere and come back, or decide to stay away. Progress reached the island too, and was adapted to the magical environment. This lent the novel a unique feel that I really enjoyed. The novel also features poems from Merrick's father, who's ailing from a curse caused by his stay in the fairy lands.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a refreshing take on a Sleeping Beauty premise.

✨ 4 stars

Review: A Long Time Dead, by Samara Breger

1837. Poppy had always loved the night, which is why it wasn’t too much of a bother to wake one evening in an unfamiliar home far from London, weak and confused and plagued with a terrible thirst for blood, to learn that she could no longer step out into the day. And while vampirism presented several disadvantages, it more than made up for those in its benefits: immortality, a body that could run at speed for hours without tiring, the thrill of becoming a predator, the thing that pulls rabbits from bushes and tears through their fur and flesh with the sharp point of a white fang.
And, of course, Roisin. The mysterious woman who has lived for centuries, who held Poppy through her painful transformation, and who, for some reason, is now teaching her how to adjust to her new, endless life. A tight, lonely, buttoned-up woman, with kindness and care, pressed up behind her teeth. The time they spend together is as transformative to Poppy as the changes in her body, and soon, she finds herself hopelessly, overwhelmingly attached. But Roisin has secrets of her own, and can’t make any promises; not when vengeance must be served. Soon, their little world explodes. Together and apart, they encounter scores of vampires, shifty pirates, conniving opera singers, ancient nobles, glamorous French women, and a found family that throws a very particular sort of party. But overhead, threat looms—one woman who is capable of destroying everything Poppy and Roisin hold dear.

"I want to watch you split the world like an orange and drink the juice". Samara Breger's A Long Time Dead is a phenomenal standalone sapphic vampire tale that reads like the best Anne Rice. Breger's vampires seem to borrow a few things from The Vampire Chronicles, but they're so full of life that it's a joy to read. We're thrown right into the thick of action as Poppy wakes up after being turned and she spends the first part of her new life being helped through the transition by a tragic figure that she immediately comes to love. What follows is a slow and tormented and rich journey towards a found family; a tale about belonging and about overcoming abuse in a relationship.

Poppy isn't a gloomy protagonist; she's a ray of sunshine, and she cares deeply. Even when she faces hardships, she keeps her sunny personality. She's crass at times, but she's so alive, in every way. She loves the joys of food, and in fact the loss of it is one of the first things she bemoans when she realizes that now she has to feed exclusively on blood. Before being turned she was a sex worker, and she's always very candid in her desires. The numerous sex scenes in the book are never gratuitous, and they're so well written.

In general, the prose is fantastic. There are turns of phrase that grip you and amaze you and leave you reeling. Breger plays with the tropes of the genre and crafts a unique tale brimming with exhilarating tidbits and cameos and also fully exploring Catholic guilt. The choice to give very few chapters to Roisin works well, because we're given front seats to the depth of Poppy's devotion. Roisin is driven and consumed by the need for revenge, self-sacrificing; but gradually she finds her will to live again.

The rest of the cast is delightful, from Poppy's oldest friend to the Coven she finds, five vampires that welcome her into their lives and love her unconditionally; from her new mortal maid, just as foul-mouthed as her, to the incredible villain, a despicable and amoral character. Every thread is accounted for, every hint acknowledged and resolved and brought to a satisfying conclusion.

A Long Time Dead is a joyous gothic tale.

✨ 4.5 stars

Review: Witchmark, by C.L. Polk

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.
When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

"Amaranthines had no choice but to speak the truth, so they lied with honest words". C.L. Polk's Witchmark is a cozy fantasy mystery with a steampunk feel that delves into PTSD and classism. It's the first book in a trilogy, but it works well enough as a stand-alone novel; the protagonists fade into the background in the two sequels, that focus on different characters seen here. This is a debut, and it shows in the writing.

The plot follows the protagonist's attempts to find out what is happening in his country and to escape the clutches of his family, while also having a cute romance with a gentleman that is more than he seems. The most engaging part was the conflict with the system of the families of mages, that control the weather at the cost of enslaving less powerful witches in their families, while low-born witches are committed to asylums while the general public seems to have no clue that magic does exist. This conflict meshed well with the mystery that was set up, and the struggles of soldiers coming home took also center stage in the narrative. But the world isn't really well-developed, and the conflict with another nation is never explained well, until we get to a rushed finale that sets up bigger things with very little preparation.

While matters unfold, Miles also has the time to pursue a relationship with the mysterious man helping him. The romance is very cute and sweet and charming; it feels a bit like insta-love, but it works well in the context of the story. This book however seems very focused on the aesthetic, more than anything else. There's bikes and waistcoats and carriages and it feels more like they're there for the vibes, than for some actual world-building. There is character development, and an interesting journey, but the only character who is explored with any depth is the protagonist, and while he really is explored well, his sister and his romantic interest are more like cardboard figures.

Having also recently read Polk's most recent story, I'd say the author hasn't changed much over the years. The ideas are fascinating, but the execution feels lacking. While I'm mildly intrigued to know how the trilogy continues, I might wait a while before tackling it.

Witchmark is a cozy fantasy mystery for a quick, easy read.

✨ 3.5 stars