Mini, spoiler free review of *Shorefall*, by Robert Jackson Bennett [fantasy]

a day ago by AFK BRB Chocolate (CA version) to c/sciencefiction

Sequel to Foundryside, set in the same city in which inanimate objects can be "scrived” to somewhat change their structure or state (make a wooden door behave more like stone, or a sword behave like it's moving much faster than it is). In the prior book we learned that this ability was learned from recovered fragments from a long gone civilization of "hierophants” who were masters of it. Here, Sancha and most of the main characters from the prior book have settled into a new life, but learn that someone is attempting to resurrect the original and greatest hierophant, who is likely to destroy their world. As with the first, I enjoyed this book. The world is interesting, the characters relatable, and the action kept the pages turning.

obdurant 4 points a day ago

I've put a hold in for it at the library. I read the first one but didn't feel too compelled to continue the series, but I've loved the Tainted Cup books so it's probably worth revisiting.

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AFKBRBChocolate 2 points a day ago

Yeah, the Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan) series is really good. Very different from this.

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KanadrAllegria 3 points a day ago

This book is on my TBR but I keep putting it off because it seems so long and daunting, despite the fact that I enjoyed the first one! I'll have to bump it up to the top of the list.

As always, I appreciate your mini-reviews.

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AFKBRBChocolate 3 points a day ago

it seems so long and daunting

Honestly, though it seemed just slightly slow to get started, I ended up plowing though it pretty quickly. It doesn't seem long.

As always, I appreciate your mini-reviews.

Awesome, I appreciate you saying so.

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YetAnotherNerd 3 points 14 hours ago

It definitely takes a sci-fi approach, which is somewhat novel (cough Stross cough C.S. Friedman cough Brin) thing in Fantasy. They definitely take the source premise and run with it.

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AFKBRBChocolate 3 points 14 hours ago

Agreed. I like it when an author defines the rules for their world and then sticks to them and explores the boundaries (whether it's SF or fantasy). Some fantasy can be in the "it's magic, so anything is possible" category, which is much less interesting.

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YetAnotherNerd 3 points 13 hours ago

Palimpsest by Stross. Takes time travel to it’s inevitable conclusion.

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AFKBRBChocolate 1 point 13 hours ago

I've read a lot of Stross, but I don't think I've read that one. I only started keeping brief notes on what I read a handful of years ago, and it was significantly motivated by having the experience of starting in on a book and realizing I had read it years earlier, or not remembering if I read or if I liked a particular book. Palimpsest came out in 2009, well before my notes.

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