Review: SHOREFALL by Robert Jackson Bennett
Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett Also by this author: Foundryside
Series: Founders #2
Published by Del Rey Books on April 21, 2020
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 512
Also in this series: Foundryside
Source: Netgalley
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FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Shorefall is the second book in Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Founder’s Trilogy and it’s also one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 because I loved the first book, Foundryside, so much. It’s always hard to review the second book in a series because of the tricky balance between enticing new readers to the series without spoiling it, but hopefully I can find that balance.
Shorefall exceeded my expectations on so many levels. Sometimes I find that middle books in trilogies feel like they’re full of filler and just trying to stretch things out to the climax of the final book. There’s none of that with Shorefall though. It’s an action-packed story that definitely furthers the plot in every way and adds layer upon layer of suspense along the way.
My favorite part about Shorefall is getting to revisit the cast of characters I grew to love so much in the first book. Sancia, Orso, Bereneice, and Gregor – my favorite morally gray, found family – are just as wonderful and easy to cheer on in this second book as they were in Foundryside, perhaps even more so as they’ve truly come together as a little family. When we meet up with them in Shorefall, it’s a couple of years after the events of Foundryside and Sancia, Orso and the gang have created their own consulting firm that revolves around the magical scriving technology. Their goal with this business is two-fold: 1) to help everyone who can, master the art of scriving, and 2) to thus take power out of the hands of the greedy merchant houses who have dominated their city for so long. I loved the Robin Hood-esque feel to what they were doing. They’re still as morally gray as ever, but their cause is a noble one.
New characters also made Shorefall an absolutely gripping read for me. An ancient (and super creepy!) hierophant, one of the first practitioners of scriving, has somehow been resurrected and is making a beeline for the city, leaving a trail of destruction and devastation in his wake. His agenda remains to be seen, but Sancia, Orso and the others soon realize that the merchant houses are the least of their problems and they must turn their attention to defeating this new enemy before he destroys them and everything they’ve been working for. I don’t want to give away anything about this character, but wow, he made my skin crawl every time he made an appearance!
What made Shorefall such an all around great read for me was just how well so many elements are woven together. There’s the high stakes action and adventure of trying to defeat this ancient creepy guy, but there’s also a deeper exploration of the magical scriving as we watch the characters pool their talents and try to use the magic in new ways to fight the enemy. And finally, we are also given a more in-depth look at the history of some of the beloved characters from the series. There’s so much going on but it all feels effortlessly woven together, which made it so easy to become fully immersed in this world and its characters all over again.
My only quibble with Shorefall is that I wanted to see Clef, one of my absolute favorite characters from the first novel, and I felt like I had to wait way too long for him to put in an appearance. Thankfully, it was well worth the wait, but I did feel myself growing a little impatient waiting for him.
Even with that quibble, however, Shorefall is still a stellar read and one that I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a fantasy with morally gray characters that you’ll fall in love with as well as unique worldbuilding and phenomenal storytelling. The Founders Trilogy has it all!
About Robert Jackson Bennett
Robert Jackson Bennett is a two-time award winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel, an Edgar Award winner for Best Paperback Original, and is also the 2010 recipient of the Sydney J Bounds Award for Best Newcomer, and a Philip K Dick Award Citation of Excellence. City of Stairs was shortlisted for the Locus Award and the World Fantasy Award. City of Blades was a finalist for the 2015 World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His eighth novel, FOUNDRYSIDE, will be available in the US on 8/21 of 2018 and the UK on 8/23.
Book Reviews: April 2020 Releases That Will Make You Laugh and Cry
Today I’m sharing reviews of some new and recent releases that are sure to please anyone who enjoys emotional reads. The Big Finish is a heartwarming and fun read that put a smile on my face, while You and Me and Us had me reaching for my tissues and doing the ugly cry.
The Big Finish Goodreads Author: Brooke Fossey
Publication Date: April 14, 2020
Publisher: Berkley
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Brooke Fossey’s debut novel The Big Finish is an absolutely delightful story that follows a lovable cast of characters at an assisted living facility and the young woman who shows up unexpectedly and turns all of their lives upside down in the best way possible. I’ll confess right now that I requested this book because I fell in love with the adorable cover as soon as I saw it. I couldn’t resist the elderly man sitting on the back of the motorcycle waving his cane in the air. That’s the promise of a hilarious read right there and thankfully I was not disappointed.
I got so much more than a humorous read though. The Big Finish is a heartwarming story about family, friendship, love and loss. It centers around longtime roommates, Carl and Duffy. Duffy is a bit of a curmudgeon, while Carl is a total sweetheart. Even though they’re polar opposites, their friendship and living arrangements work seamlessly. That is, until Josie, the granddaughter Carl has never met, comes climbing in their bedroom window in the middle of the night one night, with nothing but the clothes on her back, alcohol on her breath, and a black eye. It’s clear Josie is in trouble and Duffy wants no part of it. If she creates drama for them, their nasty landlord will surely give them a one-way ticket to the nearest nursing home and that is not how Duffy wants to live out his final days. Duffy’s friendship with Carl means everything to him though so he reluctantly agrees to do whatever he can to help Carl get to know his granddaughter and to help her out of whatever toxic situation she is running from. What starts out as a mission on the down-low soon draws in more and more of the home’s residents as they fall in love with Josie and want to help her.
I don’t want to say anything more about the plot because you just have to experience it for yourself, but I promise this is a cast of characters you will fall in love with, especially Duffy, who is nowhere near as grumpy and gruff as he would have you believe. Duffy and Carl’s friendship is what really made the book such a special read for me and I also adored Duffy’s friendship with another resident, Alice. He would clearly love for their relationship to be more than just friends and every scene with her brings out his softer side. The Big Finish is one of those books I’d love to see made into a movie and was practically casting it in my mind the whole time I was reading it (with the cast of Grace and Frankie actually, haha).
If you’re looking for a fun and heartwarming read about friendship and the things we’re willing to do for our loved ones, you should definitely check out The Big Finish.
4 STARS
You and Me and Us Goodreads Author: Alison Hammer
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Publisher: William Morrow
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Alison Hammer’s new novel You and Me and Us is the heartbreaking story of what happens to a family when a diagnosis of terminal cancer turns their lives upside down. Alexis and her teen daughter, CeCe, haven’t been close in years. The ad agency Alexis founded keeps her so busy that she’s rarely ever around and has missed many of her daughter’s important milestones. While Alexis and CeCe aren’t close, the opposite is true for CeCe and her dad, Tommy. Tommy is CeCe’s rock and has been there for everything her mom has missed and then some. Tommy is devoted to both Alexis and CeCe, and neither of them know what they would do without him. When Tommy, who has been nursing a nagging cough for months, finally confesses to his girls that he has cancer and only has a few months to live, they are understandably devastated but are determined to make the most of every moment they have left with him.
Oh my gosh, guys, this book is such an emotional journey! I loved that the author presents the story to us from the perspectives of both CeCe and Alexis. I thought it gave a very full picture of what each of them was feeling at every step along the way – the sadness, the anger and frustration at the situation, CeCe’s resentment of her mother, Alexis’ sorrow at having missed out on so much of her daughter’s life (and Tommy’s for that matter). The author also beautifully captured how fearful both Alexis and CeCe were of what life was going to be like once Tommy was gone. Would Alexis finally make CeCe a priority? Would CeCe actually let her mom back into her life? I felt like the range of emotions they were experiencing were portrayed very realistically, which made the story all the more heartbreaking and engrossing.
As sad as the story is, it also has some beautiful and uplifting moments that really help to balance and round out the story. I really did love watching Tommy interact with both CeCe and Alexis. He’s just such a wonderful guy and his bond with each of them was so special. I also loved the secondary cast of characters – friends who are there for both CeCe and Alexis as they get closer and closer to the end of Tommy’s life. I was also a huge fan of the ending, which although it had me in tears, it also left me with a smile on my face and hope in my heart. If books that pack an emotional punch are your thing, I highly recommend You and Me and Us. 4.5 STARS
Top Ten Tuesday – Ten Signs You’re a Bibliophile
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is Ten Signs You’re a Book Lover (basically, people know you’re a book lover because… i.e., you’re always carrying a book or two, your library card broke from overuse, etc.). I thought this was a fun topic and lots of things came to mind that give me away as a book lover to everyone who knows me.
10 Signs You are a Book Lover
1. You go to the library so often you have your library card number memorized.
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2. No matter what the occasion, when someone asks you for gift ideas,
your answer is always books.
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3. No matter where you go, you always have at least one book
(and probably your kindle) with you, so that you’re always prepared.
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4. If someone says they’re looking for a good book to read, you are always ready with the book recommendations.
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5. When traveling, even if you know there’s a 99% chance you won’t spend your time reading,
you still have to be prepared for that other 1%.
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6. You can’t walk past a library or bookstore without gazing at it longingly.
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7. There are random stack of books everywhere in your home from where your TBR is so out of control.
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8. You find yourself trying to squeeze a few more pages of reading in whenever you possibly can. #multitasking
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9. Whenever people ask you why you’re tired,
the answer is always the same: “I stayed up too late last night reading.”
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10. Your idea of fashion always gives you away.
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What are some other signs you may be a book lover?