The Sancia that the stars touched right now was slightly less human than the one they had touched the night before.
Foundryside
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Genre: Adult Fantasy
About: Sancia is the best thief in all of Tevanne. Mostly because she doesn't take stupid risks, and she has a plate in her head that allows her to 'feel' the history and secrets of the objects she touches. Safe combinations, hidden trapdoors... a simple touch will tell her what she needs to know. But one day she takes on a big, stupid, risky job. The kind only she could pull off, though whether she can stay alive afterwards, is not so certain.
The Good
This world has what's known as 'Scrived' devices - objects with writing on them that distort reality. A plank of wood can believe it's made of iron, or a lock can be made to only open at a given word. I not only loved all the world-building that came from this unusual tech, but the devices themselves are hilarious. The dialogue of a gate debating with a key on whether or not it can open, or chains desperate to cling on to you because by doing so it's filling its life's purpose, they were all so distinct and funny to read. Clef (a far more advanced device) is so easy to love and his friendship with Sancia was my favourite of the novel. A thief and her magic key, against the world.
The Bad
Although the world-building is fantastic, it's also explained an awful lot through dialogue - and some of that is from very convenient conversations being overheard. I also wasn't a massive fan of the villains. One is very cliche and doesn't amount to much, another I saw coming so didn't work as a twist, and the last is purely for the next book so I'm not sure what to think just yet (except I guess that I'll be reading it).
The Somewhat Iffy
The character of Gregor was probably the most iffy for me. He didn't make a lot of sense to me at the beginning - Sancia saves his life and it means nothing to him, and then his motivations at the start felt a bit shoehorned in. But I grew to like him and his story became interesting at [insert obvious point that you know where I mean if you've read the whole thing].
Overall
There is so much action throughout but towards the end of the novel, it gets even crazier (in a good way). I really want to see the movie version of this, it was full of everything I love: ancient myths, thievery, friendships and epic showdowns. I loved the main character and how her story developed. And while this first book feels complete on its own, it's happily part of a series.
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