A <b>compelling </b>treatise on power and its misuse

- Eric Brown, Guardian

An <b>absolutely riveting </b>secondary world fantasy that grounds its magic in industrialized processes, heavy machinery and capitalist dystopia . . . When I say I couldn't put "Foundryside" down, what I mean is this: <b>I felt fully, utterly engaged by the ideas</b>, actually in love with the core characters for their differences and the immensely generative friction between them, and in awe of Bennett's craft. <b>I went to bed late reading it and woke up early to finish it</b> . . . <b>A </b><b> magnificent, mind-blowing start to a series I'm hungry for</b>

- Amal El-Mohtar, New York Times

<b>Funny, exciting</b>, pacy and gory, this <b>terrific </b>debut promises greater things to come

Daily Mail

<b>Inventive, immersive, and thrilling</b>, <i>Foundryside</i> is a fascinating look at how our best intentions can be corrupted - and how wickedly awesome and terrifying gravity belts can be. <b>Do yourself a favor and pick this up</b>

Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles

<b>Robert Jackson Bennett deserves a huge audience</b>

Brent Weeks, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Black Prism on City of Stairs

An <b>absolutely riveting</b> secondary world fantasy . . . I <b>felt fully, utterly engaged by the ideas</b>, actually in love with the core characters for their differences and the immensely generative friction between them, and in awe of Bennett's craft . . . A <b>magnificent, mind-blowing start to a series I'm hungry for</b>

- Amar El-Mohtar, New York Times

<b>Intricate worldbuilding, fascinating magic, and engaging characters. More please!</b>

Felicia Day, New York Times bestselling author of You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)

<i>Foundryside </i>will not disappoint. It's <b>a world like no other, a concept like no other and a read like no other</b>

The Book Bag

<b>An irresistible, fast-paced adventure</b> that welcomes even non-fantasy fans into its pages, unveiling <b>a remarkable and sophisticated world</b> of magic and intrigue. With non-stop twists, a compelling cast of characters, and an innovative magic system, <b><i>Foundryside </i>is an altogether terrific read</b>

Sebastian de Castell, author of The Greatcoats series

<b>Fast-paced, intelligent, and fun</b> with a <b>fantastically cool </b>magic system.<b> I can't wait to read the next one</b>

Brian McClellan, author of The Powder Mage trilogy

<b>The best epic fantasy of the year </b>is also the best cyberpunk of the year. How often do you get to say that?

Dan Wells, author of I Am Not a Serial Killer

<i>Foundryside </i>pulls you in with fast-paced heists, then knocks you down with its innovative magic system. <b>Fun, thoughtful, and thrilling from cover to cover</b>, it's sword-and-sorcery meets computer programming - <b>a must for fans of Scott Lynch and Brandon Sanderson</b>

James L. Sutter, co-creator of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

Fantasy buffs will enjoy all the key ingredients of the genre, along with a good helping of magic and a story that picks up pace till it's running

Sunday Sport

Bennett spins <b>a marvelous tale</b> reminiscent of Sanderson. <i>Foundryside </i>is <b>a gripping story with clever characters, intriguing plot, and spectacular worldbuilding</b>

Charlie Holmberg, author of The Paper Magician series

Brings an <b>intricate</b>, sciencey magic system to the crime party . . . The action is <b>energising</b>, the story is self-contained, and the world is made of <b>pure, gleeful imagination</b>

SFX

Take a healthy slug of Scott Lynch's <i>The Lies of Locke Lamora</i>, add in the whip-smart dialogue of Jay Kristoff's <i>Nevernight </i>and sprinkle it with just a dash of China Mieville . . . <b>Robert Jackson Bennett has given us a cracking adventure . . . Very highly recommended</b>

Espresso Coco

I struggled to find another book that <b>thrilled me</b> as much

Terror Tree

This book featured prominently on my <b>most anticipated </b>releases list and I am happy to report that<b> I enjoyed it a whole lot </b>. . . What Bennett does best is creating these really unique worlds that feel lived in and plausible

I Have Thoughts on Books

<b>One of my most-anticipated books of the year</b>

Civilian Reader

A very good <b>action-packed, cleverly written</b> and thought out book that<b> every fantasy lover should read</b>

Breathing Through Pages

<b>Epic fantasy at its magical, action fuelled best</b>

Liz Loves Books

Does [<i>City of Blades</i>] live up to the <b>Locus, World Fantasy, British Fantasy and GoodReads Choice Awards-nominated <i>City of Stairs</i></b>? Allow me to answer with an emphatic yes . . . <b>Robert Jackson Bennett is one of the most talented authors writing in SFF today and this is his finest work to date</b>

Fantasy-Faction on City of Blades

An <b>exciting, believable world</b> and a <b>plot full of twists</b> . . . I'm looking forward to seeing what the second book in the series has in store

The Book Bundle

Beyond the <b>wonderful world-building, characters, and social commentary</b>, there is also the undeniable fact that <i>Foundryside</i><b> is just damn fun </b>. . . Bennett weaves an <b>incredibly gripping</b> plot that makes it hard to put the book down <b> </b>

A Fantastical Librarian

<b>An amazing story </b>combining some absolute fan favourites: daring heists, characters with a lot of depth, witty dialogue, a hint of steampunk, a dash of magic and a mysterious history to uncover . . . <b>Believe all the rave reviews and the hype</b>, this is <b>one hell of a book</b> and will go on many 'Best of' and 'Favourite' lists.

Draumr Kopa

<i>Foundryside </i>is a <b>superb </b>series-starter and another <b>magnificent </b>creation from the masterful mind of Robert Jackson Bennett. Like all good beginnings, it promises to bring his readers even more adventure and glorious excitement in future volumes, and <b>the rest of this series is a journey I can't wait to experience</b>

Bibliosanctum

<b>Fantastically constructed and phenomenally executed</b>

The Bookbag

A <b>thoroughly enjoyable</b> romp . . . A <b>very original</b> fantasy

SFCrowsnest

<i>Foundryside</i> was <b>a fantastic beginning</b> to a new trilogy, one that I immensely struggled to put down . . . <b>I absolutely recommend this book</b> to anyone who's looking for a fantasy with <b>wonderful characterizations, fascinating premise, intricate magic system</b>, and to all the fans of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jackson Bennett books

Novel Notions

<b>I couldn't stop reading</b>. The mysteries deepened, the characters deepened, the villains emerged from the shadows, and the stakes got higher and higher . . . Really, it's <b>everything you could want from an Epic Fantasy</b>

Fantasy Hive

<b>I loved every minute</b> of this book . . . <i>Foundryside</i><i> </i>is a <b>fantastic </b>start to this series and I'm already desperately waiting for the next instalment

Feeling Fictional

<p><b>Richly detailed</b> and expertly plotted.<b> A grand entertainment</b></p>

Kirkus on City of Blades

As a whole The Divine Cities is simply that, <b>Divine</b>

SFFWorld on the Divine Cities trilogy

Beg, steal or scrive to get your hands on a copy, because it's certainly one of the most <b>compelling and magical</b> series openers we've read all year

Starburst

If you like <b>action-packed, high pace</b> fantasy books <b>full of adventures</b>, this one might be your style . . . A<b> very entertaining</b> fantasy read

Umut Reviews

Bennett has carved out his place in the world of fantasy . . . <i>Foundryside </i>is <b>a great first book</b> for what I hope to be a long running series. All of the pieces are there for <b>an epic story about magic, rebellion, and friendship</b>. It definitely scratches that itch that has formed while we wait for a number of other fantasy series to continue.

Storgy