Okay, so I just finished Foundryside and WOW. This isn't your grandma's fantasy novel - it's like Ocean's Eleven meets magic hackers in a world where objects can be convinced they're something else (wild, right?).

The main character Sancia? Iconic. A sarcastic thief with trauma and special abilities - basically if Locke Lamora had a grittier younger sister. Her dynamic with the sentient artifact she steals had me cackling at 2AM.

That scriving magic system though *chef's kiss*. At first I was like 'coding but make it magical?' but Bennett makes it work SO well. The way the Four Houses control technology through magical manipulation gives serious cyberpunk vibes in a medieval-ish setting.

Minor complaint: The middle drags a bit when they're planning the big heist, but the last 150 pages? Absolute fire. That climax had me reading with one hand over my mouth like 😱

Content warning: It gets dark with slavery/abuse themes, but handles it with nuance. Already ordered Book 2 - need to know what happens to my problematic faves!