Shorefall Book Review: Founders #2

Oops, this Shorefall book review is a long time coming. But better late than never! And since the publication was delayed, I’m right on time, right?

Foundryside was a fun surprise of a novel – at first, I figured it would be just another low-level fantasy, but the characters really took on a life of their own throughout the epic tale. When I found out that it was just the first book of the Founders Series, I got pretty excited.

I was even more excited when I was chosen to receive an ARC of the second book in the series, Shorefall, from NetGalley. So without further ado, here is my long-overdue Shorefall book review, a novel by Robert Jackson Bennett.

My Shorefall Book Review: Strap in for All the Action

Let me be frank. If you’re looking for further development of the characters so lovingly established in the first installment of this series… you’re going to be a bit disappointed. This book is all action from start to finish.

There is a quirky and “low-stake” moment at the beginning of the book where the crew gets together for some familiar hijinks. Fans of the first novel will love seeing all of their favorite characters working together again, as well as getting a quick update on how they’re doing in the aftermath of the last adventure. But after this initial opening scene… we’re straight on to the bigger plot. And this isn’t a slow, overnight train that winds through the countryside. No, we’re talking a high-speed express that doesn’t even slow at road crossings.

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. Because Bennett did such a good job of creating characters in the last book, we don’t need to see them developed further. That being said, it did cheapen the book a bit for me. At times, it just felt like a caricature of the characters rather than their true selves. They just became nameless, voiceless peons in a world entirely driven by the necessities of the plot.

Why the Fast Pace Works

I know I’m complaining about the lack of character development, but I’m almost willing to give it a pass thanks to the fast pace of everything. There simply isn’t time for anyone to even think, let alone go through a character-defining moment. These characters jump from one dangerous, highly improbably situation to the next, all without a pee break.

As soon as the main villain is introduced (which happens nearly right away), things just keep going and going and going. This made me never want to put the book down. I was always eager to see what would happen next. How would our loveable gang get out of this sticky situation?

That being said, within the main plot, each character also has their own personal struggles they’re dealing with, which does provide some tie back to the originality of the first book. Sancia is feeling the effects of age (you’ll learn more about this), Berenice is struggling with taking on a new role, Gregor is still dealing with mommy issues, and more. Some of these things are sorted out, and others are left hanging for the third book.

Same Complex System of Scriving

One of the reasons this series is so fun is that so much thought is put into it. You can tell the author really has an engineering mindset because of the way he has his characters think through situations. Every solution is complex and detailed, which also keeps the reader on their toes as they keep track of it all. While some of this internal and external problem-solving does become cumbersome, it’s necessary to keep the reader engrossed in the world.

While it’s not technically magic the characters are utilizing, it is a complex system of… well… reality bending. If you’ve forgotten some of the details about how it all works (I know I did), don’t fret too much, as Bennett gradually reintroduces concepts to get you on the same page.

Because you’ll definitely need to know how everything works. There’s a lot going on in this book (have I made that clear yet?), and to keep up, you’ll have to remember the intricacies of scriving.

Overall Conclusions

As I conclude my Shorefall book review, I have to again reiterate that this was quite the ride. If you’re here for action scenes, dialogue between our heroes and the villain, and explosions (lots of explosions), you’ve come to the right place. However, if you’re hoping to see the characters continue to grow, you’ll be sorely disappointed. But hey, there’s always room for that in the next book. Because there better be a third book. There is no way the series can end like that! It’s a cliffhanger – you’ve been warned.