Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Del Rey
Pages: 512
Release Date: April 21, 2020
Haven’t read the first book, Foundryside? Check out my review here!
As a magical revolution remakes a city, an ancient evil is awakened in a brilliant new novel from the Hugo-nominated author of Foundryside and the Divine Cities trilogy
Having narrowly saved the metropolis of Tevanne from destruction, Sancia Grado and her allies have turned to their next task: sowing the seeds of a full-on magical-industrial revolution. If they succeed, the secrets behind scriving—the art of imbuing everyday objects with sentience—will be accessible to all of Tevanne’s citizens, much to the displeasure of the robber-barons who’ve hoarded this knowledge for themselves.
But one of Sancia’s enemies has embarked on a desperate gambit, an attempt to resurrect a figure straight out of legend—an immortal being known as a heirophant. Long ago, the heirophant was an ordinary man, but he’s used scriving to transform himself into something closer to a god. Once awakened, he’ll stop at nothing to remake the world in his horrifying image.
And if Sancia can’t stop this ancient power from returning? Well, the only way to fight a god…is with another god.
Shorefall is one of my most anticipated novels of 2020 and I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint.
Shorefall is the much anticipated sequel to Foundryside, a world in which objects can be made to do or be different things than their intended use by writing on them in a magical language. Shorefall picks up three years after the events of Foundryside as our characters continue their mission of toppling the unfair socioeconomic system in place. Their plans are thrown into disarray when they receive word that someone is attempting to resurrect a hierophant.
Shorefall feels very different from its predecessor. Where Foundryside is focused on a single story, Shorefall opens up the world and its lore. Readers are now getting a look at the big picture as opposed to a single element of that picture.
“’Learn what your city has forgotten,’ he said. ‘What men of power have forgotten time and time again, throughout history – that there is always, always something mightier.’”
The pace of Shorefall is incredibly fast. The characters are thrust into one situation after another as they try to keep up. The events fly by like rapid fire making Shorefall easy to read.
Shorefall also follows the same characters from Foundryside. There isn’t much to say other than I’m incredibly grateful the sequel focuses on them again, especially Sancia and Bernice ;).
Overall, Shorefall is an incredible sequel that ups the stakes tenfold as the characters race against the clock to save the city they’ve been desperately trying to change.
***I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.
Book reviews and more! 
I really enjoyed this too, but I think I loved Foundryside even more. I’m still processing. A LOT happened in this story!
I liked Foundryside more too, but still enjoyed Shorefall. So much has happened. I’ll definitely be rereading it.