Thoughts on Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

This was a very, very enjoyable read to me. I found myself enamored with the world's setting and system of magic, but also contemplated the possible routes that Robert Jackson Bennett took while outlining the very early stages of the world. There were moments where a choice was presented to Sancia, and I could see that there would have been an entirely different story if she had chosen the path that led her away from what direction she was ultimately bound for. The primary thought I had behind all of this too, is that I really hope that once I publish I'm able to effectively grab people's attention in a similar respect.

The part of the plot that really got me curious - because I'm trying to do similar in my own trilogy work in progress - was the ways that magic was discussed through the lens of science. To me, magic that is somehow grounded in science or consequence makes it feel that much more grounded in reality. When I think of the 'what if' of magic, I want to have a degree of understanding that it comes from somewhere mystical and strange, while also knowing that maybe... it's just a new element that's yet to be discovered. Or a history to be uncovered, some tie to divinity. Et cetera.

Overall, I look forward to reading the rest of this trilogy, and find it worth the while to see how everything unfolds. I think that this series deserves more hype behind it, because it is really delightfully full of worldbuilding that I could gnaw on for hours. I also have so many questions for Robert Jackson Bennett related to his storytelling decisions, and how the stages of his outlining process went. I could see myself rereading this series in a few years, and hope to come across more details that I initially missed with regards to foreshadowing and character development.