shorefall

shorefall by robert jackson bennett

Book two of the Founder’s Trilogy. I was struck by the changes (in the world, in the stakes, in the characters) moving from book one to book two. I had reread some Terry Brooks earlier this year, and the sequels/trilogies/tetralogies that he writes are very much of a piece; character growth is linear, plot expansion/world expansion is relatively linear. Not so here; we’re cracking this whole world wide open and radically transforming it over this trilogy. The villains here have compelling perspectives. Wrestling with the burden and corrupting influence of power, even from the most noble minded, is really compelling. The magic system continues to encourage all sorts of unexpected ideas and fun plot turns; it’s got a satisfying internal consistency, but still leaves more than enough flexibility for twists and turns. Another quick read for me, rushing through for plot and world building.

(written a few months after I finished reading it, so impressions are of the whole trilogy and a little stale)