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Published Jun 2022
560 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
The jaw-dropping conclusion to the acclaimed Founders Trilogy, from the Hugo-nominated author of Foundryside and Shorefall.
Sancia, Clef, and Berenice have gone up against long odds in the past. But the war they're fighting now is one even they can't win.
This time, they're not facing robber-baron elites or even an immortal hierophant, but an entity whose intelligence is spread over half the globe—one that uses the magic of scriving to control not just objects but human minds.
To fight it, they've used scriving technology to transform themselves and their allies into an army—a society—unlike anything humanity has seen before. With its strength at their backs, they've freed a handful of their enemy's hosts from servitude, and even defeated some of its fearsome, reality-altering dreadnoughts.
Yet despite their efforts, their enemy marches on. Implacable. Unstoppable.
Now, as their opponent closes in on its true prize—an ancient doorway, long buried, that leads to the chambers at the center of creation itself—Sancia and her friends glimpse a last opportunity to stop this unbeatable foe. To do so, they'll have to unlock the centuries-old mystery of scriving's origins, embark on a desperate mission into the heart of their enemy's power, and pull off the most daring heist they've ever attempted.
But their adversary might have a spy in their ranks—and a last trick up its sleeve.
And to have a chance at victory, Sancia, Clef, and Berenice will have to make a sacrifice beyond anything that's come before.
"A thrills-and-spills conclusion to the adventures of Sancia Grado...with characteristically high-spirited mayhem...Bennett is a master of worldbuilding, and for all the novel's far-fetched moments, everything seems perfectly logical on its own terms. Great fun, with nonstop action and with an escape hatch that would allow—dare we hope?—a sequel." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Jackson provides a poignant but uplifting conclusion to his spellbinding, fast-paced Founders Trilogy, expanding the complex world with more innovative concepts and new characters." - Booklist (starred review)
"Gods collide in the high octane finale to Bennett's epic fantasy Founders Trilogy...Bennett advances the plot precipitously and raises his characters' power levels to the 'nigh-incomprehensible,' but the grounding themes of family and love as Sancia and Berenice risk their happiness to save the world, are what readers will take away. Fans will find this a satisfying end." - Publishers Weekly
This information about Locklands was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Robert Jackson Bennett is the author of Foundryside, Shorefall, and the Divine Cities trilogy, which was a Hugo Award finalist in the Best Series category. The first book in the series, City of Stairs, was also a finalist for the World Fantasy and Locus Awards, and the second, City of Blades, was a finalist for the World Fantasy, Locus, and British Fantasy Awards. His previous novels, which include American Elsewhere and Mr. Shivers, have received the Edgar Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Philip K. Dick Citation of Excellence. He lives in Austin with his family.
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