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Craft Sequence #5
Four Roads Cross
The great city of Alt Coulumb is in crisis. The moon goddess Seril, long thought dead, is back—and the people of Alt Coulumb aren't happy. Protests rock the city, and Kos Everburning's creditors attempt a hostile takeover of the fire god's church. Tara Abernathy, the god's in-house Craftswoman, must defend the church against the world's fiercest necromantic firm—and against her old classmate, a rising star in the Craftwork world.
As if that weren't enough, Cat and Raz, supporting characters from Three Parts Dead, are back too, fighting monster pirates; skeleton kings drink frozen cocktails, defying several principles of anatomy; jails, hospitals, and temples are broken into and out of; choirs of flame sing over Alt Coulumb; demons pose significant problems; a farmers' market proves more important to world affairs than seems likely; doctors of theology strike back; Monk-Technician Abelard performs several miracles; The Rats! play Walsh's Place; and dragons give almost-helpful counsel.
As if that weren't enough, Cat and Raz, supporting characters from Three Parts Dead, are back too, fighting monster pirates; skeleton kings drink frozen cocktails, defying several principles of anatomy; jails, hospitals, and temples are broken into and out of; choirs of flame sing over Alt Coulumb; demons pose significant problems; a farmers' market proves more important to world affairs than seems likely; doctors of theology strike back; Monk-Technician Abelard performs several miracles; The Rats! play Walsh's Place; and dragons give almost-helpful counsel.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 26, 2016
176 people are currently reading
3123 people want to read
About the author
Max Gladstone
121 books2,540 followersMax Gladstone is the author of the Craft Sequence: THREE PARTS DEAD, TWO SERPENTS RISE, FULL FATHOM FIVE, and most recently, LAST FIRST SNOW. He's been twice nominated for the John W Campbell Best New Writer award, and nominated for the XYZZY and Lambda Awards.
Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia. Max graduated from Yale University, where he studied Chinese.
Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia. Max graduated from Yale University, where he studied Chinese.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
December 8, 2016
Five minute vacation review:
Amazing. A bit of a rocky start since I've mostly read these as they've come out and have only re-read the first book one time. In many ways, this is a more direct sequel, although we needed other events to happen to other characters before this timeline. At any rate, Gladstone is a plotting genius and I can't even imagine how he kept it all straight. One of those wall charts, maybe. Love the glimpses into maturing characters from Three Parts Dead. Kept me up reading, torn between trying to go faster and wanting to read every word because Gladstone packs so much in there.
Amazing. A bit of a rocky start since I've mostly read these as they've come out and have only re-read the first book one time. In many ways, this is a more direct sequel, although we needed other events to happen to other characters before this timeline. At any rate, Gladstone is a plotting genius and I can't even imagine how he kept it all straight. One of those wall charts, maybe. Love the glimpses into maturing characters from Three Parts Dead. Kept me up reading, torn between trying to go faster and wanting to read every word because Gladstone packs so much in there.
August 18, 2017
I read this on a tear. I just couldn't believe how good it was. EVERYTHING was perfect.
I mean, I've read these books in publication order but they're all out of timeline order, and while that makes it seem kinda funky, it doesn't really matter because certain events HAVE to be well known before their significance can shine in the next.
It doesn't exactly make for popcorn reading. We have to keep on our toes. But that's what's so brilliant about it. We're treated to an extravaganza of wonderful ideas and scenes that make us scratch our heads in wonder and enjoyment. Wanna fly on the back of a gargoyle on a road trip and discuss translation problems of really good poetry? How about asking a truly enormous dragon why he's allowing himself to be used as a common transport vehicle rather than raging against the injustice of it? Or how about huge business concerns, contracts, and fiduciary obligations revolving around gods and their multinational holdings and how certain liabilities like LOVING ANOTHER GOD can call into question said god's commitments?
Sound awesome? It is.
And all the while we have huge action, fighting gargoyles, silvered suits, JUSTICE, demons, necromantic law firms, underwater vampire kings, and a being a priestess for a goddess based on trust and partnership rather than faith.
And you know what the best part is? TARA IS BACK! Book one's Tara is the MC here! :) :) So Great! Her student loans are a real killer. Being a modern girl giving up on the fast necromantic track is really scary. She still owes 98 souls! Now if only she can stabilize that resurrected goddess.... :)
I mean, I've read these books in publication order but they're all out of timeline order, and while that makes it seem kinda funky, it doesn't really matter because certain events HAVE to be well known before their significance can shine in the next.
It doesn't exactly make for popcorn reading. We have to keep on our toes. But that's what's so brilliant about it. We're treated to an extravaganza of wonderful ideas and scenes that make us scratch our heads in wonder and enjoyment. Wanna fly on the back of a gargoyle on a road trip and discuss translation problems of really good poetry? How about asking a truly enormous dragon why he's allowing himself to be used as a common transport vehicle rather than raging against the injustice of it? Or how about huge business concerns, contracts, and fiduciary obligations revolving around gods and their multinational holdings and how certain liabilities like LOVING ANOTHER GOD can call into question said god's commitments?
Sound awesome? It is.
And all the while we have huge action, fighting gargoyles, silvered suits, JUSTICE, demons, necromantic law firms, underwater vampire kings, and a being a priestess for a goddess based on trust and partnership rather than faith.
And you know what the best part is? TARA IS BACK! Book one's Tara is the MC here! :) :) So Great! Her student loans are a real killer. Being a modern girl giving up on the fast necromantic track is really scary. She still owes 98 souls! Now if only she can stabilize that resurrected goddess.... :)
November 18, 2025
Back in the immersive city of Alt-Coulumb
Tara Abernathy is back as a fierce and bold Craftswoman. Abalard's devotion, faith, and steadfastness was a pillar in the story. His speech about loyalty and sacrifice was so peak.
This was a deeply satisfying installment in Craft Sequence. The writing is brisk and the story exhilarating. Gladstone excels at making abstract concepts like faith, debt, and belief into tangible commodities that become intricately woven into the divine politics. Faith is a crucial element in this urban world. These elements blend together to create a social commentary under the current of fantastical shifting devotions between gods and mortals.
To live was to love was to burn
"Faith is a state of constant examination and openness. In faith we must be vulnerable. Only in this seeming weakness, do we live with God.”
Highly recommend to all fantasy lovers, especially if you like religious and political themes in your fantasy.
Tara Abernathy is back as a fierce and bold Craftswoman. Abalard's devotion, faith, and steadfastness was a pillar in the story. His speech about loyalty and sacrifice was so peak.
This was a deeply satisfying installment in Craft Sequence. The writing is brisk and the story exhilarating. Gladstone excels at making abstract concepts like faith, debt, and belief into tangible commodities that become intricately woven into the divine politics. Faith is a crucial element in this urban world. These elements blend together to create a social commentary under the current of fantastical shifting devotions between gods and mortals.
To live was to love was to burn
"Faith is a state of constant examination and openness. In faith we must be vulnerable. Only in this seeming weakness, do we live with God.”
Highly recommend to all fantasy lovers, especially if you like religious and political themes in your fantasy.
January 12, 2024
I hate finishing series - the more I love the books, the more I hate to leave them. This may not be the last of the series, but every book finished is another step closer; and yet it only took me two months to miss this series badly enough to drop a book right in the middle - one I was really enjoying, too.
But the Craft Sequence has worked it's way under my skin. These books are fantastic - a world that absolutely intrigues and delights me, full of horrors and wonders and a much more urban fantasy setting than I'm used to; a mix that is so perfectly balanced.
We're back to Tara - she of book one/three depending on your reading order - and having absolutely loved her, I approve. There's all sorts of consequences, and I'm glad my first read through was pub order, because the feeling of so many different storylines brushing up against each other was just, so satisfying.
There's so much in this series that so far has been almost background material, but honestly would probably carry an entire novel by itself. So much background makes for an incredibly deep world, and the elements that do make it forward for page time are set off beautifully by them. This book - and this series - have so much going on, and yet never feel unnecessarily detailed or over full. Just brimming with delights and unexpected wonders around some of the most unexpected corners.
Reread edit (title number order this time): I would read about people making their shopping lists in this universe, I love it so much. Reading in this order does smooth out some of the experience, too, giving events in chronological order rather than me having to rely on my increasingly terrible memory to keep track of everyone.
But the Craft Sequence has worked it's way under my skin. These books are fantastic - a world that absolutely intrigues and delights me, full of horrors and wonders and a much more urban fantasy setting than I'm used to; a mix that is so perfectly balanced.
We're back to Tara - she of book one/three depending on your reading order - and having absolutely loved her, I approve. There's all sorts of consequences, and I'm glad my first read through was pub order, because the feeling of so many different storylines brushing up against each other was just, so satisfying.
There's so much in this series that so far has been almost background material, but honestly would probably carry an entire novel by itself. So much background makes for an incredibly deep world, and the elements that do make it forward for page time are set off beautifully by them. This book - and this series - have so much going on, and yet never feel unnecessarily detailed or over full. Just brimming with delights and unexpected wonders around some of the most unexpected corners.
Reread edit (title number order this time): I would read about people making their shopping lists in this universe, I love it so much. Reading in this order does smooth out some of the experience, too, giving events in chronological order rather than me having to rely on my increasingly terrible memory to keep track of everyone.
August 3, 2016
Odlično napisan roman i pravo uživanje za čitanje. Iako je reč o neposrednom nastavku prvog romana u "serijalu", ne pogađa čitaoca onoliko kao prvi. U neku ruku je i slabiji od prvog, ali ne mogu da razlučim da li je to zbog toga što je svet i manir pisanja sada već dobro poznat, ili je po sredi nešto drugo. U svakom slučaju, brilijantan niz romana, koji potpuno transformišu predstave o tome šta se može a šta ne može u žanru, a uz to i odbijaju klasifikacije i ne mogu se nimalo komotno smestiti ni u urbanu fantastiku, ni u postapokaliptičnu fantaziju, ni u jednu žanrovsku kutiju koje trenutno imamo na raspolaganju. Izvanredno.
Dodajem nešto nasumično nabacanih misli:
Od devedesetih - a naročito tokom prve decenije ovog veka - urbana fantastika se potpuno odvojila od horora i dobila neke svoje zakonitosti. Jedna od najvećih značajki je svet u kojem se radnja odvija. To je po pravilu ili naš svet, dakle svet u kojem mi živimo, samo što prosečan žitelj sveta nije svestan postojanja natprirodnih elemenata, ili svet istovetan našem, u kojem je natprirodno sastavni deo svakodnevice. Neki od predstavnika ovih pristupa objavljeni su i kod nas. "Olujni talas" Džima Bučera u prvom slučaju i "Mrtva si, veštice" Kim Harison ili "Grešna zadovoljstva" Lorel Hamilton u drugom slučaju.
Gledston od toga odstupa dramatično. Njegov svet je izuzetno sličan našem i reklo bi se da čak jeste naš svet, ali s dramatično drugačijom istorijom i geopolitičkim razvojem, tako da iako ima velike sličnosti s našim društvom dvadeset prvog veka, čita se kao da je reč o nekom sekundarnom svetu. Taj "isto ali drugačije" momenat je prilično redak u urbanoj fantastici, kojoj ovaj serijal ponajviše pripada.
Dalje, ovakve knjige obično nisu društveno angažovane. Gledstonova fantastika se vrlo često bavi Drugim, ali ne u smislu demona ili vanzemaljaca, već u smislu došljaka u neko drugo mesto, sukoba kultura i društvenih slojeva. Njegovi romani su po pravilu polja za istraživanje korena društvenih sukoba, ali i intimnih pobuda koje teraju ljude na određene postupke. To je opet relativno strano urbanoj fantastici, koja je zapravo mešavina horora i krimića, pa ponajviše baštini tradiciju krimi romana, koji su usredsređeni na protagonistu i svet posmatraju isključivo kroz njegove oči (pa su zato često pisani u prvom licu) i kroz interakciju protagoniste sa svetom. Širi društveni kontekst načelno nije bitan. Kod Gledstona je to upravo suprotno, jer širi kontekst usmerava protagoniste i daje okvir njihovom delovanju, koje ne bi postojalo ili bi bilo dramatično drugačije da okolnosti nisu takve.
Sistem magije je izvanredno originalan i u suštini se svodi na pravo. Pratkikanti magije, tzv. Craftsmen, zapravo su advokati i savremena civilizacija počiva na mreži obaveza i sporazuma koji predstavljaju manifestacije voljnih akata (što i jeste suština pravnog poretka i u našem svetu). Većina pisaca ne posvećuje ovoliku pažnju unutrašnjoj logici sistema magije u njihovim romanima, jer suštinski nije ni bitna, pošto su priče character driven i magija (ili tehnologija) nije ništa do gimmick i oblanda za krimi zaplet. Ovde je drugačije, jer je pisac postavio pravila igre koja ne može da naruši deus ex machina momentima.
Dodajem nešto nasumično nabacanih misli:
Od devedesetih - a naročito tokom prve decenije ovog veka - urbana fantastika se potpuno odvojila od horora i dobila neke svoje zakonitosti. Jedna od najvećih značajki je svet u kojem se radnja odvija. To je po pravilu ili naš svet, dakle svet u kojem mi živimo, samo što prosečan žitelj sveta nije svestan postojanja natprirodnih elemenata, ili svet istovetan našem, u kojem je natprirodno sastavni deo svakodnevice. Neki od predstavnika ovih pristupa objavljeni su i kod nas. "Olujni talas" Džima Bučera u prvom slučaju i "Mrtva si, veštice" Kim Harison ili "Grešna zadovoljstva" Lorel Hamilton u drugom slučaju.
Gledston od toga odstupa dramatično. Njegov svet je izuzetno sličan našem i reklo bi se da čak jeste naš svet, ali s dramatično drugačijom istorijom i geopolitičkim razvojem, tako da iako ima velike sličnosti s našim društvom dvadeset prvog veka, čita se kao da je reč o nekom sekundarnom svetu. Taj "isto ali drugačije" momenat je prilično redak u urbanoj fantastici, kojoj ovaj serijal ponajviše pripada.
Dalje, ovakve knjige obično nisu društveno angažovane. Gledstonova fantastika se vrlo često bavi Drugim, ali ne u smislu demona ili vanzemaljaca, već u smislu došljaka u neko drugo mesto, sukoba kultura i društvenih slojeva. Njegovi romani su po pravilu polja za istraživanje korena društvenih sukoba, ali i intimnih pobuda koje teraju ljude na određene postupke. To je opet relativno strano urbanoj fantastici, koja je zapravo mešavina horora i krimića, pa ponajviše baštini tradiciju krimi romana, koji su usredsređeni na protagonistu i svet posmatraju isključivo kroz njegove oči (pa su zato često pisani u prvom licu) i kroz interakciju protagoniste sa svetom. Širi društveni kontekst načelno nije bitan. Kod Gledstona je to upravo suprotno, jer širi kontekst usmerava protagoniste i daje okvir njihovom delovanju, koje ne bi postojalo ili bi bilo dramatično drugačije da okolnosti nisu takve.
Sistem magije je izvanredno originalan i u suštini se svodi na pravo. Pratkikanti magije, tzv. Craftsmen, zapravo su advokati i savremena civilizacija počiva na mreži obaveza i sporazuma koji predstavljaju manifestacije voljnih akata (što i jeste suština pravnog poretka i u našem svetu). Većina pisaca ne posvećuje ovoliku pažnju unutrašnjoj logici sistema magije u njihovim romanima, jer suštinski nije ni bitna, pošto su priče character driven i magija (ili tehnologija) nije ništa do gimmick i oblanda za krimi zaplet. Ovde je drugačije, jer je pisac postavio pravila igre koja ne može da naruši deus ex machina momentima.
July 30, 2016
Originally published at Reading Reality
The world of the Craft Sequence is guaranteed to give any reader a lingering book hangover. This is a world that requires the reader to throw out all of their preconceived notions about religion, magic, gods, demons, law, order and chaos. Not necessarily in that order, and on a continuously repeating cycle.
This world makes the reader think. And think. And re-think.
In this universe where the gods are not only made real, but can be fought in real terms and killed, worship is power and power is money and money is power and the ends all too often justify the means. And the lawyers are necromancers. Or the other way around.
But the story underneath all of the absolutely mind-blowing trappings turns out to be about relationships. There are four roads that cross. The relationship between Craftswoman Tara Abernathy and Priest Abelard of Kos the Everburning, the relationship between Justice Cat and Vampire Raz, the relationship between Tara and Shale, a gargoyle child of the moon-goddess Seril, and at the heart of the mess, the relationship between Kos the Everburning and Seril the moon goddess.
Seril was supposed to have been killed 40 years ago, at the end of the God Wars that brought The King in Red into power in Dresediel Lex. But she wasn’t. It’s hard to kill a god. Not impossible, but damnably difficult. Now that Seril is back, someone is using her as a lever to take down Kos. Even though taking down Kos will send not just all of his contracts, but all of the financial markets that use Kosite debt as a baseline, into financial chaos.
The mess that will ensue could make the Great Depression, the Great Recession and Brexit fade into a pinprick, even if they had all happened at once.
What happens is a race against time. Tara wants to save the city that holds her friends from the catastrophic bloodshed and chaos. Abelard wants his god to remain in control of his own fate, and to continue to be a real part of the lives of his citizens and worshippers. Seril wants to survive. And someone wants to cause the downfall of the last of the old gods, no matter who gets killed, or how many dark means they need to use to justify their grisly ends.
Escape Rating A: Nothing about the world of the Craft Sequence is anything like any fantasy you have ever read. Even the sequence itself was published out of order; Three Parts Dead is the first book, Four Roads Cross is the fifth.
But read them all, because the creation of this world fills in one complex layer at a time. Just like the series of interlocking contracts and agreements written by the Craft.
While Four Roads Cross sometimes seems as if it directly follows Three Parts Dead, the events of the intervening works also seem to influence the action. Or at least the knowledge that the reader gains about the world seems to influence either the action or one’s feelings about it and understanding of it. Read the series, and be prepared to sit and think for a while in between.
(The author has stated that the numbers in the titles reflect the internal chronological order of the books, as opposed to the publication order. Pick an order and dive in.)
There is a lot in this story about the way that humans create gods in their own image, and the way that those images in turn influence the humans who fall under their sway. Seril needs her worshippers every bit as much as her worshippers need her. What makes the relationship between gods and humans different in this world from our theology is that the benefits of the relationship are tangible for both parties. Seril gets power, and in return she provides real aid and assistance.
Like the other books in this series, this one rides on the strength of the different and surprising relationships that have formed, particularly in the wake of the events of Three Parts Dead. We also see a much different perspective on Craft and the persons who practice it than we have previously. Elayne Kevarian, the Craftswoman who carries much of the action in Three Parts Dead and Last First Snow, has stripped herself of almost all human relationships in her quest for the ultimate in Craft and eventual immortality. At the end of Last First Snow, we see her wondering about some of her choices.
Tara Abernathy, Elayne’s apprentice in Three Parts Dead, is choosing another road. In spite of everything her craft has taught her, she forges friendships, sometimes in spite of herself. The conflict in the end is about those who use others for their own ends, and those like Tara, and the goddess Seril, who take their strength from their relationships with others.
Virtue may not be its own reward, but at least in this story, there is strength in even a fractured unity. And it is a wonder to read, and to behold.
The world of the Craft Sequence is guaranteed to give any reader a lingering book hangover. This is a world that requires the reader to throw out all of their preconceived notions about religion, magic, gods, demons, law, order and chaos. Not necessarily in that order, and on a continuously repeating cycle.
This world makes the reader think. And think. And re-think.
In this universe where the gods are not only made real, but can be fought in real terms and killed, worship is power and power is money and money is power and the ends all too often justify the means. And the lawyers are necromancers. Or the other way around.
But the story underneath all of the absolutely mind-blowing trappings turns out to be about relationships. There are four roads that cross. The relationship between Craftswoman Tara Abernathy and Priest Abelard of Kos the Everburning, the relationship between Justice Cat and Vampire Raz, the relationship between Tara and Shale, a gargoyle child of the moon-goddess Seril, and at the heart of the mess, the relationship between Kos the Everburning and Seril the moon goddess.
Seril was supposed to have been killed 40 years ago, at the end of the God Wars that brought The King in Red into power in Dresediel Lex. But she wasn’t. It’s hard to kill a god. Not impossible, but damnably difficult. Now that Seril is back, someone is using her as a lever to take down Kos. Even though taking down Kos will send not just all of his contracts, but all of the financial markets that use Kosite debt as a baseline, into financial chaos.
The mess that will ensue could make the Great Depression, the Great Recession and Brexit fade into a pinprick, even if they had all happened at once.
What happens is a race against time. Tara wants to save the city that holds her friends from the catastrophic bloodshed and chaos. Abelard wants his god to remain in control of his own fate, and to continue to be a real part of the lives of his citizens and worshippers. Seril wants to survive. And someone wants to cause the downfall of the last of the old gods, no matter who gets killed, or how many dark means they need to use to justify their grisly ends.
Escape Rating A: Nothing about the world of the Craft Sequence is anything like any fantasy you have ever read. Even the sequence itself was published out of order; Three Parts Dead is the first book, Four Roads Cross is the fifth.
But read them all, because the creation of this world fills in one complex layer at a time. Just like the series of interlocking contracts and agreements written by the Craft.
While Four Roads Cross sometimes seems as if it directly follows Three Parts Dead, the events of the intervening works also seem to influence the action. Or at least the knowledge that the reader gains about the world seems to influence either the action or one’s feelings about it and understanding of it. Read the series, and be prepared to sit and think for a while in between.
(The author has stated that the numbers in the titles reflect the internal chronological order of the books, as opposed to the publication order. Pick an order and dive in.)
There is a lot in this story about the way that humans create gods in their own image, and the way that those images in turn influence the humans who fall under their sway. Seril needs her worshippers every bit as much as her worshippers need her. What makes the relationship between gods and humans different in this world from our theology is that the benefits of the relationship are tangible for both parties. Seril gets power, and in return she provides real aid and assistance.
Like the other books in this series, this one rides on the strength of the different and surprising relationships that have formed, particularly in the wake of the events of Three Parts Dead. We also see a much different perspective on Craft and the persons who practice it than we have previously. Elayne Kevarian, the Craftswoman who carries much of the action in Three Parts Dead and Last First Snow, has stripped herself of almost all human relationships in her quest for the ultimate in Craft and eventual immortality. At the end of Last First Snow, we see her wondering about some of her choices.
Tara Abernathy, Elayne’s apprentice in Three Parts Dead, is choosing another road. In spite of everything her craft has taught her, she forges friendships, sometimes in spite of herself. The conflict in the end is about those who use others for their own ends, and those like Tara, and the goddess Seril, who take their strength from their relationships with others.
Virtue may not be its own reward, but at least in this story, there is strength in even a fractured unity. And it is a wonder to read, and to behold.
June 28, 2023
Awesome continuation of the series with Tara Abernathy, Alt-Coulomb and the splendid gargoyles! There is so much going on, but somehow Gladstone makes it quiet easy to stay on top of everything. Looking forward to the next book!
November 13, 2018
4.5 stars - it took me a little while to get back into Alt Coulumb, but Four Roads Cross - ostensibly book 5 of the series, but a direct sequel to book 1 - had everything I've come to love about Max Gladstone's writing. Twisty plot? Check. Smart and relatably flawed characters? Check. Creative and notably weird magical systems and creatures? Oh yeah.
Tara Abernathy, the up-and-coming necromantic lawyer of Three Parts Dead is back. Turns out that resurrecting a god isn't enough to fix all her problems: there's the issue of the other god who's also back and seems to think Tara is her priestess, and the snarled problem of divine credit scores post resurrection...and her own school loans that might require several months of ramen-eating (because even necromancers sometimes have to resort to that kind of thing).
Four Roads Cross ties together many elements of the previous book (including cameos from Caleb and The Red King and Elayne Kevarian), but features my favorite characters: Tara, Abelard, Shale, Cat, and Raz. Gladstone's distinctive, slightly macabre sense of humor is fully evidenced here, too. Some of my favorite exchanges take place between Tara and the gargoyle Shale:
And:
Gladstone gets some pointed commentary in about human hubris and economics as well, via dragons:
Ouch. That's a pretty good burn, even coming from a dragon.
So why not 5 stars? I was a little bored by the chapters featuring egg-dealer Matt and his story arc, and the world no longer feels quite as fresh and weird and new, though that's hardly Gladstone's fault. I also (ahem!) haven't read First Last Snow and wonder if that would have increased my enjoyment. I don't find The Craft Sequence to be the most even of series, but the intelligence and agility of the writing continue to hold my interest and admiration.
Also, Gladstone is one of very few contemporary authors who uses words I have to look up (flense, orrery, and a couple of others I've already forgotten).
Tara Abernathy, the up-and-coming necromantic lawyer of Three Parts Dead is back. Turns out that resurrecting a god isn't enough to fix all her problems: there's the issue of the other god who's also back and seems to think Tara is her priestess, and the snarled problem of divine credit scores post resurrection...and her own school loans that might require several months of ramen-eating (because even necromancers sometimes have to resort to that kind of thing).
Four Roads Cross ties together many elements of the previous book (including cameos from Caleb and The Red King and Elayne Kevarian), but features my favorite characters: Tara, Abelard, Shale, Cat, and Raz. Gladstone's distinctive, slightly macabre sense of humor is fully evidenced here, too. Some of my favorite exchanges take place between Tara and the gargoyle Shale:
"So there's a zombie horde out there?"
"I mean," she said, and trailed off.
Shale looked at her from across the carriage.
"Horde is pejorative. So's zombie, for that matter, if you're not referring to the Archipelagese religious practice."
He did not speak then, either.
"Fine. Yes."
And:
"Shouldn't you be happy? This seems like your kind of place."
"Unfinished stone?" His face twisted in disgust. "I was born in Alt Coulumb. My block was quarried from a moonlit pit and weather-shaped on rooftops. Descending into living Rock - it doesn't feel right."
"You're made of stone."
"You're made of meat. Maybe after this we can find a nice tight wet dark meat tunnel for you to squeeze down."
Gladstone gets some pointed commentary in about human hubris and economics as well, via dragons:
"I bear these people because Craftsmen, broadly speaking, do not love what they cannot use, and destroy what they do not love. So I make myself useful in some minimal way, as do others of my kind. [...] We are what we ever were: huge, strong, and ancient beyond your reckoning. We have crossed vast gulfs of time and space. And you think (the subsonic dread returned in sharp pulses [...] and her mind named the dread pattern laughter) you think because looking at us you can say that one draws a salary, this one bears us from place to place, that your limited comprehension gives you any measure of safety or control."
Ouch. That's a pretty good burn, even coming from a dragon.
So why not 5 stars? I was a little bored by the chapters featuring egg-dealer Matt and his story arc, and the world no longer feels quite as fresh and weird and new, though that's hardly Gladstone's fault. I also (ahem!) haven't read First Last Snow and wonder if that would have increased my enjoyment. I don't find The Craft Sequence to be the most even of series, but the intelligence and agility of the writing continue to hold my interest and admiration.
Also, Gladstone is one of very few contemporary authors who uses words I have to look up (flense, orrery, and a couple of others I've already forgotten).
April 11, 2019
Tara is back!
This book rocked.
This book rocked.
June 6, 2023
Finally finished with this one, which I've been sitting on for several months now. This is an excellent ending to the series that began with Three Parts Dead, with young Craftswoman Tara Abernathy stumbling upon a troupe of gargoyles, a hidden Undying goddess, a resurrected god, a chain-smoking priest, and a couple of star-crossed lovers bound in love, blood, and addiction. The series books jumped from city to city, backwards and forwards in both time and space, it highlights the commonality of the great war between the Gods and the Craftsmen, where religion is caught up in an accounting of the literal wealth of souls, and magic is fueled by science as much as by mystery.
BR at Worlds Beyond the Margins here.
Did I say this was an excellent series arc, to end at the beginning, and bring together all sorts of story lines. Temoc makes an appearance, as does Elayne and the King in Red. The Ruin of Angels is next, and I'm interested to see what happens there.
BR at Worlds Beyond the Margins here.
Did I say this was an excellent series arc, to end at the beginning, and bring together all sorts of story lines. Temoc makes an appearance, as does Elayne and the King in Red. The Ruin of Angels is next, and I'm interested to see what happens there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2023
Stop, a wise voice inside her urged. Or change the story.
Give these people what they want to hear.
Fuck what they wanted to hear.
This was news.
Oh, I very much wanted to hear exactly this!
Up to this point, I felt a little reserved about this series. I was enjoying it alright, but we didn't click. If not for the BRs, I'm not sure how long it would take me to get this far into the series... Well, enough with the suspense, this instalment was marvelous! I absolutely loved it. After Three Parts Dead I wanted more gargoyles and this book delivered! It also brings back (almost) all of the characters of Three Parts Dead and I was so glad to see them again. Unlike the previous instalments in the series this book kind of lacks in the moral conundrums department, but... I didn't mind that at all. It was such a ride full of unexpected worldbuilding features and I was here for it. I just gorged on this book and it was splendid.
I feel I have nothing of substance to say and if you want more gushing, there is the BR thread...
BRed at WBTM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
February 7, 2017
5 Stars
5 huge Stars.
Four Roads Cross, book number 5 in the Craft Sequence by Max Gladstone is nearly a perfect read for me. This is the best book in the series so far and that really says a lot since each have been incredible. As many others have said this series by Max Gladstone is simply stunning!
"The song of Gavriel Jones, the Crier sang.
Tells of a New Presence in our Skies.
Oh, Tara thought.
Hot Town nights burn silver.
And Stone Men soar in the Sky
Pray to the moon, dreams say
And they’ll spread their wings to fly.
A tale’s but a tale ’til it’s seen
And rumors do tend to spin
I saw them myself in the Hot Town last night
Though telling, I know I sin."
I decided to reread the first book Three Parts Dead again before reading Four Roads Cross (Book 5 in the Craft Sequence) as they return to the same characters. I am so glad that I did as it really elevated this book and gave it more depth.
Gladstone has created a wonderful series that works as a Dark Urban Fantasy(UF). I can't seem to get enough of this genre these days. Stupid teen angst novels flooded the market for so long that I steered away from anything UF, and now I have found that it might actually be my favorite genre.(Hard science fiction is the competitor)
Four Roads Cross gives us a treat and returns Tara Abernathy who was the star of Three Parts Dead. She is a fantastic female lead. The world building is fantastic and the magic of it is a lot of fun. Inventiveness and attention to detail made me love this book and gave it a sort of Victorian feel to me. Craftsman and Craftswomen are the people able to wield magic. The world is made even more interesting by having deities that live among the people. This gave the book a feel that I love and would fit into one of my favorite fictional worlds, the world of Noreela by Tim Lebbon. Finally, Gladstone gave us Justice and the Blacksuits. What a kick ass police system with incredible social meanings. Too Cool!!!
The writing is fabulous. Gladstone writes with purpose without bogging things down as too slow. The themes covered are deep and sure to spark some feelings in you.
This book is smart, detailed, filled with creatures, monsters, gargoyles, and even vampires too. With Tara back at the front this book is filled with emotion and investment.
The writing equals Gladstone's amazing imagination...
"There was a heat in her eyes she did not want to name. She looked from the goddess to the gargoyle, and back. “Shale,” she said, “is my,” and there was only the slightest pause before she said “friend. If you hurt him in any way, I will carve your bones into his monument. You have slept too long to know that you should fear me, but I am a Craftswoman of the Hidden Schools, and my people have slain the hosts of heaven and bound continents in iron chains. I will snap your spine and drink ichor from your skull, I will break you and the demon downstairs alike and send you wailing together to the stars as a feast for the beings that lurk there, if you give me cause. Do not fuck with me.”"
It is a fun adventure that is easy to give my highest recommendations...
Although it is only the first month of 2017, this one might be my favorite read of the year.
September 25, 2016
Apart from the brilliance Gladstone typically shows in his world building, pacing, and stories, there is a subtle taste of poetry in his writing, that every once in a while, stokes from a quiet ember in the night to a flaring sun.
Truth is, I have discovered how he does this.
Max Gladstone is a Gargoyle, carved to serve Seril the Undying.
Or, in our terms, he is a hidden poet.
Reading Four Roads Cross, one can see how his masterful prose can be read as allegory to the real world, and suddenly, like Shale flying over Alt Coulumb, when seen in the right angle, under the perfect shade of moonlight, it all falls into place and in a flashing, flaring moment, it becomes poetry.
I am on to you, Gladstone. You haven’t carved your words into building walls (that I know of at least), but the moonlight bears your verses.
As you can tell, I absolutely loved this book, and I think the Craft Sequence is a work of modern genius.
The only problem is that I can’t time travel to the future to purchase the entire series and binge read it in the present.
Truth is, I have discovered how he does this.
Max Gladstone is a Gargoyle, carved to serve Seril the Undying.
Or, in our terms, he is a hidden poet.
Reading Four Roads Cross, one can see how his masterful prose can be read as allegory to the real world, and suddenly, like Shale flying over Alt Coulumb, when seen in the right angle, under the perfect shade of moonlight, it all falls into place and in a flashing, flaring moment, it becomes poetry.
I am on to you, Gladstone. You haven’t carved your words into building walls (that I know of at least), but the moonlight bears your verses.
As you can tell, I absolutely loved this book, and I think the Craft Sequence is a work of modern genius.
The only problem is that I can’t time travel to the future to purchase the entire series and binge read it in the present.
August 25, 2016
The end of the series, or so I thought. It looks like the series will be continuing for a while, but maybe not in the same way that it's been going so far. So I'm counting this as an ending.
First, observations on the series. This quickly grew to be one of my favorites, strictly due to its originality. I just haven't read anything like this. As the 5 book arc continued, though, the writing got better and the books really were able to stand more on their overall quality rather than just their originality. I liked that each book seemed to have an overall message, or stand as some allegory to a modern-day issue. So often in fantasy (and maybe genre-literature as a whole), we value exciting plots and fun ideas over social commentary, but here they really stand on the same level. It was really exciting to see this series continue to develop that way, especially with the non-linear sequencing and characters re-emerging a book or two later.
Now, on the actual book. It wasn't my favorite of the series, which was fine. I felt like Gladstone tried a couple of new things with the writing that ratcheted up the surreality a few levels, and didn't hit as strongly with me as the writing in Last First Snow did. No big deal. The story itself felt like a culmination of all of the events thus far, even including a broader scope in its philosophy or allegory or whatever. Where earlier on in the series, the books included criticisms of modern banking and gentrification, this parallels large-scale fraud and county-to-country conflict. It's always cool to see how Gladstone interjects that kind of thing into his books, and again he does it really well.
There weren't many new characters, which was fine. The familiar faces that we see are changed enough through whatever events they've been through so they feel fresh and familiar as opposed to played out and boring.
My last thought is that I wish I had more time to read this book. It took me almost a month to read due to a trip and general life happenings...I bet I would've enjoyed it a bit more if I was able to pound through it all at once. Even so, I really liked the book and have loved the series as a whole.
First, observations on the series. This quickly grew to be one of my favorites, strictly due to its originality. I just haven't read anything like this. As the 5 book arc continued, though, the writing got better and the books really were able to stand more on their overall quality rather than just their originality. I liked that each book seemed to have an overall message, or stand as some allegory to a modern-day issue. So often in fantasy (and maybe genre-literature as a whole), we value exciting plots and fun ideas over social commentary, but here they really stand on the same level. It was really exciting to see this series continue to develop that way, especially with the non-linear sequencing and characters re-emerging a book or two later.
Now, on the actual book. It wasn't my favorite of the series, which was fine. I felt like Gladstone tried a couple of new things with the writing that ratcheted up the surreality a few levels, and didn't hit as strongly with me as the writing in Last First Snow did. No big deal. The story itself felt like a culmination of all of the events thus far, even including a broader scope in its philosophy or allegory or whatever. Where earlier on in the series, the books included criticisms of modern banking and gentrification, this parallels large-scale fraud and county-to-country conflict. It's always cool to see how Gladstone interjects that kind of thing into his books, and again he does it really well.
There weren't many new characters, which was fine. The familiar faces that we see are changed enough through whatever events they've been through so they feel fresh and familiar as opposed to played out and boring.
My last thought is that I wish I had more time to read this book. It took me almost a month to read due to a trip and general life happenings...I bet I would've enjoyed it a bit more if I was able to pound through it all at once. Even so, I really liked the book and have loved the series as a whole.
November 2, 2016
Another great entry in the corporate/legal-thriller-meets-fantasy Craft Sequence.
Kos Everburning, God of Alt Coulumb, has long been seen as a very safe and stable investment. He rules his city of worshipers efficiently, providing him with a steady stream of faith (while providing them with low-cost heating as well - he's not called "Everburning" for nothing). He stayed home during the God Wars, and as such a low-risk/predictable growth god, his shares are a lynchpin to the international markets. The trouble is his relationship with the goddess Seril Undying; she's not dead, as widely believed, only severely weakened, and his support of her represents a significant undisclosed liability on Kos' portfolio. As such, a class action suit filed by his investors are demanding he disavow any support of her.
It's always bizarre to me just how well this genre mashup works. Whether we're talking investment banking (in Full Fathom Five), water rights management (in Two Serpents Rise), or gentrification (in Last First Snow), these premises work really, really well as fantasy stories. Who knew?
This one is distinct from the other four in the series because it's the first one where protagonists are returned from a previous book, which made me connect a lot more strongly, a lot faster. At the same time, for the same reasons, this is the first one where I really felt the fact that I don't reread books so much anymore. I actually pulled up Three Parts Dead and skimmed through it a few times, like when I couldn't remember what the deal was with Shale holding a grudge against Tara for the time she cut off his face. (it makes sense in context)
A great read in the end from Gladstone. One of these days I'll have to give it an audiobook reread, in chronological rather than publication order.
Kos Everburning, God of Alt Coulumb, has long been seen as a very safe and stable investment. He rules his city of worshipers efficiently, providing him with a steady stream of faith (while providing them with low-cost heating as well - he's not called "Everburning" for nothing). He stayed home during the God Wars, and as such a low-risk/predictable growth god, his shares are a lynchpin to the international markets. The trouble is his relationship with the goddess Seril Undying; she's not dead, as widely believed, only severely weakened, and his support of her represents a significant undisclosed liability on Kos' portfolio. As such, a class action suit filed by his investors are demanding he disavow any support of her.
It's always bizarre to me just how well this genre mashup works. Whether we're talking investment banking (in Full Fathom Five), water rights management (in Two Serpents Rise), or gentrification (in Last First Snow), these premises work really, really well as fantasy stories. Who knew?
This one is distinct from the other four in the series because it's the first one where protagonists are returned from a previous book, which made me connect a lot more strongly, a lot faster. At the same time, for the same reasons, this is the first one where I really felt the fact that I don't reread books so much anymore. I actually pulled up Three Parts Dead and skimmed through it a few times, like when I couldn't remember what the deal was with Shale holding a grudge against Tara for the time she cut off his face. (it makes sense in context)
A great read in the end from Gladstone. One of these days I'll have to give it an audiobook reread, in chronological rather than publication order.
January 24, 2021
Holy shit this is good. It's so good. It's so, so good.
Here's a thing about the time-line in these books (re: publication order vs. internal chronology): I think you could read Three Parts Dead and Four Roads Cross as a duology and be fine. If you want more emotional weight, you can read Last First Snow and Two Serpents Rise as a separate duology. IDK what to do with Full Fathom Five, and I haven't yet read Ruin of Angels (but I will always be angry that there's not a six in that title. I will from now on be referring to it as Ruin of Six Angels). Them being published out of order is a weird thing, and I do not find it contributed to the plot. I'm glad that I read Three Parts Dead first, because I didn't really enjoy the DL books, and I think I would have gotten mired down in them and never read more if they had been published first, but that's just my own tastes. The entire series is really, really good, it's just that One and Two are not really my jam (One was REALLY hard for me to get through). Three, Four, and Five were all books that I loved.
This one, Four, was SO good. I love it so much.
Here's a thing about the time-line in these books (re: publication order vs. internal chronology): I think you could read Three Parts Dead and Four Roads Cross as a duology and be fine. If you want more emotional weight, you can read Last First Snow and Two Serpents Rise as a separate duology. IDK what to do with Full Fathom Five, and I haven't yet read Ruin of Angels (but I will always be angry that there's not a six in that title. I will from now on be referring to it as Ruin of Six Angels). Them being published out of order is a weird thing, and I do not find it contributed to the plot. I'm glad that I read Three Parts Dead first, because I didn't really enjoy the DL books, and I think I would have gotten mired down in them and never read more if they had been published first, but that's just my own tastes. The entire series is really, really good, it's just that One and Two are not really my jam (One was REALLY hard for me to get through). Three, Four, and Five were all books that I loved.
This one, Four, was SO good. I love it so much.
August 9, 2016
Be warned: May contain spoilers for earlier books in the series.
Rating: Five crowns.
All hail Max Gladstone, King of Legal and Financial Fantasy. Raise your cocktail glasses. Cheers! *cue fireworks*
Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence books are set in a most sophisticated, comprehensive and fascinating world. It is a world intricately weaving governmental, judicial, financial and religious systems into one cohesive, interdependent whole. Philosophical arguments may subsequently escalate into judicial conflicts in a world where opposing counsels in legal disputes face physical peril, even death. The financial system is entwined with religion--people's souls may be fragmented and constitute currency, security transactions may be guaranteed by living gods, personal relationships are not deemed purely private matters because love may be deemed an undisclosed lien causing obligations to become due and demandable by piercing the veil, corporations attempt a hostile takeover of a god. It is a religious system whose strength is directly proportional to the faith of its followers, which strength translates into a quantifiable, negotiable commodity. It is a world where liability arising from a contract can beat a god into submission and bind him into servitude.
Kos Everburning, Alt Coulumb's god of fire, is principal of numerous contractual obligations. His love, Seril the Undying, thought to have perished in the God Wars, has resurfaced, alive but weak. In providing aid to Seril, Kos’ creditors question his ability to fulfill his contractual obligations, arguing he was overleveraged considering the undisclosed reliance of Seril upon him. The consortium prepares to stage a takeover, intent on subsuming Kos' powers and leaving him a mere indentured servant. Tara Abernathy is Kos’ in-house Craftswoman, tasked with proving Kos’ viability and defending him against all suits. Kos’ clergy and faithful, together with Seril’s gargoyles and new converts, will all try to aid Tara in proving Kos strength and establishing a tenable legal position. The rest of Alt Coulumb must decide where to put their faith, if they have any faith to assign. Seril and Kos' fate may be decided by the devotion of the people of Alt Coulumb.
Max Gladstone has blurred the line between the divine, the temporal and the terrestrial. Gods can be weaker than their faithful, human beings and corporations can possess the power of gods, the landscape of the world can be physically altered by contractual obligations. In creating this fantastical world, Gladstone calls into question the true nature of gods, the limits of the relationship between corporations and nations, the universality or territoriality of natural resources, the ideal balance between custom, tradition and modernity, the essence of power and the extent to which a wielder controls it. In his quest for answers, he expands on the scope and breadth of faith, identity and community.
I refuse to look for flaws in this book or this series. Every book holds too much fascination for me, each one different, all integrated and symbiotic. It has gone where no other book or series I've read has gone before. Gladstone has ventured into the ordinarily mundane frontiers of law and finance and crafted a Kaiju-sized alien invasion scenario out of a corporate takeover of a god. It is fantasy storytelling at its most creative. I understand it is difficult to appreciate all this. For now, just trust me: READ MAX GLADSTONE’S CRAFT SEQUENCE.
A REVIEW ON FAST FORWARD >>> gods with contractual obligations...lawyers that fly...gargoyles disguised as humans...dragon transport...chain-smoking priest...resurrected god...mountain of monsters...suits of justice...skeleton kings at happy hour...vampires under the sea...demon possession...WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?!
Rating: Five crowns.
All hail Max Gladstone, King of Legal and Financial Fantasy. Raise your cocktail glasses. Cheers! *cue fireworks*
Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence books are set in a most sophisticated, comprehensive and fascinating world. It is a world intricately weaving governmental, judicial, financial and religious systems into one cohesive, interdependent whole. Philosophical arguments may subsequently escalate into judicial conflicts in a world where opposing counsels in legal disputes face physical peril, even death. The financial system is entwined with religion--people's souls may be fragmented and constitute currency, security transactions may be guaranteed by living gods, personal relationships are not deemed purely private matters because love may be deemed an undisclosed lien causing obligations to become due and demandable by piercing the veil, corporations attempt a hostile takeover of a god. It is a religious system whose strength is directly proportional to the faith of its followers, which strength translates into a quantifiable, negotiable commodity. It is a world where liability arising from a contract can beat a god into submission and bind him into servitude.
Kos Everburning, Alt Coulumb's god of fire, is principal of numerous contractual obligations. His love, Seril the Undying, thought to have perished in the God Wars, has resurfaced, alive but weak. In providing aid to Seril, Kos’ creditors question his ability to fulfill his contractual obligations, arguing he was overleveraged considering the undisclosed reliance of Seril upon him. The consortium prepares to stage a takeover, intent on subsuming Kos' powers and leaving him a mere indentured servant. Tara Abernathy is Kos’ in-house Craftswoman, tasked with proving Kos’ viability and defending him against all suits. Kos’ clergy and faithful, together with Seril’s gargoyles and new converts, will all try to aid Tara in proving Kos strength and establishing a tenable legal position. The rest of Alt Coulumb must decide where to put their faith, if they have any faith to assign. Seril and Kos' fate may be decided by the devotion of the people of Alt Coulumb.
Max Gladstone has blurred the line between the divine, the temporal and the terrestrial. Gods can be weaker than their faithful, human beings and corporations can possess the power of gods, the landscape of the world can be physically altered by contractual obligations. In creating this fantastical world, Gladstone calls into question the true nature of gods, the limits of the relationship between corporations and nations, the universality or territoriality of natural resources, the ideal balance between custom, tradition and modernity, the essence of power and the extent to which a wielder controls it. In his quest for answers, he expands on the scope and breadth of faith, identity and community.
I refuse to look for flaws in this book or this series. Every book holds too much fascination for me, each one different, all integrated and symbiotic. It has gone where no other book or series I've read has gone before. Gladstone has ventured into the ordinarily mundane frontiers of law and finance and crafted a Kaiju-sized alien invasion scenario out of a corporate takeover of a god. It is fantasy storytelling at its most creative. I understand it is difficult to appreciate all this. For now, just trust me: READ MAX GLADSTONE’S CRAFT SEQUENCE.
A REVIEW ON FAST FORWARD >>> gods with contractual obligations...lawyers that fly...gargoyles disguised as humans...dragon transport...chain-smoking priest...resurrected god...mountain of monsters...suits of justice...skeleton kings at happy hour...vampires under the sea...demon possession...WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT?!
February 11, 2018
So, this is where the four roads cross… an exceptionally well-chosen title as everything before came together in this story. Therefore, I would recommend to read the previous books. We meet a lot of characters from earlier books and this made the overall story much easier to understand and somewhat less complicated. Still, this author is such a genius that I am awed, overwhelmed, impressed and hopelessly lost: all at the same time. I think I should probably re-read the whole series to appreciate it fully and to continue reading along with the next ones. But for now, I think this series will end for me.
Regarding the story, we finally got to meet Tara again. From all the characters and professions, we saw previously, I like her best. Of course, it is helpful that she graduated only recently from the Hidden Schools and is therefore still “new” to this world as well. But most of all she is strong, powerful, determined and yet remains completely human! Finally, I’ve always liked stories about lawyers and this one combines fantasy and the law just too amazingly.
“No hide-and-go-seek for necromancers.” “Oh, we play. We hide in bargains and loopholes and fine print.”
Regarding the story, we finally got to meet Tara again. From all the characters and professions, we saw previously, I like her best. Of course, it is helpful that she graduated only recently from the Hidden Schools and is therefore still “new” to this world as well. But most of all she is strong, powerful, determined and yet remains completely human! Finally, I’ve always liked stories about lawyers and this one combines fantasy and the law just too amazingly.
“No hide-and-go-seek for necromancers.” “Oh, we play. We hide in bargains and loopholes and fine print.”
February 2, 2018
Ohh, what a ride this book was!!!
First, there are a lot of improvements from the previous volume.
More characters, plenty of action, a more colorfull and intriguing world and and with a non linear action, this volume was trully a masterpiece for me.
Second, the story had a lot of strong points, had more appeal than the previous one, was more centered and, maybe, this also happened because we had a healthy range of believable characters.
Keeping it short, this series is one of the best urban fantasy out there, and I think that it has those elements and the whole appeal that are proving that a series still could be a hit from three volume onwards. And not to forget the writing, that is very easy to get into, not too intricate or complex to have difficulty in understanding the scenes and this is definitely a big plus.
Five stars!
First, there are a lot of improvements from the previous volume.
More characters, plenty of action, a more colorfull and intriguing world and and with a non linear action, this volume was trully a masterpiece for me.
Second, the story had a lot of strong points, had more appeal than the previous one, was more centered and, maybe, this also happened because we had a healthy range of believable characters.
Keeping it short, this series is one of the best urban fantasy out there, and I think that it has those elements and the whole appeal that are proving that a series still could be a hit from three volume onwards. And not to forget the writing, that is very easy to get into, not too intricate or complex to have difficulty in understanding the scenes and this is definitely a big plus.
Five stars!
April 22, 2024
Stars: 5 out of 5.
This book is a direct continuation of Three Parts Dead, book 1 in the Craft Sequence series, since it describes events that happen almost immediately after the ending of that book. So technically, you could skip books 2-4 and just read this one. Why though? All books in this series are excellent, and some of the characters we followed in those books make a brief appearance in this one as well. I would say reading them in order listed is an enjoyment in itself.
As we remember, book 1 ended with Tara helping bring the goddess Seril back to life, only this is far from a happy ending for both Seril and Kos, as well as Alt Coulumb. Seril is weak, her cult is small, and she poses a serious financial and reputational risk to Kos and his church. Now Tara and her friends will have to fight for the future of their city and answer a few important questions about themselves and their beliefs.
This book raises a few very interesting questions. What is better? The cold and clinical approach of the Craft, where everything is a transaction, and there is no room left for such things as sentiment, love, friendship, etc. Or faith that sometimes requires self-sacrifice and acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Or is there a way to combine both of those approaches and to find a happy medium?
This battle of identity is most evident in Tara's arc in this book, because she has to go against everything she's been thought in the Hidden Schools. It's by daring to open her heart to faith and friendship that she wins her case and, I think, finds a home she's secretly been longing for all her life.
This is also evident in Abelard's journey in this book, who undergoes a crisis of faith and feels betrayed and used by his god, only to find his own quiet strength in the middle of the chaos. Acceptance is also the theme when it comes to Cat and Raz, who finally face their own demons and emerge victorious from those battles.
In a way, this book is a catharsis for all the events that started in book 1 of the series, and a beautiful resolution for some of those characters I grew to love so much. I know there are more books in this series, and I will definitely pick up the next one.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
This book is a direct continuation of Three Parts Dead, book 1 in the Craft Sequence series, since it describes events that happen almost immediately after the ending of that book. So technically, you could skip books 2-4 and just read this one. Why though? All books in this series are excellent, and some of the characters we followed in those books make a brief appearance in this one as well. I would say reading them in order listed is an enjoyment in itself.
As we remember, book 1 ended with Tara helping bring the goddess Seril back to life, only this is far from a happy ending for both Seril and Kos, as well as Alt Coulumb. Seril is weak, her cult is small, and she poses a serious financial and reputational risk to Kos and his church. Now Tara and her friends will have to fight for the future of their city and answer a few important questions about themselves and their beliefs.
This book raises a few very interesting questions. What is better? The cold and clinical approach of the Craft, where everything is a transaction, and there is no room left for such things as sentiment, love, friendship, etc. Or faith that sometimes requires self-sacrifice and acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Or is there a way to combine both of those approaches and to find a happy medium?
This battle of identity is most evident in Tara's arc in this book, because she has to go against everything she's been thought in the Hidden Schools. It's by daring to open her heart to faith and friendship that she wins her case and, I think, finds a home she's secretly been longing for all her life.
This is also evident in Abelard's journey in this book, who undergoes a crisis of faith and feels betrayed and used by his god, only to find his own quiet strength in the middle of the chaos. Acceptance is also the theme when it comes to Cat and Raz, who finally face their own demons and emerge victorious from those battles.
In a way, this book is a catharsis for all the events that started in book 1 of the series, and a beautiful resolution for some of those characters I grew to love so much. I know there are more books in this series, and I will definitely pick up the next one.
If you liked this review, check out my blog.
August 23, 2016
I haven't been feeling well enough to write a good review, but the book needs to go back to the library, so here are just a few comments instead of a review. Sorry it's a bit of a mess.
I love the way this guy writes, the descriptions are wonderful. And the world that he created, the bizarre mix of high finance, urban life, magic and religion is just too wild. The crazy plot involves a goddess who came back to life and the city hates her, and how that might cause a huge financial crisis because her lover, the other god of the city, won't be seen as a stable investment anymore because she's such a loose canon. And maybe he didn't disclose his risk factors properly and now they're open to being sued. And other issues that could spiral down into worldwide financial ruin. It's all much more complex than that and it actually makes sense when the characters explain it and it's fascinating and cool as hell. Tara the Craftswoman/lawyer/accountant/necromancer rules, I loved her more than ever. The whole thing where this world uses their souls as money still confuses and intrigues me. I can't get enough of the world that Gladstone created.
It's interesting that Gladstone has always written such interesting and strong women, in this series too. I'd take good money that everyone's favorite characters from the series are Tara, Elayne and Kai, but they're not even close to the only great women in the series. The women always make stronger impressions than his men. Even the rotten ones like the Craftswoman in this book, Ramp, is complex and interesting.
And fans of the series will have fun because this book finally brings the whole series together a little bit. There are short appearances by Elayne Kevarian, Dresediel Lex and the King in Red, flying by optera/giant dragonflies and our pals from the south. Most of all, it was substantial and satisfying for fans of the series who have been waiting/hoping for more about Tara since the first published/third chronological book. And Abelard and Cat and many other characters. And those reading in publication order will enjoy seeing everything finally weave together, even more so than Last First Snow when it was so interesting to see how many of the things in later books got started. And if they're like me, now they'll want to start over and read everything in chronological order and see how it all reads doing it that way as well, and see how it all plays out knowing what I know now. I wish I owned them. It would be worth the investment if I could afford to make it. Too bad even the paperbacks are $11.50-13.50ish each, so that's not going to happen, I don't have sixty dollars to spend on this. Oh well.
OK, one last point. Gladstone doesn't write villains in these books. There are some not very nice people, but they're complex and their motivations are recognizable. In this book, Corbin probably always had a nasty side, it probably became more pronounced as he became older and less satisfied with his life, though I'm just guessing at that. But he only became abusive to his three girls and really destructive after his wife died. This blustering guy was someone that many readers would recognize. Just like there were a lot of qualities in Caleb's father or the King in Red that people would respect and recognize as much as they would be appalled by many of their words and actions. That was the whole point of Last First Snow, from what I remember, that nothing is simple or obvious, there are no easy answers. But Gladstone does it without writing anti-heroes or terribly depressing books too, they're still positive if not optimistic. They're just real, an alternate reality but they do feel like a well-balanced reality. I think it's why the books are so popular. As much fantasy and outlandish stuff as goes on in this series, it feels like he's just reporting what he's really seen. I know, I say that about all my favorite authors. But I swear, this guy might have a hook-up to this plane of existence.
And I wish I could see the Spock-riding-a-unicorn mock-up of the cover that Chris McGrath did. But gorgeous Tara with her knife and glowing glyphs and Shale beside her is even better.
I love the way this guy writes, the descriptions are wonderful. And the world that he created, the bizarre mix of high finance, urban life, magic and religion is just too wild. The crazy plot involves a goddess who came back to life and the city hates her, and how that might cause a huge financial crisis because her lover, the other god of the city, won't be seen as a stable investment anymore because she's such a loose canon. And maybe he didn't disclose his risk factors properly and now they're open to being sued. And other issues that could spiral down into worldwide financial ruin. It's all much more complex than that and it actually makes sense when the characters explain it and it's fascinating and cool as hell. Tara the Craftswoman/lawyer/accountant/necromancer rules, I loved her more than ever. The whole thing where this world uses their souls as money still confuses and intrigues me. I can't get enough of the world that Gladstone created.
It's interesting that Gladstone has always written such interesting and strong women, in this series too. I'd take good money that everyone's favorite characters from the series are Tara, Elayne and Kai, but they're not even close to the only great women in the series. The women always make stronger impressions than his men. Even the rotten ones like the Craftswoman in this book, Ramp, is complex and interesting.
And fans of the series will have fun because this book finally brings the whole series together a little bit. There are short appearances by Elayne Kevarian, Dresediel Lex and the King in Red, flying by optera/giant dragonflies and our pals from the south. Most of all, it was substantial and satisfying for fans of the series who have been waiting/hoping for more about Tara since the first published/third chronological book. And Abelard and Cat and many other characters. And those reading in publication order will enjoy seeing everything finally weave together, even more so than Last First Snow when it was so interesting to see how many of the things in later books got started. And if they're like me, now they'll want to start over and read everything in chronological order and see how it all reads doing it that way as well, and see how it all plays out knowing what I know now. I wish I owned them. It would be worth the investment if I could afford to make it. Too bad even the paperbacks are $11.50-13.50ish each, so that's not going to happen, I don't have sixty dollars to spend on this. Oh well.
OK, one last point. Gladstone doesn't write villains in these books. There are some not very nice people, but they're complex and their motivations are recognizable. In this book, Corbin probably always had a nasty side, it probably became more pronounced as he became older and less satisfied with his life, though I'm just guessing at that. But he only became abusive to his three girls and really destructive after his wife died. This blustering guy was someone that many readers would recognize. Just like there were a lot of qualities in Caleb's father or the King in Red that people would respect and recognize as much as they would be appalled by many of their words and actions. That was the whole point of Last First Snow, from what I remember, that nothing is simple or obvious, there are no easy answers. But Gladstone does it without writing anti-heroes or terribly depressing books too, they're still positive if not optimistic. They're just real, an alternate reality but they do feel like a well-balanced reality. I think it's why the books are so popular. As much fantasy and outlandish stuff as goes on in this series, it feels like he's just reporting what he's really seen. I know, I say that about all my favorite authors. But I swear, this guy might have a hook-up to this plane of existence.
And I wish I could see the Spock-riding-a-unicorn mock-up of the cover that Chris McGrath did. But gorgeous Tara with her knife and glowing glyphs and Shale beside her is even better.
September 20, 2016
Max Gladstone writes such fragile, badass and wonderfully human characters - be they witches, gods, gargoyles or undying animated skeletons.
This is particularly awesome when it comes to his female protagonists because as a whole the fantasy genre often suffers from cardboard cut-out women.
As a bonus Tara is my favourite character and Alt Coulumb is my favourite city.
Some of the most beautiful bits:
“Your once human Craftsmen, who style themselves masters of the universe, have slim regard for awe or wonder, for anything they cannot buy and sell. So deadly are they, even hope becomes a tool in their grip.”
God was in the smoke, and God was in his heart, and God was in the blood that burned through his veins and the air into which he exhaled, and others too, all through the city, a constant heartbeat. To live was to be loved was to burn.
We’re so alone, she thought. We touch one another too firmly and wound or break, or else we pull away. We tell stories in which we are lone noble heroes, until we stand face-to-face with a goddess and see something older and bigger than each of us because it is each of us, our souls touching, the subtle interaction at a distance of minds with minds, when we reach the edge of loneliness and teeter uncertain at the brink.
Fangmouthswallowinggroundingoutgearsanddigestedtopulpbyathicketofthorncurledshapes to wake from the dark dream of herself in a well-appointed office where, told to sit, she sat Walkforwardtosomethingyouthinkisfreedomdownahalllinedwithrazorsangledin and with every step the razors near, halfway down the hall and they press against your skin, dimpling flesh, and you can’t turn back because the light beyond the door at the end of the hall is so beautiful you could fall into it forever, at last, happy—there’s a monster behind you but you’re not afraid of monsters, even ones like this sculpted from childhood centipede fears, hooked legs too large for that enormous body and moving fast, a primal terror that barely makes sense because when save in the farthest mouse-shadows of history did your ancestors have to fear spiders? No, monsters do not scare you. But to face them, to defend yourself, would be to turn from the light at the end of the razor hall, which you cannot do. Your life waits there for you. Light washes you like water, like the tears you weep, like—Mom—rare as a father’s approving smile, it’s there and only your own skin is stopping you so you step into the razors and the razors bite and you scream, you bleed, they’re inside you, cold lines rasping bone, but you’ve done this to yourself and having come so far what’s another step or scream?
“The world is breaking. The Wars made cracks, and we have broken it further. Our work turns soil to ash and water to poison. Even as we push ourselves to the brink of doom, beings of a size you cannot comprehend watch us with many eyes across vast gulfs of space. The universe is larger than this petty island of rock. As if we needed an external threat: this planet will not last forever, and when it dies we must be elsewhere. We have not done the work we need. Gods slow us with compromise. Small minds see only small context: local politics and squabbles of history. It takes genius to see large enough to build the tools to break the world, not like a man breaks a mirror, but like a chick breaks an eggshell. And great minds keep their secrets close.”
This is particularly awesome when it comes to his female protagonists because as a whole the fantasy genre often suffers from cardboard cut-out women.
As a bonus Tara is my favourite character and Alt Coulumb is my favourite city.
Some of the most beautiful bits:
“Your once human Craftsmen, who style themselves masters of the universe, have slim regard for awe or wonder, for anything they cannot buy and sell. So deadly are they, even hope becomes a tool in their grip.”
God was in the smoke, and God was in his heart, and God was in the blood that burned through his veins and the air into which he exhaled, and others too, all through the city, a constant heartbeat. To live was to be loved was to burn.
We’re so alone, she thought. We touch one another too firmly and wound or break, or else we pull away. We tell stories in which we are lone noble heroes, until we stand face-to-face with a goddess and see something older and bigger than each of us because it is each of us, our souls touching, the subtle interaction at a distance of minds with minds, when we reach the edge of loneliness and teeter uncertain at the brink.
Fangmouthswallowinggroundingoutgearsanddigestedtopulpbyathicketofthorncurledshapes to wake from the dark dream of herself in a well-appointed office where, told to sit, she sat Walkforwardtosomethingyouthinkisfreedomdownahalllinedwithrazorsangledin and with every step the razors near, halfway down the hall and they press against your skin, dimpling flesh, and you can’t turn back because the light beyond the door at the end of the hall is so beautiful you could fall into it forever, at last, happy—there’s a monster behind you but you’re not afraid of monsters, even ones like this sculpted from childhood centipede fears, hooked legs too large for that enormous body and moving fast, a primal terror that barely makes sense because when save in the farthest mouse-shadows of history did your ancestors have to fear spiders? No, monsters do not scare you. But to face them, to defend yourself, would be to turn from the light at the end of the razor hall, which you cannot do. Your life waits there for you. Light washes you like water, like the tears you weep, like—Mom—rare as a father’s approving smile, it’s there and only your own skin is stopping you so you step into the razors and the razors bite and you scream, you bleed, they’re inside you, cold lines rasping bone, but you’ve done this to yourself and having come so far what’s another step or scream?
“The world is breaking. The Wars made cracks, and we have broken it further. Our work turns soil to ash and water to poison. Even as we push ourselves to the brink of doom, beings of a size you cannot comprehend watch us with many eyes across vast gulfs of space. The universe is larger than this petty island of rock. As if we needed an external threat: this planet will not last forever, and when it dies we must be elsewhere. We have not done the work we need. Gods slow us with compromise. Small minds see only small context: local politics and squabbles of history. It takes genius to see large enough to build the tools to break the world, not like a man breaks a mirror, but like a chick breaks an eggshell. And great minds keep their secrets close.”
March 28, 2017
I had high hopes for the Craft Sequence. It came recommended to me by a friend of mine, and I had already planned to read it based on an article Gladstone wrote about how character drives story. The first book, with its integrated world-building and fascinating ideas, certainly impressed, but the more I read of it, the less interesting they get. With Four Roads Cross, ironically, I realized it was because the characters didn't resonate with me. They weren't two-dimensional, but neither could I relate to them.
Four Roads Cross is the first book in the series that feels like an actual sequel. It follows chronologically from Three Parts Dead, the first book published (if you didn't know, the two chronologies don't fit together), and it features not just Tara Abernathy, one of the main characters from that book, but it also touches every main character from all of the books in the series. The plot centers on Kos Everburning and Alt Coulumb, but with the revival of Seril, Kos' old lover, it brings into question the reliability of all the loans taken out against Kos.
(Which, I believe, could be another aspect of the stories that grew tiresome: the whole lawyer-banking aspect of the magic system. It was neat for one book, but over the course of the entire series, it's about as exciting as paste.)
There's another book coming near the end of this year, and I'm waffling over whether to read it. On the one hand, I can't imagine reading it right now, after struggling to get through this one for several weeks; on the other hand, if enough time passes between these books and that one, maybe I'll find something more to like in it. It's hard to say, but I'm at least not going to cancel my pre-order just yet.
Like Full Fathom Five, there are a lot of interesting pieces in the story, but overall it strikes me as dull. I'm well aware that I'm in the minority with that sentiment -- the two- and one-star ratings on Goodreads account for a mere 4% of all ratings -- but I stand by it. I have no special feelings for urban fantasy, though, and I recognize that reading these books all together as I did didn't help, but there it is.
Four Roads Cross is the first book in the series that feels like an actual sequel. It follows chronologically from Three Parts Dead, the first book published (if you didn't know, the two chronologies don't fit together), and it features not just Tara Abernathy, one of the main characters from that book, but it also touches every main character from all of the books in the series. The plot centers on Kos Everburning and Alt Coulumb, but with the revival of Seril, Kos' old lover, it brings into question the reliability of all the loans taken out against Kos.
(Which, I believe, could be another aspect of the stories that grew tiresome: the whole lawyer-banking aspect of the magic system. It was neat for one book, but over the course of the entire series, it's about as exciting as paste.)
There's another book coming near the end of this year, and I'm waffling over whether to read it. On the one hand, I can't imagine reading it right now, after struggling to get through this one for several weeks; on the other hand, if enough time passes between these books and that one, maybe I'll find something more to like in it. It's hard to say, but I'm at least not going to cancel my pre-order just yet.
Like Full Fathom Five, there are a lot of interesting pieces in the story, but overall it strikes me as dull. I'm well aware that I'm in the minority with that sentiment -- the two- and one-star ratings on Goodreads account for a mere 4% of all ratings -- but I stand by it. I have no special feelings for urban fantasy, though, and I recognize that reading these books all together as I did didn't help, but there it is.
May 9, 2017
I have quibbles with this series. Let's get them out of the way, before I start singing the praise of these books.
The sequence of publication does nothing for the reader's enjoyment. For instance: had I read Last First Snow before I started Two Serpents Rise I could have connected better with the latter, for I would have understood Temoc. And that is just one instance.
Whoever came up with the titles, should be fired on general principle for thinking that angry alliterations would communicate these works an anything other than trash.
Same goes for the atrocious cover art.
Now for the good bits: everything else.
Excellent worldbuilding: luscious and rich and completely unique.
Characters that grow, recognize their flaws and act on it.
Intricate, flawless plotting without logical errors. Hussah!
Wonderful themes: economical warfare, power corrupts very subtly and destroys ecology and much, much more. I bow in admiration of the author keeping the filigree plots and the messages transported consistent to the very end.
I hesitated reading this serie because the cons all screamed Harry Dresden at me. Far off the mark. This series (so far) is wonderful. Change your reading sequence and it's excellent.
Go now, read it.
The sequence of publication does nothing for the reader's enjoyment. For instance: had I read Last First Snow before I started Two Serpents Rise I could have connected better with the latter, for I would have understood Temoc. And that is just one instance.
Whoever came up with the titles, should be fired on general principle for thinking that angry alliterations would communicate these works an anything other than trash.
Same goes for the atrocious cover art.
Now for the good bits: everything else.
Excellent worldbuilding: luscious and rich and completely unique.
Characters that grow, recognize their flaws and act on it.
Intricate, flawless plotting without logical errors. Hussah!
Wonderful themes: economical warfare, power corrupts very subtly and destroys ecology and much, much more. I bow in admiration of the author keeping the filigree plots and the messages transported consistent to the very end.
I hesitated reading this serie because the cons all screamed Harry Dresden at me. Far off the mark. This series (so far) is wonderful. Change your reading sequence and it's excellent.
Go now, read it.
July 10, 2023
Reread in Jul 2023- on reread, I’m pretty sure this is my favourite of the craft novels. Can’t believe I read this last 6 years ago.
Aug 2016- At about 70%, I needed to stop reading this and study for a test that I had to take in three hours, but all I could do was curse Max Gladstone for making me fall for a book so hard, AGAIN.
Basically, if you loved Three Parts Dead like I did, this sequel has everything you wanted and more. I think I loved it even more than the TPD, because not only did it have the same character interactions and world, it also included interesting experiments with form, more crackling Craft, and so much more of that reflection of our world run through a alternate universe lens, where things like dad jokes, farmers markets, people judging you for not choosing the big firm job, and ineffective airport security exist at the same time as other universe demons, ancient gods, dragons and shadow magic.
I absolutely love this secondary world fantasy. Even with a new book consistently out every year, I still wish there was more.
Aug 2016- At about 70%, I needed to stop reading this and study for a test that I had to take in three hours, but all I could do was curse Max Gladstone for making me fall for a book so hard, AGAIN.
Basically, if you loved Three Parts Dead like I did, this sequel has everything you wanted and more. I think I loved it even more than the TPD, because not only did it have the same character interactions and world, it also included interesting experiments with form, more crackling Craft, and so much more of that reflection of our world run through a alternate universe lens, where things like dad jokes, farmers markets, people judging you for not choosing the big firm job, and ineffective airport security exist at the same time as other universe demons, ancient gods, dragons and shadow magic.
I absolutely love this secondary world fantasy. Even with a new book consistently out every year, I still wish there was more.
May 11, 2019
A return to form, and an excellent way to start off the new year.
The first two books of the Craft Sequence are among my favorites, but the second two didn't quite click as much. Full Fathom Five lacked some essential spark (neither protagonist nor villain were as interesting as the others), while Last First Snow was too much of a Greek Tragedy for my tastes. But here we have all of our favorite characters returned (Tara and Abelard and Cat, but also Caleb and the King in Red, and even Wakefield shows up which amuses me to no end), and the plot is quick, and fun, and ends on a high note.
Anyway, excellent book. It also feels quite a lot like a series capstone, with all these disparate plot threads coming together. I wonder what Gladstone's plans are now.
The first two books of the Craft Sequence are among my favorites, but the second two didn't quite click as much. Full Fathom Five lacked some essential spark (neither protagonist nor villain were as interesting as the others), while Last First Snow was too much of a Greek Tragedy for my tastes. But here we have all of our favorite characters returned (Tara and Abelard and Cat, but also Caleb and the King in Red, and even Wakefield shows up which amuses me to no end), and the plot is quick, and fun, and ends on a high note.
Anyway, excellent book. It also feels quite a lot like a series capstone, with all these disparate plot threads coming together. I wonder what Gladstone's plans are now.
August 8, 2016
The amazing: Gladstone's done it again - I was glued to the seat the whole time. Excellent pacing, intricate relationships, frantic searches through some of the previous books to find that bit of information I just remembered might be relevant...
The good: Worldbuilding, characters, dialogue, atmosphere...
The bad: Soo, some of it really resembles groups of words thrown together. Also, some of the scenes won't mean much to one who is new to the series. This one is not as stand-alone as the others are.
The good: Worldbuilding, characters, dialogue, atmosphere...
The bad: Soo, some of it really resembles groups of words thrown together. Also, some of the scenes won't mean much to one who is new to the series. This one is not as stand-alone as the others are.
November 5, 2022
3.5 stars
A few of the plotlines in this book kind of fizzled out for me towards the end but others easily had the best moments of the series so far. As an ending to the first Craft Sequence arc Four Roads Cross was phenomenal, I just wish it added some new things to the usual Craft formula.
A few of the plotlines in this book kind of fizzled out for me towards the end but others easily had the best moments of the series so far. As an ending to the first Craft Sequence arc Four Roads Cross was phenomenal, I just wish it added some new things to the usual Craft formula.
Read
May 10, 2017I’ve been very impressed so far with Gladstone’s anatomisation of capitalism through a lens of gods and monsters, but as our world continues to spin into the dark I increasingly notice the places where this mirror feels unduly optimistic. Yes, there are demons and debt-zombies, and the notion of 'too big to fail' can necessitate terrible things, such as the murder of renascent deities. But on some level, it’s still a very optimistic world. There are costs along the way, for sure, but these are stories where for the most part the good guys win, in exactly the way that doesn’t tend to happen under late-stage capitalism. Where the system may be rigged, but justice can still prevail. Where sometimes, faced with the grinding of the uncaring machineries of law, and the ruthless machinations of well-prepared opponents with deep pockets, you can still get a happy result simply by asking nicely, or suggesting to an unimaginably powerful necromancer that maybe if he were less of an arsehole his old friends might occasionally call. Hells, even if it only appears here as part of an attempted deicide, this is a world that genuinely has antitrust legislation with teeth! An airline operated by dragons is one thing, but some concepts are just too outlandish to imagine.
And once you notice that problem, it’s like pulling on an intricate magico-legal Craft contract’s weakest clause, and other flaws become evident. The opening chapter spelling out the story so far and the stakes makes a degree of sense (this initially seems like the Craft Sequence’s straightest sequel*, though early references to Gabby Jones and Red King Consolidated hint that a certain amount of dovetailing will follow), but it doesn’t need to be quite this unsubtly expository. And the most overt romance plot, despite being between a vampire pirate and a semi-possessed super cop, is sufficiently Hollywood that at times I was picturing them as Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts at the end of The Player (“Traffic was a bitch”).
Still. The other characters are compelling company, and even the least likeable of them are driven by plausible engines, never mere narrative convenience. The plot may err on the sunny side, but it’s well-constructed, and has just the right balance of surprise with satisfactory playing out of established tenets. And above all, those ideas! It’s not just the financial-legal system that Gladstone’s recast in fantasy terms, and every time his stand-in brings out elements of the real in new and thought-provoking contexts. The news, for instance, which in a plausible step up from town criers, is sung. The character of the musical accompaniment obviously making a world of difference to how it’s received. Now obviously we all know that the editing and contextualising of news contributes at least as much to its effect as whatever facts it may contain, but isn’t that a splendid reminder of how? And in general, Gladstone has a brilliant grasp of how words and concepts work, how 'faith’ means very different things to a corporate lawyer and a saint, whilst to the many trapped between those two poles it partakes of both with potentially awful consequences (what was that line about serving two masters?). He may not offer full answers about how power and freedom and interconnection work, but he asks better questions than most. And when it comes to theology – by which I mean really thinking about gods, not just the usual modern meaning of untangling the clutter one particularly grotty death cult has accumulated – he’s one of the very few writers to bear comparison with John Higgs or Alan Moore. "Kos Everburning, like all his divine ilk, did not quite exist in the usual, physical sense of the term—but human minds weren’t good at comprehending n-dimensional noosphere entities, half-network and half-standing wave, propagating in all directions at once through time."
*Considered in publication order, 4 was a prequel to 2 by some decades, and 3 sort of stands off to one side, but this, 5, follows directly from 1, and only a year later. The internal chronology, on the other hand, is 4, 2, 1, 5, 3. The latter is how I read them, and I love the rhythm of the sequence written down like that.
And once you notice that problem, it’s like pulling on an intricate magico-legal Craft contract’s weakest clause, and other flaws become evident. The opening chapter spelling out the story so far and the stakes makes a degree of sense (this initially seems like the Craft Sequence’s straightest sequel*, though early references to Gabby Jones and Red King Consolidated hint that a certain amount of dovetailing will follow), but it doesn’t need to be quite this unsubtly expository. And the most overt romance plot, despite being between a vampire pirate and a semi-possessed super cop, is sufficiently Hollywood that at times I was picturing them as Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts at the end of The Player (“Traffic was a bitch”).
Still. The other characters are compelling company, and even the least likeable of them are driven by plausible engines, never mere narrative convenience. The plot may err on the sunny side, but it’s well-constructed, and has just the right balance of surprise with satisfactory playing out of established tenets. And above all, those ideas! It’s not just the financial-legal system that Gladstone’s recast in fantasy terms, and every time his stand-in brings out elements of the real in new and thought-provoking contexts. The news, for instance, which in a plausible step up from town criers, is sung. The character of the musical accompaniment obviously making a world of difference to how it’s received. Now obviously we all know that the editing and contextualising of news contributes at least as much to its effect as whatever facts it may contain, but isn’t that a splendid reminder of how? And in general, Gladstone has a brilliant grasp of how words and concepts work, how 'faith’ means very different things to a corporate lawyer and a saint, whilst to the many trapped between those two poles it partakes of both with potentially awful consequences (what was that line about serving two masters?). He may not offer full answers about how power and freedom and interconnection work, but he asks better questions than most. And when it comes to theology – by which I mean really thinking about gods, not just the usual modern meaning of untangling the clutter one particularly grotty death cult has accumulated – he’s one of the very few writers to bear comparison with John Higgs or Alan Moore. "Kos Everburning, like all his divine ilk, did not quite exist in the usual, physical sense of the term—but human minds weren’t good at comprehending n-dimensional noosphere entities, half-network and half-standing wave, propagating in all directions at once through time."
*Considered in publication order, 4 was a prequel to 2 by some decades, and 3 sort of stands off to one side, but this, 5, follows directly from 1, and only a year later. The internal chronology, on the other hand, is 4, 2, 1, 5, 3. The latter is how I read them, and I love the rhythm of the sequence written down like that.
May 13, 2021
Another interesting and engaging story from Gladstone, but with his usual issues as well. Again, the plot, characters, and emotional depth in complex world-building are laudable and inspiring, however, once more Gladstone's issue with pacing stands in the way of a masterwork of craft.
If one gets past the slow build of the first half of the book, it is one of my favorites in the series with a satisfying conclusion to the Alt Columbo storyline and Tara's story - more so than the final book of the series can boast. The Craft Sequence is still an unbridled delight of world-building and delicious merger of legal drama meets fantasy epic: Gods and Goddesses taken to court with their very existence on the line. Where magic isn't just fireballs, but contract law, cooperation, and clever intrigue. But also how it subverts, develops, and plays with the idea of the genre, making them fit in its complex narrative and magical theory -- from sea-dwelling vampires to Lovecraftian demons beyond our existence. It's a series I would warmly recommend, even as I warn about the pacing issues.
If one gets past the slow build of the first half of the book, it is one of my favorites in the series with a satisfying conclusion to the Alt Columbo storyline and Tara's story - more so than the final book of the series can boast. The Craft Sequence is still an unbridled delight of world-building and delicious merger of legal drama meets fantasy epic: Gods and Goddesses taken to court with their very existence on the line. Where magic isn't just fireballs, but contract law, cooperation, and clever intrigue. But also how it subverts, develops, and plays with the idea of the genre, making them fit in its complex narrative and magical theory -- from sea-dwelling vampires to Lovecraftian demons beyond our existence. It's a series I would warmly recommend, even as I warn about the pacing issues.
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