A review by emilyacres
Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Thank you to the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

You cannot trust people to use their innovations compassionately. You cannot give them the choice of morality. You must force them.

I'll keep this brief and spoiler-free: this was a fantastic sequel.

The parts I loved about the first book are all still there, the humor, the friendships, the anti-capitalist overtone to name a few. Like the first installment this one is adrenaline-pumping, and with even higher stakes if you can believe it. Some moments were so intense and gruesome they bordered on horror. Shorefall does not suffer from second-book-in-a-trilogy syndrome, it's purposeful and builds beautifully on Foundryside but brings its own new ideas to the table.

This one exceeded expectations for me with the exploration of morality in all its twisted forms. Where Foundryside was more black and white, good and bad, Shorefall was very gray. I love this new level of complexity and how the author challenges you to examine the ends and the means and think for yourself. Shorefall is full of tough choices and tougher opponents. Lord knows I love a morally-gray character (or few.)

All this to say, I love this series. Here's to hoping we don't have to wait another 2 years for the next one!