Mini, spoiler-free review of *Foundryside* by Robert Jackson Bennett

Fantasy set in a world in which inanimate objects can be "scrived” to somewhat change their structure or state (make a wooden door behave more like stone, or a sword behave like it's moving much faster than it is). The area is ruled by four merchant houses where people live in luxury, and between them is a lawless slum. A young girl with an unusual ability is making her way as an accomplished thief, hiding in the slum. She's being paid a large sum to steal a box from a safe, but the contents may change her world. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The characters are interesting and the pacing is spot on.