Welcome to Litsy!

A mystery/dark urban fantasy story, this is the first in a series that explores a world of magic and gods. Necro magic user Tara finds herself thrust into a mystery when her first job is to resurrect recently deceased god Kos but things aren‘t simple. Tara works with a strange host of characters to get answers.
This book was witty, bizarre and strange but still overly enjoyable. Definitely going to try the next book.

Okay, I know this is an unpopular opinion from what I‘ve seen but I...did not like this book. I felt like I barely got to know the characters as characters. The world was cool—but we just kept throwing stuff at the wall rather than building it out and making sense of it. Lots of things happen. But it often feels like we‘re told the action rather than experiencing it. Book club should be interesting anyway.

Honestly, this is how I am feeling about the world and character building so far. I am enjoying the tone. I know this is generally pretty well received so I know I am probably the odd one out. Should make for an interesting upcoming book club discussion.

great and fun read! I really enjoyed Gladstone's mix of urban fantasy with a crime/lawyer procedural. the cast of the book is quirky yet unique, and their dynamics play well off each other. I've noticed some people have issues with the prose style since it's a touch more descriptive and snarky than the average fantasy book but I think it works pretty well in this case.

Part fantasy, part alternate world, part law, part religious—it‘s hard to categorize. But if I had to classify it, I‘d say legal fantasy. In fact, the legal parts are so strong, I looked up the author to see if he was a lawyer (he‘s not). But as a lawyer myself, I appreciated seeing a legal system combined with magic in a fantasy book.

3.5 ⭐️ – full review on GR

Library holds came in that I can‘t wait to dive into. Plus I got my goodies from the library‘s summer reading challenge. 🎉

A murder mystery. Who killed the God of Alt Coulumb? Gods are bound by very detailed contracts, with clauses and loopholes. Mages are practicing lawyers who write the contracts and conduct trials. An interesting world for a story.

However, the writing is trying for snarky but often ends up just clunky, to the point it was a distraction. I also didn't build up any sympathy with the MC, who was alternately improbably skilled and incredibly naive.

I enjoyed the first book in this series very much. It's an urban fantasy murder mistery, with gods and gargoyles, and where practicing magic is like practicing the law. I love Tara, the main characte, and how smart and resourceful she is. Can't wait to read the rest.

So yeah, apparently Squidapus has been missing out on a fun author. This combination fantasy of Gods and necromancy and also murder mystery and court procedural was great. It had a fantastic ability to create a world and populate it with it's own history and terminology that didn't leave you confused. There were no pages of exposition or awkward stilted dialogue but Squidapus never had trouble following along. And a rarity, a satisfying ending!

Squidapus actually started this and finished Spinning Silver a while back but I was so busy I couldn't post for him. It looks like Gladstone was one of those prolific and popular authors he had never read who actually weaves an enjoyable story. He'll probably finish it tomorrow!

I had been meaning to read this for a while, since seeing a bunch of my favorite SFF writers yelling enthusiastically about it. Very satisfying combination of second-world fantasy and legal thriller, which is something I can‘t recall ever seeing before. Definitely interested in reading more of the series.

Next

Clever, thrilling and fast paced urban fantasy in the model of China Miéville or Robert Jackson Bennett's recent work .

The world and concept are amazing, the writing has some amusing turns of phrase, the characters have solid motivations that are adequately explained. The plot is totally conventional, which was really surprising and disappointing against such an unusual backdrop.

THREE PARTS DEAD was fun to read. It‘s the first novel of The Craft Sequence series written by Max Gladstone. Upon seeing the Judge Cabot dead and literally torn apart, Tara Abernathy also sees a Gargoyle who claims not to have done the dirty deed. Things get exciting in the second half. The world-building is outstanding! Driverless carriages, shape-shifting Justice enforcers, and floating buildings!

I struck out on the last two novels I picked up, so here's hoping this one does it for me. I've wanted to read it for awhile now. Fingers crossed!

Great book for my morning commute

This is fun and fast, as necromancer lawyers must find out who killed the fire god Kos in the city ofAlt Coulumb. Tara is a first year associate who is faced with vampires, gargoyles, priests, and her boss Ms. Kevarian. Pure entertainment, and excellent world building. Great for a break from noir!

I‘m at a panel with Max Gladstone, Anne Bishop, Terry Brooks, & Dana Cameron - moderated by Elizabeth Vaughan. They‘re discussing urban fantasy and writing in general and it‘s awesome. #GenCon2018

I believe it!

Max Gladstone will be at #GenCon2018 and he‘s one of the authors I snagged a ticket for his autograph. I‘ve been putting off reading this series but my goal this month is to read a book from the authors I got autograph tickets for to make sure I really want their autograph. If I read the entire series it will be in the order it was published.

Loved this first entry in the Craft Sequence and I can't wait to read more of the series! Steampunk fantasy mixed with legal thriller is the genre mashup I never knew I needed. My only disappointment is that (because these books are written out of sequence) I won't get to see Tara Abernathy again until book 5. But I'm sure books 2-4 will introduce equally interesting characters and ideas. Definitely recommend checking this one out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finally starting this series! There are two schools of thought on how to read The Craft Sequence: in publication order or in chronological order. Gladstone made it easy to figure out the timeline by putting the appropriate number in the title of each book (for example, this was the first one written but third in chronological order). I decided to start with the first published, but I love the idea of a series that can be read two different ways.

I don't know if it's because I listen to the audio, but this was hard for me to get into. I tried twice and forced myself to finish. #Litsybythenumbers @Chelleo #3

If you want to read a book where a misogynist asshole is the main character, do not read this book. If you want a story based in a world where lawyers fight epic magic battles in the courtroom on behalf of their client who is a god under threat, then you should read this book.

A magical system based on contracts is very definitely a novel take, but ultimately the mystery and characters did not grab me enough.

Another #Litsyrecommendation. So far,so good!

#numbertitles from my #tbr, some how I've collected this series with the intention of reading it, then...didn't. Someday though! #goals #riotgrams

Is your TBR too small? Do you like diverse mega-awesome books?

When you hear the phrases "life after the God Wars" and "magical lawyers who can pull lightning knives from their chests" and "Chinatown-style noir about water rights but with more magic tattoos and skeleton CEOs" is your interest piqued?

All the books in the Craft Sequence have #numbertitles and you should read them. #riotgrams

Got this on a whim this weekend and it's really engaging! The magic system is interesting and the characters are entertaining. I have high hopes for this.

I can't believe it took me this long to find this series. This book is amazing and I am so excited to start the second book in the series. Highly recommended if you enjoy fantasy with great world building and a fascinating magic system.

My reading has been so slumpy lately, but I might be back on it. This was an awesome read (on sale on Kindle right now too!). I hesitate to call it Urban Fantasy since it takes place in a Fantasy world post a giant event called the God Wars, but it has steam tech and other things that make it feel Urban. Such a unique and wild ride. The ridiculous fire fights made me feel like a kid again watching a cartoon but in the most adult, badass of ways.

Interesting world-building and great ideas meet a book that didn't entirely come together for me. Part legal drama, part mixer mystery, all fantasy, THREE PARTS DEAD is absolutely worth checking out, despite its flaws, if for no other reason than its truly compelling mish-mash of genre conventions into something new. Some of the writing doesn't hold up, but it's a promising start to the series.

Does anyone else play with the page curl function on the kindle app? I don't know why this fascinates me so much.

YOU GUYS!!! All five books in the Craft Sequence are $3 each on Amazon. Do you like immortal skeleton sorcerers in business suits, magical lawyers with lightning knives, diversity, awesomeness, and a thoughtful look at global economies after the God Wars? Read these books!

#librarylife

Bookshelf Review #2: Max writes cerebral, magical, legal thrillers. And the covers for his series are among my favorites. Check out Full Fathom Five and Four Roads Cross and you'll see what I mean.

Up next in my TBRTuesday pile is this quartet of Craft Sequence books. They sound fascinating, it's kind of a duel between religion & Magic. The first book, A God has died, and it's up to Tara,first year associate in the necromantic firm of Kelethres Albrecht & Ao, to bring him back to life before his city falls apart. The world in this sounds like a fun ride!😇😈

Book mail! Let my mom borrow this for our book exchange (I was forced to read a silly romance novel in exchange that I still have not managed to finish) and naturally it took a tea bath and had to be replaced. Happy to return it safely to its honored place on my shelf.
P.s. If you haven't read this, you need to. It's amazing.

Decisions, decisions. I have so much literary goodness here in my library, I'm having trouble choosing which book to read next. I've narrowed it down to these five, which do you guys think? I'd love to hear your opinions.💬🤔 #bookishproblems #toomanybooksisbetterthannone

Loved the world building and characters. But especially loved the city, can I visit Alt Coulomb?

Just started this for book club. It's not my usual genre and I'm not sure what to think yet. It probably doesn't help that I'm reading it on my phone ($5 Kobo book!).

The magic system in this book floored me. I loved the duels of wit and magic just as much as the characters. Tara's badassery and Elayne's cool brilliance sucked me into the mystery, while religious and political factions completed my reread bingo card! Plus, how beautiful is that cover?

"My apologies," she said after another sip of vodka. "One gets carried away when one fees one's dinner companion has made an inexcusable moral error."
Elayne is my spirit animal.

So excited to finally read the Craft Sequence, I'm starting it on my lunch break!!!

Not a big Urban Fantasy fan but whoa, I might just be a convert. Totally fascinating world with a diverse round of characters especially lots of kickass ladies - uhh where has this book been all my life?

Awesome urban fantasy that actually has people of color. Crazy, right?!? Interesting magic system, hints of romance (but not enough to derail the plot), this book was just the thing to get me out of my urban fantasy funk.

Strong female characters and intriguing magic system. The author does not pull any punches and just drops you into the world. But it's worth the fall. 😻😻😻😻

Holy crap, this book keeps going til the very last page! I was waffling between 3.5 or 4 stars, but that epilogue totally elevated it to 4! A unique world - a little too classic fantasy for UF, but too cyber- or steampunk for straight fantasy? Very original magic system. A fun ride! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️