Craft Sequence
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Craft Sequence

Author: Gladstone, Max
If a magic system was by alawyer, this would be it. That may sound like a boring concept, but Max Gladstone’s execution is far from it. In his urban fantasy world, it makes complete sense, leaving you wondering why it hasn’t been done before. In the city of Alt Coulumb, the power of the gods is for sale. Magic works on the basis of contracts and trades, Gods bartering with cities and each other for the loan of their powers.As a result, the world is populated by vampires and gargoyles, fallen gods and necromancers. However, due to these contracts, using magic requires express permission. The battle for its use partly legal, arguing a case for its use in the courtroom. From this concept, Gladstone builds a complex mythology, complete with multi-dimensional libraries and supernatural elements. Despite this, he never infodumps or confuses. The magic system unfolds naturally though action and dialogue, spurring an easy understanding of its nuances. To use power, mages manipulate their souls to affect the physical world, but there are elements of steampunk and modern economic systems. The result is a fantastic blend of genres, defying hundreds of conventions and telling an unusual story.

Books in Craft Sequence Series (7)

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Other books by Gladstone, Max

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Craft Sequence

If a magic system was by alawyer, this would be it. That may sound like a boring concept, but Max Gladstone’s execution is far from it. In his urban fantasy... Read more

Two Serpents Rise

"[A] taut and unique blend of legal drama, fantasy, and noir." —Publishers Weekly, starred review Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence chronicles the epic struggle to build a just society in a... Read more

Full Fathom Five

On the island of Kavekana, Kai builds gods to order, then hands them to others to maintain. Her creations aren't conscious and lack their own wills and voices, but they... Read more

Last First Snow

"Forty years after the God Wars, Dresediel Lex bears the scars of liberation--especially in the Skittersill, a poor district still bound by the fallen gods' decaying edicts. As long as... Read more

Full Fathom Five

“This is the best kind of urban fantasy, filled with diverse characters and thought-provoking philosophies.” —The Washington Post Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence chronicles the epic struggle to build a just... Read more

Last First Snow

“Brilliant, elegant, epic, astonishing, smart, gritty.... another wondrous visit to the fantastic world of the Craft Sequence.” —Ken Liu, author of The Grace of Kings Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence chronicles... Read more

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... Read more

The Ruin Of Angels

Max Gladstone returns with The Ruin of Angels, the sixth novel in the Hugo-nominated Craft Sequence, which The Washington Post calls "the best kind of urban fantasy" and NPR calls... Read more

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