Four Roads Cross

Max Gladstone

Aug 2019 · Craft Sequence Book 5 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Adenrele Ojo

About this audiobook

Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence chronicles the epic struggle to build a just society in a modern fantasy world. 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.

Ratings and reviews

This is a dense book that weaves many of the threads laid in the stories before it, it sits at a complex nexus of character and plot. It does threaten to burst a little at the seams, but as always the climax makes meandering a little though the many plot points worth it. It must have taken so much planning and organization to achieve this. It is wonderful to be back in Tara's shoes, no one quite blends her wit, sense of responsibility, and relatable underdoggedness to stay adamantly human in the inhuman world of craft and gods. I look forward to seeing her perspective again. As always Max Gladstone flexes his writing prowess to bloom in juicy prose, just enough to call attention to the love of the written word, but never enough to overstay it's welcome and become purple. I have always loved how he treads that line. When dealing with forces such beyond comprehension it pays to use words that cannot describe, but allude.

About the author

Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award-winning author, Max Gladstone, is the author of many books, including Last Exit, Empress of Forever, the Craft Sequence of fantasy novels and, with Amal El-Mohtar, the internationally bestselling This Is How You Lose the Time War.

Adenrele Ojo is an actress, voice-over artist, writer, producer, and photographer. Her voice can be heard on many audiobooks, and she is the recipient of several AudioFile Earphones Awards. A native Philadelphian, she currently lives in Los Angeles.