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Last First Snow

(Craft Sequence #4)

Max Gladstone (Goodreads Author)

4.02 · Rating details · 3,262 ratings · 348 reviews

The fourth novel set in the compellingly modern fantasy world of the Craft Sequence

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 the gods' wards last, they strangle development; when they fail, demons will be loosed upon the city. The Ki ...more

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Hardcover, 384 pages

Published July 14th 2015 by Tor Books

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Sep 25, 2014 carol. rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: people who want something different in fantasy

Shelves: fantasy, my-library, multi-culti, my-library-hardcover, favorites

It’s not a kissing book.

I feel I have to mention that because both people who saw me reading it at work said the title sounded like a romance. Since one was reading A Game of Thrones, I was a bit surprised at her lack of knowledge about Gladstone’s standout fantasy series, The Craft Sequence. It deserves far more recognition among fantasy and sci-fi fans than it currently receives. My best guess is that Gladstone is such an unusual writer, he travels above and below the average radar. The serie ...more

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Nov 29, 2016 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2016-shelf, worldbuilding-sf, urban-fantasy

I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel that this book doesn't really take off until negotiations turn to crap, but I'll say it anyway. :) The book REALLY takes off after the assassination attempt and that's also the spark that turns all the powers in the city upon each other. The Soul-Rich versus the Soul-Poor.

And it's not easy to negotiate with ourselves, as readers, just who is bad and who is good. It's very complicated, but more than that: it's vivid. We start out ten years before the events o I'm sure I'm not the only one to feel that this book doesn't really take off until negotiations turn to crap, but I'll say it anyway. :) The book REALLY takes off after the assassination attempt and that's also the spark that turns all the powers in the city upon each other. The Soul-Rich versus the Soul-Poor.

And it's not easy to negotiate with ourselves, as readers, just who is bad and who is good. It's very complicated, but more than that: it's vivid. We start out ten years before the events of Two Serpents Rise and we get the back story for Tamoc and what he did to Caleb. We get the re-introduction of all the gods into the city, too, and the slight diminishing of the King in Red's power. (Or it's enhancement, if you consider the return of the gods.) But either way, this is the book that changes the world. (Maybe not as much as 40 years prior with the war against the Gods, perhaps, but this is the book we've got.) :)

I'm continually amazed that the wide tapestry of the story. Not just the individual novels that are fantastic in themselves, but the over-story that encompasses the whole world and all of the events.

I've seen this before and have told myself that a full re-reading of this series is absolutely in order, but it's even worse now. The chronological order of books is all over the place. The numbers in the titles tell us that much. This is the earliest but its also the fourth book in the series.

That's fine. I actually prefer it that way. I love having already gotten to know and love so many of the personas that have center stage in this enormous mindfuck of a civil war fought in the skies, of gods and mortals and necromancers bloodying the streets of this oddly modern and recognizable town very much like our own.

Seriously, this writer is amazing. I'm still blown a way. :)

And yes, I probably will jump on a chance to re-read it all. I'll even do it again in publication order, too. The threads that keep intertwining are pretty awesome. :)

This fantasy series is rapidly becoming one of my absolute favorites. :) ...more

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Jun 12, 2015 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, magic, arcs-and-galleys, paranormal, review-copy, urban, books-won

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/09/28/b...

The Craft Sequence is unlike many conventional fantasy series in that each book can be read as a stand-alone, their stories ping-ponging unapologetically all over time and place, focusing on different characters. It makes it an unusual, albeit very special series. That said, many of these characters and events connect to each other, and there is a clear advantage to reading these books in the order in which they are publ 3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/09/28/b...

The Craft Sequence is unlike many conventional fantasy series in that each book can be read as a stand-alone, their stories ping-ponging unapologetically all over time and place, focusing on different characters. It makes it an unusual, albeit very special series. That said, many of these characters and events connect to each other, and there is a clear advantage to reading these books in the order in which they are published.

Last First Snow, for instance, is technically a prequel, taking place before the other three books, but it still felt like I was reaching a “crossroads” of sorts, on account of some of the familiar faces. The two main protagonists, Elayne and Temoc, are characters we’ve met before, though both appeared in their respective books in a supporting capacity only. It is also only forty years after the God Wars, and the city of Dresediel Lex still feels its effects, not least of all the poor population in the district of Skittersill, constrained by the old gods’ wards. Elayne Kevarian, a craftswoman, necromancer, and lawyer (not necessarily in that order) is retained by the King in Red to repair the wards, but the people of Skittersill rise up against her efforts, led by the warrior-priest Temoc.

Something had to be done, so Elayne organizes a meeting between all the parties in the hopes of negotiating a deal. After long days of bargaining back and forth and against all odds, an agreement is finally reached. However, no sooner had the ink dried on the contract than an assassination attempt throws all possibility of peace out the window. An all-out battle ensues. Gods and mortals, law and tradition, magic and reason, duty and family – it all comes to a head as both Elayne and Temoc must decide what they fight for.

In spite of all the cool ideas and fiery clashes, so far in the series Last First Snow was probably the toughest book for me to get into. Each installment has focused on a different theme, and something about this one just didn’t quite capture me right off the bat. We got started on a lethargic note, establishing the situation and mood in the Dresediel Lex. I didn’t feel what we were supposed to feel: a growing pressure, a sense of a city on the brink of losing control, the citizenry holding its collective breath. I don’t think I felt much of a connection to the people of Skittersill, not if I spent half the book actually rooting for the King in Red – whom, I might add, is not the villain in my eyes. In truth, there are no villains in this story. It also means no good guys either, but more on that later.

In essence, it felt like Max Gladstone tried to save all the good stuff for the second half of the novel. It wasn’t until the negotiations went sideways that I found myself full engaged; those scenes following the assassination attempt featured some of the best writing I’ve seen from Gladstone in this series so far. Once those floodgates were open, the story became more interesting, but still only because the main characters’ potentials were unlocked and not because I felt much for the nameless, faceless crowds of Skitterskill. Bottom line, Last First Snow is all about Elayne and Temoc, both of whom valiantly propped up the narrative.

Let’s start with Elayne Kevarian. You don’t mess with her. For readers who’ve been following this series since the beginning, that’s a lesson we learned early. There’s a certain satisfaction seeing her take center stage in this book, because though we’ve already taken her measure, there are still clearly so many ways in which she can surprise you. While Elayne remains one of my favorite Craft Sequence personalities, Temoc on the other hand stirred up plenty of mixed emotions. Seeing him with his young son Caleb, who will grow up to be the main character in Two Serpents Rise, was both a treat and a dreadful reminder of how things will turn out. Temoc’s personal journey in Last First Snow puts him in the difficult situation of choosing between two things that mean everything to him. Is he right for choosing one over the other? Just as difficult as it is to call the King in Red a villain, I too find it hard to get a bead on Temoc; for all the reasons there are to support him, I can probably find just as many to condemn him.

I enjoy books that throw me curve balls. Last First Snow by Max Gladstone is such a book. Is it my favorite of the series? Probably not. Still, as I say, there’s no such thing as a bad Craft Sequence book, just that some are better than others. Taking place before all the other books, Last First Snow was perhaps disadvantaged from the start, because the future is known for a lot of the characters. We already know who will make it out alive, how events will come to pass, how certain relationships will play out. For a book that’s mostly for filling the gaps in history though, it paints a rather fulfilling picture of two important characters who have thus far been on the periphery of our attention. I still love this series, and I can’t recommend it enough. ...more

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Jun 30, 2015 Seth Dickinson rated it it was amazing

We used to tell a lot of stories about gods. They got drunk, cheated on each other, held grudges, and fought long ruinous wars over small things. They had our problems, except bigger.

Dresediel Lex used to have gods. Now Red King Consolidated runs the city, a necrocapitalist water consortium helmed by a skeleton, staffed by wizard lawyers called Craftspeople, and dead-set on making everything better for everyone (as long it's net profitable). If you get in their way, well — we'd say gods help you We used to tell a lot of stories about gods. They got drunk, cheated on each other, held grudges, and fought long ruinous wars over small things. They had our problems, except bigger.

Dresediel Lex used to have gods. Now Red King Consolidated runs the city, a necrocapitalist water consortium helmed by a skeleton, staffed by wizard lawyers called Craftspeople, and dead-set on making everything better for everyone (as long it's net profitable). If you get in their way, well — we'd say gods help you, but the Red King killed them all.

Red King Consolidated wants to make the Skittersill better. Don't say gentrification, please, that's an ugly word. The old neighborhood needs investment, development, and infrastructure — a chance to join the modern world. The only problem is that the people living there refuse to get out of the way.

It's starting to look a lot like a protest. And in Dresediel Lex, the will of the people is as real as fire.

Dresediel Lex has our problems, except brighter. Wardens on rainbow-winged snakes keep watch on camps of protesters struggling to get over their differences and speak as one. Lawyers with immortality contracts and contacts in Hell slug tequila and complain about their jobs on top of eighty-story step pyramids. The last priest of the old gods fights to keep his congregation together in the face of modern life — while trying to raise a son who can thrive in the new world.

It's not an easy book. In here, as in the real world, it feels sometimes like the only thing little people can do is jump into the gears of the big machine. And in here, as with us, people struggle to find the line between order and tyranny, or faith and fanaticism, or change-by-negotiation and change-by-struggle.

If we all sit down together and say our piece, can we find a solution we agree on? And if we fail this time, if it all ends up like a war, does that mean we've failed forever? Are we just going to keep fighting this thing again and again until the stars go out?

Dresediel Lex tastes like corn tortillas and dust. It sounds like man-sized dragonflies and chanted slogans. It looks like Aztec gods dreaming Blade Runner. Everyone's trying their best to make the world better. They just have different ideas of what 'better' should look like, who should be in charge of it, and who should pay the blood and money it takes to get there.

You can read some truth in here.

This was my first Craft book. I'll read the rest. ...more

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Jun 25, 2015 Nathan rated it really liked it

Shelves: rated-4-star, author-male, read-2015

Fantasy Review Barn

Have you started reading the Craft Sequence yet? Because if not you are now four books behind in what is probably the best series running under the speculative fiction label. I come to this conclusion slowly. I have not personally five starred any of the previous outings despite finding them all highly enjoyable. And here is a spoiler for you; I will be giving Last First Snow four stars instead of five at the end of the review.

Because what we have here is a series that is gre Fantasy Review Barn

Have you started reading the Craft Sequence yet? Because if not you are now four books behind in what is probably the best series running under the speculative fiction label. I come to this conclusion slowly. I have not personally five starred any of the previous outings despite finding them all highly enjoyable. And here is a spoiler for you; I will be giving Last First Snow four stars instead of five at the end of the review.

Because what we have here is a series that is greater than the sum of its parts. This is high praise because each outing of this series has been unique and wonderful, brimming with a creative setting unlike any other and dealing with a cast of characters that hasn’t disappointed throughout. The design and outlining that has gone into crafting (bad pun) this series to date is nothing short of exceptional. Because while up to now we have seen plenty of overlapping the first three books we complete standalones in a timeline we could only guess at. With Last First Snow it is all coming together AND continuing to operate as a complete stand alone.

For the first time the main protagonists are people we have spent serious time with before though neither were the main characters in their previous appearance. A craft lawyer (aka magical necromancer who operates within some rules) and a former priest of now dead gods find their paths crossed during land negotiations. That’s right, negotiations over land. That is what this book is about. Except of course, it is so much more. Because it is a battle of classes, a battle of gods, a fight about tradition (which means live sacrifice) and of course—a battle of law. When lawyers can toss magical shields, priests can take a hands on approach to violence, and a skeleton represents the ruling class anything can happen.

What makes this book great is the same thing that has powered the three previous entries. It is fast paced and unique. It makes seemingly mundane details matter; particularly when the very base of the story involves a common land dispute. When the fantasy aspects really start to show their face they turn things up to eleven. And the strength of the characters is second to none. This is a world without villains but full of people to love and hate. Everyone has motivations that are understandable; some selfish and some less so but all very human.

But what makes this a great series is the way everything is starting to come together. It is no secret that the chronology of this series is represented by the numbers in the title. With this forth book being the first some questions are being answered. Questions I didn’t know I had. Characters are fleshed out, the land’s history is becoming clearer, even the nature of the craft that we have seen used since the beginning is becoming more clear. Context we didn’t need yet craved is being provided book but increasingly good book.

This may be the best book of the series. It may not, I seem to be saying that after each new outing. Certainly my own opinion is suspect because I am a sucker for books that hint at class warfare. And let’s give some credit for have a likeable character involved in human sacrifice (something I have only seen in Aliette de Bodard’s historical fantasy series before). Not that I am a proponent of human sacrifice but it adds an interesting dynamic in this case.

I ask again. Are you reading the Craft Sequence? Because if it isn’t obvious, I think you should be.

4 Stars

Copy for review provided by publisher. ...more

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Aug 17, 2015 Jason rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015, e-books

3 Stars

The Last First Snow was a huge disappointment for me. The Craftwork Sequence by Max Gladstone has up to this point been an incredible breath of fresh air. In this series he demonstrates how incredible an adult oriented fantasy can be. Max Gladstone is on top of his game. Each of the books in The Craftwork Sequence is an improvement on the last, with this book being a slight miss. Gladstone is rare in that he wants each book to be able to read alone, even though they are very connected. T ...more

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Aug 03, 2019 Rachel (Kalanadi) rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

I love this world, but the plot of this particular one didn't interest me as much as I'd hoped. ...more

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Jul 29, 2015 Ken Liu added it

I blurbed this book:

Brilliant, elegant, epic, astonishing, smart, gritty—that's just the zoning debate that starts the book. Last First Snow is another wondrous visit to the fantastic world of the Craft Sequence whose only flaw is that it is too short. ...more

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Jul 31, 2015 John Wiswell rated it liked it

The God Wars are over, and the lower classes of Chakal Square sit in protests. The capitalist overlord monsters (literally, the King in Red is a living skeleton who runs a corporation) want to rewrite its laws, including the laws of physics, to prevent any demons from breaking through, but they have to be careful, as the locals getting too upset could wake the ancient gods and split reality open. They must negotiate peace before the crowd's anger itself triggers an apocalypse.

You can't read "___ The God Wars are over, and the lower classes of Chakal Square sit in protests. The capitalist overlord monsters (literally, the King in Red is a living skeleton who runs a corporation) want to rewrite its laws, including the laws of physics, to prevent any demons from breaking through, but they have to be careful, as the locals getting too upset could wake the ancient gods and split reality open. They must negotiate peace before the crowd's anger itself triggers an apocalypse.

You can't read "___ Square" without thinking of Arab Spring, and Last First Snow's plot is clearly tapping protest culture. Like all Craft books, it's full of neat ideas, and boldly this one diverges from the string of Corporate Thriller-structured stories, trying to do something different, something set in public unrest. Unfortunately, we rarely get a sense of the tenor of crowds beyond them being passive or boiling, and none of the everyday people involved are main characters. Instead we have Elayne, a woman hired by the King in Red for security, and Temoc, a priest and community organizer who explicitly says he's not part of the cause but will be its mouthpiece. Temoc spends more time idly looking at his kid (Caleb, who will grow up to be the main character of Two Serpents Rise) than discussing concerns with the huddled masses, who remain faceless, as though series continuity is forcing them and the important themes out of their own book.

It's not a spoiler to say that this Fantasy negotiation eventually explodes, and it's disappointing, because for all the page-space negotiations get, it never feels like we go deep into them. Scenes keep ending with a point being made and dialogue just starting. There are so many scenes of people worriedly going home, or to alleys, or to camps, and just being nervous. The violence is so obviously coming that, when it comes, the plot feels foregone. We wanted something cleverer than another riot story, even if this one has a cool plasma dragon (and it is a freaking cool plasma dragon).

If buildings burn, I barely know anyone whose life was ruined by it. They had no names, no agency, and barely any presence in a novel that was about the destruction of what they knew. What's left is investment in the main characters to not kill too many of them in the warring streets.

The action is also undercut by this being a prequel to Two Serpents Rise. We know Temoc, Caleb, Elayne, and the King in Red survive; we even know the King in Red stays in power. The world can't actually end. Making the story about those characters doesn't just sideline the protests, but foregrounds conflicts that can only be dramatic if you can suspend how much you know happens after this.

Instead, this stuff fills in series back story, and there's pathos in seeing Temoc fear for his wife and son after his Batman-like holy warrior future in the other novel. There are cool ideas here, like Temoc convincing his blood-thirsty gods to take non-lethal imitation sacrifices. In the big battle that everyone knows is coming, we get a glimpse of how the God Wars had to be fought, and it is fascinatingly complex. It's cool for moments and for explosions, when the prose doesn't struggle.

Because Last First Snow has both the most inspiring and the weakest writing of the series, sometimes both on the same page. Late scenes use so many one-sentence "drama" paragraphs that Michael Crichton would blush; I counted sixteen in just one scene. There's too much emphasis on too many things, until it feels like the brakes are being slammed at every action.

At the same point, as heavy sacrifices are made, Elayne and Temoc have some amazing cognitive experiences, their minds and souls are physically challenged by what's happening. One telepathic event turns Elayne's mind into a montage of life experiences that rock you paragraph by paragraph, and even crumble bits of conventional grammar. Once you get to it, you won't forget it anytime soon.

If you want to know more about Caleb's father and the King in Red's rise after Two Serpents Rise, this is your bag. And if you want an explosive romp through other people's suffering, the back-half of the novel delivers. But having heard the first chapter of Gladstone's next book, I'd say it's more interesting than anything in this one. ...more

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Mar 09, 2019 Kaa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-series, group-buddy-reads

What an amazing book. As ever, the world of the Craft Sequence is beautifully drawn and completely fascinating. I enjoyed Elayne's role in Three Parts Dead, but I like her even better in this book as a younger woman growing into her power and making some hard decisions. Fantasy politics are always my jam, and I think Last First Snow does an exceptional job of creating a political story full of people and nuance. There are a few minor things within the book that I don't love, but honestly my bigg ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 The Captain rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy

Ahoy there me mateys! So in previous times, wendy @ thebiliosanctum set me on a series of adventures that led to me reading the first book in The Craft Sequence, three parts dead. I absolutely loved it. This is a review that talks about the fourth published book in the series. Like the others, I read this one without reading the blurb first. Not that would have helped me predicament. No real spoilers aboard but read at yer own peril . . .

So me hearties. I loved this book. But I found when I was ...more

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Apr 11, 2019 Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, poc-on-cover, poc-unclear-hero-or-heroine, kindle

Honesty, worth five stars for the line about prophets.

Who would have thought lawyer magical fantasy would be so good?

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Aug 17, 2015 Jason rated it liked it

Shelves: read-2015

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Feb 06, 2017 retro rated it it was ok

Shelves: urban-fantasy, fantasy

Quality writing & world building. Extremely irritating protagonist. Couldn't get into this one on account of how much I hated Temoc. The fact that this book is a prequel to Two Serpents Rise, which is about his equally irritating son, didn't help. ...more

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Jan 18, 2018 Bogdan rated it really liked it

Shelves: best-fantasy-books, max-gladstone-shelf, urban-fantasy

Good addition to the series. And impressive as the writer choses different stories for his books centered on the same world.

Maybe this volume had some flaws, the late start of the whole action, not so much deity around and other crazy stuff like the others (for example the city, Dresediel Lex, in the second volume, has vampires, zombies, and more, more creatures and fantastic beings roaming around ), in truth this one has some golems and some others in the end, but, anyway, still, not complainin ...more

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Jan 18, 2019 Siona St Mark added it

Shelves: did-not-finish, fantasy, thriller

A couple of years ago I read Three Parts Dead, the first published novel in this series. It took me a while to get into it, but by the end I really enjoyed it. Since then I’ve been collecting the other books in the series. Maybe two years ago I tired to read the second book publish, Two Serpents Rise, but couldn’t get into so I just planned on coming back to the series one day.

Yesterday I decided I would read the series in internal chronology because I didn’t remember Three Parts Dead enough to ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Sabrina rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

“…war always had been a chance for great powers to play with their most exquisite toys”

These books are really hard to rate. On the one hand, I feel they’re too complicated, so interwoven that I hardly understand them and have trouble to keep focus. But on the other hand, there is a brilliance too them (that is just a little out of my grasp) and there is always just something that keeps me going. One of those somethings was the overall story of this series, that finally started to come together ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Chip rated it really liked it

Characters: 5*
Universe: 5*
Plot: 3.5*

After reading book 5 by accident this book was *slightly* spoiled for me by myself (and book 5 now makes a bit more sense).

It was good to return to this universe and I greatly enjoy the concept of this series. What if religion and faith and miracles were based on math, science, and economics? You'd have the craft sequence. ...more

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May 26, 2015 Peter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, 2016-reads

If you're not reading this series, then it seems a bit silly from the outside looking in...maybe that's not the right word. Definitely weird.

That's what I thought when I started the series. Even after finishing Three Parts Dead, I just kept thinking, "What a weird book." I really liked it, though. It was new and fresh and exciting. And every other book in the series has continued that. And now I'm here, four books deep, and it all seems normal. It's a series where characters range from skeleton If you're not reading this series, then it seems a bit silly from the outside looking in...maybe that's not the right word. Definitely weird.

That's what I thought when I started the series. Even after finishing Three Parts Dead, I just kept thinking, "What a weird book." I really liked it, though. It was new and fresh and exciting. And every other book in the series has continued that. And now I'm here, four books deep, and it all seems normal. It's a series where characters range from skeleton kings to witch lawyers to warrior priests without any gods left (kind of), where everything is an analogy to modern life, where it's hard to tell the difference between great realism and cutting satire...and it's all pretty normal feeling at this point. I'm sold completely.

Anyways, in a series of good books, this is the best yet. We get to see a bunch of old characters (before they were old) in a relatively familiar setting, and in a really interesting time period. There's a really great dynamic between Temoc, Elayne, and Kopil, which really adds to the series as a whole, since those characters show up elsewhere as well. So that's pretty great. The story and themes were great, as usual in this series. It's always fun to see how Max Gladstone can use modern-day, real-world professions in his fantasy, and having Elayne work as a lawyer hired to help negotiate a stand-off over what is essentially a zoning issue (with a heaping dose of gentrification) is really cool. How is that even remotely interesting? I don't know how he does it. He's made lawyers and actuaries and investment bankers seem super interesting and get involved in some really great stories without stretching anything too far. In all of that kind of stuff, this book is right on par with the rest.

The only noticeable difference to me was the actual writing, the prose. It seemed like there was a decent shift in the style of writing here, and I liked it. It felt a little more poetic, and a little more sleek...Gladstone essentially added some really top-notch writing into his already impressive worldbuilding and characters and plotting.

This is easily one of the coolest series in fantasy right now, and if you're not reading it, you're missing out. It's way too weird to not read. ...more

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Feb 13, 2018 Jacqie rated it really liked it

This is probably my second favorite book of the first four written in the Craft sequence.

Gladstone has written these books in a non-chronological order, with the numbers in the title indicating how the order works. That means that this book is first in the series time-wise. It's a prequel to the events in Two Serpents Rise, with Caleb's father Temoc as one of the main characters.

Temoc is what makes this book for me. He is a priest who can no longer practice the blood rites of his psuedo-Aztec g This is probably my second favorite book of the first four written in the Craft sequence.

Gladstone has written these books in a non-chronological order, with the numbers in the title indicating how the order works. That means that this book is first in the series time-wise. It's a prequel to the events in Two Serpents Rise, with Caleb's father Temoc as one of the main characters.

Temoc is what makes this book for me. He is a priest who can no longer practice the blood rites of his psuedo-Aztec gods because his city has been conquered. Temoc has found a way to perform a semblance of the ceremony, enough to allow him to minister to his people. He's got a wife and son, and has convinced himself that this is enough.

Elayne Kevarian (from Three Parts Dead) is in this book too. She is helping the King in Red ( a skeleton sorceror who has conquered the city) and his business partner in a land negotiation. All of Gladstone's books deal with economics translated through the prism of magic. In this book, urban gentrification becomes a sparking point for something that could develop into a revolution. And wouldn't the anointed priest of blood gods be called to fight in that case?

Temoc doesn't want conflict- he's seen what war does to a city. Because of his influence in the slums, he is enlisted to negotiate a compromise that will avoid bloodshed. But in a city founded on sacrifice and death, it's not going to be that easy.

The characters are really what make this book for me. After reading about Temoc's implacability in Two Serpents Rise, his kinder gentler version is almost unrecognizable. I needed to know what made him transform so utterly. The trick of a prequel is to put the audience in suspense even when they know what's going to happen, and Gladstone pulls that off here masterfully.

And what a world. Couatl fly with airborne riot police, the city shimmers with heat and tension, a new paradigm forces its way into being. The end of the book felt just slightly overwrought, but 4.5 stars. ...more

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Jul 23, 2015 Dan rated it it was ok

This was a book about destruction and loss. Prequel to Two Serpents Rise, it tells of the rift that sprang up between Temoc and his son. The Red King is considerably more of a jerk than I remembered.

The first book in the series, I was surprised and impressed by the creativity put into the setting and worldbuilding. Four books in, it's the same setting, and it doesn't surprise me any more.

The tone of the series has been all over the place but this one was just depressing. Nobody in this book is h ...more

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Sep 30, 2015 Kdawg91 rated it it was amazing

If you are a fantasy fan, and you HAVEN'T read Max Gladstone, stop reading this, go get your paypal, credit card, pint of blood, etc..and hit up your bookstore/crack dealer of choice and buy the Craft Sequence series.

On a five star rating system, the book in this series I like the LEAST is 4 and a half stars.

so...........GO BUY IT. ...more

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Mar 18, 2018 kari rated it really liked it

So far my favorite Craft novel; the sense of inevitable tragedy and the conflicts were the emotional equivalent of being punched in the gut (repeatedly). I loved seeing a younger, more humane Elayne, a more terrifying Kopil, and most of all - Temoc before he became who he was in Two Serpents Rise. That's fine, I guess I didn't need my heart that much anyway. ...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Marlene rated it it was amazing

Originally published at Reading Reality

Dresediel Lex is a desert city. The last time it snowed was also the first time it snowed – 40 years ago during the God Wars.

It was also the first and last time that Craftswoman Elayne Kevarian met Temoc, the last Eagle Knight of the Old Gods.

Forty years ago, Elayne and Temoc were both young and idealistic, and Kopil, the King in Red, still had a fleshly body. Now Elayne and Temoc are both older and wiser, and Kopil has made the final transition of a Crafts ...more

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Jul 15, 2015 Mia rated it it was amazing

***NOTE: While each book in the Craft Sequence can be read as standalones, I shall be discussing them in toto, with emphasis on LAST FIRST SNOW. It really wouldn't be to your advantage to read this before reading the three previously published books.

LAST FIRST SNOW (hereinafter 'LFS') is the fourth book published in Max Gladstone's 'Craft Sequence' series. Chronologically first, it goes back to Dresediel Lex long before the events in TWO SERPENTS RISE (hereinafter '2SR'). In a development that s ***NOTE: While each book in the Craft Sequence can be read as standalones, I shall be discussing them in toto, with emphasis on LAST FIRST SNOW. It really wouldn't be to your advantage to read this before reading the three previously published books.

LAST FIRST SNOW (hereinafter 'LFS') is the fourth book published in Max Gladstone's 'Craft Sequence' series. Chronologically first, it goes back to Dresediel Lex long before the events in TWO SERPENTS RISE (hereinafter '2SR'). In a development that should surprise no one, LFS is a fantastic book.

What kind of devilry does Mr. Gladstone practice to maintain this track record of excellence? What manner of witchcraft lends him the power to publish four books thus far each of which can be read as a standalone, published out of chronological order yet fitting seamlessly into one cohesive story? THREE PARTS DEAD (hereinafter '3PD') is a fascinating opening salvo, introducing the wonders of Craft and the intricacies of resurrecting a god. TWO SERPENTS RISE (hereinafter '2SR') is unique for the inopportune romance wrapped up in politics and faith and beautiful for its tragic essence. FULL FATHOM FIVE (hereinafter 'FF5') is the most cerebral, dealing with the complexities and survival of a local economy. LFS is the most emotional-- taking us years in the past of characters we have met before and thought we knew, through the events that changed them into those we encountered in prior books set years into their future.

Forty years ago in the Gods War, Kopil the King in Red defeated the gods and gained control of Dresediel Lex. There he now reigns – the skeletal King in Red – at the helm of the conglomerate Red King Consolidated. Kopil aims to bring development into all corners of Dresediel Lex and has gathered together a consortium for this purpose.

The consortium has set its sights on the Skittersill, the proverbial ghetto of Dresediel Lex. The residents of the Skittersill, however, do not welcome any change liable to drive them out of their homes in favor of tall, shiny buildings and new shopping areas for the rich of Dresediel Lex. They have chosen to resist the development though they are not united as to the manner of protest. Those who believe the consortium is incapable of listening to their side favor armed protest while others believe that peace through dialogue and reciprocal compromise is possible.

We are reacquainted with Elayne Kevarian of 3PD, the negotiator no one ever wants to see on the opposite side of a bargaining table. She is counsel for the King in Red's consortium. We get to know Elayne better, including her participation in the Gods Wars. She was not always the shrewd, pragmatic woman she is now.

Temoc of 2SR is the last of the Eagle Knights. He fought on the side of the gods in the war and shared their defeat. He is the de facto spiritual leader of the Skittersill but he is also a husband to a wife and a father to a young boy, Caleb, who we first met all grown up in 2SR. Temoc is torn between his duties to his immediate family and to his spiritual family.

Elayne and Temoc were enemy combatants in the Gods Wars yet Elayne had saved Temoc when she saw him in peril. She respected the passion with which he fought. She respects it still. They remain on opposite sides of the current conflict but are not enemies though neither are they necessarily friends. Despite the new revelations, I suspect there is more history between Temoc and Elayne yet to be revealed.

LAST FIRST SNOW is a blend of the furious mass uprising of 'Mad Max', the cunning takeovers of 'Wall Street' and the human-divine conflict of 'Immortals. The King in Red in reference to Dresediel Lex has shades of Lex Luthor with regard Metropolis. This book has terrifying parallels to the modern day realities of societies with an ever-widening economic gap. Elayne and Temoc are the rational drivers of the peace yet they must always brace themselves against the tide of the passion and self-interest of their respective sides.

Temoc...Elayne...Elayne...Temoc. I went back and forth from one to the other, unable to settle on a favor character. Ultimately, it is an impossible choice. They are each singular for different reasons-- for their distinct strengths and what they are able to achieve with them, for their unique weaknesses and the extent to which these limit what they are able to achieve. Max Gladstone broke my heart several times in this book. Elayne faces the realization that all her skill and power are insufficient to save all she wished to save, her best is not enough and others must be sacrificed at the altar of her inadequacy. Temoc's various responsibilities are in conflict with one another and he is forced to prioritize, abandoning the rest. But it's not just Elayne and Temoc either. Max Gladstone placed many characters in such jeopardy and presented them with such dilemmas that almost always resulted in some loss. They sacrifice for the right reasons, they sacrifice for the wrong reasons, but they always sacrifice.

Four books into the series, the landscape becomes ever clearer. We begin to reconcile the characters with themselves throughout the overall story's timeline-- young Elayne/LFS Elayne/3PD Elayne; Gods Wars Temoc/priest-husband-father Temoc/fugitive Temoc of 2SR; young Caleb of LFS/resentful Caleb of 2SR. The cities of the Craft Sequence world become more distinct-- divided by their individual treatment of their respect faith, government and economy. I cannot help but think more conflict lies ahead.

This is a tremendously wondrous series, with much to amaze everywhere you turn. The writing is marked by subtlety, poetry, insightfulness and sophistication. The characters are multi-dimensional, fascinating and compelling. The world is rich, comprehensive, complex, diverse, unique yet familiar. The magic –the Craft-- is sublime and prodigious. The plot –of each book and the series as a whole-- is intriguing and elaborate.

In summary, I didn't really like it that much. It was just okay. If you believe that, I have a bridge to sell you...contact me. ...more

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Dec 20, 2020 Kir rated it liked it

Shelves: kindle-book, read-2020, worlds-beyond-the-margins

2.5 ⭐

On the recommendations of WBtM members, I started the Craft Sequence with book 3 (Three Parts Dead), and am now reading them in chronological (title number) order rather than publication order.

I picked Last First Snow up early for the buddy read as I'm in the need for escapism right now. Like in book 3, Gladstone displays complex and impressive world-building, and I'm interested to see which cities we'll visit in the next books (though I have to admit it took me a moment to realise Dresdiel ...more

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Nov 24, 2015 Gary rated it really liked it

This is the first Craft book I've read since the first in the sequence, Three Parts Dead. I think I liked that one a little more; Last First Snow sputters a bit at the beginning, and the climax is a little too heavy on spectacle for my taste. These are minor quibbles, however - Gladstone has a terrifyingly vast imagination and a gift for building story momentum with his meaty prose; all of his considerable gifts as a writer are on display here. And Temoc, a conflicted warrior priest who has too ...more

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Jul 19, 2015 elbren rated it liked it

I think story (rather than release) order is the way to go. this is a better introduction to elayne and king red and caleb, and I think the world building is smoother, but then again, I already know how this world works, so who knows.

original review (still accurate):

t: "hey. dude. what if Occupy had, like, *magic* {does twinkly fingers}?"

b: "dude, if Occupy had Magic, the Powers That Be would have More Magic, because they have more everything"

t: "but gods would be on our side, see, so it'd work ...more

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May 12, 2018 Rinaldo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: united-states, favorites, fantasy

4.75/5

Last First Snow is the fourth book in Craft Sequence publication-wise, but chronologically it’s the first. If you don’t like spoiler in the mildest form, you might want to read this book before Two Serpents Rise. However, personally I see great merits of reading 2SR first.

In 2SR, we get to see the status quo of Dresediel Lex, and how Temoc is an very different person compared to what he is in this book, to say the least. Caleb, the protagonist in 2SR, is a broken man in some ways, because ...more

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Nov 30, 2020 Matt rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy

It's the first book of the 'Craft Sequence' that I did not enjoy, and I put that down mostly to the fact that it is actually a prequel to one of the prior books.

Prequels are always difficult to pull off. The fact that we have the subsequent story means that we already know the general shape of what this story is going to be. We have to at the least know where things are going to end up - who is dead, who endured tragedy, which relationships are formed or broken, and so forth. Since the Max Glad It's the first book of the 'Craft Sequence' that I did not enjoy, and I put that down mostly to the fact that it is actually a prequel to one of the prior books.

Prequels are always difficult to pull off. The fact that we have the subsequent story means that we already know the general shape of what this story is going to be. We have to at the least know where things are going to end up - who is dead, who endured tragedy, which relationships are formed or broken, and so forth. Since the Max Gladstone's works have the general shape of fantasy murder mysteries, this knowing how things are going to end up takes out a lot of what makes this great potato chip reading. I think this might be an OK read if you didn't already know everything but the gritty details. I mean sure, this humanizes a minor character from a prior work a bit, but I'm not sure if that on its own justifies the story as a prequel. Add to that that the story is forced to end with an ambiguous tragedy and it's just not as fun as the prior three books.

Not that I'm complaining too much about the ambiguity. One thing I really like about the books is Gladstone trusts the reader to come to their own conclusions and generally presents everything as nuanced and difficult. There are clear villains in the story, but what makes the villain's villainous is their lack of morality - and not that they wear the wrong sort of hat. There are clear villains but there is a marked lack of clear answers. For instance, Elizabeth Bear writes in the margins of the cover, "It's fantasy as a metaphor for the full metastatic flower of late-stage capitalism, and is both vicious satire and totally engaging adventure all at once.", and I'm pretty sure Bear is wrong about everything in that claim but the "totally engaging adventure" part. The role of finance and capitalism in the story is as ambiguous as the role of religion, government, or democracy. Mostly what we see is not institutions or theories of the world the source of evil, but people as the source of evil. Neither progress nor tradition nor commerce is the villain here. I mean yes, you probably have to be ambiguous enough to at least allow for the possibility of Bear's interpretation of the story if you want to get published in this day and age, but Gladstone is I think not being so trite.

If you are going to read through the 'Craft Sequence', it's probably best to read them in chronological order rather than order of publication. That would make this correctly read either as the first book of the series rather than the fourth, though I think you could probably get by with reading this as the second and following up with 'Two Serpents Rise'. ...more

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About Max Gladstone

Max Gladstone

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Max Gladstone is the author of the Craft Sequence: THREE PARTS DEAD, TWO SERPENTS RISE, FULL FATHOM FIVE, and most recently, LAST FIRST SNOW. He's been twice nominated for the John W Campbell Best New Writer award, and nominated for the XYZZY and Lambda Awards.

Max has taught in southern Anhui, wrecked a bicycle in Angkor Wat, and been thrown from a horse in Mongolia. Max graduated from Yale Univer ...more

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Craft Sequence (6 books)

Books by Max Gladstone

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Quotes from Last First Snow

“We cannot save our clients from themselves. Someday in your career, Elayne, you will represent a man—almost certainly a man—who wants you to help him barter his soul to a demon for three wishes. When that day comes you may refuse his business, you may try to change his mind, but in the end if hell he wants, hell he will achieve.” — 2 likes

“Your son," she said, "needs a father."
"He needs a world less broken than this. All the sons need that. And the daughters, too."
"Is there such a world?"
"There must be.” — 1 likes

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