Wicked Problems

Wicked Problems by Max Gladstone is the second book in the Craft Wars series, a tight sequence of novels that will bring the sprawling saga of the Craft to its end, and the perfect entry point for this incomparable world.

Release date slated for 9 April 2024 (US).

Eighth book both chronologically and in publication order, direct sequel to Dead Country, and the second of the capstone quartet ‘Craft Wars’.

Check out our spoiler-free liveblog here!

To be published 2024, Tor.com

 

Summary of Wicked Problems

(from publisher)

Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone's Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

A deadly force has been unleashed into the world. With apocalypse on the horizon, a girl and a god have joined in order to turn back the coming end. Young, brash, and desperate, they are willing to destroy anything and everything that stands between them and their goals. The structures of the Craft are theirs to overturn, with billions of lives in the balance. And it is all Tara Abernathy’s fault.

The battle for the world of the Craft is heating up. A dead god will rise. A mountain will fall. Ancient fire will be stolen. And while Tara races to stop Dawn’s plans, the end draws ever closer, skittering across the stars to swallow the world. The Craft Wars enter their second stage in Wicked Problems.

 
Articles
Who is Belladonna Albrecht?
Who is Belladonna Albrecht?

Who is Belladonna Albrecht? Why am I so obsessed with a character who is never seen on-page, and who is referenced by name only ten times? Read to find out.

Demographics of POV characters (UPDATED 2024)
Demographics of POV characters (UPDATED 2024)

A nerdy deep dive into demographics of POV characters in the Craft Sequence.

POV Distribution in the Craft Sequence (UPDATED 2024)
POV Distribution in the Craft Sequence (UPDATED 2024)

With 44 POV characters across 8 books, who has the most narrative page-time in the Craft Sequence so far? Who are the ‘main’ characters, and what does that mean for the story?

Entire Craft Sequence story so far...
Entire Craft Sequence story so far...

Need a reminder of the plot of the Craft Sequence before reading Wicked Problems? You’re in luck - the first seven books all summarised neatly here.

The story so far... Dead Country
The story so far... Dead Country

Everything you need to remember from DEAD COUNTRY before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.

The story so far... Ruin of Angels
The story so far... Ruin of Angels

Everything you need to remember from RUIN OF ANGELS before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.

The story so far... Full Fathom Five
The story so far... Full Fathom Five

Everything you need to remember from FULL FATHOM FIVE before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.

The story so far... Four Roads Cross
The story so far... Four Roads Cross

Everything you need to remember from FOUR ROADS CROSS before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters collide, and my gods it’s a fun one.

The story so far... Three Parts Dead
The story so far... Three Parts Dead

Everything you need to remember from THREE PARTS DEAD before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.

The story so far... Two Serpents Rise
The story so far... Two Serpents Rise

Everything you need to remember from TWO SERPENTS RISE before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.