Theories and Deep Dives
Hardcore Craft Sequence fan? This is the place for you. Here you can find spoilerific analysis, wild theorising and speculation, and deep dives into character, place, and plot.
Unnecessarily in-depth articles about very specific things
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?
Third in the skazzerai series. Tara has learnt a lot about the demonic space spiders en route to the Craft world, but it isn’t until the end of Dead Country that she finds out their connection to her old nemesis Alexander Denovo - and what he did in the desert.
A magical storm showing every possible future now only shows one: the end of the world. What did Tara and Dawn see in the edge storm? What does that mean for the rest of the Craft Wars trilogy?
The end of the world is coming. Tara and her allies are gearing up to fight the skazzerai, spider-like creatures from deepest space - but how much do they (and we) know about this great enemy? Here’s everything we find out in the first half of Dead Country.
Choice of the Deathless is the first of two unconnected choose-your-own-adventure text games set in the world of the Craft Sequence, set several years before the novels. This article looks at the different chapters of the game, key characters, and the awards you can win through different choices - everything you need to know is right here.
We’ve looked at almost every reference to dragons in the Craft Sequence, so now we’re bringing out the big guns - figuratively and literally. Read on to see how dragons act as magical jumbo jets and also corpse WMDs - yes, literally.
In honour of Tor Books’s 5th annual Dragon Week, here’s an unplanned article about EVERY SINGLE dragon reference in the series. Part 1, because it turns out there’s way more than I thought. YOU’RE WELCOME.
In Quechal mythology, the skazzerai are demonic spiders at the end of the universe spinning webs between the stars. We have evidence they’ve visited the world of Craft before ‘to eat’ - and it looks like they’re going to play a part in the CRAFT WARS endgame. So, what’s the deal with the space spiders?
In ‘honour’ (cough) of the Platinum Jubilee, let’s do a deep dive into everyone’s favourite Camlaander, GAL.
Who – and what – is she? What are the Knights of Camlaan? Will we see her again? And what is her secret heritage?
The Grimwald family have their (literally) shadowy fingers (in every proverbial pie in the Craft Sequence. Although they only show up in ‘person’ in two books, their small roles are absolutely essential to the plot and to the state of the Craft world.
Who or what are they? What do they want?
The major twist at the end of Three Parts Dead is deftly built up through clues and foreshadowing - here is every single one. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD.
Skazzerai / Space Spiders
Billionaire. Nightmare artist. Philanthropist. Eberhardt Jax wants to make his mark on the world. It’s clear he’s integral to the overarching plot of the Craft Wars quartet, linked to the skazzerai, the gray men, and the end of the world.
But who exactly is he? And what does he really want?
Throughout Wicked Problems, we meet strange bland men, shells for brutal metal weapons. But what exactly are they, and who controls them?
How are the Grimwalds involved with the skazzerai - and what do they know about the end of the world? This is everything you need to know after Wicked Problems.
Third in the skazzerai series. Tara has learnt a lot about the demonic space spiders en route to the Craft world, but it isn’t until the end of Dead Country that she finds out their connection to her old nemesis Alexander Denovo - and what he did in the desert.
Alexander Denovo looms large over the Craft Sequence despite his early death. As his influence comes back in the Craft Wars trilogy, we ask: who is he, and what does he want?
A magical storm showing every possible future now only shows one: the end of the world. What did Tara and Dawn see in the edge storm? What does that mean for the rest of the Craft Wars trilogy?
The end of the world is coming. Tara and her allies are gearing up to fight the skazzerai, spider-like creatures from deepest space - but how much do they (and we) know about this great enemy? Here’s everything we find out in the first half of Dead Country.
In Quechal mythology, the skazzerai are demonic spiders at the end of the universe spinning webs between the stars. We have evidence they’ve visited the world of Craft before ‘to eat’ - and it looks like they’re going to play a part in the CRAFT WARS endgame. So, what’s the deal with the space spiders?
Craftsfolk are necromancer-lawyers, and as such a significant part of how they perform magic is via a strong argument, and asserting their truth onto reality. This essay looks at the magical components of a Craft argument.
Shaping reality and underpinning all magic in the Craft Sequence are words and belief. We take a deep dive into how this works in the Craft Sequence with examples from across the series.
How does magic work in the Craft Sequence? Two forms of magic, the Craft and Applied Theology, work on many of the same principles with some key differences - one is the magic of the people, and one is the magic of the gods. Part one of a series.
How Magic Works
The 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.
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.
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.
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.
Everything you need to remember from FOUR ROADS CROSS before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters collide, and my gods it’s a fun one.
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.
Everything you need to remember from LAST FIRST SNOW before reading WICKED PROBLEMS. Characters, plots, and the importance of the book for the rest of the series.
A nerdy deep dive into demographics of POV characters in the Craft Sequence.