I'm very curious about the "engineering in fantasy" topic. I'm wondering, did Patrick Rothfuss's stuff (Kingkiller Chronicles / Kvothe / Name of the Wind) come up in discussion at all? Because it is the best magic-as-engineering I've ever read, and makes such fundamental, intrinsic sense to me, on, like, a thermodynamic level. I have other issues with those books, but the magical worldbuilding there has become my golden standard.

I hope you enjoy Ninefox Gambit -- it's been one of my favorite books this year, and I can't wait for the third of the trilogy (sadly, no pub date yet...)