The Uncertain Places
#10933.34 adjusted 3.72 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 1 book Status Complete 2011 Reading commitment Low Lisa Goldstein Last reviewed 2026-11-02
Overview
The Uncertain Places is a standalone fantasy novel by Lisa Goldstein, published by Tachyon Publications in 2011. Set in Berkeley, California, it follows student Will Taylor and his friend Ben, who meet the Feierabend family: sisters Livvy, Maddie and Rose and their mother Sylvia. The family seems blessed with luck, but the luck comes at a price, and Will and Ben try to uncover a supernatural bargain to save Livvy. The novel won the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature in 2012. It has no sequel and is not part of the author's earlier Dark Cities Underground world.
Urban fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (1 work) counts toward ranking
The Uncertain Places Lisa Goldstein
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Uncertain Places | 2011 | 1 | core | 3.34 (588 ratings) |
A standalone contemporary fantasy about a Berkeley family and a supernatural bargain.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Uncertain Places? The Uncertain Places's Core Canon is 1 book.
- Is The Uncertain Places finished? Complete (2011).
- How much reading does The Uncertain Places take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 1 Core Canon book).
- How is The Uncertain Places ranked? #1093 in this site's official ranking, based on 588 reader ratings across 1 Core Canon book. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1093?
Ranked #1093 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.34 across 1 core book.
- A smaller readership (588 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.36 behind #1092, The Beklan Empire.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Modestly rated · 1 book · Complete · 588 ratings · Ranks #1093 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment urban fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
A single Core Canon work: no sequencing question to resolve.
Awards (verified)
- Mythopoeic Award (Adult Literature), 2012: won: The Uncertain Places
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.34 across 588 ratings on 1 Core Canon book. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 31 universes; 3 candidates ruled out; open items closed accepted 2026-11-02
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Rising Shadow Tier 2
- Angus & Robertson Tier 2
- FictionDB Tier 2
- Wikipedia: Lisa Goldstein Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-02
Rule: Core Canon = The Uncertain Places (2011).