Red Seas Under Red Skies

Unlike many reviewers, I thought this book was as good as the first book, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Of course, what I liked the most from that book can be found in this book also -- the lavish descriptions of setting, costumes, and the pirate boat itself. Mr. Lynch makes note in the book that he is no sailor and that many aspects of the pirate scenes may not be wholly accurate, so I give him a pass if he misses the mark on the pirate boats. Since I don't read much nautical-oriented fiction (or non-fiction), it seemed fine to me while I was reading it; I had no problems picturing the vivid scenes in my mind. The action is not the same as that in the first book, but the action is still very much there in this book. This book really focuses on one great scheme designed by Locke and Jean (main characters), while the first book had several smaller schemes. In this book, the scheme has "sub"-schemes that begin to weave away from the main scheme. I thought this book was just as entertaining, funny, and wonderfully written as the first and highly recommend it.

A lot of reviewers here seem to feel that the nautical middle part of this book took away from the story too much and was boring. I say, without that middle part, there's no story. The first 200 pages are great, full of witty dialogue and lots of tricks from the two main characters. The last 100 pages go the same way, with resolution to almost everything. I loved it all. Three criticisms, and these are spoilers so stop reading now if you've not finished the book: SPOILERS 1. Early in the book, when Locke visits the town to have his chairs made, he sees a very brutal game being played and is disgusted by it. We're told he can barely stand by and watch it happen. My impression of that was that it was a setup for another complete book. As it turns out, that plot point is dealt with later in the book, barely warranting five pages. It could have been so much more. Locke's feelings about the suffering in that town were so strong, I was sure we were going to get some major description of what he intended to do about it. Instead it just became a convenient way to advance the plot of this novel. 2. A lot of the foreshadowing doesn't pay off. We're led to believe Locke and Jean would break into the impenetrable vault and for 700 pages, I couldn't wait to see how they'd do it. Well...they don't. Their prize is underwhelming (especially when we find out what it actually is). It was still slick how they pulled it off, but it would have been truly impressive if Lynch could have had them get into that vault. I guess it truly was an impossible thing to do. I was also a bit let down by what purpose the chairs turned out to serve. They're built up way too much for what they actually are. Again, it was cool and useful, but I expected more. 3. When Locke and Jean were practicing their repelling (another element to their plan that I expected to have a bigger payoff than it did), I expected the thief they met to have some larger role later on. He never turned up again. END SPOILERS Despite my complaints, this is easily a five-star book. The fact that this author is only a year older than me breaks my heart. I can't imagine accomplishing anything like the two books he's written. I'm waiting anxiously for the next book in the series.

I bought this book immediately after I finished "The Lies of Locke Lamora". I have put it on my bookshelf and read the reviews to prepare myself. This was, however, a wrong decision. Heaving read the opinions of to many I got stuck. "Is it worth it, considering the negative reviews?", I asked myself. Time have passed and I tossed the book away. Now, after almost a year I started to actually read the book. And after a few pages I was delighted to see that this is a great read. Everything is so fleshed out, the characters, the setting, the storyline - all perfect. The feel of the book is so cosy, warm and rich. It feels so real and refreshing. It is inventive, full of colors, bizarre inventions, great dialogue and language, with lots of funny violence. Do not hesitate to read it if you liked "Lies.." it is truly a worthy followup. It is modern and at the same time you get the feeling of reading some well loved classic from the past. Great tonic for the scars that the real world makes on our souls...

This is an excellent book. I find it difficult to buy most of what passes for fantasy these days, but Scott Lynch creates characters that you care about...and he isn't afraid to kill them. Any novel that can create emotion, even beyond the suspense of turning pages, is worth my time and money. Red Seas Under Red Skies does that, and I would recommend it to any who asked.

Red Seas Under Read Skies is the second book in the Gentlemen Bastard series, as stated by other reviewers. While this book is good enough to be read as a stand alone, it is imperative that you read Lies of Locke Lamora before reading this, because many of the characters and events from the first book serve to set up the story in the second book. It is also worth noting that Scott Lynch has seven books planned for the series, the next being The Republic of Thieves which as of this review doesn't have a planned released date announced. Without giving away any key plot points, I can say for sure that we see a little more about the world in which Locke and Jean live, and without a doubt we are left thirsty for more. World building doesn't feel forced, like so many fantasy novels where we as the reader are almost dragged by our nose with an explanation of the world. I disagree with the reviewer who said the excessive language took them out of the world or spoiled the experience. Certainly there is a lot of use of cursing, but these are hardened men, dealing with even harsher adversaries and sailors. It felt real and not overused to me. Also there was a lot going on in the plot, but this is targeted at an older audience and it shouldn't be too hard to follow for most fantasy readers. I only had a couple of issues with this book. Mainly, it was that it didn't have the same power that the flashback style storytelling had in the first book. As we got to know the characters in the present, we also saw them developing in the past, and that element was sorely missed in this book, although it might have felt forced if included. Also, there were tons of threads in the plot that felt like they should have been addressed that were left unresolved, but the quick answer to that complaint is that Scott Lynch has seven books planned out, so we have to be left wanting a little more, like information about Locke's lady love... Personally I found the book to be very enjoyable. I was tremendously impressed with Lies of Locke Lamora, and Red Seas Under Red Skies has the same sort of feel despite the change to a nautical setting. Although it may feel like a little too much is going on, it is a great book overall and well worth the purchase. --Chantry P.S. The upcoming book titles for anyone who is interested, as enumerated on Scott Lynch's home page: III: The Republic of Thieves IV: The Thorn of Emberlain V: The Ministry of Necessity VI: The Mage and the Master Spy VII: Inherit the Night