Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch

10 reviews

lanid's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ekcd_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I loved the first book so much, but I think this one has turned me off the rest of the series. Lots and lots and lots of plot holes - and not just the expected ones in these kinds of swashbuckling heist and mystery books. Its like Lynch just decided to forget half the book he had written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

roksyreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

On the exotic shores of Tal Verrar, Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen have set their sights on the Sinspire, the most exclusive – not to mention guarded – gambling house in the world. But someone in Tal Verrar knows their secrets and intends to make the criminal duo pay for their past sins; all of their combined wits and cunning may not be enough to save them.

Similar to the first book, Lynch uses a dual narrative structure of past and present events to weave Locke and Jean’s journey to the latter stages of their ‘game’. You would expect a novel focused on conmen to go the way of Ocean’s Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen; setbacks would be quickly surmounted by clever tricks and cunning, and ultimately the conmen would succeed against the powerful clandestine ruler of the Sinspire. Pleasantly – or perhaps unpleasantly, at least for our protagonists – this is not the case. Locke and Jean are constantly faced with the challenges of maintaining multiple faces and plots, their lives hanging in the balance.

I am very fond of stories featuring found family and genuine friendship. Lynch brings so much emotion and depth to his characters and the relationships they build that it’s difficult not to become attached to this pair of morally grey conmen and the allies they make along the way. In this novel, I was particularly fond of Zamira, and most enjoyed the latter half of the novel in which she and her first mate, Ezri, featured prominently.

A dark, twisting, and detailed fantasy – with the added bonus of pirates and adventures on the high sea – Red Seas Under Red Skies was hard to put down and even harder to leave behind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Torture, and Violence

mgraceoliver's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

murdoch's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Sexual content, Slavery, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

seanml's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Scott Lych's sequel continues to excel in just about everything that the Lies of Locke Lamora did. While the main story may not be as unpredictable, the fantastical settings and characterization are superb. In many fantasy series, the main protagonist can sometimes end up being one of the less interesting characters. With the Gentleman Bastards, this is thankfully never the case. 8.5/10.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement and War

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, and Slavery

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

sporemiette's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I was worried at first that this book would follow the same formula as the first

(dashing rogues working towards a mad heist only to be forced into a scheme bigger than them by a powerful third party)

but I was pleasantly surprised. Also pleasantly surprised to see more representation in this installation. To think that a book published in 2007 has better queer rep than most books published today. sigh. I have to say though, I'm not a big fan of Lynch's reoccurring habit of

offing prominent female characters. First the Capa's daughter, now Ezri. I dread for Sabetha's sake in the next book lol.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Slavery, Excrement, and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

mandkips's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Grief

Minor: Confinement

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Maybe my expectations for this sequel were too high. I loved the first book so much, I wanted to love the second one as well. And there were aspects of this book I really loved. The characters are phenomenal. I was so happy to see Locke and Jean again, but the new characters that are introduced here are amazing too. I'm still in awe of the world building and the atmosphere. It’s so immersive, it feels like you’re right there with the protagonists. And it doesn’t get boring, I still want to know a lot more about the world and its wonders. But… I didn’t find the plot as intriguing as the lies of Locke Lamora. Loved the beginning/first part, but the whole time at sea was very predictable. And it felt so unnecessary in the end, just like a way too long filler to postpone the finale. Which was - although refreshing - a little disappointing as well. I still enjoyed the book a lot and will continue with the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Confinement, Sexual content, and Alcohol