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irishpierogies's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gore
Minor: Slavery
gemstone's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
4.75
Ummm broke my heart. Not quite as much as LoLL (took me two years to read the sequel that’s how much that goddamn book broke my heart) but still broke it nonetheless. Also so clever? Lynch is always so clever with his writing. Anyways I’m going to have another hiatus (hopefully not two years again) until I read the Republic of Thieves to give Lynch time in which to release Thorn of Emberlain (it’s coming! I’m sure it’s coming!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
cardanrry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief and Classism
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
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
janieboucher'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
jayvdw's review
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? It's complicated
4.0
The gentleman bastards are at it again.
I really enjoyed the second volume in the series. Lynch has built an amazing world in the first installment and it was very interesting how he expanded this world in this book. We get a good look at a few different coastal cities and the seas surrounding them. I much enjoyed the new setting and made me curious about the rest of the world.
A major part of the book is spent on the seas and due to this this volume is less a heist story and more a pirate fantasy drama. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it was not what I was expecting from the series. I had hoped for a bit more heists and trickery than shown in the book. The pacing in the pirate part of the book also felt a bit off, it started quite slow and then became very quick. I personally would have preferred the beginning of the pirate part to be a bit faster-paced. This could have been achieved if the book had fewer nautical terms and references, these felt a bit unnecessary for the most part.
The book does continue the difficulty of Locke and Jean using multiple identities, but it felt like there were even more different identities at the same time than in the first volume. This was both a good and a bad thing since it made the story more interesting to read how Locke and Jean spun a web of lies around them. But on the downside, sometimes it was a bit too confusing.
Overall, I really enjoyed to book. There are however some things I would have changed, like the nautical terms but also the pacing in some parts of the story. I am curious about what will happen to Locke and Jean in the next installment. May the Crooked Warden favor them.
I really enjoyed the second volume in the series. Lynch has built an amazing world in the first installment and it was very interesting how he expanded this world in this book. We get a good look at a few different coastal cities and the seas surrounding them. I much enjoyed the new setting and made me curious about the rest of the world.
A major part of the book is spent on the seas and due to this this volume is less a heist story and more a pirate fantasy drama. This in itself is not a bad thing, but it was not what I was expecting from the series. I had hoped for a bit more heists and trickery than shown in the book. The pacing in the pirate part of the book also felt a bit off, it started quite slow and then became very quick. I personally would have preferred the beginning of the pirate part to be a bit faster-paced. This could have been achieved if the book had fewer nautical terms and references, these felt a bit unnecessary for the most part.
The book does continue the difficulty of Locke and Jean using multiple identities, but it felt like there were even more different identities at the same time than in the first volume. This was both a good and a bad thing since it made the story more interesting to read how Locke and Jean spun a web of lies around them. But on the downside, sometimes it was a bit too confusing.
Overall, I really enjoyed to book. There are however some things I would have changed, like the nautical terms but also the pacing in some parts of the story. I am curious about what will happen to Locke and Jean in the next installment. May the Crooked Warden favor them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and War
cj13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content
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.
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
mdking's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I don't normally love sea faring adventues, or pirate tales, but I did enjoy this one. I love Jon and Locke. The story was good.
In some ways, the story improved on the first one. Fewer homophobic slurs for one. There were also powerful emotive moments throughout this book and I thought the worls building was much better.
On the other hand, the novel had pacing issues. Long scenes that added nothing to the story (e.g. Dangling off a cliff with a robber above them!) The portrayal of women continues to be poor: in most cases plot devices rather than 3D characters.
Overall a good read. Not sure how quick I'll be to read the next one.
In some ways, the story improved on the first one. Fewer homophobic slurs for one. There were also powerful emotive moments throughout this book and I thought the worls building was much better.
On the other hand, the novel had pacing issues. Long scenes that added nothing to the story (e.g. Dangling off a cliff with a robber above them!) The portrayal of women continues to be poor: in most cases plot devices rather than 3D characters.
Overall a good read. Not sure how quick I'll be to read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Drug use
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Torture, and Violence