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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
I only have one teeny tiny problem with this story but overall it was amazing and Scott Lynch is a writing genius. I have a slight author crush! Highly recommend this series!!
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read this for r/fantasy's 2025 Bingo - Pirates
Overall, I really enjoyed Red Seas Under Red Skies. I can say that it felt more enjoyable than the Lies of Locke Lamora.
The story is a convoluted tale of a heist gone wrong, complicated by assassinations, schemes, mages and political machinations. It's thoroughly entertaining and will keep you turning pages, waiting to see what insane thing happens next.
The book is helped along by having Locke and Jean as the main focus - their friendship forms the emotional core of the book. We learn more about Locke and he's less of a myth and more human. Secondary characters are great, although it would have been fantastic if some of them made their appearance sooner.
There's a lack of strong female characters for the first half of the book but we are introduced to several in the second half that are excellently written.
I will say the biggest drawback is the length. The most exciting part - with the pirates, doesn't start until well past the 50% point. There are a number of digressions throughout the book, flashbacks, side stories. Not all of them are as gripping as the main plot. It felt like they could have been succinct little asides, however Lynch prefers to take you through them quite diligently. While a few of these side stories do have a payoff later, I wouldn't say that they are strong payoffs.
It does enable us to see more of Locke as a person, to get inside his head and see his own values and who he really is. But at times, one can feel a little impatient to get back to the main story.
Finally, there's one ending to a character that was a bit of a disappointment. I won't go into specifics but it felt a bit cliche and I think overall, didn't really service the story in a way that helped the narrative.
Overall, I think if you're looking for something hearty to sink your teeth into and really escape with, Red Seas is an easy recommend.
Overall, I really enjoyed Red Seas Under Red Skies. I can say that it felt more enjoyable than the Lies of Locke Lamora.
The story is a convoluted tale of a heist gone wrong, complicated by assassinations, schemes, mages and political machinations. It's thoroughly entertaining and will keep you turning pages, waiting to see what insane thing happens next.
The book is helped along by having Locke and Jean as the main focus - their friendship forms the emotional core of the book. We learn more about Locke and he's less of a myth and more human. Secondary characters are great, although it would have been fantastic if some of them made their appearance sooner.
There's a lack of strong female characters for the first half of the book but we are introduced to several in the second half that are excellently written.
I will say the biggest drawback is the length. The most exciting part - with the pirates, doesn't start until well past the 50% point. There are a number of digressions throughout the book, flashbacks, side stories. Not all of them are as gripping as the main plot. It felt like they could have been succinct little asides, however Lynch prefers to take you through them quite diligently. While a few of these side stories do have a payoff later, I wouldn't say that they are strong payoffs.
It does enable us to see more of Locke as a person, to get inside his head and see his own values and who he really is. But at times, one can feel a little impatient to get back to the main story.
Finally, there's one ending to a character that was a bit of a disappointment. I won't go into specifics but it felt a bit cliche and I think overall, didn't really service the story in a way that helped the narrative.
Overall, I think if you're looking for something hearty to sink your teeth into and really escape with, Red Seas is an easy recommend.
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is another fun read but its hard to beat the excitement and plot of the first book. The heist plot felt rushed when it came time to resolve that part of the plot but the twist at the end was a surprise.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
ZAMIRA!! 🫠In fantasy/lit, it’s rare to see the “loving mother” and “ruthless leader” archetypes embodied in the same person. And even rarer to see them on-page actively mothering young children during the action, using the complex circumstances dually as moments of tender teaching and aggressively advancing lofty goals. A complete W.I.T.C.H. 🩷 She represents a vision of womanhood and leadership where nothing has to be sacrificed: not motherhood, not ambition, not compassion, not ferocity. BABE.
Oh wait yeah, the book! Almost forgot - it’s basically Italian magic pirates Ocean’s 11. And there’s some guy named Locke, but this is Zamira’s world. Locke’s just visiting and hogging page real estate.
i wanted to like this more but i had to take frequent breaks from how bored i got. continuously changing allegiances and straying away from the main storyline left me disappointed.