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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
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
adventurous
emotional
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
adventurous
funny
tense
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:
Yes
All the pirate stuff? Nautical lingo? 300 pages of starboard a-larboard and whatnot? Women living their best life? My boy Locke as a flailing wet disaster? Fun and interesting!
Every single bit of scheming and lying in the second in volume though? Too convoluted. i had "it's not realistic. it's just not realistic." in my head during the whole second half.
Every single bit of scheming and lying in the second in volume though? Too convoluted. i had "it's not realistic. it's just not realistic." in my head during the whole second half.
adventurous
funny
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
It is a testament to Scott Lynch's prowess as a writer that though Red Seas Under Red Skies represents a significant let down following the incredible first book in the Gentlemen Bastard Sequence, it still stands as a fine world building fantasy novel.
Without its own standard to live up to, I suspect most readers - myself most definitely included - would have enjoyed this pirating focused fantasy yarn, but the reality is Lynch was always going to be the subject of comparative reviews, much as sophomore efforts across any entertainment medium come under more intense scrutiny as a result of their predecessor's break out success.
As other reviewers have noted, the first quarter of this novel is much like Lies. Locke and Jean have set up shop in a new city and are planning an audacious heist whilst playing every end off against the others. Then, oddly, Lynch throws the equivalent of a narrative curveball that has divided his readers by yanking his two protagonists out of said caper and sticking them in the middle of a high seas adventure. Much of the reader's enjoyment of the subsequent three quarters of the book will largely depend on their willingness to roll with this development, rather than throw up their arms and lament for what might have been.
For me, it all took too long to fall into place. Lynch establishes the caper nicely, and then has to go about setting up the pirating yarn in exactly the same way. By the time the pieces are finally arranged to his satisfaction, 90% of the book is done and a too-quick pseudo-resolution is raced toward.
When the Gentlemen Bastard Sequence is complete, we may all look back on Red Seas Under Red Skies as a necessary means to an end: The book that sacrifices its own good name to better the series as a whole. But for now, it can only be considered an inferior follow up to one of the 21st centuries great fantasy novels. Which, when you think about it, it was always going to be.
3 Gradual Poisonings for Red Seas Under Red Skies.
Without its own standard to live up to, I suspect most readers - myself most definitely included - would have enjoyed this pirating focused fantasy yarn, but the reality is Lynch was always going to be the subject of comparative reviews, much as sophomore efforts across any entertainment medium come under more intense scrutiny as a result of their predecessor's break out success.
As other reviewers have noted, the first quarter of this novel is much like Lies. Locke and Jean have set up shop in a new city and are planning an audacious heist whilst playing every end off against the others. Then, oddly, Lynch throws the equivalent of a narrative curveball that has divided his readers by yanking his two protagonists out of said caper and sticking them in the middle of a high seas adventure. Much of the reader's enjoyment of the subsequent three quarters of the book will largely depend on their willingness to roll with this development, rather than throw up their arms and lament for what might have been.
For me, it all took too long to fall into place. Lynch establishes the caper nicely, and then has to go about setting up the pirating yarn in exactly the same way. By the time the pieces are finally arranged to his satisfaction, 90% of the book is done and a too-quick pseudo-resolution is raced toward.
When the Gentlemen Bastard Sequence is complete, we may all look back on Red Seas Under Red Skies as a necessary means to an end: The book that sacrifices its own good name to better the series as a whole. But for now, it can only be considered an inferior follow up to one of the 21st centuries great fantasy novels. Which, when you think about it, it was always going to be.
3 Gradual Poisonings for Red Seas Under Red Skies.
adventurous
emotional
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:
Complicated
A very good book, although not quite up to the standards of the first one. The piracy was very fun, but I feel like it didn’t play to Locke’s strengths very well and I missed the City feeling that Camorr had. Very fun to read though, even with all the sailing jargon
