Reviews - Red Seas Under Red Skies

3.8k reviews for:

Red Seas Under Red Skies

Scott Lynch

4.21 AVERAGE

cptkaladin's review against another edition

4.25

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

avinashshekhar's review

4.25

adventurous funny lighthearted 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

gbep's review against another edition

4.0

Well now I have to read the third one right away bc what now ???????

thierryxn's review against another edition

4.0

More fun with Locke and gang. I liked the idea of the Sinspire heist, and the complication with Stragos added an interesting layer to the mix. At first, I thought the stuff with the Red Messenger was a bizarre and unnecessary detour, and while I ultimately still think the Sinspire heist should have been the focus, I still ultimately liked what I heard. Locke's schemes within schemes are entertaining, and the Red Messenger stuff turned out fine. Plus, there was the addition of cats. The other main qualm I have is how the end just happens really fast, and feels somewhat rushed as a result.

goodnight_moon's review against another edition

5.0

So many typical sequel problems are avoided here because we left the first book with a few heroes and nothing else. The book strikes a great balance of being more of the same (a heist with the proper ratios of trickery, violence, and luck) and being entirely different (most everything else). The new characters are all fantastic.

It got a little muddy in the middle third for me. The flashbacks were harder to distinguish from the present, as the two are much closer chronologically, and they weren't building characters or relationships. The villain's plans seemed dubious, and Locke is working three separate cons while you're in the dark to all of them. Two things powered me through:
First, any time I start to go "is that really how people would go about their plans?", I remind myself of the premise and the world I've bought into, and chide myself for being a buzzkill. It's a heist, it's supposed to be bonkers.
Second, Scott Lynch takes the one precious thing strong enough to survive the first book and tells you on page 1 that he's willing to sacrifice it. He's built the reputation, and the evidence throughout the book is subtle enough to be believable. Every word until that resolution was filled with either dread or denial, and I have so much respect for that ability to amplify the story.

The final third was again perfection, dramatic and tragic while still clever and satisfying. I loved the ending again. I love this world and the creativity behind the setting and the hijinks. The narrator was amazing again.

rilina's review against another edition

4.0

Not as polished as the first novel--the pacing is a bit odd and the different threads of the plot don't come together quite as neatly. Still, highly entertaining and very engrossing, and the invention and wit that made the first novel so fun are still present here. I also appreciated the more prominent roles for female characters.

siquebella's review against another edition

5.0

I think I might’ve enjoyed this book even more than the first, though the first laid the foundation for everything I loved about this one. An epic plot fumbled by even larger plots outside their control, and an incredible story told on the pirate seas. Couldn’t have asked for anything more from this book. Epic character growth, emotional arcs, and the amazing world building true to this author’s style. Loved every minute of it.