Reviews with content warning for Murder - Red Seas Under Red Skies

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.

Content Warnings

erwikka's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful lighthearted sad 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

I love this series and Locke and Jean are my favorite characters!!!

Content Warnings

ekcd_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

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

mgraceoliver's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Content Warnings

dragonaion's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

An excellent progression, the previous "grunge fantasy" has turned into a "romantic fantasy, steam punk, and pirate" with all of the brilliance and love from the first book. It is,however, a pleasant surprise to read how the love lives develop and reveal themselves between the two main characters; subtle in some ways, endearing in others, and all loving and heartfelt.
I was deeply engrossed in this story, to the point of reading at least 100 pages a day, and am delighted to know I have the next book already on my shelves to read.
"Thieves prosper and the rich remember"

Content Warnings

nicoleme1212's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous 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

3.5

Content Warnings

seanml's review

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

corvicore's review against another edition

Go to review page

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.

Content Warnings

More...