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vamarama's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed learning more about Lamora's past and his relationship wth Sabetha but this book had such low stakes and felt like such a let down from the first novel.
ohio_enthusiast's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5
dorian_son_of_thrain's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
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
4.5
mbs1236's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
A ride from start to finish. While not as strong as the previous two installments, I found this to be not as weak as many would claim. The flashbacks were excellent and I enjoyed them (more than the present day storyline) so much as they gave us Camorr and the rest of the Gentleman Bastards. The play storyline was also great.
The present day storyline was while not the strongest still very enjoyable with the main highlights being Locke’s relationship with Jean and Sabetha.
The last 100 pages were so thrilling for me and my heart was beating out of control as I had no idea as to what is going to happen to ur protagonists now.
Very very enjoyable and looking forward to reading the 3 novellas and the 4th book when (and if) they come out. Still these three books are a great package and stand amongst the greats of the fantasy genre with ease.
The present day storyline was while not the strongest still very enjoyable with the main highlights being Locke’s relationship with Jean and Sabetha.
The last 100 pages were so thrilling for me and my heart was beating out of control as I had no idea as to what is going to happen to ur protagonists now.
Very very enjoyable and looking forward to reading the 3 novellas and the 4th book when (and if) they come out. Still these three books are a great package and stand amongst the greats of the fantasy genre with ease.
quixote's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
leticiahana's review against another edition
4.0
For me this fell somewhere above the first book but below the second of the Gentleman Bastards sequence.
In terms of pacing, the Republic of Thieves captured my attention much earlier than the second book. The story alternates between timelines- Locke and the gang when they were younger and Locke and Jean in their political battle in the present. I particularly liked that the competitiveness between Locke and Sabetha established in the flashbacks foreshadowed their contest in the present.
Concerning Sabetha I still have a few questions:
1. Why did she leave the Gentleman Bastards in the end?
2. What was in it for her in the competition? I know that it was briefly explained but I kind of wish we had seen more of her desire to beat Locke as the reason for her drawing back from their relationship
3. What was her relationship like with Jean and the other gentleman bastards previously? For me this would have helped me to understand why she left. Even in the flashback sequences I didn't really get a sense of how they related to each other
Sabetha and Locke
I hate how Locke glorifies Sabetha. He is obsessive and acts as though his attentions deserve a response, like she needs to explain why she draws away from him. Although I understand that a clean break would be easier for him, from what I understand of Sabetha she is unsure of him. I've read several reviews where people say that Sabetha is annoying because she strings Locke along. I disagree fundamentally that that's what she was doing- she just hadn't made up her mind yet.
Lockes love of Sabetha is intense and yet to me feels like it lacks depth. The Sabetha that Locke loves and the real Sabetha don't even seem like the same person. Sabetha herself seems frustrated by this. Part of what makes her want to distance herself from Locke is his fixation on her red hair, which seems symbolic of his focus on her on the surface and from a distance. For all the story talks about Locke learning to listen I don't think he really gets to know Sabetha at all, not beyond the fantasy he has of her.
One problem that I had with this story was that twice sexual violence was described graphically but was used to move the plot along rather than deeply affect the characters. In one scene someone attempts to assault a character. Only a few hours of later and the impact of such an event on that character was secondary to pretty much everything else in the story. I don't think we even revisit the trauma of the event to process it in any way. I understand that she wasn't a main character but it felt like she was written for Jean to have sex with and to be assaulted to move the plot along. For me it was even more uncomfortable that she was one of the only explicitly black characters in the story.
There was a lot to like about The Republic of Thieves and I'm excited to read the next book in the series when it comes out. There seems to be a pretty cool set up with a return of the Falconer in the epilogue. I'm really curious to see how Locke's complicated identity is going to be handled going forward. This development really caught me off guard because it brings up so many questions about destiny, identity and freewill. I think I need more Jean to enjoy these books because Locke is much to cocky and much too whiny to be the main narrator
In terms of pacing, the Republic of Thieves captured my attention much earlier than the second book. The story alternates between timelines- Locke and the gang when they were younger and Locke and Jean in their political battle in the present. I particularly liked that the competitiveness between Locke and Sabetha established in the flashbacks foreshadowed their contest in the present.
Concerning Sabetha I still have a few questions:
1. Why did she leave the Gentleman Bastards in the end?
2. What was in it for her in the competition? I know that it was briefly explained but I kind of wish we had seen more of her desire to beat Locke as the reason for her drawing back from their relationship
3. What was her relationship like with Jean and the other gentleman bastards previously? For me this would have helped me to understand why she left. Even in the flashback sequences I didn't really get a sense of how they related to each other
Sabetha and Locke
I hate how Locke glorifies Sabetha. He is obsessive and acts as though his attentions deserve a response, like she needs to explain why she draws away from him. Although I understand that a clean break would be easier for him, from what I understand of Sabetha she is unsure of him. I've read several reviews where people say that Sabetha is annoying because she strings Locke along. I disagree fundamentally that that's what she was doing- she just hadn't made up her mind yet.
Lockes love of Sabetha is intense and yet to me feels like it lacks depth. The Sabetha that Locke loves and the real Sabetha don't even seem like the same person. Sabetha herself seems frustrated by this. Part of what makes her want to distance herself from Locke is his fixation on her red hair, which seems symbolic of his focus on her on the surface and from a distance. For all the story talks about Locke learning to listen I don't think he really gets to know Sabetha at all, not beyond the fantasy he has of her.
One problem that I had with this story was that twice sexual violence was described graphically but was used to move the plot along rather than deeply affect the characters. In one scene someone attempts to assault a character. Only a few hours of later and the impact of such an event on that character was secondary to pretty much everything else in the story. I don't think we even revisit the trauma of the event to process it in any way. I understand that she wasn't a main character but it felt like she was written for Jean to have sex with and to be assaulted to move the plot along. For me it was even more uncomfortable that she was one of the only explicitly black characters in the story.
There was a lot to like about The Republic of Thieves and I'm excited to read the next book in the series when it comes out. There seems to be a pretty cool set up with a return of the Falconer in the epilogue. I'm really curious to see how Locke's complicated identity is going to be handled going forward. This development really caught me off guard because it brings up so many questions about destiny, identity and freewill. I think I need more Jean to enjoy these books because Locke is much to cocky and much too whiny to be the main narrator
nptausch's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.75
davechua's review against another edition
5.0
Fantasy's best pair of con artists are back, and this long delayed third volume in the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch is well worth the wait. Razor sharp dialogue, plenty of double crosses, with two equally compelling and entertaining narrative strands.