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A review by soartfullydone
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
In which the boys get blue-shelled all along the Rainbow Road.
My admiration toward Scott Lynch believing that his characters can't ever have enough problems is matched only by my desperate flailings on their behalf. This is Locke's depression era, his "We're SO back!" era, only for the anvil to immediately drop on his head. And this is Jean's worn-ragged era, his "I don't know if I'm fully appreciated, but I'm so damn loyal I can't help myself, and I wouldn't stop loving this man if it killed me" era. They're best friends. They're married. They're brothers. They're broken-up. Genuinely cannot get enough of these two thieves who are too clever by half yet nowhere near as clever as they think.
That being said, I enjoyed Red Seas Under Red Skies a little less than I enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora. A 4.5 rounded up to an easy 5. While Red Seas is certainly more ambitious than Lies—for instance, I had NO idea where we were going or how the Gentleman Bastards were going to get out of this growing mess—the book also relies on a bunch more plot convenience than the first. Locke's plans generally had more flexibility to be adapted to unfavorable situations in the first book, yet here, their options were so limited and the plans stretched thinner and thinner that things had to go just so for even a sliver of it to work out. Beyond how much I enjoyed myself, what probably saved me from hating the convenience was how much Locke and Jean truly struggled the whole time and never obtained optimal results. The grandiose caper generously balanced with some, often tragic, realism.
And fine, I didn't believe the romance relationship for an instant, my feelings for JeanLocke well aside. I believe that the characters believed it! But it felt so much like one of those whirlwind romances brought on by specific dire circumstances (the likes of which reality tv often produces) in a short timeframe compounded by intense feelings and quick sex, that I truly believed that, once everything settled down (aka when our couple returned to the "real world"), the relationship would completely fall apart.Or, y'know, Ezri would die, which was exactly what happened. I appreciated the tragic self-sacrifice of it, but overall, putting Jean through this romance only for her to not only die in the way she did but then to make Jean be the one to end her life while the healer is standing right there forcing him... Well, it all felt terribly mean-spirited. I'm so sorry, Jean, and to you as well, Ezri. I believe your captain should've been at your side, at the very least.
But for those slight things, many aspects I loved from Lies were also present here. The intimate familiarity of Locke and Jean's relationship, and in particular how they navigated some rough waters between them. The snappy, comedic writing that doesn't wait for you to laugh. The schemes upon schemes upon schemes. I felt like that It's Always Sunny meme where I'm placing the strings and becoming increasingly deranged at following all of the lies and cons these thieves were pulling.
Such lovely new things, too! Seeing all these places outside of Camorr that broadened the world. The Sinspire and the Amusement War. Pirates! Sea-faring! Seeing such an impressive attempt at writing nautical terms and making ship-sailing interesting, godspeed to you, Lynch.
And not least, my love to this book for making me gasp in horror, "Ohmygod, they forgot the kitties!"
Cannot wait to read book three. I am chewing through a rope with worry.
My admiration toward Scott Lynch believing that his characters can't ever have enough problems is matched only by my desperate flailings on their behalf. This is Locke's depression era, his "We're SO back!" era, only for the anvil to immediately drop on his head. And this is Jean's worn-ragged era, his "I don't know if I'm fully appreciated, but I'm so damn loyal I can't help myself, and I wouldn't stop loving this man if it killed me" era. They're best friends. They're married. They're brothers. They're broken-up. Genuinely cannot get enough of these two thieves who are too clever by half yet nowhere near as clever as they think.
That being said, I enjoyed Red Seas Under Red Skies a little less than I enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora. A 4.5 rounded up to an easy 5. While Red Seas is certainly more ambitious than Lies—for instance, I had NO idea where we were going or how the Gentleman Bastards were going to get out of this growing mess—the book also relies on a bunch more plot convenience than the first. Locke's plans generally had more flexibility to be adapted to unfavorable situations in the first book, yet here, their options were so limited and the plans stretched thinner and thinner that things had to go just so for even a sliver of it to work out. Beyond how much I enjoyed myself, what probably saved me from hating the convenience was how much Locke and Jean truly struggled the whole time and never obtained optimal results. The grandiose caper generously balanced with some, often tragic, realism.
And fine, I didn't believe the romance relationship for an instant, my feelings for JeanLocke well aside. I believe that the characters believed it! But it felt so much like one of those whirlwind romances brought on by specific dire circumstances (the likes of which reality tv often produces) in a short timeframe compounded by intense feelings and quick sex, that I truly believed that, once everything settled down (aka when our couple returned to the "real world"), the relationship would completely fall apart.
But for those slight things, many aspects I loved from Lies were also present here. The intimate familiarity of Locke and Jean's relationship, and in particular how they navigated some rough waters between them. The snappy, comedic writing that doesn't wait for you to laugh. The schemes upon schemes upon schemes. I felt like that It's Always Sunny meme where I'm placing the strings and becoming increasingly deranged at following all of the lies and cons these thieves were pulling.
Such lovely new things, too! Seeing all these places outside of Camorr that broadened the world. The Sinspire and the Amusement War. Pirates! Sea-faring! Seeing such an impressive attempt at writing nautical terms and making ship-sailing interesting, godspeed to you, Lynch.
And not least, my love to this book for making me gasp in horror, "Ohmygod, they forgot the kitties!"
Cannot wait to read book three. I am chewing through a rope with worry.