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whatharryread 's review for:
Red Seas Under Red Skies
by Scott Lynch
The second instalment of the Gentleman Bastard sequence. Locke and Jean have ran from the wreckage of their lives and ended up in the city of Tal Verrar. Their next target? To rob the vault of the greatest ever gambling house: the Sinspire. However, their crime is going to have to wait, as someone else plans to manipulate them and utilise their expertise.
After the phenomenal first book, I went into this one with high hopes. I have to say, with this one, it had me wavering at points, but I think Lynch just about pulled it off.
The start felt very reminiscent of the first book, which was brilliant. Proper Oceans Eleven fantasy style- plans to rob a completely impenetrable vault, I’m intrigued. But then it went on a real curveball, and suddenly the bulk of this book was actually very nautical and set on the oceans on a pirate ship. Being honest, I took a lot of convincing.
What I loved about the first book was the intrigue, the scheming and the thievishness of it. ‘RSURS’ felt like a very different vibe, and did feel like a significant jump away from what was so fantastic from the first book.
If I’m being honest, the characters weren’t as compelling, the nautical theme felt just like a distraction from the main story which I actually cared more about, and the sudden switch of theme felt very confusing. It felt like too much of a big, jarring change, like Lynch didn’t quite know what he wanted to do with the book.
But.
But by the end, it just seemed to work. A clash of themes seemed to suddenly make a bit of sense, and it all gave me the conclusion I hoped for- where schemes built from cunning and wit win.
Overall, I liked it. Not as a roaring success as book one, but a solid follow-up, and can’t wait to read book 3.
After the phenomenal first book, I went into this one with high hopes. I have to say, with this one, it had me wavering at points, but I think Lynch just about pulled it off.
The start felt very reminiscent of the first book, which was brilliant. Proper Oceans Eleven fantasy style- plans to rob a completely impenetrable vault, I’m intrigued. But then it went on a real curveball, and suddenly the bulk of this book was actually very nautical and set on the oceans on a pirate ship. Being honest, I took a lot of convincing.
What I loved about the first book was the intrigue, the scheming and the thievishness of it. ‘RSURS’ felt like a very different vibe, and did feel like a significant jump away from what was so fantastic from the first book.
If I’m being honest, the characters weren’t as compelling, the nautical theme felt just like a distraction from the main story which I actually cared more about, and the sudden switch of theme felt very confusing. It felt like too much of a big, jarring change, like Lynch didn’t quite know what he wanted to do with the book.
But.
But by the end, it just seemed to work. A clash of themes seemed to suddenly make a bit of sense, and it all gave me the conclusion I hoped for- where schemes built from cunning and wit win.
Overall, I liked it. Not as a roaring success as book one, but a solid follow-up, and can’t wait to read book 3.