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goodnight_moon 's review for:
The Republic of Thieves
by Scott Lynch
This book was a lot.
The Interlude flashback storyline is perfect, a return to the distant past that again provided an entertaining story break, built characters and relationships, and added suspense to the main storyline. It illuminated, in hindsight, how much that was missing from Red Seas.
The new character addition was a great payoff to previous backstory that still adds layers to the new story.
I was yet again distracted by potentially dubious motivations of villains, but I feel better prepared to discuss it this time:
1. The fact that Scott Lynch incorporates dialogue where these motivations are scrutinized signals to me that he acknowledges the skeptics. He isn't throwing out half baked ideas and hoping we don't overthink it. The explanations he provides haven't instantly satisfied, but I think a re-read where I'm not burdened by the discovery of every new plot point, and where I'm reading not listening, should help them hold up.
2. Even if the plot doesn't withstand intense scrutiny, creativity deserves credit. This story is so different from a typical fantasy series - magic, royalty, and the struggle for power may all be present, but their usage, and the Gentleman Bastards' place within the world, are truly refreshing.
When I relax and experience the action, dialogue, and prose, these are no-brainer 5 star books. When I think, "this is my favorite fantasy series ever, this is the Harry Potter of my adult years", I scrutinize harder and I wonder. But so far I think the series is rising to the expectation.
The Interlude flashback storyline is perfect, a return to the distant past that again provided an entertaining story break, built characters and relationships, and added suspense to the main storyline. It illuminated, in hindsight, how much that was missing from Red Seas.
The new character addition was a great payoff to previous backstory that still adds layers to the new story.
I was yet again distracted by potentially dubious motivations of villains, but I feel better prepared to discuss it this time:
1. The fact that Scott Lynch incorporates dialogue where these motivations are scrutinized signals to me that he acknowledges the skeptics. He isn't throwing out half baked ideas and hoping we don't overthink it. The explanations he provides haven't instantly satisfied, but I think a re-read where I'm not burdened by the discovery of every new plot point, and where I'm reading not listening, should help them hold up.
2. Even if the plot doesn't withstand intense scrutiny, creativity deserves credit. This story is so different from a typical fantasy series - magic, royalty, and the struggle for power may all be present, but their usage, and the Gentleman Bastards' place within the world, are truly refreshing.
When I relax and experience the action, dialogue, and prose, these are no-brainer 5 star books. When I think, "this is my favorite fantasy series ever, this is the Harry Potter of my adult years", I scrutinize harder and I wonder. But so far I think the series is rising to the expectation.