Spoiler alert: it’s not. There are more and they’re not out yet. I think I have finally figured out one of the things that really bothers me about this series. I mean, I figured it out last book, but forgot to include it in my review, so I’m telling you now. It’s the swearing. It just doesn’t work. George R. R. Martin can drop a few f-bombs and the see you next Tuesday and it flows with the rhythm of his dialogue. Scott Lynch lacks that […]
Go for it, if you liked the first one
I guess my super niche sweet spot is genre heist novels because even after my disappointment with the first in the Gentlemen Bastards series, I’m still working through them. I got a lot of feedback on that review, and y’all did warn me that the quality of the books was going to dip, so I was prepared. And lowering my expectations definitely helped! Plus, you know what? This book has cats. The book also introduces two female characters of substance, which was nice to see. There […]
Good, but not as good as the author thinks it is
If you’re looking for heist drama, Ocean’s 11-style genre fiction, I’d recommend The Rogues of the Republic over this first entry in The Gentlemen Bastards series. The Lies of Locke Lamora was an enjoyable read, but not the masterpiece the author clearly thinks he wrote. Mostly it just made me want to reread the aforementioned Rogues. One thing I am a sucker for is worlds that toss you in and don’t immediately (or ever) answer all your questions. Camorr is one such world with the ghosts of a previous […]
Warning that your heart might be crushed
Okay, I am generally not that fond of high fantasy books, but this was an incredibly fun romp. The story alternates between the childhood of Locke Lamora as he learns many skills in the service of robbing the rich blind and present day when Locke is head of the Gentleman Bastards, a chosen family of skilled orphans. Together they develop long cons to swindle the highest born of Camorr. Unfortunately for Locke, several forces are individually working to complicate his life for various reasons. He’s […]
“We lie for a living, we shouldn’t lie to ourselves.”
At its core, “Republic of Thieves” is really a character study of Locke, which after being with him for two books is poignantly beautiful. He emerges out of the white-collar criminal into Locke the Human. While we’ve seen snippets and snapshots of his humanity throughout the first 2 novels, Locke’s deepening relationship with Jean, and Sabetha’s return to his life brings out a push-pull to his character that we haven’t seen before. As in his previous books, Lynch weaves the Bastards’ childhood stories in with their […]
Swashbuckling Bastards!
After two books, I think the thing I find most fun and exciting about Lynch’s stories is that he doesn’t have extra-ordinary characters. None of his characters, (aside from the bondsmagi) possess latent super-powers or even an unnatural bend towards some kind of skill. They’re just ordinary humans who get where they are by hard work and tenacity. And even when they’ve done their best, they still face very real and dangerous failure, and it’s that possible failure and its consequence that keeps me picking […]