The Republic of Thieves Author: Visit Amazon's Scott Lynch Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0553804693 | Format: EPUB
The Republic of Thieves Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Lynch's long-awaited third Gentleman Bastards high-fantasy caper novel (after 2007's The Lies of Locke Lamora and 2008's Red Seas Under Red Skies) abundantly delivers on the promise of the earlier volumes. Quick-witted protagonist Locke is slowly succumbing to poison as his loyal companion, Jean, tries to find someone who can save him. The price of rescue gets the duo involved in running an election campaign in the city-state of Karthain, where the parties are fronts for two factions of terrifyingly powerful mages. The opposition campaign leader is none other than Locke's long-lost love, Sabetha, who knows all of his moves and has a few of her own. A set of flashbacks explores Locke, Jean, and Sabetha's shared past as a theatrical scam goes horribly wrong. Locke and company remain among the most engaging protagonists in fantasy, and Lynch sneaks in some incisive political parody while never overdoing the comedy. The result is fast paced, fun, and impossible to put down. (Oct.)
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Announced as early as 2008, the long, long, long-awaited sequel to The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006) and Red Seas under Red Skies (2007) finally arrives. The story picks up almost immediately after the end of Red Seas. Locke Lamora, professional thief and con artist, has been poisoned (“He was being unknit from the inside; his veins and sinews were coming apart”). He has only a handful of days left, but rescue from certain death comes from a most unexpected source: the Bondsmagi, the powerful sorcerers who haven’t exactly been Locke’s best friends until now. After ridding his body of the poison, they, of all things, offer him a job. They want him to help rig a local election, which doesn’t sound all that tricky, except that someone else is working the other side of the street, and she’s at least as clever and ruthless as Locke: Sabetha Belacoros, Locke’s long-lost love. This rousing adventure expands on themes introduced in the first two books and tells the full history of Locke and Sabetha, whose relationship was tantalizingly sketchy in the first installment. The Bondsmagi, too, are shown here in more detail than ever before, and Lynch has some serious surprises in store for fans of the first two books. It might have taken Lynch a lot longer to publish the book than fans wanted, but it was definitely worth the wait. A landmark publishing event in the sf world. --David Pitt
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- Hardcover: 672 pages
- Publisher: Del Rey; First Edition edition (October 8, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0553804693
- ISBN-13: 978-0553804690
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 2 inches
- Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch is the third book in the Gentleman Bastards series. There are definitely major spoilers for the first and second book, so I recommend checking out those reviews instead ;-). So up until this point I was actually listening to this series on audio and I have to highly recommend the audiobooks because Michael Page is an amazing narrator. Since I got The Republic of Thieves through NetGalley to review, I didn't get to listen, and I'm suspicious that might have made some difference in my feelings about this one. The Republic of Thieves just didn't enchant me the way Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies did. Lynch has done a marvelous job making each of the three books unique with a fresh setting and plot. However the plot and new characters just didn't draw me in in The Republic of Thieves.
Note: I received The Republic of Thieves through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Strengths:
I love how much of the world we have gotten to see and continue to explore in The Republic of Thieves. Locke and Jean have a tendency of needing to leave one city quickly so we've gotten a new city in every book! In The Republic of Thieves, we get to explore two new cities through the two intermingled plot lines, one of which is Karthain, the city of bondsmagi!
There were some loose ends at the end of Lies of Locke Lamora that didn't get addressed much in Red Seas Under Red Skies, but they become quite important in The Republic of Thieves. I love it when details of previous books set up subsequent books, so clever!
I freaking love the Eldren and the picture that we are slowly getting of them. There are some VERY interesting hints that are dropped in The Republic of Thieves that I'm sooooo excited to see come to fruition :D.
Lynch ran his fingers through his hair and groaned, then looked up at the figure of Locke Lamora leaning casually, against the mantel.
“OK,” Lynch said. “So I’ve got to get you cured of that incurable poison I saddled you with at the end of Red Seas Under Red Skies, transport you and Jean to a brand new setting, and figure out some grand, complex con — grander and more complex than the last one — for you to run while you’re there?”
Locke swirled the wine around in the glass he held in his right hand, looking morosely into its dark depths. “Don’t forget introducing Sabetha.”
Lynch groaned again. “Right. The mysterious love of your life and equal to your own not-inconsiderable skills whom I’ve built up to such a degree she’ll never match the readers’ expectations.”
“She might surprise you. She always does me.”
“Oh, but that’s not hard.” Sabetha dropped down lightly from where she’d been clinging among the rafters. She took the goblet from Locke’s suddenly stilled hand. “But I’m afraid he’s right. Even I have to say, I am a bit disappointing.” She took a sip of the wine, its red a darker shade of her flowing hair. “Or at least, my older self is. I’m kind of fond of my younger self. In fact, I think those flashback scenes were some of my favorite parts of the story.”
“Um, well.” Locke noticed his hand was still shaped around a wine glass he was no longer holding. He raised it to pull at his collar. “Err.”
“Great. Are we going to have another scene where he stares at you all besotted, unable to speak, while you club him over the head with this strange relationship you two have?” Jean moved his heavy bulk out of the shadows near the door. “Because while I did enjoy the first few, it eventually gets a little wearisome.
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