Sparrow spoiler Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 So I just got done reading "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and I loved it. Very good book. I have gotten mixed reviews on the next two books. So what do you guys think? Is it good? Should it just be a one and done? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Seswatha Jordan Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Wish I could help. I liked LoLL well enough, I just didn't have an urge to pick up Red Skies afterward. And, it seems like your not itching for it either. I have the next two in the tbr pile. I'll get to them when I get to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.T. Phipps Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 So I just got done reading "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and I loved it. Very good book. I have gotten mixed reviews on the next two books. So what do you guys think? Is it good? Should it just be a one and done? Red Sea under Red Skies is a dramatically uneven book with nothing which is necessarily BAD but a lot of Locke and company getting jerked around by their superiors--which is always annoying. Scott Lynch attempts to transport the pair to a Pirates of the Carribean-sort of story but given they're conmen and burglars rather than pirates, it never quite really jells. I also disliked their victory wasn't complete. I think the 3rd book is awesome, though, and a must-read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Marquis de Leech Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 The Lies of Locke Lamora is awesome. Funny, well-paced, and clever. Red Seas Under Red Skies is poorly paced cheese with a nonsensical plot, but has enough amusing stuff to keep you distracted. At least one person I know ended up cheering for the main villain, though. Republic of Thieves is just bad. Structurally flawed, nothing of interest character-wise, and a ho-hum excuse for a plot that leaves you thinking "I could do better than Locke, and I'm not even a career criminal." I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that Lynch should have stopped at one book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howdyphillip Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 The Lies of Locke Lamora - An amazing fantasy book, and one of my all time favorite caper stories. Lynch introduced an incredible world. Red Seas Under Red Skies - not quite as good as the first book was still an absolutely fabulous read. I actually think that I got to know the characters better in this book than I did the first novel. Republic of Thieves - Although I stand in the minority opinion, this is my personal favorite of the series. I think this is so because the two major elements of the book are both things that I personally take the most interest in in my life. Theatre and politics rule this story, and I personally loved both of the tales. I will have to admit that reading the play in the book itself does grow a little wearisome though. I have read this book twice now, and I have skipped over it both times. I also think that the relationship story in this book is one of the most relatable ones that I have ever read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkynJay Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I enjoyed Red Seas quite a bit on a reread, once I got over the disappointment that it wasn't Lies of Locke Lamora. RoT wasn't bad but felt rushed and loosely connected. It felt like a book that was pieced together over a long wait, like Lynch was doing his best to collect all his thoughts over the years into one place without starting over. I remain hopeful about the next book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.T. Phipps Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Honestly, one of my big problems with Red Seas Under Red Skies is the villains. Or, more precisely, the fact they seemed to not be villains at all. One of them gets an absolutely horrific fate and, honestly, didn't do anything really all that wrong. At least by their Crapsack World's standards. It was a sharp contrast to the poetic karma the villains of Lies got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manhole Eunuchsbane Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 So I just got done reading "The Lies of Locke Lamora" and I loved it. Very good book. I have gotten mixed reviews on the next two books. So what do you guys think? Is it good? Should it just be a one and done? The first was better, but I am enjoying the second quite a bit. I can't imagine not giving the next a go if you truly loved the first. I think it only makes sense that the sequel isn't quite as engaging as the first, given the circumstances. Locke and Jean have to more or less start from scratch in a brand new city that they are wholly unfamiliar with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3CityApache Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I liked Red Seas almost as much as Lies, but RoT - not so much (especially the ending was meh). But still - it's one of the most promising series I currently read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astromech Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Red Sea under Red Skies is a dramatically uneven book with nothing which is necessarily BAD but a lot of Locke and company getting jerked around by their superiors--which is always annoying. Scott Lynch attempts to transport the pair to a Pirates of the Carribean-sort of story but given they're conmen and burglars rather than pirates, it never quite really jells. I also disliked their victory wasn't complete. I think the 3rd book is awesome, though, and a must-read. The second half of the story didn't work for me at all. The only saving grace is the banter between Locke and Jean. I preferred Republic of Thieves due to the backstory of Locke and the constant shenanigans between team Locke/Jean and team Sabetha. Capers and banter is what I really enjoy about the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFatCoward Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 The Lies of Locke Lamora is awesome. Funny, well-paced, and clever. Red Seas Under Red Skies is poorly paced cheese with a nonsensical plot, but has enough amusing stuff to keep you distracted. At least one person I know ended up cheering for the main villain, though. Republic of Thieves is just bad. Structurally flawed, nothing of interest character-wise, and a ho-hum excuse for a plot that leaves you thinking "I could do better than Locke, and I'm not even a career criminal." I'm increasingly coming to the conclusion that Lynch should have stopped at one book. what they said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durckad Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 I seem to be one of the few who actually enjoyed RSURS. It's a fun novel, not as good as LoLL, but I was thoroughly entertained pretty much the entire time. I have no idea how well it holds up as I haven't reread any of the books in the series, but it was definitely worth reading once. RoT, on the other hand, was very disappointing. The flashback scenes don't go anywhere, the main plot is aimless, and the romance... well, actually the romance/love story is probably the best part about the book but even that was starting to grate near the end. It feels like a stopgap, or a filler entry in the series, some plot points that needed to be addressed but they're hung around a story which ultimately feels as if it has no purpose. Overall, it's probably the best written book (Lynch's writing improved by leaps and bounds between LoLL and RoT), but it's the worst structured. Hopefully, Thorn of Emberlain shows that RoT was just a fluke caused by pressure, demands, and personal issues in Scott's life. Lynch hasn't entered into Robert Jordan territory yet, so I'm not going to write him off after one uneven book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparrow spoiler Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 I ended up buying it for my kindle. Read 20-30 pages so far. I got a couple other books I'm reading so I might put it off until sept. who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aceluby Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I am about half way through with it and I'm having a hard time keeping it going. So I'm shelving it for now as I try something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuncle Stark Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Was worth it for me. Dragged a bit during the middle but still a highly enjoyable and clever read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eponine Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I just read RSURS last week as it looked to fit into the vacation reading mold. I'd read LoLL maybe a year ago and it was fun but not so awesome that I wanted to pick up the next book immediately. I reread it quickly and liked it better the second time when I could pay more attention to the world building. I'm a fan of what could probably be literally termed urban fantasy, although that title seems to refer to romances, which I don't care for. I'm also a fan of books that take place on ships. I figured that was a plus for RSURS. And I liked that part fine except that it made for two disjointed stories and a rushed ending. Or maybe an ending that felt forced together to make both stories wrap up quickly. I'll probably read RoT right away just because the first two are fresh in my memory. Romance + theatre sounds AWFUL to me, but Lynch has earned enough trust with me to give it a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howdyphillip Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I just read RSURS last week as it looked to fit into the vacation reading mold. I'd read LoLL maybe a year ago and it was fun but not so awesome that I wanted to pick up the next book immediately. I reread it quickly and liked it better the second time when I could pay more attention to the world building. I'm a fan of what could probably be literally termed urban fantasy, although that title seems to refer to romances, which I don't care for. I'm also a fan of books that take place on ships. I figured that was a plus for RSURS. And I liked that part fine except that it made for two disjointed stories and a rushed ending. Or maybe an ending that felt forced together to make both stories wrap up quickly. I'll probably read RoT right away just because the first two are fresh in my memory. Romance + theatre sounds AWFUL to me, but Lynch has earned enough trust with me to give it a chance. I wpuldn't consider it romance per se, but it does delve into complicated relationship issues. I think he does a remarkable good job of exploring things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aceluby Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 Finally finished it and the ending was worth it. The setup could have been cut by 1-200 pages though. Taking a break for now, but my next book will be RoT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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