Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch

RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES

Book 2 of "Gentlemen Bastards"

Read about Book 1 HERE

ISBN - 978-0-553-58895-8
FIRST PUBLISHED - 2007
PAGES - 760
GENRE - Fantasy
BINDING - Paperback

AUTHOR - Scott Lynch

BEST-SELLERS - The Lies of Locke Lamora

SYNOPSIS - [From the back cover]

After a brutal battle with the Underworld, Locke and his sidekick, Jean, fled to the exotic shores of Tal Verrar to nurse their wounds. But they are soon back to what they do best - stealing from the rich and pocketing proceeds. Now, however, they have targeted the grandest prize of all: the Sinspire, the world's most exclusive, most heavily guarded gambling house. But there is one cardinal rule: It is death to cheat at any game.

Brazenly, undeterred, Locke and jean have orchestrated and elaborate plan to lie, trick, and swindle their way straight to the Sinspire's teeming vault. But someone knows the duo's secret - and has every intention of making them pay for their sins.

EXCERPT - "I don't think you were even with us that night we used ropes, to get up Lady de Marre's towers at that horrible old estate of hers....Calo and Galdo and I nearly got pecked to bloody shreds by pigeons working that one. Must've been five, six years ago", Locke said.

"Oh, I was with you, remember? On the ground, keeping watch. I saw the bit with the pigeons. Hard to play sentry when you're pissing yourself laughing."

"Wasn't funny at all from the top. Beaky little bastards were vicious!"

"The Death of a Thousand Pecks," said Jean. "You would have been legends, dying so gruesomely. I'd have written a book on the man-eating pigeons of Camorr and joined the Therin Collegium. Gone respectable. Bug and I would've built a memorial statue to the Sanzas, with a nice plaque."

"What about me?"

"Footnote on the plaque. Space permitting."

"Hand over some rope or I'll show you the edge of the cliff, space permitting"

FL Speak - The infamous Thorn of Camorr is back! The Gentlemen bastards, greatly reduced by the deaths of Calo and Galdo, are nevertheless doing what they do best. Steal and con their way to the richest and relieve them of their wealths. After the near death episode in Camorr, Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen make their way to Tal Verrar.

And they have spent 2 years building up their reputations to score the biggest con of their lives. Their target, the Sinspire, the greatest gambling house of the world. As Locke and Jean move towards their goal, their lives are made complicated by assassins for hire. The Bondsmagi of Karthain, do not forget and there is a price on the heads of our young heroes.

But as we all know, its not Locke Lamora if the job is easy. Specially without near death experiences. Locke and Jean are poisoned and forced to bring about a war to Tal Verrar if they are to receive their antidotes. With little choice left, Locke pretends to be renegade captain with an unsuspecting crew as they make their way to Ghostwind Isles. However, their cover is soon blown and to make matters worse, pirates found them before they could.

With only their wits and playing a game that is deceiving almost everyone, Locke and Jean must remember every move, if they are to survive the pirates, bring a war to Tal Verrar, loot the Sinspire and take revenge on the man responsible for their plight, while trying to stay alive and avoid certain assassinations.

Absolutely unbelievable. The daringness and the execution of their cons will leave you speechless. Scott Lynch has created an instantly loveable wretch of a thief. Readers will have a hard time not to fall in love with him. Once again, Locke finds himself in ridiculous situations and its a thrill to read him navigate through it.

The book moves back and forth with the current and the time spent just after fleeing from Camorr till about halfway. After that, its continuous till the end. Locke is being Locke, healing from his injuries and getting his mojo back. Jean finds someone to fall in love with. Also, there are a few clashes between Jean and Locke, specially one near the end. There might be a few surprises in the next book, but I hope I'm wrong. Half of the conversations between Jean and Locke are downright hilarious.

This is a must-read series. Scott Lynch is right there among with Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

My Rating - 5 stars

PRICE - INR 274/- [Homeshop18 Price]