The Republic of Thieves

Neniu kovrilo — The Republic of Thieves (2014, Del Rey)

mass market paperback, 704 paĝoj

Eldonita je 29-a de julio 2014 de Del Rey.

ISBN:: 978-0-553-58896-5

(1 recenzo)

With what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmage offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body—though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean’s imploring—and the Bondsmage’s mention of a woman from Locke’s past: Sabetha. She is the love of his life, his equal …

With what should have been the greatest heist of their career gone spectacularly sour, Locke and his trusted partner, Jean, have barely escaped with their lives. Or at least Jean has. But Locke is slowly succumbing to a deadly poison that no alchemist or physiker can cure. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmage offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body—though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean’s imploring—and the Bondsmage’s mention of a woman from Locke’s past: Sabetha. She is the love of his life, his equal in skill and wit, and now, his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha—or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

7 eldonoj

qboq@bookwyrm.social recenzis Republic of Thieves de Scott Lynch

Ambivalent

3 steloj

Averto pri enhavo Mild spoilers, a bit of ranting

As the finale of the Gentlemen Bastards series, it was um.. unsatisfactory. By this point, the formula is established: there are two stories, one set in the present in which the Gentleman Bastards are bought or forced to topple a faction or government and one in the past that fleshes out the backstory of the Gentleman Bastards. In this final part of the series, the relationship with an old love interest is being explored.

First the pros: the setting is very imaginative. It is reminiscent of the early Renaissance in the Mediterranean, but with ruins of unknown technology. The plots are well wrought. They are basically major scams that are being thoroughly prepared and executed by the main characters. The main characters are a bit meh, but at least well fleshed out.

As for the intertwining stories: there is something wrong with the pacing. So much, that I seriously considered putting the last book down. For all three parts of the trilogy, the first part sets up the scene, then during the second part, the story develops at a slow pace, whereas in the third part, it feels hastily concluded. This was worst in RoT.

On other thing that really irked me, is that Lynch did a George RR Martin on the reader. The final part of the series ends with a huge cliffhanger. As it was released is thirteen years ago old at the time of this writing, I have no hope of this cliffhanger being resolved.

I mentioned the characters being a bit 'meh' before. The trope of the emo rogue main character is a fun one, but in the case of Locke and Jean it does not really work well. The contrast between the mastermind scammers and the bickering old couple feels forced.