Author : Scott Lynch
Description :I absolutely loved Scott Lynch's debut novel "The Lies of Locke Lamora", which I thought was one of the best debut fantasy novels in recent years. It was an incredibly fun and fresh book you never wanted to end, and made the subsequent wait for the release of his next novel completely unbearable. Now in the second novel, "Red Seas Under Red Skies", the fearless thieves, Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen, return to attempt an even more spectacular heist than last time. A heist that very nearly killed Locke. So will bigger be better, or will Locke and Jean have started something more than they can handle? Well, things don't go as planned for these intrepid and resourceful thieves, and that's is what makes Lynch's novels so much fun.
After the events of the previous novel, Locke and Jean have escaped from Camorr, and traveled to the city of Tal Verrar. Locke is depressed, as he physically and mentally recovers from the brutal bludgeoning he took at the end of "The Lies of Locke Lamora". But thieves being thieves, it isn't long before Locke and Jean select the Sinspire, a famous and very wealthy gambling establishment, as their next target.
During their planning of the heist, a new player emerges who forces Locke and Jean to complete a task suiting his own ends. To successfully accomplish this task, the reluctant Locke and Jean find they must sail the seas posing as pirates. Meanwhile, the Sinspire planning continues, causing them to juggle between their various assumed identities.
Similar to the "The Lies of Locke Lamora", Lynch plays with the narrative structure, though not to the degree of the previous novel. The interludes from the first novel served more as an intrusion as the novel progressed, causing an unnecessary slowing of the pace as the action heated up. The narrative shifts in "Red Seas Under Red Skies" are less intrusiv, making the book flow more readily.
Lynch, clearly, is a wonderful natural storyteller, turning in another breathtaking romp filled with fantastic drama, tragedy and humor. While very good, "Red Seas Under Red Skies" is not as magical as "The Lies of Locke Lamora". But it is utterly unfair to expect Lynch to duplicate the magic of his debut novel. On its own, "Red Seas Under Red Skies" is a fun, sarcastic, immensely humorous and enjoyable three ton beast of a fantasy.
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