Red Seas Under Red Skies
by Scott Lynch
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.79 You Save: $4.20 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.43 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Red Seas Under Red Skies
Book Review: Odd structure and unrealistic plot points make this book a poor follow-up to the first
Summary: 3 Stars
I loved The Lies of Locke Lamora. It had a sparkle and an energy that carried me plain past the fact that it is not the kind of fantasy book that I typically enjoy.
Unfortunately, Red Seas Under Red Skies kept the parts I normally do not like and lost much of the crisp fire that had delighted me so much in the first book.
I'm not sure I can fully analyze what doesn't work, but it has something to do with pace and structure. The structure was really odd, somehow. I was deeply bored in the middle section of the book. I also found myself staring in disbelief at aspects of the plot. In The Lies of Locke Lamora, Lynch asked us to give him the benefit of the doubt in a few key unrealistic places. I didn't mind that. But he asked too much of me here. I had many more "what?!" moments than "cool!!" moments in this book.
There are still some good things in the book. It wasn't entirely a waste of time. But, honestly, if the third book is more like Red Seas than like Locke Lamora then I will not be reading forward to the fourth.
p.s. I'm getting tired of pirates. Pirates are the new black in fantasy, and I'm discovering there are precious few writers who can pull them off.
Book Review: A sequel that is truly worthy of its predecessor.
Summary: 4 Stars
I became an instant fan of Scott Lynch with "The Lies of Locke Lamora," so I was looking forward with great relish to this follow-up offering. While "Red Seas" doesn't deliver at quite the same level as the first novel, it is definitely enjoyable reading. The Locke Lamora character is developed with greater depth and complexity in this book than in the first, even if the plot was decidedly more rambling. The author takes his readers on a rather large nautical digression which, while undoubtedly distracting from the main story line, is nevertheless very well done and believable to those of us who don't know one end of a ship from the other.
The thing I particularly enjoy about this author, as evidenced in both this volume and its predecessor, is his ability to weave intricately complex schemes with multiple layers and cross-flows of intrigue, all of which threaten to unravel on our roguish heroes at any moment with very unpleasant consequences. These fellows play high-stakes poker of the most dangerous variety, and the author invests every scene with a gritty intensity that keeps the reader greedily turning page after page. "Red Seas" confirms an immense talent that was first displayed in "Lies", and I for one am looking forward eagerly to more books in this series.
Book Review: A good followup to "Locke", but flounders a bit
Summary: 3 Stars
Don't take the 3-star review to mean this is not a book worth reading. It is, particularly if you read his previous "The Lies of Locke Lamora." This book is a good followup and the relationship between the main characters (Locke and Jean...or whatever their aliases are on that particular page of the book) does a lot to drive the narrative. Where the book falls over a bit, I think (like many), is the nautical scenes. It's obvious that Lynch either did a lot of research on nautical terminology, or at least is good enough at faking it for me, but it feels for large stretches like you're getting beat over the head with a sailors' dictionary. Maybe it's just my lack of knowledge of pirate terms, but the vocabulary lesson detracted a fair amount from the story for me.
If you read the first book, you're no doubt adjusted to the Mission Impossible-esque capers that you can expect from this one, so I really didn't find the outlandish resolutions such a big deal. It's an entertaining read...more a thriller than the epic fantasy you'll get elsewhere.
I'll recommend the book, particularly to fans of the original, but don't expect it to be something it's not and you won't be disappointed.
Book Review: As Good as the First
Summary: 5 Stars
Unlike many reviewers, I thought this book was as good as the first book, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Of course, what I liked the most from that book can be found in this book also -- the lavish descriptions of setting, costumes, and the pirate boat itself. Mr. Lynch makes note in the book that he is no sailor and that many aspects of the pirate scenes may not be wholly accurate, so I give him a pass if he misses the mark on the pirate boats. Since I don't read much nautical-oriented fiction (or non-fiction), it seemed fine to me while I was reading it; I had no problems picturing the vivid scenes in my mind.
The action is not the same as that in the first book, but the action is still very much there in this book. This book really focuses on one great scheme designed by Locke and Jean (main characters), while the first book had several smaller schemes. In this book, the scheme has "sub"-schemes that begin to weave away from the main scheme.
I thought this book was just as entertaining, funny, and wonderfully written as the first and highly recommend it.
Book Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book immediately after I finished "The Lies of Locke Lamora". I have put it on my bookshelf and read the reviews to prepare myself. This was, however, a wrong decision. Heaving read the opinions of to many I got stuck. "Is it worth it, considering the negative reviews?", I asked myself. Time have passed and I tossed the book away. Now, after almost a year I started to actually read the book. And after a few pages I was delighted to see that this is a great read. Everything is so fleshed out, the characters, the setting, the storyline - all perfect. The feel of the book is so cosy, warm and rich. It feels so real and refreshing. It is inventive, full of colors, bizarre inventions, great dialogue and language, with lots of funny violence. Do not hesitate to read it if you liked "Lies.." it is truly a worthy followup. It is modern and at the same time you get the feeling of reading some well loved classic from the past. Great tonic for the scars that the real world makes on our souls...