Red Seas Under Red Skies: Gentleman Bastards, Book 2

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 14,109 ratings

Price: 23.63

Last update: 01-23-2025


About this item

In his highly acclaimed debut, The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch took us on an adrenaline-fueled adventure with a band of daring thieves led by con artist extraordinaire Locke Lamora. Now, Lynch brings back his outrageous hero for a caper so death-defying, nothing short of a miracle will pull it off.

After a brutal battle with the underworld that nearly destroyed him, Locke and his trusted sidekick, Jean, fled the island city of their birth and landed on the exotic shores of Tal Verrar to nurse their wounds. But even at this westernmost edge of civilization, they can’t rest for long - and are soon back to what they do best: stealing from the undeserving rich and pocketing the proceeds for themselves.

This time, however, they have targeted the grandest prize of all: the Sinspire, the most exclusive and heavily guarded gambling house in the world. Its nine floors attract the wealthiest clientele - and to rise to the top, one must impress with good credit, amusing behavior...and excruciatingly impeccable play. For there is one cardinal rule, enforced by Requin, the house’s cold-blooded master: It is death to cheat at any game at the Sinspire.

Brazenly undeterred, Locke and Jean have orchestrated an elaborate plan to lie, trick, and swindle their way up the nine floors...straight to Requin’s teeming vault. Under the cloak of false identities, they meticulously make their climb - until they are closer to the spoils than ever.

But someone in Tal Verrar has uncovered the duo’s secret. Someone from their past who has every intention of making the impudent criminals pay for their sins. Now, it will take every ounce of cunning to save their mercenary souls. And even that may not be enough....

Praise for Red Seas Under Red Skies

"Lynch hasn’t merely imagined a far-off world, he’s created it, put it all down on paper - the smells, the sounds, the people, the feel of the place. The novel is a virtuoso performance, and sf/fantasy fans will gobble it up." (Booklist starred review)

"Red Seas Under Red Skies firmly proves that Scott Lynch isn’t a one-hit wonder.... It’ll only be a matter of time before Scott Lynch is mentioned in the same breath as George R. R. Martin and Steven Erikson." (Fantasy Book Critic)

"Grand, grandiose, grandiloquent.... No critic is likely to fault Lynch in his overflowing qualities of inventiveness, audacious draftsmanship, and sympathetic characterization." (Locus)


Top reviews from the United States

  • Katharine (ventureadlaxre)
    5.0 out of 5 stars What we’re really here for is the wit, sass and humour throughout.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2014
    ‘Red Seas Under Red Skies’ by Scott Lynch is the second in his Gentleman Bastard Sequence series, which is currently slated at seven books, with one or two novellas thrown in for good measure. This review has been a long time coming, as I struggle to review books that mean a lot to me - how can my puny little review ever do it justice?

    For those who were disappointed at the lack of female characters being a focal point in the first book (where they’re mentioned but not seen, or have background roles throughout), then this novel is full of main and secondary females - a point which caused a reader to contact Scott and he responded to publicly, which gained him quite a bit of interest. Though the famous Sabetha still does not make an appearance within this novel - the only female member of the now very small Gentleman Bastards group of thieves and con artists - we are not disappointed with a variable crowd of strong and intriguing female characters.

    Each of Scott’s novels so far is set in a different part of the world, with the first being set in Camorr, we are now in Tal Verrar - right at the edge of civilisation. Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen have moved on to another heist, and this is how the novel opens - after a short prologue of worst yet to come.

    Book one, chapter one, opens with a fabulous scene set in a casino, with an intriguing game I hope someone will manage to create somehow, even though I’m not a drinker. The game, Carousel Hazard, is a game for two sets of pairs who work together though each has their own hand of cards. At the end of each hand, the losing team are then dealt an alcoholic vial from the carousel which has its potency masked by juice or otherwise. So while the player’s ability at cards is being tests, they also have to keep their wits about them as they get steadily more intoxicated. Those who miss seeing how Locke manages to get out of the various schemes he gets himself into are quickly sated, and the novel moves on, only to quickly drop us into something worrying. Ahh, of course, the author is Scott Lynch, after all.

    The plot within this novel is speedy, as it cuts from the present to the past and then back again. This is an elegant way to show us important scenes rather than writing in a linear fashion and then perhaps having dull chapters, and it’s handled well throughout. The action is of a high quality, and even though part of the novel is set out on the open seas, on a boat - which isn’t really my ‘thing’, per se, it’s engaging and interesting throughout as we see Locke and Jean try to struggle their way through the current mess they’re in.

    Again, though, what we’re really here for is the wit, sass and humour throughout. The dialogue is just as perfect as in the first book, and the insults just as sharp and startling.

    The characters develop throughout the book, and we can see changes in them after the devastation that befell them in the first. Throughout what is thrown at them within this next instalment we see them under greater strain and how they cope with it, usually together. The bromance between these two friends is almost at Sherlock and John heights, and it’s glorious to read.

    The ending of this book however will be the cause of great unrest if you don’t have the third with you, ready to dive into immediately. If you weren’t one of us, please spare a thought for those who read this book in 2007 and then waited until 2013 for the third book. The wait was for good reason, was well worth it, and simply shows how desperate we were to know what happens next to our beloved characters. To those who are just getting into the series now, well, I would say you don’t know how lucky you are, but I bet Scott will leave us many more cliffhangers in the near future, and we can all join together in quiet torture as we wait to see how it is solved.

    Because we know it will be worth it.
  • Adam Bates
    4.0 out of 5 stars Mild Downgrade from the Previous Book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2024
    “Red Sails under Red Skies” by Scott Lynch continues the daring exploits of Locke Lamora and his loyal friend, Jean Tannen. This second entry in the “Gentleman Bastard” series finds Locke embroiled in yet another elaborate con, this time targeting the nobles of the island nation of Tal Verrar. Locke’s plan is nothing short of audacious, aiming to rob the Sinspire, an exclusive and impenetrable casino. However, their scheme takes an unexpected turn when they are forced into a life of piracy by a powerful military leader with his own ambitions, and Locke and Jean must navigate the treacherous waters of deception, loyalty, and survival.

    Lynch’s strength lies in his intricate world-building and sharp dialogue, and “Red Sails under Red Skies” offers plenty of both. The dynamic between Locke and Jean remains as compelling as ever, filled with camaraderie, wit, and moments of genuine vulnerability. The high-stakes con in Tal Verrar is just as thrilling as anything in the first book, with layers of deception that keep the reader guessing.

    However, one of the book’s notable shifts comes about halfway through, when Lynch drops the signature flashback chapters that played a significant role in the first book. These flashbacks were key in “The Lies of Locke Lamora”, providing critical insights into the characters’ pasts and the world they inhabit. Their absence in the latter half of “Red Sails under Red Skies” results in a narrative that feels less rich and occasionally disorienting, particularly as new plot elements are introduced with little context. While this might be an intentional choice to mirror the chaotic and uncertain situation Locke finds himself in, it may leave some readers yearning for the deeper lore and backstory that the flashbacks provided.

    Despite this, “Red Sails under Red Skies” remains a strong sequel, offering more of the clever schemes, dangerous encounters, and moral gray areas that fans of the first book loved. Lynch’s ability to balance humor with darker themes, along with his complex character development, ensures that the book is an engaging read, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor. For those who enjoyed “The Lies of Locke Lamora,” this next chapter in the series is a must-read, even if it occasionally stumbles on its way to the finale.
  • Lyndsay Juhl
    5.0 out of 5 stars love Locke and Jean
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2024
    This book was so amazing. I love the writing, the way the story unfolds, the banter, the new characters, new schemes, plot twist. Everything about this book!!

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