Scott Lynch

Con man Locke Lamora's latest scrapes with fellow Gentleman Bastard Jean Tannen give way to an increasingly audacious resolve to have an incredibly good time while robbing the world blind.

The Republic of Thieves

horu

Locke, who was no stranger to a beating, was cursed with an uncanny ability to recognize one just before it ceased to be theoretical.

A miracle the size and shape of Jean Tannen appeared out of the corner of Locke's vision.

Sunny

It took me a long time (way too long) to get over my reading slump but! I thoroughly enjoyed this book!! I love the twists and turns so much especially at the very end!! I can't wait to continue on. 

The only reason I made this 4 stars instead of 5 is wholly due to Sabetha, her character thoroughly annoys me, she's flighty and provides no reason as to why, really. Grr. Everything else is great, especially Jean ♥️

Anyaconda

That's probably going to be it. Will we ever see any of the other books in this series? 
This one was alright, but didn't blow off my 🧦 or anything.

Prashanth Srivatsa

Full of artifice and deception, and never has anything less been expected of the Gentleman Bastards. Lynch's modus operandi is becoming clearer by the day, and his characters outwitting each other can only be exciting for so long. But there's still a breath of the mystical and the mysterious cloaking all the crooked thievery, and that alone is sufficient to want to read the next installment.

menna

Savindi Jinasena

Cover Gushing Worthiness: Although I wasn’t impressed with The Lies of Locke Lamora or Red Seas Under Red Skies what I have been impressed with are the covers of Lynch’s books. They are nothing but gorgeous! The Republic of Thieves is no exception. Yes the cover of The Republic of Thieves is one of the most badass covers I’ve seen all year. I actually love all three covers 
  

  
. I believe the cover on the right is German and it’s so beautiful. That’s the one thing Scott Lynch does exceptionally well: world-building. Lynch’s world-building allows the series to have some amazing covers. I haven’t seen anything like them in a long time. So final verdict you ask? I LOVE all three covers of this surprisingly good book.

Review: All Quotes Have Been Taken From An Uncorrected Copy.


  
    Life boils down to standing in line to get s*** dropped on your head. Everyone’s got a place in the queue, you can’t get out of it, and just when you start to congratulate yourself on surviving your dose of s***, you discover that the line is actually circular.
  


After reading The Lies of Locke Lamora and feeling disappointed, along with getting approved to read The Republic of Thieves, I was honestly scared that this book would end up as an addition to my “Did-Not-Finish” pile. Scott Lynch’s writing did not work for me on two occasions, but lucky for Lynch and for me the third time truly was the charm. Even though this book is anything but perfect, with all my qualms and preconceived notions I enjoyed this book to the point where I could see myself continuing to read this series if Scott Lynch continues to write like this! 

Before I go any further I also have to say that Lynch’s book titles are among the most original and coolest ones I’ve ever seen. You can probably tell that I’m just a little bit in love with “The Republic of Thieves” as a book title. It reminds me of Plato's The Republic even though I've never read it. 

Following the format of Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Republic of Thieves switches between past and present day events. Present being the rigging of the Bondsmagi elections in exchange for Locke’s life being saved and past events of course feature the character every single fan of this series has been dying to meet: Sabetha Belacoros- Locke’s one and only love.

While both predecessors of The Republic of Thieves seemed to be more plot driven books, TRoT comes off as a character driven book. Yes there is a plot and there are interesting elements in it, but this book’s main focus is on Locke and Sabetha. As readers we see their entire history; the first meeting, their competitive spirits, the broken hearts, anger, jealousy and resentment- it’s all laid bare for the reader. The election itself got confusing at times and I found myself going back and forth trying decipher the explanations that were given. This is where I think Lynch’s writing still feels a bit clunky for me. I feel like things could be explained better and in a much simpler manner. If I were to compare the past and present in The Republic of Thieves, there are elements in both sections I like and dislike. Of course one of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the world-building. Lynch truly is a Master Builder of worlds that are intricate, dangerous, beautiful and extravagant. In a way the cities Locke and Jean have been to function like a Black Widow. Every city the Gentleman Bastards have been to has taken away something from them that means so much to Locke or Jean. In the end Karthain is no different. It takes from Locke and leaves him in a more precarious position than before. A wonderful thing about this book is it allowed me to finally understand the ‘Gentleman Bastard’ humor so to speak. With the other two books I was unimpressed and wondered what people were talking about when they spoke about the humor in the books. In The Republic of Thieves I finally understood it. There were moments where I laughed out loud and to the point where I laughed so much that my sides were hurting me. Most of the humor for me came from Jean. This is one of my favourite dialogues between Jean and Locke

  
    Then listen here my friend. I’m not an Oracle and I’m not going to turn into one no matter how long you sit there crying into your beer. You know I used to think that the Sanzas were the biggest annoyance around? I was wrong. Until you and Sabetha get your s*** together, they’re the least of all possible evils.

She’s just so gods-damned inscrutable

You were talking to her before, right?

Yeah. It was going well. Now it’s all strange.

Have you considered extreme, desperate measures like talking to her again?

Yeah, but, well…

You’ve yeah-but your way to this point. You’re going to yeah-but this mess until it’s time to go home, and I don’t doubt you’ll yeah-but her out of your life. Quit circling at a distance. Go talk to her, for Preva’s sake.
  


The character history presented in The Republic of Thieves is fascinating. This is what I invested myself in the most. Learning about the formation of the Gentleman bastards, how Locke became the ‘Thorn of Camorr’, the schemes, the friendships, teenage awkwardness and angst- I loved all of it. The ending was jaw dropping to say least. Old foes have returned and I’m going to be ridiculously excited to read The Thorn of Emberlain I also have to praise the improvement in Lynch’s writing. I liked this new style of fast paced, detail oriented and enchanting writing. This is a vast improvement from the slow-paced and boring writing I encountered with The Lies of Locke Lamora. Some readers would probably want more action and plot to move the story forward, but I didn't have a problem with the story being so character focused considering that Sabetha was almost a figure of folklore since readers had heard so much about her and now we get a chance to finally meet this elusive lover of Locke.

There’s an entertaining band of characters in The Republic of Thieves and I admit sometimes it was difficult for me to keep track with all the false identities of the Gentleman Bastards and the Bondsmagi. Also in regards to the Bondsmagi I felt lost because I didn’t finish Red Seas Under Red Skies so my knowledge of them is quite limited.


  
    We are what we are; we love what we love. We don’t need to justify it to anyone…not even to ourselves.
  


I truly liked Locke in this more so than I ever did in The Lies of Locke Lamora. He was stripped away of all things familiar minus Jean, so it was interesting to explore his vulnerability which only seems to appear with the presence of Sabetha. To be honest Locke’s history was both mind-blowing and tragic at the same time. I really felt for Locke when he learnt more about his past and I felt his confusion, horror, pain and anger. The great thing about Locke’s character in this book was that while as a reader you guessed certain elements of his character Lynch takes the reader’s assumption and twists it in a way that seemed impossible and yet eventually plausible. Locke was also funnier and more interesting in The Republic of Thieves. I suppose he needed to keep his sense of humor through their less than favourable circumstances.


  
    You’re a difficult woman, Sabetha. But then, difficult women are the only ones worth falling in love with.
  


Sadly I do have to admit that I never believe that Locke was in love with Sabetha. I think it was more of an obsession than love. Furthermore I failed to notice any chemistry between them. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re only getting a picture of Sabetha from Locke’s perspective or if it’s because her character may be underdeveloped. Either way I just couldn't buy into their relationship. It didn't feel strong enough, even after they’re reunited after five years. It was like two teenagers being in love, even though they are not teenagers anymore. I don’t know if I want their relationship to progress in the future books, but I think I’d actually like to see another love interest for Locke and see how two women square up against each other to win his heart.


  
    She has a cruel streak that one. She’s a perfectionist.
  


Sabetha is an incredibly complicated character. Yes on paper she is Locke’s equal and rival in every sense of those words, but at the same time you get a feeling that she isn’t. For the most part I felt like she spent so much time trying to be Locke’s equal, that she forgot about being herself. Which brings me to my next point: Who is Sabetha Belacoros? I feel like we could peel off layer after layer of Sabetha and still not discover who she really is. Sabetha comes off across as a moody, selfish, insecure, jealous and strong woman, but the problem for me was that all of our feelings towards Sabetha were coming off of Locke’s perspective. She didn't have her own voice and I’m somewhere in the middle when it comes to her character. Sabetha is complicated to the point where she’s neither likable or unlikable. She’s definitely a talented person, there’s no doubt about that, but I wanted to see more of her. I wanted to feel her character and that didn't come across for me. Hopefully in the future books we’ll see more of her. 

Jean Tannen is one of my favourite secondary characters from the books that I've read this year. What I love most about Jean is his loyalty to Locke. It’s so refreshing to see a character like Jean who would probably go to the ends of the earth to save Locke.He’s not one to leave anybody behind and he loves so fiercely as well. The bromance between Locke and Jean was awesome and again it’s one of the positive elements in this book.


  
    We can transmute; we can cleanse… But against shattered bones and spilled blood, we’re helpless. We are ordinary. Ordinary as you.
  


While the Bondsmagi are portrayed as the antagonists behind the scenes in The Republic of Thieves. I found their characters very interesting. I found the magic interesting because I haven’t really come across magic like this in other fantasy books that I’ve read. Not so much the magical elements, but the politics behind the magic and the factions. Magic in itself comes across as an element. It’s what you do with that element and the knowledge you acquire is the matter of consequences. A part of me wishes that I finished Red Seas Under Red Skies because I would have benefitted from learning more about Bondsmagi via that book, but I would have put myself through a lot of pain for that. Regardless I liked Archedama Patience. I wanted to know more about her background and her revelations were a bit startling. Nevertheless she doesn’t come across as antagonist per say, maybe more like an anti-heroine.

I should mention that this book too is no different to the previous two books when it comes to swearing. There’s a lot of it, but then you can’t really imagine the characters not speaking with a swear words inserted into their conversations.

Overall The Republic of Thieves really took me by surprise. I did not expect to enjoy this book in the slightest. In fact I dreaded reading it, but again I was worried for nothing. Locke Lamora managed to charm me the third time we crossed paths and he did a fine job. The world-building, the characters, the history- all make this book an exciting and fun read.

My Rating: 4/5

Would I Recommend It? Yes

The Republic of Thieves is published by Random House Publishing Group- Del Rey Spectra. It will be released on October 8 2013. This Advanced Reader Copy was obtained via Netgalley. Thank You Netgalley for providing this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jamieson

its hard to review the third book in a series without giving everything away so I'll keep it fairly brief 

review of book one: the lies of locke lamora


  “Quit being so hard on yourself. We are what we are; we love what we love. We don't need to justify it to anyone... not even to ourselves.”


Of all the Gentleman Bastards books, this one was my favourite so far. I think that is a bit of an unpopular opinion so let me explain

1: It's about politics which everyone seemed to dislike about it but listen,,, have I mentioned I study/work in politics? I LOVE politics stuff (yes #nerd carry on). Jean and Locke need to rig an election in this and I just found it ... so much fun. Especially with how this is more drawn out and slow plotting as versus the heists of the earlier books

2: much-needed backstories this focusses A LOT on Locke and Jean's past and the entire history of the Gentleman Bastards. There are lots of appearances/flashbacks by the Sanza twins and Chains and I LOVED SEEING THEM AGAIN. I love character-driven stories which is why I think I enjoyed this instalment of the series so much even though it didn't have as structured a plot as the others

3: women actually turn up: as much as I do enjoy this series, the lack of women bothers me (view spoiler)[ also the fact that Lynch fridges any woman who appears just to generate some male pain is also extremely annoying to me (hide spoiler)].
Anyway, the long-teased ex-love interest of Locke, Sabetha, appears in this book and I LOVE HER. Everyone in the reviews seems to hate her because she actually uhh, establishes some agency. I thought she was an interesting character, I really liked her dynamic with Locke and although I think some of her actions are frustrating it's important to remember it's all from Locke's pov so we don't really know why she was making some of those choices. I did think Locke saw her as his manic pixie dream girl and she just ... isn't. Because no one is. And thats why so many readers are a bit annoyed with her. 

THAT SAID, I still enjoyed having a character who absolutely knew and cared about and was as good as Locke and Jean but wasn't necessarily interested in being in their band anymore. She was just as (if not more so) resourceful and clever as Locke and it was refreshing to see Locke getting properly challenged by someone else and having to question some of the ways he went about things in his past.

BUT, I do hope significant work is put into examining and deconstructing Sabetha and Locke's relationship as there were some things that made me go uhh and could have (and hopefully will be) developed on a lot more. 


  “Sloppy idiot,” Sabetha muttered at last. “You’re trying to be charming. Well, I do not choose to be charmed by you, Locke Lamora.”


As always, I loved the writing and the character friendships so much. The characters really make this book, especially Locke and Jean's friendship. This setting was probably my least favourite of them all, however, and I thought the random injections of homophobia and racism in the worldbuilding were unnecessary and poorly done considering they weren't examined or critiqued any further than brief mentions like "no one would care these two men are together anywhere else but heRE THEY COULD DIE FOR IT" which is just ?? why drop it into your world without making any further comment or critique. what is the REASON? 


  “I’m, uh, going up to the room … to get ready.”
“You’ve got at least four hours before we have to leave.”
“Yeah, but if I don’t start my nervous pacing now, I’ll never have it all done in time.”



All in all, I really enjoyed this book for how strongly it's dedicated to character development and backstory revelations. We finally get a lot of big reveals and a big plot point at the end that I assume will drive the rest of the series. I cannot wait to see how that pans out. I loved finally getting all the reveals on some things commonly brought up, like how Locke became the Thorn of Camorr, how he and Sabetha broke up, and what Locke's real name is. 

People have been waiting six years for book 4, The Thorn of Emberlain so I have no idea when that will finally come out, but I'm looking forward to it with everyone else and I hope it delivers just as much as The Republic of Thieves did for me!

Rachel Kanyid

This was an absolutely riveting third part to this series! I loved it just as much as the first two, and I especially loved finally getting to know Sabetha more in this one! The bit about the Falconer was a great way to end! :)

Amani Zaha

First of all: chef's kiss for the book cover on this one.

Second: crying screaming throwing up because there is no next book to read in this series.

On to the review. While book #2 was dedicated to showcasing Locke and Jean's unwavering loyalty and love for each other, The Republic of Thieves highlights the tug-and-pull, rocky relationship of Locke and [DRUMROLL] the esteemed Sabetha. After around 1500 pages of fleeting mentions and several brief but intriguing conversations between Locke and Jean about this mysterious woman, we finally meet her.

"Well, hell. It's been five years. Maybe she's learned to lose gracefully. Maybe she's out of practice."

"Maybe trained monkeys will climb out of my ass and pour me a glass of Austershalin brandy," said Jean.


We know little about Sabetha, at first. She is Locke's One True Love (really, the only love/crush/infatuation he's ever known and probably will know); his match in a competition of wit and cunning; an instant trigger for turning him into a blushing, stammering fool. But this is all barely scraping the layer of her person, and, well, it is also coloured by Locke's feelings and memory.

"And what'd you do to Sabetha this time?"

"I exist," said Locke. "Some days that's enough."


In the familiar manner of this series, TRoT weaves the present-day storyline with equally thrilling flashbacks to the Gentleman Bastards' days in Camorr. We begin all the way back in Shades' Hill where eleven-years old Locke first lays his eyes upon Sabetha and trips over himself trying to impress this older, redheaded girl who regards him as a nuisance and a half. The flashbacks then continue painting a picture of their mostly one-sided relationship throughout the years that follow — Sabetha always cool, calculated and aloof, while Locke jumps through hoops to catch her attention. However, her character gradually gains depth, until she is just as much flesh and blood as are Locke and Jean.


"Why should that be exceptional? A boy may be as disagreeable as he pleases, but when a girl refuses to crap sunshine on command, the world mutters darkly about her moods."


I had high hopes for her character and I was not disappointed. It seems readers are divided on this, since multiple reviewers mention how they were not satisfied by the turn out of Sabetha's character. There is a stark contrast between his unrelenting devotion to her, and her mostly cold attitude toward him; there were times when I wanted to roll my eyes at her standoffishness when it came to Locke. But it's part of their characters, with reason! And ultimately, I loved the relationship for how complex and passionate it was.

While present-day in TRoT is centred on the Gentleman Bastards competing to rig an election to appease the Bondsmagi, the flashbacks follow the gang — Locke, Jean, the Sanzas and Sabetha — as they are thrown into their first big con, this time within the arena of theatre. I loved having them all together, experiencing their various dynamics and always-entertaining banter as they butt heads with complication after complication.

"You should make some friends at the Guilded Lilies, mate," said Galdo. "Why fall on your face trying to tame a horse when you can have a dozen that are already saddled?"

"So now you like to f-ck horses," said Jean. "Bravo, baldy."


Compared to the previous books, this one may seem tamer. It has no big heist, no spectacular con at a gambling house, no pirate ships and mutiny. This one is much more character-driven, so if you enjoy the GB series for its characters and world-building at least as much as for its plot, you'll appreciate TRoT. The theatre-subplot of the past is great fun to follow, and the inclusion of Sabetha provides interesting nuance to what we know of Chains, the GB and Locke himself.

I will say this, however: I felt the page count on this one. I will always appreciate Lynch for his world-building, but when it came to details of the elections and the citizens of Karthain, I found myself skimming the descriptions a lot.

And the ending. Oh, man. I was honestly — and I say this with great sorrow — considering bumping this down to 3 stars, mostly because of it. I was not expecting the story to take the turn it did. At first I was perplexed; then, when it had sunk in, I felt miffed. This is completely due to personal preferences! It just seemed like It came out of left field, to me.

Anyway. I won't deny I'm biased, but the characterisation, dialogue (always the dialogue!), the intertwining of the past and present, the unfolding of subplots, the rich, bustling world Lynch crafts every time — it would be an injustice to give this 3 stars. So, four stars, but with some remarks about the resolution/ending.

Here are some lines from Locke himself to make up for it:

"... I'm, uh, going up to the room ... to get ready."

"You've got at least four hours before we have to leave."

"Yeah, but if I don't start my nervous pacing now, I'll never have it all done in time."


"Are you smarter than a pig, Locke?"

"On occasion," said Locke. "There are contrary opinions."

"Are you more dangerous than a cow? A chicken? A sheep?"

"Let's be generous and say yes."


"It's only common sense, you brick-skulled tub! You obstinate—"

"I'll be back soon."

"... obstinate, uh, something ... something ... biting and witty and thoroughly convincing! Hey, if you leave now, you'll miss me being thoroughly convincing!"


Publish the next book you coward. 🤨

Kirsten Simkiss

This series has been a favorite of mine. While I don't think that this was the best of the three books I've read in the series, it's still a fantastic ride and well worth reading. While it's more to do with backstabbing ploys in the political game, it's still a fun plot line. At the same time, I can't wait until they get back to their regular crazy heists in future books.

The first 200 to 250 pages are absolutely glorious. I hadn't read a book in this series in quite some time and reading the first 250 pages of the book kind of felt like coming home to the series. But after that? Well, it sort of slows down. It's not unbearable, but it's definitely not as perilous as other books have been. Of course, it is a different sort of game. The final reveal of their big win, as they always seem to have at the end of the book, just didn't seem nearly as satisfying.

It was finally good to get a look at Sabetha. I wish you got more than one chapter from her perspective. She's such a guarded character that she just kind of comes across as a tease, kind of like Catwoman, but more brutal. She almost seemed like a female blend of both Locke and Jean. I would honestly read a book from her perspective if given the opportunity. It'd also really help me understand her emotions as they stayed hidden for the majority of the book. It made it hard to love her, especially as she constantly seems to be deflating Locke and even occasionally Jean. She also seemed like a "woe is me" type love interest, but she doesn't seem to have that much more to fear that any of the Gentlemen Bastards did. Still, she seems like a solid character in her own right. I'm just not sure I buy her as a good romantic interest for Locke.

The thing that will make this book stand out is simply how much character development you get to see in these pages. You get to see the whole Gentelman Bastard team work together, minus Bug of course as he wouldn't have been born yet, and seeing snippets of how they all grew up. You also get to see how those snippets followed them into adulthood. Most of the snippets focus on the relationship between Locke and Sabetha, but it also brings Calo and Galdo back into the fold which was delightful. You get so much of their relationships that it really gives life to these characters. It shows you just how well thought out these characters are. These are characters you can picture as you read with no difficulty. And these friendships? You never doubt them. Even if you don't like Sabetha, you know these three main characters would take a bullet for any of the others.

The implications that this book will have on the future of the series is substantial. I don't want to have to tag my review for major spoilers, but I have a feeling that the Falconer is going to be a major problem in future books. And I can't wait to read them.

I fully recommend this book to others, but you really aught to read the prior books to fully enjoy all the details.

Savannah Winchell

Really enjoyed sabetha but we didn’t really get much of Locke’s genius

Sabetha Danes

the story in this book makes it hard to put down. All the back story questions you had previously are answered and it leaves you eager for the next book. I love his ability to jump from back story to present time with ease and at the perfect moment. keeps the book lively. This book goes back to the roots of what I loved so much about the first. And of course I can't review one of his books without raving on his ability to use the English language in a way all authors should drool over. Definantly brings an awesome story to life.

Malin Tälle

Nikki K

that end thoughhh????! really glad i didn't read this book two years ago, hopefully now i'll only have to wait until april for the next one...

libby g

Sabetha kinda makes me want to kms but other than that, good shit.

Ben Nathan

Great continuation. I love how each book has a different flavor (general con, heist, election manipulation) while delving more into the world and their past. Locke and Jean are quickly becoming one of my favorite on page duos. Very well written book/series and I'm really looking forward to #4 (though it doesn't come out until later this year, supposedly). I guess I just need to read some shorter stuff in the meantime.

Jake H

Nathan Robertson

After their adventures on the high seas, Locke and Jean are brought back to earth with a thump. Jean is mourning the loss of his lover and Locke must live with the fallout of crossing the all-powerful magical assassins, the Bonds Magi. It is a fallout that will pit both men against Locke's own long-lost love. Sabetha is Locke's childhood sweetheart, the love of Locke's life and now it is time for them to meet again. Employed on different sides of a vicious dispute between factions of the Bonds, Sabetha has just one goal - to destroy Locke for ever. The Gentleman Bastard sequence has become a literary sensation in fantasy circles and now, with the third book, Scott Lynch is set to seal that success.

François Declercq

Emma Jones

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A bright new voice in the fantasy genre” (George R. R. Martin), acclaimed author Scott Lynch continues to astound and entertain with his thrillingly inventive, wickedly funny, suspense-filled adventures featuring con artist extraordinaire Locke Lamora. And The Republic of Thieves is his most captivating novel yet. NAMED ONE OF PASTE’S BEST FANTASY BOOKS OF THE DECADE 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. Praise for The Republic of Thieves “Fast paced, fun, and impossible to put down . . . Locke and company remain among the most engaging protagonists in fantasy.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The Republic of Thieves has all the colorful action, witty repartee, and devious scheming that fans of the series have come to expect.”—Wired “A fantasy world unique among its peers . . . If you’re looking for a great new fantasy series this is one you won’t want to miss. . . . In a word: AWESOME!”—SF Revu

The Republic of Thieves

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