the gentleman bastard series — scott lynch

This series was mentioned to me by a friend that had seen it on Goodreads in relation to some authors that we both adore (Rick Riordan and George RR Martin). I was in a bit of a reading rut last month, and this was exactly the series I needed to snap me out of it.

The Lies of Locke Lamora was a wild ride from the first word to the last. Admittedly it did take me a bit to get invested, but once I was, I couldn’t get myself to put it down. I was  reading at work, while making dinner, any spare moment I had was spent engrossed in this book. The world building was phenomenal, taking it one scene at a time. It felt like Lynch went out of his way to make sure that you weren’t confused and introduced the settings as they were need. Of course other countries and cities in this fantasy-world were mentioned, but never gone into detail until you needed them to. The storyline goes from past to present in a way that makes you connect with the characters. You can feel their motivation and it helps build a lasting connection whether you love them, or hate them. The twists and turns in this book are amazing, and Scott Lynch is an absolute genius. You think you know what’s going to happen and then bam! the scenario takes three more unexpected turns. If you want a novel that keeps you guessing, but in a good way. I highly recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora. You can’t help but fall in love with a rogue thief, or at least I can’t!

Being a huge fan of the first novel, as a reader you always fear that sophomore slump. It’s that knot at your stomach when you start a second novel– anticipation with excitement, and a hint of worry. But Red Seas Under Red Skies did not disappoint. While I liked Lies better overall, this novel was not a sophomore slump by any means! Scott Lynch grips you from the first scheme to the last. He always makes me think I know what’s going to happen with one of Locke and Jean’s outlandish schemes, but there’s no telling where Lynch is going to take our heroes. The twists and turns in the book are definitely as captivating as the first, but sometimes you don’t know who you’re rooting for. The characters seem to grow in leaps and bounds, but their still stuck in old habits. It’s rare to see a character grow, yet stay the same and that’s what Scott Lynch achieves with Locke.

Republic of Thieves might be the most clever novel in the series (so far). The Republic of Thieves is a play, similar to how we would think of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, and the characters embark on a parallel story. The past and present collide in this novel, all to do with an election. Reading of Locke’s love, and how she seems to outwit him at every turn is so endearing, especially since he thinks he’s the best thief, or as he calls himself, falsefacer, around. The twists and turns are a lot of fun in this novel, it’s a contest that could have dire consequences, but with the characters trying to outwit each other at every turn, it’s a wild ride you can’t put down. Like LoLL and RSUS, the final chapters bring clarity and relief. You can’t help but feel a smidge smarter for having read these books.

All around an amazing series that I’m still surprised I hadn’t heard of. The fourth novel for this series was announced and given a title The Thorn of Emberlain, but so far no release date. I’m waiting impatiently for Scott Lynch’s next installment, and I’m sure there are tons of other readers who can’t wait to get their hands on this novel. One hell of a wild ride for anyone who fancies themselves as clever. You can’t help but find yourself rooting for the thieves as they steal their way across their empire, one clever scheme at a time!

RATINGS:

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA — 4.5/5

RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES — 4/5

REPUBLIC OF THIEVES — 5/5

a darker shade of magic series — v.e. schwab

Wow. Let me just start off with saying that I haven’t been this excited about a book series in a while. It’s been on my radar since A Darker Shade of Magic was published in 2015. The cover really caught my attention, and I was pretty thrilled about the plot, but life happens and I haven’t gotten a chance to read this amazing series until this past week. I’m not going to go too in depth with the characters or the plot with this one, but more of a overall feel and tone of the writing.

I’ll start by talking about A Darker Shade of Magic. I was absolutely hooked from page one. V.E just has a way of weaving words together and getting the reader swept away in the story. I was so invested and in love with Kell from the start, and that didn’t change with the book. His character is complex, and ever growing. You can really relate to his feeling of being stuck within a life that he’s not very content with, and sympathize with him for wanting something more. Every character has a great depth, even if they’re just mentioned briefly and don’t feature in the main story. Not only does V.E. have parallel Londons, but they all have their own set of languages and settings. It’s just really awesome to see her weave a tale for them individually, but also how they all come together in the larger story.

A Gathering of Shadows definitely didn’t suffer from a sophomore slump. I think I may have actually like this book a little more, in a different way than the first. There were more characters introduced, and a wider array of characters from different part of V.E.’s world. The way she differentiates between the countries is just incredible, and they all have their own customs, languages and naming styles to boot. I just can’t rave enough about the spell-weaving of these novels. You think you found out who the good and the bad are, but with GoS those lines start to blur. The reader is privy to the past and what makes everyone tick. For example: Holland. He’s just someone you love to hate, but then you start to realize why he is the way he is, and you can’t help but root for him a little. We get to see some pretty bad-ass magicians, and some soft-hearted guards. The scope of this novel surpasses the first, but is no less captivating.

A Conjuring of Light delves deeper into the pasts of our favorite characters, and our least. Everyone has to make some tough decisions, and V.E. gives us greater glimpses into the past. The past is the past, but it’s what shapes a person and ultimately the choices that they make. There are some very powerful moments of self-realization in this novel. But don’t get me wrong, it can get heavy at times, but the light-hearted and cocky nature of some of the protagonists help you get through. There’s triumph and heatbreak, but in the end good seems to conquer evil.

All the twists and turns are finally wrapped up in this book. I am content with the ending, but at the same time there are so many more adventures I want to go on with these characters! I think there are many more stories that V.E. can tell of Kell, Rhy, Lila, Alucard, and company. But, she is one of those authors I adore, she doesn’t believe in adding for the sake of adding. She wants it to contribute to the overall story and keep the readers entranced on their journey.

I would HIGHLY recommend this series to any lover of fantasy, or just someone who wants an escape from the mundane. V.E. is a magician with words, who casts a spell on her readers from start to finish.

RATINGS:

A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC — 4.5/5

A GATHERING OF SHADOWS— 5/5

A CONJURING OF LIGHT– 5/5