Starred review from August 19, 2013
Lynch’s long-awaited third Gentleman Bastards high-fantasy caper novel (after 2007’s The Lies of Locke Lamora and 2008’s Red Seas Under Red Skies) abundantly delivers on the promise of the earlier volumes. Quick-witted protagonist Locke is slowly succumbing to poison as his loyal companion, Jean, tries to find someone who can save him. The price of rescue gets the duo involved in running an election campaign in the city-state of Karthain, where the parties are fronts for two factions of terrifyingly powerful mages. The opposition campaign leader is none other than Locke’s long-lost love, Sabetha, who knows all of his moves and has a few of her own. A set of flashbacks explores Locke, Jean, and Sabetha’s shared past as a theatrical scam goes horribly wrong. Locke and company remain among the most engaging protagonists in fantasy, and Lynch sneaks in some incisive political parody while never overdoing the comedy. The result is fast paced, fun, and impossible to put down.
Starred review from October 15, 2013
Announced as early as 2008, the long, long, long-awaited sequel to The Lies of Locke Lamora (2006) and Red Seas under Red Skies (2007) finally arrives. The story picks up almost immediately after the end of Red Seas. Locke Lamora, professional thief and con artist, has been poisoned ( He was being unknit from the inside; his veins and sinews were coming apart ). He has only a handful of days left, but rescue from certain death comes from a most unexpected source: the Bondsmagi, the powerful sorcerers who haven't exactly been Locke's best friends until now. After ridding his body of the poison, they, of all things, offer him a job. They want him to help rig a local election, which doesn't sound all that tricky, except that someone else is working the other side of the street, and she's at least as clever and ruthless as Locke: Sabetha Belacoros, Locke's long-lost love. This rousing adventure expands on themes introduced in the first two books and tells the full history of Locke and Sabetha, whose relationship was tantalizingly sketchy in the first installment. The Bondsmagi, too, are shown here in more detail than ever before, and Lynch has some serious surprises in store for fans of the first two books. It might have taken Lynch a lot longer to publish the book than fans wanted, but it was definitely worth the wait. A landmark publishing event in the sf world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)