I have been reading The Gentleman Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch over the last six months, and I honestly feel like my perception of fantasy and writing has changed thanks to his works. From the filthy Camorr origins in The Lies of Locke Lamora, to the deadly swashbuckling adventures of Red Seas Under Red Skies, and the high-stakes political chess match of The Republic of Thieves, there is so much this series includes and the detail is as fine as a pinpoint. It truely is one of the best fantasy series ever.

The Lies of Locke Lamora starts us off in the home of misfits, gangs, and back alley thieves, Camorr, home to the mysterious Locke Lamora and the other orphans of the gutter. The split storytelling, fusing past and present together, makes for a beautiful blend of action and backstory and provides more than a handful of unforgettable character interactions and dialogue. Everything is raw and rough and filthy, the violence specific and detailed, and all your senses are immersed in the storytelling. Never have I had such visceral reactions to description as I did reading a certain scenes in The Lies of Locke Lamora, and never did I feel so absorbed in a fantasy world as I have with this one. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an easy 5 star read.

Red Seas Under Red Skies moves the location, giving the reader an exhilarating new adventure to follow along with, but it keeps the same intensity, the same phenomenal dialogue, and the wonders of Scott Lynch’s storytelling. I audibly laughed, shed tears, and felt my breath be stolen away during this read. The stakes are a new kind of complex, the path a double-edgd sword the characters must navigate, and the action is incredible. New characters kept me intrigued in the present while events in The Lies of Locke Lamora had me feeling emotional and somehow nostalgic for the past. And that ending. Just wow. I am so happy I didn’t know this existed when it was released because I would have spent the next six to seven years waiting for The Republic of Thieves. Red Seas Under Red Skies gets a 4.5/5 stars from me.

The Republic of Thieves is one hell of a finale. I understand that some readers may feel a little let down in the energy and tension of this one given the action and intensity of the previous two books. I think The Republic of Thieves is best summed up as an emotional finale and the moment many – including the characters – have been waiting for. It is an entertaining read, a much needed dive into characters, backstory, and interactions that have been teased out since the beginning. There is still an immersion and investment in the action and plot in The Republic of Thieves, don’t get me wrong, and I still enjoyed the reading a lot. Think of this book more as character development and exploration, something that is essential to all stories and series. The Republic of Thieves gets a 4.5/5 stars from me.

I will note that the fourth book in the series, The Thorn of Emberlain, hassupposedly been released. I say supposedly because its actually a mission to find definitive facts for the release date and I have yet to see it in New Zealand libraries or stores. When it does come across my radar, you can rest assured knowing I will get it and read it as soon as possible. Scott Lynch has also madea statement to say there will be a spinoff series set twenty year after the events of The Gentleman Bastard Sequence with new protagonists and that series will be seven books long. If that is true, I am very excited to see what comes of it and eager to get my hands on more of Scott Lynch’s writing. He has become one of my favourite fantasy authors and possible an auto-buy author. I know, I said I wouldn’t be that reader, but when you find an author whose works you can’t easily get your hands on it kind of becomes an instinctual reaction to buy it.

But regardless, I hope this post can convince you to pick up The Gentleman Bastard Sequence and immerse yourself in this absolutely fantastic world full of life, deth, violence, and thievery. I have never felt so immersed or invested in a series as this one. Adult fantasy readers must at least give the Lies of Locke Lamora a go because it is a reading experience like no other.