It’s time for another round of fun with Locke and Jean! 🙂
As with the previous two, I’m again participating in the read along of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series.
This week’s questions were provided by Dab of Darkness and without further ado, here they are with my answers.
1) We get to reminisce with several old friends in this section – Carlo, Galdo, Chains. How did you like this? Bitter sweet or happy dance?
It did start a bit bittersweet for me but that was soon replaced by happiness of getting to enjoy those “carefree” days again. Actually, I wasn’t even aware hoe much I missed them until those parts appeared in this book. I guess Mr. Lynch considered our shock and sadness at seeing them gone. And that it also proved as a good background for the whole Locke-Sabetha situation.
2) Finally, the infamous Sabetha makes a physical appearance, albeit in Locke’s reminisces. What are your impressions? How do you think the romance, if there is to be one, will play out?Â
Well, I actually got further along than designated for this week. My impressions in the beginning were that it seemed a bit too young to develop a burning love to last until Locke’s dying day (at least that’s what I gather from him it feels like). Â I don’t know how it will play out (I’d rather not guess and then be proven wrong) but I certainly hope Locke gets some happiness in his love life.
3) After trying absolutely everything to save Locke, Jean still won’t give up. What did you think of that little pep talk he gave Locke concerning Patience’s offer of healing?Â
Well, I know the story is centered about Locke more but Jean is to him what Hermione is to Harry Potter (I manage to put HP into everything). Jean is who has my vote of confidence to make it all happen for what Locke imagined. Because lets face it – Locke would be long dead without Jean while I don’t think the same is true for Jean.
Can I just say  my thoughts at that part were – Hit him as well for being such a pain in the ass! (the book is making me swear, I swear!)
4) Locke has a few caveats to working for the Bondsmage. Wise or just Locke grasping for some control over his life? What would you ask Patience?
Wise. Definitely wise. There is no way there is not an underlying current to all this we’re not seeing. I mean, it was expected it would be the Bondsmagi who would save Locke but now they did, I hope they get put down to earth a bit.
I actually think Patience is one of the “good” guys – it seems someone is working to kill her as well (her son’s faction I’m guessing).
What would I ask her? Actually nothing comes to mind instantly – I just cannot grasp the magnitude of their capabilities.
5) At the end of this section, we see that all is not as Patience laid it out. How much do you think Patience knows of the plot to off Locke and Jean? Do you see it interfering in the rigged election?
I see it as part of the rigged election. Experience so far has shown that Mr. Lynch manages to make it all somehow come together and there might be signs along the way but until you reach the end, they are generally undecipherable. 🙂 That said, I think the two (elections and getting killed) go together. I don’t think Patience knows anything about the particular plot (as I believe it concerns her life as well). But I do think she might believe that could be a real scenario.
We’ll see what happens next…
Please check the following blogs for their take on the part I:
Dab of Darkness
The Little Red Reviewer
Over the Effing Rainbow
Just Book Reading
Book Den
Many a True Nerd
Lynn’s Book Blog
Theft and Sorcery
Coffee, Cookies and Chili Peppers
Tethyan Books
Rosesthingamajig
Genkinahito’s Blog
Joma Fantasy
Books Without Any Pictures
Tagged: Book, Book review, Locke, read-along, Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch
All I am - a redhead 
I don’t know which made me happier, getting to hang out with Calo and Galdo again (and hearing their dirty tavern songs), or getting to meet Sabetha. She’s kind of quiet at first, but she sure does something to Locke! I find it funny that he falls for a girl who is a little older than him, because so often in fantasy stories it’s the guy in the relationship who is older.
Jean was surprisingly gentle with the pain-in-the-ass Locke. if I was him, I’d have just pushed Locke at Patience and said “do your worst”.
LOL, yeah, this book is going to make you swear! I was giggling like a crazy person at all the funny insults, even facebooked a few of them to some friends of mine!
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I think it would have been extremely frustrating if we didn’t get to meet Sabetha in this book. I would say we were all very patient during the first two books when it comes to her. 🙂
I’m bursting laughing out loud at certain parts of the book – it’s just such a great read with all the food and ingenious swearing, insulting and dialogues.
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I read Locke’s “burning love to last a lifetime” as just a child’s crush. I think that’s more or less what they feel like from the inside! (And Locke is, well, a rather overdramatic child.) I’m hoping that he has a slightly more realistic love for her as they grow up together and get to know one another, and that his interest is just kicked off by that initial crush. I can see what you mean about Jean-Locke as a kind of Hermione-Harry dynamic.
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Overdramatic is a good description of Locke. 🙂
As for it becoming a more realistic love, I certainly hope so, although I’m still waiting for proof. And more balanced, I just feel like she can mop the floor with him, how much he’s eager to please her.
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I see both your points on the child’s crush… but I think it has to be much bigger than that to still be with Locke. Like I speculated in my post, it might be a child’s crush that was sort of pressurised into something bigger by traumas and isolation and idolatry. I’m really looking forward to finding out! 🙂
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Oh, it definitely should evolve from a childhood crush, I mean he’s probably going to go through all the growing up stages, of the teenage inadequacy to adult long-lasting feelings.
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That’s great that you pulled HP into this. I hadn’t really thought of Hermione = Jean, maybe because of the Wicked Sisters. But I see what you mean. Jeanione has to repeatedly 1) pull their man out of physical danger 2) pull them out of some pity party or 3) kick their ass out of some doomed, loveless relationship. Yep. It’s tough being Jeanione.
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I’m a great HP fan and it’s not difficult for me to find ways to associate it with everything pretty much. 🙂 But I actually think that just proves how good a write Rowling is that her stories encompass so much.
That said, at first I didn’t understand the Jeanione name. 😀 But yes, he’s there to make everything work out in the end…
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I totally agree about Patience being an ally of Jean and Locke’s. The Bondsmagi have been this one big scary entity until now when we discover there are factions and splits. Patience seems to be totally unaware that there is a plot against Locke and I bet it will force her to choose sides.
I felt the whole “love of Locke’s life” thing was a bit much for someone as young as Locke but then I don’t think I ever felt that emotion or knew anything like it at a similar age. Other comments have said that they have.
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Falling so strongly in love at such an early age is something I can’t understand either but then, it would be difficult for me to fall so much in love as an adult as well. I tend to think through my emotions. But I believe there are people there who love completely and utterly, it’s just a bit of a stretch for me to understand that.
I can’t wait to see how the whole situation with Patience resolves itself.
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It would be a little too predictable if Patience were to turn out to be a typical evil Bondsmagus, so I am not quick to write her off as an ally either.
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I agree, but I don’t think she’s a complete good guy either. Maybe leaning more toward chaotic neutral.
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Interesting… Chaotic neutral? 🙂 Nice.
I don’t think she is a completely positive person but I think she leans more to the fair side of things.
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I’m curious to see what kind of person she turns out to be.
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3. Yep, Locke needs a good slapping at some point . . . possibly once he has recovered from the poison.
5. Knowing how hopelessly wrong I was with my predictions about the previous two books, I can only hope that Mr Lynch pulls it off again.
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I’m glad you agree with me on the slapping thing. 🙂 I was very frustrated with him at that point.
As for Mr. Lynch, I can sometime guess the small parts that seem obvious but generally, I have no idea what is going to happen and who is behind what.
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