This week’s questions were provided by Andrea, The Little Red Reviewer.
It’s becoming obvious we’re heading towards the end, I feel a bit raw with this week’s discoveries.
Let’s start with the Espara timeline.
1. We finally know why Sabetha dies her hair, and that’s so disturbing even the Thiefmaker under Shade’s Hill was disgusted by it. Too dark for this world? Or just right?
Nothing is too dark for this world it seems. But it was almost vomit-inducing. Seriously?! How do people come up with these ideas?! And I would guess it might not have been an actual idea of Mr. Lynch, unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that actually happened during human history.
Hope they burn in hell.
2. The “Asino” brothers are drunken idiots, but they’re not blind. What did you think of the little rendezvous they helped arrange for Sabetha and Locke?
Yaaay! They have good hearts and teenage hormones. Those aren’t mutually exclusive, the heart just might not have time to do its job under all that wine most of the time. 😉
3. Locke managed to get everyone out of the Boulidazi mess we discussed last week . . . what do you think of this latest Boulidazi complication?
A little rock in the road. 🙂 After the kiss, I think this will be easy. Then again, it might blow up in their faces. Who knows with Mr. Lynch…
And back to Karthain (I’m jumping around in time here, leaving the most important bits for last)
4.Time is flying, and the election is getting closer. Desperation calls for cheap tricks. I think my favorite so far is Sabetha’s special roof guards. What’s your favorite election dirty trick so far?
That was brilliant! Ingenious! I think this is my favorite trick. Because it’s funny.
5.There’s a mole in the Deep Roots. Was that person’s identity a surprise to you? And how did you like Locke’s method of identifying the person?
Well it wasn’t surprise once they caught him – it was obvious he was going to be the double agent for Sabetha. I must say I expected Locke to figure it out sooner. The method was good, but I really thought it would be easier for him to figure it out. Oh well, he did have other things to think about…
6.What’s so important about this Lovaris fellow? The election is right around the corner, so why introduce someone new so late in the game?
Who is Lovaris? I know I read the name and now I can’t remember who he is. Shit. I need to go check.
Oh, yes, I remember. Well, by the end of those two chapters, it seems he is an unwilling participant in a ploy of Locke’s. Possibly. I love the fact that his name makes me think of someone looking for money (lova means money in slang Croatian).
7. It’s so nice that Locke and Sabetha can finally have some nice, normal dinner dates. He even cooks her dinner! But that sneaky Patience, always interrupting everything! Finally, she promises some answers. that’s nice. what, Locke is WHO? Locke is a WHAT? How much of it do you believe?
Basically all, except the fact he is actually the White/Black Amaranth. Or an actual Bondsmagi. Whatever happened, I think he is another person from what Patience thinks. I also agree with Jean when he says she twisted the information she gave him so it would sound as awful as it did.
I’m really scared about reading the end. 😦
Here is what my fellow readers had to say about it all:
Tagged: Book review, Locke Lamora, read-along, Scott Lynch, The Republic of Thieves
All I am - a redhead 
[…] All I am – A Redhead […]
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1. – Eww, I hope that never happened in history – please let it not have happened!
4. – The little old ladies as spies was pretty funny, not to mention Jean’s reaction – he kind of fell to pieces.
6. – ahh, cool about the meaning of the name!
7. – Yes, I like your theory and I’m sticking with it!
Lynn 😀
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1. – I know, I somehow doubt it very much, human beings aren’t known for being very humane.
Glad you’re sticking with my theory. It’s the one I can live with. 🙂
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1. Well female circumcision is a reality and it’s still practised in traditional societies today. Lynch didn’t shy away from adding even more horror to it though.
6. Lol, you’re not the first person who said they’d forgotten Lovaris 🙂 I think I just managed to guess who that would be because that was an important scene, since Locke found out they had a mole.
7. Hmm, I don’t know, I think Jean is too optimistic about this. If anything, I think Patience might be leaving something out. That said, Locke is not Lamor, he’s Locke. I’m just worried that they’ll somehow try to recover his old persona and we’ll lose the character we followed for three books.
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You are right – so it isn’t actually a stretch of the imagination to think the rest could have actually happened sometime/someplace.
As for Lovaris, honestly, I read the question and I was thinking – how was I reading this book that I can’t remember who Lovaris is?! But then I eliminated who I know so I thought it would be him (I still had to check though).
I don’t think we’ll lose Locke and he better not change his character now. Although I really doubt that might happen.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who couldn’t remember which character was Lovaris right off! He seemed pretty forgettable to me, just one more thing at the end of the election. Maybe he’ll be important in the endgame.
That would be a very interesting situation, if Locke was indeed *not* Black Amaranth. What if the Bondsmagi tried to take up residence in child-Locke’s body, but Locke didn’t let him? Then maybe all that’s left of Black Amaranth are those few impressions in Locke’s mind. Regardless of what ends up being true, I’m still going with Locke is Locke, and it doesn’t matter if he was a powerful, crazy Bondsmage in a past life.
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I was going to say I’m bad with names (and I am) and I read for the story so the names just don’t register unless they get repeated a lot – but I see I’m not the only one so I feel much better now. 🙂
I’m thinking along those lines – that Black Amaranth tried something with Locke and possibly succeeded in a completely unprecedented way but not making Locke a body with Amaranth’s soul. I sincerely hope…
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Locke should really listen to Jean. He has good advice. Even if Patience is telling the truth about how the Locke we know and love came into existence, that doesn’t mean that Locke is still this reincarnated bondsmage. Locke is Locke with his own experiences that have shaped him. Jean is wise – like he is full of fortune cookie messages, except they are wrapped in a muscular, hatchet wielding man instead of questionable cookie.
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Ha, ha, ha, Jean is pretty much everything one could hope for.
And I love it how women just fall for him because he is strong, quiet and so obviously respectful of them.
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That Lovaris fellow was added late but I figure he’s going to be key in some plot that Locke is cooking up. Locke has disappointed so far. Sabetha has run away with the election!
I think Locke is different from the Bondsmagi. Patience says he doesn’t have powers and so maybe he has lost them – like changing your skill-set in an RPG. It adds all sorts of possibilities to the rest of the series – perhaps his powers get awakened?
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Oh, Sabetha has definitely run away with the elections and I’m leaning towards her party winning even though it seems Locke has an ace up his sleeve. 😉
As for powers, I think Locke has more subtle powers – making everything fall in line for him, against all odds.
The best thing about all this is whatever we imagine, chances are we won’t be even close. 🙂
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1. Unfortunately you are correct – this is a common myth for removing STDs, including AIDS, in sub-Saharan Africa. You are right that it is nauseating.
7. You make a good point – no matter who Locke was in a previous life, that does not mean that he has any real memory of that life or any magical ability.
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1. OMG! I hate the fact that I was right. Breaks my heart. 😦
7. As for this, I’m still hoping Locke actually isn’t the reincarnated Bondsmagi (or would that be Bondsmage as magi is plural and I keep writing it wrong? I’ll pay more attention in the book).
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1. ugghhh, vomit inducing indeed. truth is stranger and more disgusting than fiction could ever be! GROSS.
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I thought Lynch coming up with the old ladies as spies on the rooftops was adorably, and totally unique! I mean, in books like this, we’re always expecting ninjas, or assassins, or really good thieves, you know, characters who are hired because they are really good at being sneaky. Who the hell comes up with putting retired grannies on the rooftops? unique, funny, and Jean couldn’t take care of them in his usual way!
I hate to say it, but I think it’s totally in Locke’s best interest to track down some other bondsmagi, or break into their library or something, and learn as much about their history as he can. becasue he sure can’t (or shouldn’t!!!) trust anything Patience tells him.
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Exactly! Who comes up with such strange and innovative ideas like little old ladies as obvious spies?! 😀 Way cool!
I’m glad we agree on trusting Patience – I’m about to read to the end and I can’t imagine what awaits…
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