Audiobooks discussion

Jeanie and I are going to buddy listen to the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch

Currently 3 books out (out of a potential 7)
The Lies of Locke Lamora
Red Seas Under Red Skies
The Republic of Thieves

Planning to start Wed (19)/Thurs (20)

Come and join us!

I'm re-reading the first book in the series but will read the next two for the first time. What I mainly remember about The Lies of Lock Lamora is the excellent narration and an ending I wasn't expecting. I'm looking forward to refreshing my memory of the first book since I do remember enjoying it.

They are terrific books and I really liked the narration. Unfortunately, the series is stuck. The author posted at one time about personal health issues he had (although he is very young) so I'm not sure we'll ever get farther. But the books that exist are well worth listening to. I can't justify relistening now because I have so many TBL already but I hope you enjoy it!

Just a word of warning. The very first part of the first book jumps back and forth just about every chapter between present and past, and that can be confusing. Maybe in the print book they are done in a different type face?

Thanks for the head’s up robin!

I hope you all enjoy them. It's a great series. The third one was my favorite.

I would reread them with you but I'm doing 3 book challenges at the moment. Once I complete these challenges by the end of the summer I will have more time because I'm not going to do any more challenges for at least a year. Of course I say that now......!!!

Donna wrote: "I hope you all enjoy them. It's a great series. The third one was my favorite.

I would reread them with you but I'm doing 3 book challenges at the moment. Once I complete these challenges by the ..."

i can never turn down a challenge...i'm always finding new ones to join in on

Robin wrote: "Just a word of warning. The very first part of the first book jumps back and forth just about every chapter between present and past, and that can be confusing. Maybe in the print book they are done in a different type face? "

Yes - that's what happened to me, I started listening, got confused, and just set it aside. I think I'll try again, and slow the speed down for the first part until I've got the lay of the land!

I'm taking this one slowly and enjoying it. I have to admit at times I find the vulgar language a little jarring... not because I don't read books with bad language, but maybe because the fantasy setting makes me expect a different kind of oath or obscene language? I don't know... it just felt like it was out of nowhere sometimes.

The back and forth timeline continues after the introductory part, but it is denoted as an interlude and easy to understand that the time has shifted.

I like the Gentleman Bastards and look forward to seeing more of their antics as I continue reading.

Robin wrote: "They are terrific books and I really liked the narration. Unfortunately, the series is stuck. The author posted at one time about personal health issues he had (although he is very young) so I'm no..."

The typeface is no different between past and present - if I remember right, each chapter is further divided into numbered sections, and there are also interludes between chapters, I think?

Once Part 1 begins, the interludes are giving more of the background with Chains and the young Lock. So far, it comes at acceptable breaks in the action and isn't a problem, although I find that I've read enough books with this back and forth within the timeline style that I tend to get impatient. Somehow I think I am becoming more linear in my story-telling preferences even if the back and forth is an effect the author wants to establish. Yes, it works and can be effective, but sometimes it's just an author playing around with the style. In this case though, I think it helps keep the reader just enough off balance so that it's more difficult to predict what is coming... as with any good con.

I’m only a shade over 3hrs in (my brain was so done yesterday after work I listened to music on my commute - that is a rare occurrence)

But i’m Enjoying so far - it feels like of like kingkiller chronicles in the world building

I really liked the description of the city. Also a lot of the early plot is about scams and capers, which are always entertaining.

i'll admit i'm kind of struggling - i def don't love it - i'm finding the back and forth in time hard to track in audio - and all the sub-parts in each chapter are kind of annoying

I found I just had to ignore the way it was divided and not pay attention to the numbering system. I didn't have trouble with the back and forth in time, but found it odd that some memories were reported after the present day event that would have been related to it. Specifically, when the head guy was torturing members of one gang to find out where they were when the assassination of their leader--Tesso?--occurred, we don't find out until later how Lock had known him. Not a big deal, but context beforehand would have helped.

How far along are you?

I have 7 and a half hours left - they just rescued loch from the barrel

Was your commitment to read all three existing books in the series or just the first one? I haven't started the second one yet so I don't know if it continues the chronological back and forth or not.

I do like the world building in this book and wonder if we will ever know more about the elder race that built the glass towers before humans came along. I have to say, the mages are a scary guild... how do you fight that level of power?

I seem to remember that the 2nd book is more straightforward in time. I think it starts out with a narrative and after while it goes back and fills in what happened between the end of book 1 and the start of book 2. You also get to enjoy one of the few elements missing from book 1 - Pirates!

I’ll probably go with the second one - my rule is typically 2 books in a series before I decide either way

I should finish up book 1 early next week but may not be able to start book 2 until the week after

ok i finished up this morning - with a spare 2 hours before the library loan expired - i'll say that the last 2-3 hours made the other 19 hours almost worth it

Let me know when to start the next one.

I think I liked the first one better than you since it didn't take only the last couple of hours for me to think it was worthwhile... although it did take the resolution to make me fully appreciate what had been going on. I really liked the narration and became a Michael Page fan as a result.

I probably can’t start until next mon/tues

I am going to give at least the first book to my daughter (in print) because she loves "caper" movies, and the book is full of scams, capers, and deceptions.

Robin wrote: "They are terrific books and I really liked the narration. Unfortunately, the series is stuck. The author posted at one time about personal health issues he had (although he is very young) so I'm no..."

It has been stuck but he posted this photo on Twitter at the end of May. He says it's a finished draft but obviously there'll be a few more polishes until publication. Still though... Very exciting!

https://twitter.com/scottlynch78/stat...

so i'm about 7hrs into book 2 and so far enjoying it much more than the first one; the sub-chapters in each chapter still bug me - but not as much in the first book

Henry wrote: "Robin wrote: "They are terrific books and I really liked the narration. Unfortunately, the series is stuck. The author posted at one time about personal health issues he had (although he is very yo..."

*flails*

How did I miss this?? YESSSSSSSSS

I'm behind you, Dee. I have company so I might have to pull an all-nighter to get back on track! ;P

lol! you still listen much faster than me typically ;)

Jeanine - how you doing? I have about 2hrs left and he is ripping my heart out right now!!

finished... finally! I feel like the world's worst buddy reader. :( Who knew life would get so much in the way?!

I also liked this one more than the first and had my heart broken two hours from the end.

Did your naval career help with all the jargon? I mostly followed it because I read and loved all the Aubrey/Maturin books. :)

I also have to say I didn't expect the twists at the end, especially the ones most directly affecting our two Gentlemen Bastards. Surely the next book will resolve the most important one.

I'll be starting Republic of Thieves soon so life won't get in the way of that one, too! ;)

It did! It made me wish I was on a ship for parts of it - the USS constitution the last remaining sail ship is still a commissioned navy ship and you can go on her for 4th July weekend that take her out to sea - that is how I pictured the ships during this book

i'm def enjoying the third book as much as the first - honestly with the first one i was like listening and it just seemed never ending - the last 2 days with book 3, i exceeded my daily listening goal of this one (to finish it in time for a challenge that ends end of the month)

I'm liking this third one, and more than the first but possibly equal or a little better than the second. Not being navy, the time on ship wasn't quite as captivating for me, but I did enjoy that time based on my previous naval adventures with Jack Aubrey! ;P

I have about a third left and am eager to find out why Lock likes Sabetha because she isn't exactly my favorite person right now! I hope there's more to recommend her than the fact that Lock felt a something special about her from the first moment he saw her when he was five or six or seven. Her current behavior makes her less than sympathetic in my eyes.

I liked how the 3rd book filled in the history of the characters and brought back some, but when it actually gets to the play itself, I found it dragged out. I also was unclear about the whole secret of Locke's ancestry and exactly what forces are out to get him. I suppose that will be made clearer in later books if we ever get them.