Book Review: The Republic of Thieves (Gentlemen Bastards 3) by Scott Lynch

Review:
I did not like The Republic of Thieves as I did the first two book of the Gentlemen Bastards series. At least, not at first.  It wasn't the usual book of plot twists and hateful villains: it was more about the narrative, the world-building.  It was about Locke Lamora's past (and therefore a bit about Jean Tannen and the rest of the crew as well), and also about his future, though it wasn't until the end where we were given clues as to where this series might potentially be headed towards.

The book is divided into two parts: one half covering Locke's childhood, while he was in the process of learning his trade.  The other half covered his latest job, this time in Karthain, where he faces the Bondsmagi who have been hounding him ever since he encountered one of their own in the first book.

I wasn't too crazy about the second part of the book: it began a bit too tedious, then devolved into Locke the do-it-all.  It got better as it got to the last third of the story, and the payoff was well worth the tedium.

The other half which dealt with Locke's childhood was more enjoyable to read: this part focused on his first courtship with the 'mythical' Sabetha -- the love of Locke's life.  It overlapped with the other part of the story, though not by much.  The two timelines gave us cliffhangers, as the point of view went from one to the other.

All in all, this is a slightly different kind of book in the ever growing series.  It's not bad, just different, and just as enjoyable to read, as it is to finish.  As it is, I cannot wait for the next book in the series (and I hope it does not take 7 years).

Verdict: Recommended 3.5/5

TL;DR:
+ We get more details about Locke's and the Gentlemen Bastards' early years
+/- The courtship of Locke and Sabetha can be a bit tedious
- No real villain here, at least, none that inspires the sort of hate the first two books did
+ Long read (or listen), quite satisfying
+ Audiobook version was narrated well.  Michael Page the narrator (of all three books) is pretty much the voice of this series

Details:
Author: Scott Lynch
Genre: Fantasy
Book Length: 704 Pages (Hardcover Version)
Published: July 29, 2014
Amazon Link:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Republic-Thieves-Gentleman-Bastards/dp/0553588966
Preceded By: The Republic of Thieves

Followed By: The Thorn of Emberlain