This is the second week of the Red Seas Under Red Skies readalong and this week’s questions come from our host and leader The Little Red Reviewer. Here are my answers.
Now that we know a little more about Selendri and Requin, what do you think of them? I worry Locke is suddenly realizing this con might be a bit tougher than he expected.
I like the relationship between Selendri and Requin. It seems to be one with strong loyalty and love and they seem devoted to each other. There backstory was really well laid out and I can see why Selendri would stick closely to Requin. I cannot see how Locke can come between them at the moment but the fact that she used to be one of th Archon’s minions might come into play – let’s hope that Locke’s silver tongue keeps him ahead of her mechanical arm.
Isn’t the Artificers’ Crescent just amazing? If you could purchase anything there, what would it be?
A clockwork automaton monkey butler. Or maybe a clockwork automaton maid like Nano in the videos below who is weapons-grade cute with a gun arm who can cheer me up when I’m feeling down and blow stuff up on request.
You said I could purchase anything.
What did you think of Salon Corbeau and the goings on that occur there? A bit crueler than a Camorri crime boss, no?
Salon Corbeau was a pretty horrifying place. Very twisted but in the world he has created it seems believable. Lady Saljesca is probably the worst ruler we have seen so far and her kingdom is a corrupt and evil playground. She deserves to be taken down.
The Archon might be a megalomaniacal military dictator, but he thinks he’s doing right by Tal Verrar: his ultimate goal seems to be to protect them. What do you think he’s so afraid of?
I’m sure he’s a Tal Verrar patriot but he has huge ambitions that extend beyond the city. He’s seen his home lose a war against Camorr and he’s pretty angry that the Bondsmagi have reduced the region into a series of squabbling states that the Bondsmagi can control. He wants change and he is going to seize more power from the Priori, place it in his hands, expand his military power and start to challenge the Bondsmagi by cultivating technology.
And who the heck is trying to kill Locke and Jean every few days? they just almost got poisoned (again!)!
Initially I thought it might be the Priori taking an interest in the Archon’s latest pet project but I’m beginning to suspect that it might actually be the Bondsmagi toying with Locke and Jean. They warned our dynamic duo that they would torment them and I think the Bondsmagi are getting warmed up by throwing obstacles (in this case assassins) in the way. Swine.
Do you really think it’s possibly for a city rat like Locke to fake his way onto a Pirate ship?
No. The refreshing thing about Scott Lynch’s characters is that however smart or tough they are they are still human. Locke is no sailor. With his history of learning he will get his sea legs and learn enough to bluff his way through situations but the real nitty gritty of captaining a ship will be beyond him. Put him in a panic situation that demands experience and he’ll come up short. Which means excitement for us readers!
Genkinahito 
I don’t think the assassins were sent by the Bondsmagi. They like to play games, assassination just doesn’t fit their m.o. I think the assassins were sent by someone that Locke and Jean has pissed off. Maybe Lady Saljesca herself?
I don’t think the Bondsmagi expect the assassins to actually kill Locke and Jean, they are hiring them so the two to live in fear and if Locke and Jean die then so be it. Like you said this is just a game and the Bondsmagi are testing Locke and Jean’s skills.
I wish i remembed better how that story line panned out. . . but I do like your guesses that maybe it’s someone from the Priori or from Salon Corbeau. the Bondsmagi turned Locke and Jean over to the Archon, and they probably figured the Archon took care of them, like maybe poisoned them or something. 😉
A clockwork automated monkey – should we worry about you!! LOL
Perhaps the chocolate covered cherry finger licking woman is after some revenge on Jean and Locke for humiliating her in the Sinspire! I don’t actually think that really btw.
I sincerely hope that Locke and Jean give Lady Saljesca the same treatment in kind that they gave to the Falconer. She is asking for it without a doubt!
Lynn 😀
Have you never wanted a monkey automaton? When not serving me cold apple juice it could nest in a tree and fling left-over food at passing strangers.
Chocolate Covered Cherry (I can’t remember her name) has ample reason to attack Locke and Jean but I fancy that she would rather clean them out at gaming tables.
We have yet to meet Lady Saljesca but she is running a pretty evil kingdom. Cutting off body parts seems a bit extreme at the moment!
MMMM, throwing left over food at passing stranges – why do I need an automated monkey for that – I’m very capable! Wouldn’t mind being served the cold apple juice though – perhaps we could add a bit of vodka to the mix!
Lynn 😀
Pingback: Red Seas Under Read Skies Readalong Part II « Darkcargo
Locke’s silvertongue is not something to be ignored but I don’t think that he will be able to enchant Selendri. There seem to be Locke/Jean sort of trust between Selendri and Requin.
http://www.akshul.com/2012/05/05/red-seas-under-red-skies-read-along-week-two/
I agree. I just can’t see how Locke can get between them unless there’s some higher power orchestrating everything or planning to intervene.
Pingback: Red Seas Under Red Skies read-along, part 2! « the Little Red Reviewer
I am still concerned about Locke’s delicate stomach letting him down. All the bluff in the world won’t get the crew past him vomiting all over them! 😀
Well to give Locke the benefit of the doubt, before his last sailing trip he had an epic fight, shed a lot of blood and had the stuffing knocked out of him. I think that combination would make anyone seasick.
You need a windup girl? hmmm…….
I hope we find out in this book who is targeting Locke and Jean for assassination. I think Merrain may be more than she says and probably knows a lot more than she is saying. Wench.
Hey, I didn’t mention doing anything untoward with the automatons (Nano is too cute to treat badly). Just blowing stuff up, pelting strangers with food and serving me apple juice. If you think like that go ahead. Me, I’m an innocent 😉 Plus I only have eyes for Emma Stone.
Merrain strikes me as too perfect to trust. Locke and Jean are looking in too many directions and she might be in their blind spot.
It’s an automaton. What could possibly be untoward about apple juice?
And I only do my untoward stuff with warm bodies, snob that I am 😉
I think you are right about Merrain being in the blind spot for now. Clever wench.
I’ll just leave it at that before I embarrass myself further 😛
Back to the story. I was kind of thinking that Merrain might wind up siding with Locke and Jean when we first met her. The Archon likes to order her around but she seems to be biding her time with him. I get the sense that she could do bigger and better things. Such a shame that she’s too suspicious to trust.
That’s an interesting idea about the Bondsmagi sending assassins, but I think these attempts are too good to just exist to shake Locke and Jean up. The last attempt they only survived by chance. Surely the Bondsmagi wouldn’t want to kill their victims so soon?
I’m really looking forward to Locke, the pirate captain. I’m kind of hoping he screws it up royally.:)
The last attempt on their life was really close but I still think that this has Bondsmagi written over it. So far none of the assassins have been caught (the last one disappeared and Merraine killed the one on the dock) so we don’t know.
Wanting to see the ship sunk from underneath Locke or encountering a kraken? Oh you are so cold!
He might have better luck fighting a kraken than sailing a ship :).
Considering the way his adventures go I agree with you!
a mechanical monkey butler, I love it! Please ask it to make perfect toast for me. 😉
as this is getting closer and closer to Pirates of the Caribbean territory, I’m quite sure there isn’t a kraken showing up later. although there is a metric ton of screwing up royally coming right up. 😀
it’s too bad their new mission takes them away from the Sinspire, I want more Selendri, and more ridiculous games.
No kraken? Aawww! Caldris has made the Sea of Brass sound so awesome. I want to see what these islands with monster-filled jungles look like. All of these small communities with Croatoan/supernatural catastrophes.
I love your purchases at the Artificers’ Crescent! Maybe I would buy a robotic chef that would just cook my orders and clean up afterwards. 🙂
A robotic chef sounds even more useful than butlers/maids. I’ll have to get one of those as well!
Loved your answer to the Artificer’s Crescent question. I didn’t answer that one because I was writing my post at two in the morning after writing papers all day, so the creative parts of my brain were tired of functioning…
I’m really hoping that Locke does something about Lady Saljesca. She’s evil and must be stopped.
Two in the morning? Blimey… Keep working hard! I think Saljesca is going to have to take a back seat to Locke’s pirate adventures but hopefully she takes a tumble from her throne. Down a flight of stairs. A long flight of stairs. With sharks at the bottom.
I have missed the Camorri sharks. It would be awesome if they’d make an appearance to come dine on the Lady Saljesca.
Either sharks or the peasants revolt with the aid of Locke – not that I like advocate supporting that sort of thing because peasants are usually quite revolting. In any case there will be no kraken dragging people to the briny deep.
Lol… or we could still have the Eldren come back and smoosh them.
Perhaps she could be stung by a few (hundred) wasps, then fall down a llllloooonnnnggggg flight of stairs before falling through a trap door into shark infested waters.
Lynn 😀
Yes! 😀
I think this is the most hated of ALL of the characters from both read alongs thus far. Scott Lynch has made a truly evil person.
I’m also hoping that between plan and schemes our heroes will take some time to bring down Lady Saljesca.
Regarding the Archon and the issue of technology to bring down the Bondsmagi, I’m surprise he hasn’t intervened to shift the balance in the (guerrilla) war that’s going on between the press and the scribes. Maybe he doesn’t want to give away his game too soon?
He talks big so he must have something spectacular up his sleeve. If he’s going to take on the Bondsmagi then he’ll need more than some fancy locks. I’m curious as to what he has that leaves him so confident about the progress of technology.