Hello once again dear audience and welcome to the final Republic of Thieves read-along post where the curtain is brought down on Sabetha and Locke’s romance, the play in Espara and the election in Karthain. This week’s questions come from Tethyan Books and they have been split them into different timelines – Espara and Karthain – much like last week. Week one was all about getting to know the characters again while week two was all about revealing Sabetha, week three was all about Espara and now we get to the real meat of the story where the Sabetha and Locke match wits in the election and the theatre production is about to go on the road, week four was all about cock-blocking and we see the results of the election this week! I think we need some epic music for the conclusion of the book so play this track while reading my answers:
Here are the questions:
In Espara…
1. The Republic of Thieves: It’s the first and final performance! What did you think of the play? Were you entertained, or eager to get on with the rest of the story? Also, how do you feel about how the play fits in the novel, in terms of the story and the characters who play the parts?
I was hooked by the events in the Espara timeline and the twists and turns they took. It helped build characters up and was entertaining to read but when I look back at it I wish there was more time spent on the election plus I did notice some interesting aspects like the priest claiming that the characters from the play were real and are unquiet ghosts!
2. The Other Performance: Of course, the GB and company had another important performance to get through—the one that ensures none of them end up hanged! What was your favourite part of this scheme? Do you agree with their plan for dealing with Moncraine’s treachery?
Last week I mentioned how the whole situation felt underwhelming, too neatly wrapped up. The henchmen were too easily fobbed off, the aristocracy too easily dodged and all thanks to Sabetha who showed some boobs. I was hoping for some more life and death stuff considering we are in the land where you lose a hand for punching a noble but then it wouldn’t have been half as funny as it turned out to be. I think all of these lessons helped the boys become better thieves. Sabetha didn’t need these lessons because she always guided the gang.
My favourite part of the scheme? The plan for dealing with Moncraine at the end! I always hated that guy and was genuinely surprised when he did what he did. Well he certainly won’t be able to go anywhere near Espara or Camorr and I suspect he may crop up in another book.
In Karthain…
3. The Election: It seems Lovaris was indeed the final trick, and the election is over. Are you satisfied with how things turned out? Do you wish that the election had focused more on the political problems of Karthain, or are you satisfied with the mudslinging and pranks that went on between Locke and Sabetha?
I think more time on the politics might have been interesting. That written it might have been boring. We’re all in this for the tricks that Sabetha and Locke play on each other. Seeing them display political acumen might have been interesting but nothing beats seeing Locke get stuck in a carriage full of angry snakes. The Lovaris scheme was a good one and one spotted by a few bloggers and it was nice to see a draw between Sabetha and Locke and Jean. Of course we’re leaving the city and it seems as if it will get knocked over by a rival state so seeing how the government reacts to the absence of the Bondsmagi would have been interesting.
4. The War: Do you have any speculation on what specific issues might have escalated the two Bondsmagi factions rivalry into this kind of violence? What do you think the surviving Bondsmagi will do next, with all their gathered money and knowledge?
It’s all about the Eldren. The rivalry is based on forbidden knowledge that the exceptionalists desire and Patience wants to supress. The Bondsmagi will disappear like the Templar and crop up from time to time, orchestrating conspiracies or hiding away researching Eldren stuff, and I bet Locke will encounter quite a few.
Props to Coldmarrow for taking the exceptionalists with him!
5. Patience: Given the final revelation that Patience does hate Locke for what he did to the Falconer, what do you make of her behaviour towards Locke throughout the book? Do you think her plan of vengeance is well suited to Locke? What do you make of the Black Amaranth story now, as well as the prophecy she threw on top?
Her behaviour calculated to hurt Locke. She needs to keep Locke on a leash, keep her faction happy in her treatment of their tools, and to make Locke think she is willing to work with him. She behaved in a sanguine manner enough for her to sneak past Locke’s incredulity and hostility to strike very deeply and hurt him. It totally floors Locke and it floored the readers of the book.
Her prophecies hint that Locke will develop connections – riches, people, power – and lose them all. Very tantalising stuff much like the things she told him about his past.
6. The Epilogue: Speaking of vengeance, do you think the Falconer’s vengeance against his mother was merited or excessively cruel, given the circumstances? On that note, how do you feel about the Falconer’s transformation and possible status as a continuing villain?
We all knew the Falconer was a nutter but this took the cake because it was so extreme. Fitting but extreme. I think we have to see this in the context of the fact that his mother has always exercised some control over him, she knows his name and she has thwarted his ambitions since he was a child. Furthermore his mother had basically booby-trapped his mind so he would lose his powers. You can see why he might be mad. The fate Patience suffered was awful but totally in line with the Falconer’s evil acts especially when we see him as taking out his frustrations on her.
HOLY SMOKES! When I read the whole I immediately thought of the T-1000 from The Terminator. This guy seems way too unstoppable now and I don’t know how they can fight him unless Locke gets powers or hooks up with some strong Bondsmage.
7. Wrapping up: Thus ends the third book in the Gentleman Bastard sequence. How do you think it compares with the first two? In the end, do you prefer the Espara storyline or the Karthain storyline, or did you like them both equally?
I started out interested in the book and Sabetha, I wanted to know more about Karthain and Espara, I liked the Karthain sections a lot because they contained interesting stuff about the Eldren. Overall I enjoyed reading the book and tore through it.
Here are the rest of the Lynch Mob:
Genkinahito 
It’s a great read! I’ve really enjoyed it. Couldn’t decide which book I like best – but, there are two more yet!!!
I love that the Falconer is back – your Terminator comparison is spot on – and they’re both such great baddies.
The pranks and the fun are what make this book for me. It does have a different feel than the previous two but I think in a really good way. We finally got to meet Sabetha was and also we ended book 2 on quite a sad note so this was definitely a good remedy for that.
No clockwork maids but carriages full of snakes!
And yes, Moncraine got his just desserts. I can’t wait to see if he ever does show up again. In a little interlude where we see him being dissected and fed to the sharks (did I just go too far?)
I like your definition of the prophecies – lateral thinking!
Lynn 😀
2. I’m really wondering if we’ll see more of the Espara group in the future. It seems like this is one con we’ve seen so far where allies survived and bridges were mostly unburned. I can imagine Jenora, Alondo and the others still thinking kindly of Locke, Sabetha, and the others.
3. I came down on the side of wanting more political details. That being said, the snakes in the carriage was a great trick, and I appreciated the rival-camraderie between Sabetha and Locke. I do wonder what will happen now to Karthain– Locke and Jean are probably right to get out of there as soon as they can.
6. I had not pictured him as a terminator, but now that is in my mind forever! That would be pretty cool if Locke teams up with some of the conservative Bondsmagi to fight the Falconer. I guess there’s really no major problems between him and the survivors, now that Patience is gone. It could be a bit of an enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend situation.
2. I can imagine the actors travelling to different kingdoms and performing. I can’t see how life in Espara will be easy for them after the whole Boulidazi affair.
3. By all indications it looks as if Karthain is pretty much undefended outside of their police and the Bondsmagi so I can imagine chaos sets in at the end. Perhaps political negotiations to set up a standing army will mean a person like Lovaris would gain even more influence in events.
6. The Bondsmagi are nothing if not pragmatic and I bet the conservative faction will be in the Falconer’s sights!
1. the street priest saying the characters were actual historical people, that IS interesting! more and more I want to break into a library there and learn me some history.
2. yeah, I sure hope Moncraine doesn’t ever ask Chains for a favor again! dude gonna get his teeth punched in. I found the bath house scene absolutely hysterical. but i have the humor of a twelve year old. anytime someone fakes hot sex noises, i’m giggling.
3. The Lovaris thing reminded me a little of the Girl With the Red Dresses scene at the beginning. Locke didn’t win that one, but he didn’t lose it either, and boy was he pissed off! He seems to be a lot more at peace with not winning/not losing this time around. I would have sucked if Sabetha had won and been all gloaty, or if he and Jean had won and something bad had happened to her.
5.. True, about Patience’s prophecy and connections he’ll make. But wait, he’s already done that: connected with powerful people and lost everything that meant anything to him. what more can he lose? Or shit, has he already DONE everything in the prophecy. Damn you Patience! damn you to hell!
6. yeah, I know! can the Falconer make the dreamsteel into any shape he wants? yikes, that could be bad news for our favorite gentleman bastards.
I want to know so much more about the mythology of this world as well!
I read the prophecies as ones from the future. Locke will gain all of these things again and the Falconer will take them away. That dude is like the T1000 and very, very angry.
He has grown as a character but the only way to now is if he starts the next book by not sulking and spending more time trying to think his way out of his problems.
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3. The aftermath of the election certainly will involve some very serious politics! As much as I wanted better politics for the election I don’t think I want to get tangled up in that, although I can see it playing a role in later books.
4. Ah yes, there was more to Coldmarrow that I would have thought. It might have been interesting if he was a more prominent character so we could really appreciate his sacrifice. No space for that though, with so much going on.
6. Shit, I haven’t given much thought to how they will actually stop the Falconer; I was just so impressed with his powers. He does seem too unstoppable. Shit…
Falconer looks stronger than any Bondsmagi we have encountered thus far and about to get even stronger. He’ll probably bide his time but he’ll be back and bringing the pain!
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“Her prophecies hint that Locke will develop connections – riches, people, power – and lose them all.”
I suppose that will make a change to him *trying* to get riches and losing them before it actually happens. 😉
And I won’t be able to get the Terminator images out of my head either now. Do you think that’s where Lynch got the idea from?
The prophecies will come true and the Falconer will be the one to make Locke lose those things he gains!
I don’t know if Lynch got the Dreamsteel idea from the T1000 but as soon as I read it that was the first thing that came to my mind!
I was a little surprised that a flash of boobs got them through the Bouladazi scheme. But, then, with playboy Bouladazi, perhaps all the locals were expecting that, so it made perfect sense to them.
The Falconer is totally T-1000 now! He is going to be very hard to stop and I fear that Locke may lose Sabetha and Jean along the way. We all know that Lynch doesn’t shy away from killing off characters as needed for plot.
I didn’t quite get the playboy vibe from Boulidazi, more the ruthless operator prone to bouts of lust. A playboy wouldn’t hire supposedly efficient guards for his loot and have strict instructions to get things in counting-houses.
Not to pre-empt the end of the series but Locke will defeat the Falconer by pushing him into a volcano and then lowering himself down because his head contains computer technology that will allow Skynet to be created, And clockwork maids will clean everything up and bake cakes and everybody will be cute!
Clockwork maids FTW!
Well, I am totally down with the clockwork maids. They can do my laundry and bake cakes at my house any day!
It would be just like Mr. Lynch to kill off the Falconer without any interference by Locke. 😉 And if Locke gets to do it, it will have to be some very sly move on his part because it seems Falconer is not going to be easy to kill now.
Hmm, it reminded me know of LotR – how Frodo complained about Bilbo not killing Gollum when he had the chance and Gandalf telling him about how it might have big consequences down in the future.
Not killing Falconer certainly changed the future scariness of the world they live in.
That would be a great story to read! Locke defeats the Falconer but without a direct confrontation or maybe the Falconer gets smoked by a scarier Bondsmagi.
The fact that Patience is dead makes me even more curious about how Locke’s gonna react to her story. He probably won’t find out she’s dead until he encounters the Falconer again, and is going to be left with an incomplete story and no living person (that he knows at this point, anyway) to help him figure himself out.
That’s a great thought. Without Patience, Locke has nobody who knows much about his past life! Very interesting developments!