A rollicking good yarn, but lacking in a few crucial details here and there. And a map. If a book needs a map, you can be sure of a few things - the plot is going ot be complicated, and the author isn't that good at describing locations. Sadly both are true here as well, but overall it doesn't detract from the fun too much.

The story picks up two years afetr the end of Lies with Locke and Jean now have new identities in Tal Verrar another city, much the same, but also different from Camorr. And once again Jean and Locke have a cunning plan, this time it's to raid the famous impregniable vault of the Sinspire - a huge gambling tower where all the rich and famous entertain themselves. However the ruling Archeon has other plans for them, and the resident master of Sinspire isn't that pleased either. The end result is that Locke and Jean take the part of thieves of the sea - otherwise known as pirates. Shame they don't know their larboard from their marlinspike, but a good bluff can get around almost anything!

I wasn't totally convinced by all the plots and the ease at which various people on power believed in them. But is was good fun! Especially noteworthy is the slowly developing consience of Locke, I hope we get to see more of this, and answers to the conundrum of is there honour amoung thieves? We get a bit more character development, especially in the beginning (as flashbacks) where Locke has to come to terms with the beating he recieved, and the number of times Jean's saved him. Unfortunetly Jean still doesn't get any more characterisation than as a big lump. Which considering the situation he finds himself in, is a huge waste. Also vastly missing, is more of the world building details. What happened to the GhostWinds, why/who/what/where is the voice in the fog? Just blithely dismissing these as 'mysteries of the sea' doens't hep the reader. There is also a surprisingly lagre plothole. Locke is still moping about his missing love, no more details provided than in the last book - but given a free reign of anywhere in the world to go to, he hasn't opted or even discusssed going to look for her.

The writing cntinues to be fast paced and enjoyable through, and the annoying interuptions of flashbacks soon peter out. As events concatenate and the various schemes all come to head we find out just how much of a bluff Locke can call - beware the massive Cliffhanger of an ending though ( )

Excellent. Great characters and a fabulous twisty plot. ( )

Ever seen one of those bank heist movies where Person A is working for Person B, they both want to get rid of Person C but Person C wants them to kill Person D. On the other hand Person E and F have other plans for Person A and B, and then Person G was the one really all behind it? you with me so far? yeah that’s what I thought. You had to really pay attention in this novel to get everything all straight. Red Seas Under Red Skies continues the adventures of Locke and Jean. Word to the wise: Read The Lies of Locke Lamora first. You have to, to get the understanding of everything. Not that this book will help you understand anything at all either. Mind you, I rather liked The Lies of Locke Lamora. It was pretty good. Then I decided to read this one, thinking it’s just as good. I was a bit disenchanted. Not only did the book really drag, but it was just so long winded that I noticed I was putting the book down a lot and reading other things and finishing them. It wasn’t until I realized that I can’t renew the book anymore that I decided to actually finish this book. I don’t understand why it has to be 500 pages for this book. You could have condensed everything and make the book about 350 pages max. I found that in this book, you had a lot of fast paced action, and then for about 40 pages you get slow events where you just felt like putting the book down. Then it goes back to some action, and then more flatness. The whole entire book was like that except the ending.

What I liked about the novel? I was attached to Locke in the first book and he was still entertaining and funny here. Being a cat lover, I loved the little incidents with the kittens and with Regal the kitten and Locke. That was cute! More new characters were introduced in this book which was fine. It kept the book interesting for a moment until the static flatness started all over again.

Eventually I ended up skimming a lot of the book in the last 200 pages. I just got fed up with this whole thing and wanted to get to the bottom of the plots and sub plots and see where this series is headed. At least the ending had some excitement although it wasn’t worth reading through 500 pages to get to the last four to find some good stuff.

From what I heard, it’s going to be another 5 or so books after this one? I just hope they turn out more exciting than Red Seas Under Red Skies. ( )

Escaping from the attentions of the Bondsmagi Locke Lamora, the estwhile Thorn of Camorr and Jean Tannen have fled their home city. Taking ship they arrive in the city state of Tal Varrar where they are soon planning their most spectacular heist yet; they will take the luxurious gaming house, The Sinspire, for all of its countless riches. No-one has ever taken even a single coin from the Sinspire that wasn't won on the tables or in the other games of chance on offer there. But, as ever, the path of true crime rarely runs smooth and Locke and Jean soon find themselves co-opted into an attempt to bring the pirate fleet of the notorious Zamira Drakasha to justice. Fine work for thieves who don't know one end of galley from another. And all the while the Bondsmagi are plotting their very necessary revenge against the one man who believes e has humiliated them and lived; Locke Lamora. © DnBB AS

Another good one in this series.
There are so many reviews for it, I don't feel as if there is much I can add.
After finishing this, I decided to get both this, and the Lies of Locke Lamora in hardback :) ( )