The Republic of Thieves Read Along Part III

[Susan]

Lynn is our awesomesauce host this week. You can catch her over at Lynn’s Book Blog: http://lynnsbooks.wordpress.com/2013/...

Lots of really cool things happened this week…and some not so cool things happened to your heroes, Jean and Locke. We covered Chapter 6 through ‘Aurin & Amadine’. Next week’s reading starts with Chapter 8.

Spoilers lurk below willing to garrote, cudgel, stab, inebriate, and chew the unwary. You have been warned!

1) The election competition. Sabetha isn’t wasting any time throwing pranks at Locke and Jean. Mostly it seemed fairly harmless, or at least not overly serious, until they were kidnapped and put onto a ship and taken out to sea. What did you make of Sabetha’s latest plan? And what did you think about the way she executed it?

2) During the escape overboard and Jean’s rather subtle nose dive into the water - I was curious about the lights Locke saw deep in the water when he was performing his rescue - Locke thought they looked different once he was under the waves which I suppose they would but he also had the feeling that he was being watched? Do you think this relates back to the Eldren or some other presence?

3) Given that Locke hadn’t seen Sabetha for five years how did you think their first meeting together went (well, it wasn’t strictly speaking their first meeting of course - were you surprised that Jean and Locke hadn’t figured out that the woman pickpocket was Sabetha?) and also what did you make of Jean and Sabetha’s reaction to each other?

4) So, the gang have arrived in Espara and already the plans have gone wrong through no fault of their own! Jail for a year plus lose a hand for slapping a noble?? What do you think of the justice system in Espara and how does this bode for the gang?

5) The acting company are finally coming together and we’re watching the gang as they try to read, act and grab the best parts - are you all ‘happy face’ with the whole theatre scenes or, sad face! Also, I can’t help feeling like this whole storyline is a step out of character for the gang. Any ideas of how it will play out??

6) We are also being introduced to a number of new characters, particularly Moncraine and Boulidazi. What are your first impressions of these two and the other new characters in the Company and any particular likes or dislikes so far?

7) The rooftop scene and the apology. How did it all go so wrong? And how will Locke get out of this latest fix with Boulidazi?

[Eric]

1) I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. The boys really have to figure out the rules of engagement she's operating under. It seems Sabetha is ruthless but not bloodthirsty. Putting them on the equivalent of a Carnival Cruise was at once amusingly roguish and legitimately generous. She didn't need to set them up in the lap of luxury. It also shows off that she hasn't lost her knack for advance planning. She had to have made the arrangements days before Lock and Jean arrived in Carthane. It was quite the professional flourish - almost a kind of calling card.

2) As with Bug's visitation and the whispering channel from book 2, I suspect Lynch is setting up something that will be more important later. There are a lot of possibilities, and it isn't even certain the author knows exactly what he'll do with the hints he's dropping here. It's hard to tell without being in the author's head or having access to his notes.

3) I didn't have a really strong sense of the dynamic between Jean and Sabetha. I'm guessing he's more suspicious of her than Locke because he doesn't have the thick layer of goo-goo eyed infatuation for her that Locke has, and Jean *does* know her well enough to know what she's capable of.

4) It was an interesting complication. Lynch is good at creating those. The set-up kind of reminded me of the movie Moulin Rouge, which also had a wealthy patron backing a stage production in order to win the beautiful actress who is being secretly courted by the young hero.

5) This scene was utterly fantastic in the audiobook version. It really brought out the narrator's strengths so that rather than being a repetition of the same speech with a different "this is how he spoke the lines" paragraph afterward, we got five very different reading styles - the monotone, the recitation, the improved speech, and then two very different interpretations by clearly professional actors. Wonderful stuff.

Locke didn't get the moping-and-in-love male lead even though he is effectively playing it nonstop off-stage. You mark my words: Something will happen to force him to step into the role by the time the play opens.

6) I can already tell that those two are going to make this part of the story very interesting. Between the proud theater enthusiast who is smitten with the actress who isn't interested in him and the proud director who insists that everything be done his way even if it kills him, this is going to be a complete disaster filled with comical hijinks.

7) This scene was cleverly framed - a kind of parody of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet. Locke is probably going to have to babble something about how they were merely practice their lines, and then suddenly he'll have to tell Moncraine that he has to play the romantic lead to prevent the Boulidazi from pulling the plug on his patronage. It could go another way, but that seems the most obvious lie to move this train wreck forward.

In summary, Lynch really knows his source material. The dueling thieves sections feel like the kind of movie where two con artists try to get the better of each other. The acting company sections feel very Shakespearean. I found myself wanting to see this fictional play because the premise seems interesting.

[Katey]

Loved, loved, LOVED Sabetha's clever ruse.

I suppose I was so intrigued by how forward she was with Locke that I was totally caught off guard.

Regarding Jean's reaction to her - I think his behavior is similar to a man who's seen his best buddy get hurt by a girl. He's listened to Locke's longing for Sabetha for five years. I think he was acting like the protective "wing man" who doesn't want to see his friend hurt again.

Loving the read along!

[Susan]

Eric wrote: "1) I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. The boys really have to figure out the rules of engagement she's operating under. It seems Sabetha is ruthless but not bloodthirsty. Putting them on th..."

Thank goodness Jean isn't thinking with his lower anatomy when it comes to Sabetha....unlike Locke. At least one of our heroes has to keep their wits about them.

And then Locke doesn't get the kissing lead role. Poor mopey boy!

[Susan]

Katey wrote: "Loved, loved, LOVED Sabetha's clever ruse.

I suppose I was so intrigued by how forward she was with Locke that I was totally caught off guard.

Regarding Jean's reaction to her - I think his beh..."

Very true about Jean playing the protective wingman. He wants to do what he can to keep Locke from being hurt again - but also respect his space. Such a tightwire he has to walk!