After the mayhem that ended Book1, Locke and Jean needed some place to keep a low profile and for Locke to sulk in some booze, which he does until Jean snaps him out of it.with a brick wall. (That was a very funny scene by the way). Then they are off to Tal Verrar islands for a highly-planned, well equipped, yet poorly timed scheme that runs 2 years in the making. Tal Verrar is a gamblers paradise, with gambling houses of all sorts, exotic nightlife, and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. Locke and Jean have a scheme that calls for looking into one of the most impregnable vaults in town, which happens to belong to a very ruthless man named Requin and his bodyguard/lover Selendri.

Things start to go awry when it becomes apparent that the Karthaini Bondsmagi know exactly where they are and they want revenge slow revenge. To add to that, they are hauled before the Archon, who runs the local military force for Tal Verrar. He has a task for the two of them, and it is not a request. In short, these two land-lubbers have to learn some seamanship and pretend to be pirates and then convince some other pirates to well do what pirates do. If you read Book 1, you can already tell there will be all sorts of issues with this. Add to that some unknown entity keeps throwing assassins in their faces.

It was a great ride. Because of the fast pace, this book reads way quicker that others of the same girth. There is lots of great dialogue and some roguish humor, even at our heroes expense. Jean and Locke had some great character development plot points too. While we dont get to meet Sabetha, Lockes heart-breaking love we heard about in Book 1, we learn more about her.

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After I finishing the Lies of Locke Lamora, I looked forward to reading, Red Seas Under Red Skies, the second in this series. The fact that Locke is grieving deeply for the loss of three members of the Gentlemen Bastards as the novel opens, endears him to this reader. It is only through the attentions and patience of Jean Tannen that he finally recovers. Only good friends like Locke and Jean can talk with each other the way the narrative flows in this novel. Plus, it's reassuring that their friendship was not harmed by the loss of three members of the Gentlemen Bastards. And, their ability to communicate with the slightest of signals enables them to scam the most skillful gamblers with finesse. Check out how they do it this time.

Locke and Jean are in Tal Verrar where they plan to attempt one of their most difficult and skillful robberies when they break into the vault at the Sinspire, Tal Verrars major casino and entertainment location. However, their plans for the robbery are foiled by the Archon of Tal Verrar. The Archon administers a latent poison in their drinks to ensure that the two will do whatever he decides best serves his ends. In an almost unbelievable twist they must go to sea, become pirates and help the Archon capture a famous pirate that will enable him to build his navy to protect Tal Verrar. Thus, they find themselves linked to this man who will give the antidote only when they follow his directions.

Exposed as the sailor he is not, Locke, accompanied by Jean, is placed in a small boat when the crew stages a mutiny. They are rescued quickly by the very pirate they were to capture, Zamira Drakasha. She is a large, muscular tough woman who is captain of the Poison Orchid. She loves her children to distraction but will take no excuses from any of her crew, let alone Locke or Jean. Locke knows that to win her confidence and trust he must be honest and answer her questions. Jean, surprisingly, falls in love with her sidekick, Ezri. The tale spins out from here as Locke tries to keep wheeling and dealing and plots to outwit the Archon. He and Jean must determine how to just stay alive yet seek revenge on the Archon. While I would like to see the novels in the series tighten up I will look for the next in the series because I find Locke and Jean such well constructed characters that I don't want to miss what happens next.

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I enjoyed this second book in the series as much as (if not a little more than) the first. This story had all the humor and plot twists of the first plus a finale that was a little neater and easier to follow. Looking forward to the third book!

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