Red Seas Under Red Skies Part 4 - Scott Lynch - High Fantasy Book - Heist Book

In this episode of The Side Quest Book Club Podcast, we cover chapters 12–16 of Scott Lynch’s Red Seas Under Red Skies. We examine loyalty, love, and the consequences of choices, leading to a confrontation with Straggos. Jonathan and Slava discuss the impact of character deaths, heist planning, and the twists that drive the story, highlighting Lynch’s character development and storytelling.

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(00:00) Intro: The Betrayal of the Pirate Queen
(02:56) Fog and Fear: The Crew's Dilemma
(06:05) The Tattered Crimson: A Pirate's Haven
(08:53) Trust and Deception Among Pirates
(11:59) Plans and Betrayals: The Stakes Rise
(15:08) Love and Loyalty: Choices to Be Made
(18:03) The Impulsive Leader: Straggos' Downfall
(24:51) The Complexity of Villains
(27:28) The Weight of Loss
(29:30) Plans and Deceptions
(32:54) The Art of Distraction
(35:56) Twists and Turns of Fate
(39:03) The Aftermath of Betrayal
(42:54) Repercussions and New Beginnings
(44:43) The Final Confrontation

Creators and Guests

Host

Jonathan

Host

Slava

What is The Side Quest Book Club Podcast?

Join Slava and Jonathan as they discuss the books they are reading. Explore world-building, characters, and story development—and share some laughs along the way. Side Quest Book Club — a literary adventure podcast.

JONATHAN (00:00.256)
A pirate queen betrayed, a friend lost, a vault finally cracked, or was it? You bastards, you never stop lying, even when you're dying. In this episode, everything Locke and Jean built comes crashing down, as it does, but not before they burn down half of Tal'Varar to the ground on the way out.

God bless him. Crooked warden bless him.

Yes. That's right. There we, there it is.

coming to you from the endless library where every book is read and every spoiler discussed. Join us as we dig into the lives of fictional people who cannot defend themselves. This is the SideQuest Podcast.

welcome back listeners to part four of the red seas and red skies by scott lynch and we are starting with chapter twelve through six through the end sixteen twelve through sixteen plus an epilogue slava take it away

SLAVA (00:53.838)
Okay.

briefly sees a human shape on a reef. Eventually, they all emerge safely, though more time has passed than expected.

That part, this section of the book reminds me of the Return of the King where Aragorn goes into

at EOS's office.

you are to get the dead I mean they're kind of pirates honestly back to fulfill their oath to the king which is why they haven't been able to rest not remembering I want to say the witch of Angmar but I don't think that that's right the oath breakers he summons the army of the dead who had sworn an oath to Isildur to aid him in the war of the last Alliance

SLAVA (02:11.916)
That's vaguely familiar. I've read that a long time ago.

The Dead Men of Dunharrow.

There it is. I kind of want to stay on this for a bit before we continue with the overview of the chapter. So the atmosphere of this fog alone is enough to strike fear into every one of the crew. Whether you've been through it once, six or a hundred times.

Yeah, there was a buildup with Locke and Jean and they're like, what are we, wait, what's going on? What are we doing? What, what's going on? you'll find out what's going on. No, tell us. Right.

Right, And the voice that's telling everybody to jump begins calling Locke and Jean by their real names.

JONATHAN (02:51.564)
Yes. John, which is his real name and Locke, whose real name we don't know. Right.

The crew starts to sweat and itch and the voice promises them relief if they just shed their clothes and slip into the water. Yeah, you'll be fine. Come on in. The water's fine. My question to you, and you might not know it because again, there's only three books out of seven. Is this ever revisited or explained later in more detail? Do we know from any theories, any of the wikis what the hell this is? Because I was fascinated.

But then this was never revisited.

You talking about like what this being thing spirit is? Not revisited. Okay. But they're also like in the next book, they continue into the next story, which is mostly a flashback when they're with Jasmer Moncrane, a troop of traveling troubadours and actors pulling off a, another stunt, another, another thing.

Whatever it is, yeah.

JONATHAN (03:57.101)
So, not revisited.

Any flute playing king killers?

No, no, not this time. Okay, so not revisited currently, but I do believe that it will Well, yeah Lynch isn't really known for his going to tie up loose ends from what we've seen so far He does build on things, but I think he's also very comfortable not having answers to all the stuff and just kind of leaving leaving questions open, you know, that might not be satisfying but

No, that's fine. I don't care. I'm just curious. Well, they make a

He cares people, he cares.

JONATHAN (04:32.364)
Yes, well, they make out.

That's John and Esri. There's a lot of banging going on on this ship.

What else is there to do on a ship? That's well, Locke does. You know what they don't do on the ship though? Okay. Do you know what they don't do on the ships Lava? Fish, which I would think is a normal thing. Well.

Play with the cat.

SLAVA (04:45.614)
does too.

SLAVA (04:53.442)
You know what I've heard is Lynch sometimes doesn't tie up loose ends.

We have a new opening here on SideQuest for a new co-host. If you like reading books and you want to be on the show, please reach out.

Once they get out of the fog, mist, the demonic, whatever it was, there is a long beach on the north side of a vast hilly island that is Port Prodigal. Miles of ancient rainforest lie behind the beach. When they arrive on shore, well before they arrive on shore, they have to convince the captain that they should go on shore. Jean and Locke, mean. They do. When they arrive on shore, Jean quickly notices how like, comore this place is.

There are drunks falling all over the place, maintainers who are the guards of the city are about doing what guards do, and John feels a dangerous kind of atmosphere. And all of them head straight towards a bar known as the Tattered Crimson. And Zemira takes them upstairs to the head table where she would usually sit. When they get there, an up-and-coming pirate named Che

is sitting in Zemira's An argument ensues. Zemira wins the argument and the fight. Well, was really no fight for being honest about it. Correct. Zemira proposes a drinking game to win the argument. And instead of participating in the drinking game, she punches Chai in the face or Chae in the face and wins her seat back. So Zemira wins, kicks Chae out and her crew out.

SLAVA (06:33.878)
Locke pickpockets within the crew and then throws his money into the bar. was a good time. I love it. I love it when Locke does stuff like that. Captain Radonov, massive and well-read, joins them briefly quoting poetry with John. Turns out he was taught by the same professor who once ran a betting ring. John wonders why he doesn't claim a higher council seat. Asry explains he's already the most respected due to his size.

Yes, that was a good time.

SLAVA (07:03.574)
ship and crew. Back on the water, both ships become floating markets. Locke surprises the old Red Messager crew by being alive and by his favor that he's won with Zamira. He earns more respect by helping scam the ship breaker posing as a rival buyer to drive up the sale price. That was fun too.

yes, the ship breaker. That was another common ruse, scam, swindle. And Zemira seems to be trusting them more and more, which is good because she has to risk her own ship and life to head back to Tal'varar.

I think it's partly because she has time to examine them, to observe them, but also Locke telling her the whole truth helped.

Most of the truth. Well, 90 % of the truth.

What did he hide from her when he said we're poisoned by straggles? He didn't tell her about Requiem, but he told her the whole truth of why they're there.

JONATHAN (08:13.11)
Yeah, well he told Jean he's like in his hand signals and I forget all the details, but he's like told her the told her the truth didn't mention real names stuff like that. That's right.

Right, but he does mention straggles. So I think her being able to observe them and also her knowing that truth, that situation that's brewing, she is naturally trusting them, but also is propelled by that to trust them a little bit more because, hey, they're the ones coming from straggles. They're the ones who know what's going on. The only way from preventing a war and an all out annihilation of the pirates.

is to kind of play along with Locke and or, you know, trust them. But I like it too. I'm agreeing with you. I like it too. I think there's more to it than just like, look, they're trusting each other. I think there's two forces pushing at Zemira that make her trust them.

Mm-hmm, exactly.

So ship is sold, everybody's happy, Samira meets with the pirate captains at an old fortress and warns them of Straggus's war plans. Some are skeptical, one even suggests killing Locke and Jaune, but she convinces them to let her handle it alone. Later she tells Locke he must kill Straggus even if it means dying himself. Ezra, upset about the poison, confesses her love to Jaune and asks him to survive and stay with her.

SLAVA (09:41.824)
Jon says he loves her too. Meanwhile, Udgar, one of Zemira's men, secretly takes a bribe from Radanov to stash something aboard the poison orchid. Radanov distrusts Zemira's mission and is also a douchebag. The ship sets sail for Telavar under a false identity. Did I mention that Radanov is an asshole? He's an asshole. Locke and Jon talk. Jon considers staying with Esri and Locke urges him to choose for himself.

and mentions that Radonov is an asshole. In Tel Aviv, Locke asks Zemira for 250 Solarii so he can write a book about how much Radonov is an asshole. Actually, it's for their Sin Spire con. Gugar acts suspicious and Locke and John meet Straggos, lie about Zemira's cooperation, and receive more antidote. Straggos lets them go, thinking he's still in control. At the Sin Spire, Solyndri takes them to Raekwen.

Locke spins a story about a paranoid Locke master and persuades Requiem to write a letter and consider employing him, giving him 250 salari as incentive. Leaving, Locke and Jean are followed. They ambush two pursuers but kill them accidentally. Then two more attackers come, leading to the book's prelude. Dun dun dun. Jean points a crossbow at Locke, who begs him not to shoot.

Did you see Radonov doing that before it happened or was that just kind of like, okay.

I didn't see him doing it, but I figured I had a hunch somebody would try to mess with Zemira's plans because they didn't trust the plan and they didn't trust John and Locke. Radona was outspoken about it, so it's natural that he is the guy. But I also thought if it not him, maybe he sowed enough doubt in somebody else to rat out Zemira or at least put a in the spoke of her wheels.

SLAVA (11:46.786)
so to speak. But I wasn't surprised that she was betrayed at all. I saw that coming.

The crooked warden favors his own.

that he does. What about you? Same question.

When she comes into port and she has to put on barbed wire nets on the side and protect her ship basically and her cargo, she does not have the level of respect there that she wants because she doesn't have the biggest ship. What was the name of the guy who has the biggest ship? The Dread Captain or Dread? Because she says something before that meeting happens like he doesn't have to play those games.

Well, that's Ardanov. That is Ardanov. Yeah. I think so.

JONATHAN (12:28.59)
Is there a note on them? Okay. Yeah, the Dread Gallows or Dread something.

hold on a second.

I thought it was Rodanov, but sometimes my brain betrays me and I forget names.

Yeah, it's, yeah, the big guy. Yeah, it's Rodano. Rodano's the big guy. Yeah, thought it could have been for like a mere second, I thought, if anybody was gonna betray her, would have been Che, because she was embarrassed by Zemiro.

Good stuff.

JONATHAN (13:00.064)
I thought it was going to be Che too, specifically for that same reason, like, I'm going to get her. But I don't think that she, I think she's stupid enough to know that she couldn't win a war with Samira. Yeah. Or smart enough, right? Like one of the two.

Yeah. So the meeting is over. Zamira calls Locke, Esri and Jon to her chambers. Her two children are playing and amusing themselves by repeating swear words. Zamira tells Locke that she will take him back to Tel Varar to kill Straggos, but that he must kill the man even if it means sacrificing himself. Locke and Jon toast to that, but it's obvious that Esri is bothered about the poison, still bothered by the poison.

and Zemira dismisses them so that Jaan and her can have some alone time. When they reach Esri's room, Esri slaps Jaan and hits him a few times. And then, as I said just earlier, they profess love for each other. It's interesting that Udgar is one of Captain Zemira's most trusted men. It's always the best friend that stabs you in the back, it seems.

Mm-hmm.

JONATHAN (14:09.806)
It seems that way. That indeed.

So Zemira gathers the crew on board, tells them they're headed for Tel Aviv. She doesn't tell them why, but she tells them that she has the blessing of the other captains and that they will be a substantial gain if they succeed. In order to ensure the pirate ship can approach Tel Aviv, the crew will need to get on with decorating it and changing the name on its side. Once the crew have disbanded to get back on with their work, Jean tells Lachabot Esri's offer and asks if he would also stay.

because Esri asked them to stay. Locke doesn't answer directly and Jon goes on to suggest maybe she could come with them. Locke again doesn't answer, but says that Esri is someone he can trust and that he is proud that Jon has taken something back from this dead end situation, namely love. Locke then tells Jon that when the time comes to decide, he want Jon to make the decision without considering him.

Woof. And this is kind of what I was getting at in my previous question of just like, to me, feels like Lynch is going to continue to put pressure on their friendship, their loyalty through whatever means possible.

Right, I think that's kind of natural pressure though. This is not pressure that is an outside force seeming to or looking to destroy it. It's just natural progression of life and their situation, them as characters. They can't be tied to the hip as they have been forever. Locke is gonna grow, John is gonna grow. It's not necessarily he's tired of Locke or the Locke pisses him off enough times. It's a natural progression of a friendship.

SLAVA (15:50.464)
And maybe that's pressure. Maybe that's a good word for it. Maybe it's just natural growth. knows? So I kind of did some of the points of the plot out of order, but that's pretty much what happens on our little ship in Chapter 13.

Mm-hmm.

JONATHAN (16:06.094)
We've made it. We've arrived at the opening scene in chapter 13, where Locke is unsure if Jean has betrayed him. But to your point, with all the evidence that we have so far of Locke and Jean in getting off the poison orchid and losing the red messenger, like, it doesn't feel like there's enough evidence to prove that Jean has betrayed Locke, especially when he's got something to risk like love.

waiting for him on the boat. There's too much at stake for Jean to not get the antidote. So, you know, points to you.

I think Locke is genuinely happy for Jean. yeah. He's found love and Locke has lost love. He's still sore about it.

Yes, he is very much so.

It turns out that hey, John is not trying to murder Locke and that they're still friends and he saves Locke again.

JONATHAN (17:07.79)
Again, but let's back up even a little bit further here when Locke and Ja meet Straggos and then they also have to go see, well, Locke goes to see Cylindri and Requin at the Sinspire. Did both of those feel true enough for the big bad evil guys to go, okay, they're, you know, satisfied for right now? Or did it feel a little like...

I think so.

SLAVA (17:35.554)
think so. Straggos it felt real enough because Straggos is easier to fool than Requin and Locke and Jon come back with good news that they're able to accomplish at least half the mission or part of the mission. Right. So even though they're ransacking the wrong ship so to say, they're accomplishing the mission. So Straggos is okay with it and Requin, he

Pyro one.

JONATHAN (18:03.566)
B

is trusting Locke more and more because Locke hasn't given him enough reasons not to trust him. The line that he gives Reqwen is like, want to work for you. I want to be a floor boss. I'm going to be doing all this stuff. I got to take care of this bullshit with Straggus as soon as he is out of the way, your enemy is out of the way, which is partly true, partly a lie that Locke has weaved. In both cases and for the pacing of the book,

To me, felt real enough. It wasn't rushed. wasn't, you know, a Deus Ex mocking a kind of thing, or it wasn't something that was just glossed over. To me, it felt like it could happen. was a good bit. The stakes are just... A good section, I guess.

The stakes are just so high. I didn't feel like it was wrong either or unbelievable, but I wanted to just do kind of like a pulse check to make sure that I'm not the only one who's like just fanboying, know, did it feel real enough?

Yeah, I think so. There's no fanboy. This is one of those neutral things where this happened as part of the story. moves through it pretty quickly, but it was put together well, written well, and nothing seemed like it was Lynch scrambling for time and wanting to move on to the next thing.

JONATHAN (19:23.766)
Mm-hmm. All right. Take us home.

Take us home. Well, we're not home yet.

No, it's not. Just take us to chapter 14, also known as home, and then 15, and then 16, and then the epilogue. I have a favor to ask you. If you like what we're doing, the simplest way to support the show is to hit subscribe. In return, we'll keep leveling up, we'll listen to your feedback, and read authors that you suggest. And of course, we'll take side quests along the way.

Chapter 14 Radanov and Kulvrod discuss Zemira. Kulvrod knows Radanov wants to kill her to appease Straggos because what is Radanov, Johnson? What have I been calling him recently? Are you here for this podcast? Welcome to the podcast, Jonathan.

What do mean, what does he?

JONATHAN (20:13.518)
You're not listening to me at all. I have no idea what you're talking about. I'll be calling myself talk.

Okay, all right.

I, that joke is so, I just didn't even pay attention to that joke because it was just so bad. Let's just call it what it is. It was just so bad. was just like, okay, yeah, Slava's just saying things. So how am I supposed to know that that's the joke that you're trying to reference here? If you would have been like nice bird, I would have been like, oh, asshole. you need attention Slava? Ask, I'll talk to you the way I talk to my nieces and nephews. Do you need attention right now? Attention.

Detention or attention? need neither. I'll explain comedy to you later. Instead of killing Zemira outright though, they plan to let her stir up trouble, then deliver her to Straggos as a trophy to restore their reputation. For Dada's reputation specifically. Meanwhile, Jean kills the two attackers and assures Locke it was a ruse. He did use the secret hand sign, though Locke missed it.

Back on the Orchid, Locke leads a mock raid on a small ship, spreading fear by reviving the Ravel legend. Realizing their pace is too slow, Locke suggests escalating. They raid a village to provoke Straggos, who reports 95,000 Solarii and damages, but says the attack was too remote to cause public panic. He demands more. Pirates.

SLAVA (21:46.206)
must strike closer to Tel-Avar and refuses more antidote. Locke and Jaan suspect he's done with them. Jaan tells Ezri they may soon be expendable. He asks her to come with him after the mission. She is tempted and considers staying with Jaan for a while. Elsewhere, Radana reaches Tel-Varar and spots the orchid. He refuses to sneak up on Zamira

If he breaks his oath, he'll do it openly.

What do they say? No honor among thieves?

None whatsoever. But there are rules among thieves, and he is breaking all of them. So, Radonov, what do think of him?

He's an asshole. There it is. Is that better? You want me to another joke?

SLAVA (22:33.452)
Yeah, there it is. Thank you, Uncle Jonathan. I was very immersed in this section. I was on the edge of my seat. And understandably, it's the Sanderlans version of Lynch's book, The Lynch-er-Lanche.

UncleJohnny to you.

JONATHAN (22:47.81)
The lyncher Lanch doesn't have the same ring. Even the last name Lynch, which I think is just a writing name, if I were to guess, is a little brash maybe.

No.

SLAVA (22:58.924)
Yeah, it could be. It's on the nose, it's lower than that.

They don't do them.

JONATHAN (23:04.332)
Yep. It becomes quite the bit. Why do you think Straggos got to the end of his rope so quickly? I mean, he sent them out to sea. Do you think that Lynch was just trying to cut the book short? Because being out to sea for two months is not, shouldn't be enough time to stir up a rebellion of multiple pirate ships. Or do you think Locke was just wrong in his read?

Maybe.

I can see both happening where Lynch had to wrap it up or Straggos is not the Machiavellian leader that he thinks he is. He has the tendencies to do it, but not the patience to see certain things out. Maybe there's internal pressures that he's feeling. That's maybe there's external pressures that he's feeling. Maybe it's ego. Maybe he thought it was happening or was going to happen quicker and he's impatient and he's like, all right.

Screwlock and John we're gonna do it another way. Maybe he is ignorant of how a rebellion gets caused Maybe he thought the pirates were just on the outskirts of televar are hoping for somebody to push them in the right direction the hell knows but I think in world critique my Assessment of it would be that stragglers is just not as smart as he less people think he is

That's why he doesn't even trust some of his people because maybe he's impulsive. Maybe he doesn't want to betray the level of ignorance he has when he doesn't trust his number two. There's a variety of reasons this could happen. I'll come down on this. If I'm forced to make a choice, he's just not the Machiavellian genius that he thinks he is or portrays himself as.

JONATHAN (24:51.7)
That seems fair to me. mean, I'm starting to think that some of the best bad guys are the ones who can be patient. Yeah. So Straggos is not that. Definitely Or, well, I guess I'd say he is patient enough that he like gives a poison to like play it out, but not patient enough to play in like decades as a, know.

Yeah, and the poison is just to control them. It's not because he's that patient.

Yeah, that's true.

Well, Chapter 15. Radonov launches an attack on the poison orchid, using attack birds to create chaos. And these attack birds are as big as dogs or something. So they're big asshole birds that belong to an asshole.

Didn't work. Just keep talking. Just keep going through the summary. Didn't work.

SLAVA (25:37.794)
Okay. All right. Now I know how Locke feels when Jaune points two crossbows at him. Locke and Jaune stop. All right. For the love of the crooked warden, Locke and Jaune stop enemy boats aided by a sea monster drawn to the blood. Zemira plans a risky counter-assault on Radano's ship. During the battle, Ugar reveals himself as the traitor, threatening the ship with an alchemical bomb.

Yay.

SLAVA (26:07.822)
called Ship Spain. Tregane, one of the crew members we haven't talked about, she kills him, but the device hits the deck. Esri sacrifices herself. F*** me, this was... It was tough to read. Throwing it onto Radanov's ship before dying, almost dying, in flames. Jeanne is then forced to end her suffering by killing her. The sovereign sinks Radanov aboard. Zemira loses several crew, including Esri.

It was tough.

SLAVA (26:37.824)
lock vows to stop the bloodshed until varah and vows of blood offering pretty much everybody's head

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think I told you before you started this that you, I think you made not the same complaint you've made to me before of like this book's slow. It was lighter than that, but it was like, when are things going to happen? And I told you something like, this one's got a doozy at the end. And you were like, uh-huh, okay. But I was not kidding. Like Jean gets the opportunity at love and then it is stolen from him because they're not allowed to have any nice things. The crooked warden didn't show up for that one.

It's tough. Yeah, this was a tough read. In the previous chapter, I was pulled into the action and then this happens. I don't know, man. was a good read. Really well crafted scene.

Tough.

JONATHAN (27:28.194)
Lynch does not pull punches. He's just like, yep, your friends die. Yep, your love dies. okay. cold, cruel world.

Yeah. Jaan asks Locke why he didn't try to stop Ezri and he gets really mad at Locke. Locke says that he did, but Ezri shoved him away. When Zamira refers to Locke as Ravel, he tells her that his friends call them Locke and Jaan. She asks for an update and is told that in addition to Ezri, Nasrin, Malakasti, and Gwilym are also dead.

Zemira asks Locke to look after the deck while she checks on her children. Locke agrees and considers all the dead on board once she is gone. And then again, I said, Locke promises to do something about the bloodshed.

And as the readers, we feel compassion towards lost love and lost friendship and deep loyalty of Esri to Drakasha. And it stinks, right? It's the cold sobriety of death in the world, even though it's fake. You know, these characters aren't real, but we've been walking with them. We have compassion for them. We have joined their side in the story as the heroes.

And yet we are left feeling the loss of Jean with Esri and Locke actually trying to stop her, right? And Jean still having anger and denial against Locke for that.

SLAVA (29:08.972)
Yeah, yeah for sure. But time waits for no one, Jonathan. So we're going to move into chapter 16. Locke is saying prayers for the 50 bodies he has seen tipped over the side of the boat and gives Esri a longer one for she saved them, him and John, and defeated Radonov.

and the poison orchid. She saved all of them.

Locke considers the first time he did this at 13. It seemed magical and now it just seems sad and depressing. Jeanne promises an almighty death offering. I Locke did that. It was Jeanne. Jeanne promises an almighty death offering for Esri and tells Locke he doesn't want him to come next time he goes to see Straggus. He intends to tell him Locke died and deal with him himself.

Locke refuses of course, which sends Jeanne into one of his fits of rage. Zemira points out that Jeanne would not be able to row the boat to Tel Varar on his own, which calms him. Locke and Jeanne tell Zemira about the Sin Spire plan and how it looks unlikely. Then Locke says they need a plan, and that plan needs to involve the people who have been involved in this since the beginning, but so far played no part.

Lox says they need to make contact and talk about Straggus with them. Lox seems to think he can locate one of the inner seven and then play the requiem scheme and get close enough to kill Straggus. Lox says they need a disguise to get ashore and they decide to go as priests of the least supported god, Callo Andrano, ruler of travel and languages.

SLAVA (31:02.242)
Lacanjean arrive on land and head straight to the manor of Marius Cordo, a Priori Inner Seven member. Once they've made their way past the guards and servants, they are dressed in Callo Adrano robes. They head to his chambers. As Cordo spots them, he panics and says, gods, protect me. It's you. Evidently, the Priori know who Costa is.

and the way Kordo immediately begins to offer Locke substantial loads of cash not to kill him confirms that he is the one sending the assassins after them. He tells Locke that the Bonds Magi convinced him to do it after showing him Kosta's picture in the water. So, the Bonds Magi were playing this angle.

but through the priori.

right. They told him that Kosta was a danger to the Priori. Locke tells Kordo that he is an idiot and the Bonds Magi were playing games to make Locke's life difficult. When Locke doesn't kill Kordo but instead tells him all this, he begins to believe and trust he's not an assassin after all. Locke then promises he can deliver Straggos, just then Kordo's son, who is himself a lower tier Priori member.

enters the room but is quickly talked down by Locke and his father. Locke says that he is going to ask Straggos to have them arrested outside the Synthspire and that it is at this point that he intends to see him removed from power or possibly even life. Locke says to the Kordos to ready whatever plans they have in place to take the city from Straggos. Locke and Jaan arrive at the Synthspire and demand to talk to Requins.

SLAVA (32:54.594)
Selendri meets them and they tell her that the Archon knows everything and his men are on his way to arrest them. Selendri is furious and says she knew they were a bad investment. All the same she takes them up to Rehkwin's office. Rehkwin is equally annoyed. Over the years he has managed to keep the Archon away from the Sin Spire. He tells Locke and Jean to wait in his office while he deals with the Archon.

He tells them that he will deal with them after. As soon as Reckwen leaves the room, Jean takes out the two guards and with Locke's help, restrains Cylindri. Locke then grabs a bottle of brandy and uses it to turn his cards into cement. Once the goo is made, he pours it into the lock of the door and around the cracks of a small elevator. Locke feels fairly confident no one will be able to enter for quite some time.

Locke then goes about smashing the chairs he gave to Requin as a gift. Within them are tools and plenty of that special demi-silk. They use some of it to tie up Solendry who screams at them and points out that they now are locked into the room, that they have no way of breaking out, and that they have no way of breaking into Requin's vault. Locke says that he never planned to because it is impenetrable. I love this twist.

Rather, it was a distraction. He is exactly where he needs to be because Requin has a huge collection of very expensive art hanging on his walls.

SLAVA (34:34.999)
This was great. mean, later on there's a different twist, but this was, this was so great. And we should have seen it coming as a reader because the chairs were set up as something important with the haste that needed to be made and the amount of money they dropped on them.

And that he gave them blueprints, but we don't know what those blueprints were, where it's just like, these are going to be relevant. How they're relevant, not sure. it's going to play into the plot of breaking into the vault and somehow. But I love the foreshadowing of the alchemical cards on the ship and just little moments like that where it's just like, Hey, it's seemingly innocuous. Like, okay, he built some chairs. That's weird. Okay. He's giving them to.

Straggos that's weird, but whatever. And then you get this final reveal where it's like, I didn't want to break into the vault at all. One big two year setup. Better be expensive.

for some paintings. After grabbing the paintings, Locke and John are using the demi-silk to shimmy down the Sin Spire's walls. As they hit the bottom, Straggos' men arrest them and take him to his fortress. Straggos is waiting for them with Maren in his garden. Straggos kicks Locke in the chest and tells him that he has found the orchid. In a short while he will dispatch his men and have it wiped out.

Locke is no longer any use to him. He adds that the fact that Reckwen refused his men entrance to the Sinspire means he can soon arrest him and then use his testimony to discredit the Priory. Locke cries that they had a deal and Straga says that he would have honored it had Locke and John not killed his officers on the Windward Rock. It was actually Maren. Correct. As we all know. Locke is confused and denies killing them.

SLAVA (36:26.84)
But Straggers says if he didn't do it, it was someone he was supposed to be watching. Suddenly, as Straggers takes out a blade, one of his men slams him in face with the hilt of their blade. It is called a hilt.

I should take better notes and pay attention.

This is another instance where I knew the words and you didn't know the words. These words are accepted for me, not for you. Carry on.

Yeah, okay. Time then backs up and it is explained to us how Straugus went from being about to kill Locke and Jon to catching a sword hilt in the face. Turns out that when the Archons masked eyes threw Locke and Jon into the Iron Carriage to transport them to the fortress, they ran into a roadblock. Shortly after Archons men were taken out and replaced by Kordos men, they quickly changed the clothing

and masks of the eyes. So it was actually Leonis Cordo that struck Stragas in the face with the hilt of his sword.

SLAVA (37:35.288)
This is going to be a plot description because I don't want to miss a thing here. Once the Arkan is restrained, Korda tells Locke that he no longer needs him. He's about to kill him when Locke produces a letter from Reckman, the non-specific one he asked for to give to the made up Locke master and implies that should he be harmed, the Prairie will lose their ally.

and accounts. Kordo bags down and Locke also demands that he be allowed to deal with Straggos and the Alchemist. The Alchemist reveals that he has only one full antidote. The other man will need the regular dosages. Locke says in that case the Alchemist will be coming to see with them. Then Marion makes her move. She intends to kill Straggos, the Alchemist and ensure

Neither Locke or take the antidote so that none of them can work out that her employer works outside of Tel Varar. She takes out the alchemist first and kicks out at Locke who drops the bottle of antidote. Luckily it doesn't break. Marian fails to kill Straggos and as men close in on her she bolts into the night. Jean tells Straggers that he shall be his death offering for Esri and knocks him out and throws him in the sack.

Luck tells Kordo not to worry and that he won't see the Archon ever again. Then they disappear into the night. How cool was the twist with the Meriden?

It was fun.

SLAVA (39:18.38)
or Marion. Marion, excuse me.

It was enjoyable. I liked it. We don't, correct me if I'm wrong, we don't remember who Marion is actually working for. Yeah. So that could be something that comes up later. It's probably just a fair guess to say the bonds may die, right? Within reason. know, to quote the A team, love it when a plan comes together.

I don't remember, no.

SLAVA (39:42.626)
Locke and hands Dragos over to Zemira and she tells him that she intends to keep him alive, chained up in the pitch black below deck as long as she can. He screams that he will go mad and she says that is the point. Zemira asks Locke and John what are their plans and they tell her they're heading for Vel Verrazo and that as she said earlier, if someone tries to draw a line around them,

they will just keep moving. They ask if Zamira would like any of the money they will make when they get there, but she declines. Requin is meeting with the priority in the wreck of his office. It is evident that Requin wants to use the current situation to his advantage. He asks, what has happened to the eyes and is told that half of them are dead and half are in custody, awaiting to be disposed of.

Requin says the eyes are too useful to dispose of and demands that those loyal to Tel Varar, as opposed to Stragos, are kept alive and be allowed to work, to be put to use. In other words, when the Prairie try to argue, Requin warns them that nearly everyone in the Prairie stores funds with him and refusal may mean they never see those funds again.

It's good to be the bank.

Yeah, it is. Requin talks the priori into giving him his own department in the Mon Magisteria once they have taken it over and are using it as their new administrative center for the new government. He also wants to be able to give a number of high positions out of his own discretion, the highest of which he's going to give to Solendri. Of course. addition, gotta do it.

SLAVA (41:35.126)
In addition to a very handsome salary, he demands she has the best office, official carriages, and official residence too. Once the Priory have reluctantly agreed to Requin's terms, he kisses Solandry and tells her that he can't wait to see her create something that outdoes his current operations. Solandry points out that Requin doesn't seem too upset about recent events.

And it appears that Locke and John's plans have helped him more than hindered him. They made his grip on the prairie even tighter. So Landry said he must be upset about the paintings though. And Requin laughs, asks if she wants to help him get the real ones. The ones Locke and John stole were reproductions.

the

JONATHAN (42:24.524)
Wah, wah, wah, wah. That's a fun, that's just like great, another great twist from Lynch where it's like, all right, they finally, they got it. And then we see them in the epilogue where Locke is told that the paintings are reproductions and they're shocked and they can only be sold for two and a half percent, if you will, not even. They can only be sold for.

a fraction, 5 % of what they were originally promised, two years of labor for 5 % when they could have made that in a month, if not less.

Yeah. And this brings us to one of my favorite parts of the book, the epilogue.

Mm-hmm.

Like you just said, Locke is told by Acastus Kell that his paintings are reproductions. Both Locke and are shocked and can only manage $2,500 for the paintings they originally were promised $50,000 for. Locke and John arrive on their boat in Velle Verrazzo as planned. They sit down to dinner and John says that whether Locke drinks the antidote willingly,

SLAVA (43:44.096)
or if Jaune has to knock him out and pour it down his throat, Locke is the one to take it. Locke tells Jaune he can't take it now as he slipped it into Jaune's wine. Jaune is furious and tells Locke he now has to watch him die and Locke says he doesn't mind. Jaune asks,

I'm sorry. I know it's supposed to be a touching moment, but Locke just going, yeah, well, that's fine.

Yeah, sucks to be you, John. Locke telling him that it must be you, John. You've saved me so many times. I must have a chance to save you. I thought it was a very powerful scene. And he calms John down and John asks what they will do next. And Locke says they should just sail lazily up the coast until they find somewhere new.

Yep. So the question is, will Locke survive the poison? You don't think so?

There was no poison. I don't know, I'm just guessing.

JONATHAN (44:54.062)
We don't really know because I don't remember. That's why we don't really know.

Next time on SideQuest, Jonathan Reads a Book.

Jonathan makes up a book that doesn't exist.

Did you expect Locke to take the poison?

So that was another twist, right? Where you think that they're arguing about it and then Jean threatens Locke and then Locke goes, threaten me all you want, you've already taken it. It's curious times with the gentlemen bastards.

SLAVA (45:20.95)
And I found it somewhat endearing that John is furious. He said, Esri is gone and now I have to watch you die? Like, what the hell is wrong with you?

And he's like, that's fine. Yeah, it's OK.

and then like does lock. But what a good book.

Yeah. What's your, what's your go-to rating?

five across the board. If we're to revive the old rating system from season three, I think, or two.

JONATHAN (45:43.596)
Yeah, I mean

JONATHAN (45:50.146)
Character world plot. Yeah. Not shocked. Each one of these books just brings unique flavor to the world and the characters. I think I told you before, book three looks at Locke and his complicated relationship with Sabbatha because she comes into the mix and he has to settle that and deal with it. And that's just another time.

me at five.

JONATHAN (46:19.042)
The characters have to forcibly address their beliefs, traumas, thoughts about the world in the midst of holding a heist of some kind. Book three is actually, it's both present day and past if I recall correctly, where they are part of an actor troop. But the heist that they have to do in book three is they have to sway a political vote.

Interesting.

Yes. Yep. And their opponent is Sapatha.

Well, now you have my... Is Sabbath of Vine for the prime ministership of Australia?

I know, I know.

JONATHAN (47:03.126)
It gets worse. It's for the bonds, Magi.

I guess you missed that joke too.

yeah, I did miss that joke, but I'm just trying to like.

He's the Prime Minister of Australia. Sorry. Please forgive me. Don't poison me.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll give you the antidote so you can watch me die. But no, the bonds mage- they have to go work for the bonds mage eye.

SLAVA (47:25.224)
Mmm, okay. Now I'm loving it. That's great.

Like the people that they've been fighting against, they now have to go serve and Locke is pitted against his lost love. It's another, I didn't think this could get worse. It's gotten worse. I have to deal with this. And we meet the Falconer's mother in the next book.

Oh, is she upset that her little boy's maimed? What? I don't know. Maybe it's my mother. She wouldn't be that upset.

What do you think?

JONATHAN (47:59.754)
It's not your mother. But anyway, that's for book three. So go ahead and read it or stay tuned for when we read it. I took it off the list. Sorry.

We should read it.

SLAVA (48:12.622)
Well that's it folks, park guest is shutting down.

And I've burned all the copies of the Republic of Thieves and Audible books.

and Kindle files.

and Kindle files. I've completely wiped it from the ISBN.

And all because I made a joke about an island in the Pacific.

JONATHAN (48:31.044)
Yes,

It's also a continent.

Also a continent. Anyway, that is Red Seas Under Red Skies.

What are we doing next week?

We are having Spencer on to hear what his thoughts were about the stuff that we just talked about. We're to hear, we're going to get all of his takes and his emotional roller coaster that he went on for this book. And it's going to be a wild, wild ride, I'm sure.

SLAVA (49:02.018)
We should tell the folks the next book we're doing too, so they can be prepared.

Or we could just wait till next time.

You don't want to give them an extra week to catch up. Keep them in suspense. Let's keep them in suspense. I like that better.

Alright, until next time, stay savvy.

and salt.

JONATHAN (49:24.428)
I have a favor to ask you. If you like what we're doing, the simplest way to support the show is to hit subscribe. In return, we'll keep leveling up, we'll listen to your feedback, and read authors you suggest. And of course, we'll take side quests along the way.