The Sword and Laser discussion

No spoilers please. I see this is #1 in a series and I am leery, especially with the length. Authors these days like continuing stories and I like novels that end. I don't want spoilers, so I can't read deeply into the reviews. Does this book end?

Oh yes it ends, you will definitely not see it coming. I didn't, was an incredibly brave thing to do.

But it sets up wonderfully for Red Seas Under Red Skies, making you want to read it immediately, but still concludes brilliantly.

Whatever is said about it on S&L I will champion it to the hills. :D

Gotta agree. Definitely has a satisfying ending while still being open for the sequel.

Glad to hear it. I was a little worried about reading the first in a series for the current discussion book.

No plot spoilers. Definitely has an ending and with some big plot twists.

There are back stories that are hinted at that sound like they could lead to some very interesting future stories.

One character that is mentioned but never seen (view spoiler)[Sabetha (hide spoiler)], needs to appear and have her back story told in a future book. We get vague hints but nothing substantial about her.

This is going to be a 7 book series.

The Lies of Locke Lamora
Red Seas Under Red Skies
The Republic of Thieves (June 2012)
The Thorn of Emberlain (forthcoming)
The Ministry of Necessity (forthcoming)
The Mage and the Master Spy (forthcoming)
Inherit the Night (forthcoming)

I love how you guys all emphasize it: "Oh yes, it ends!"

(Just saying, no further point or pun intended.)

It has a last page and everything! :P

Totally satisfying! I think the series is full of cliff-hangers (every other chapter, at least!), but I didn't finish either book feeling disappointed or anxious . . . just excited to get my hands on the next one.

Man, I really loved both books so far. They remind me a little of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in some ways.

I found the end of the first book to be very satisfying. It clearly leaves an opening for the sequel but could easily be enjoyed as a stand alone. Not that I can see why you wouldn't want to read the second one, it's fantastic ;)

Hell yes!
You can tell by certain hints that are dropped and by the ending that there's more to come. But the plot builds up nicely to several climaxes, the end being absolutely satisfying. It left me with an immediate urge for more Scott Lynch!

Great ending. Best book I have read in ages. First time I gave up after 20 or 30 pages. Second time I got swept away. Stands alone well, but stands ready for many more I hope :-)

Chapter 8- !

Chapter 9- !!

Chapter 10- !!!!

I've already got the 2nd book on my shopping list.

Can I just point out to new readers to the Bastards, Red Seas Under Red Skies has Pirates!!!

And lots of 'em. :D

Gentleman Bastards AND not-so-gentlemanly scallywags?

Oh I am going to love this series, I just know it. :)

Anyone want to set up a thread about the next book? The one with the Pirates!!!?

I loved this book, probably the best recommended book I have read on this forum in fact. I do think that the ending was great although I was really sorry about parts of it because I really loved the group of characters together.

Ala wrote: "It has a last page and everything! :P"

You sir, have convinced me with logic.

I think the ending was fine. I don't feel like I have to read the second book to tie up any loose ends.

Great ending!
No loose ends in the Camorr plot-line, with plenty of hints of back-story (view spoiler)[ Sabetha (hide spoiler)], a big rich wider world ripe for exploration, the looming (view spoiler)[ shadow of the Bondsmagi's revenge (hide spoiler)] on any future plot.
And, don't forget the The Eldren, their mystery and mysterious disappearance is bound to become a plot-line at some point, there is just to much of an Ancient Ruins vibe to all the Eldrenglass for it to be just scenery IMHO.

In the fantasy tropes thread, I mentioned I like the ancient civilization trope. I am about 35% through and hoped The Eldren would be explored a bit more...sounds like I'll have to wait.

I was expecting a cliff hanger ending, and was surprised to not find one. A fun read that didn't leave me hanging.

I plan on reading the other books in the series eventually, but even if I wasn't going to, this one ended in a way that I wouldn't need to.

I really enjoyed the ending. I was expecting a cliff hanger the closer to the end i got since i knew this is a book series but was pleasantly surprised about how it all tied up.

I liked the ending a lot, though I was a little worried how Lynch would handle it. I definitely didn't see it coming, and that's something that I have to give major props to Lynch for because I've read a TON of fantasy and I can usually predict what's going to happen. So, I love it when a book surprises me.

Though I'm definitely going to read the next book, I feel like this first one could actually be a standalone as the ending does wrap (almost) everything up pretty well.

Almost two weeks after the original post and after a couple dozen posts of confirmation that the book does in fact have a satisfying ending, having read it myself and seeing it with my own eyes, I can agree with Ala that the book does indeed have a last page.

Having that last page is rather important.

If you're into that sort of thing.

Paging Edwin Drood, AMIRITE?

Does The Mystery of Edwin Drood have a satisfying ending?

Boots wrote: "Does The Mystery of Edwin Drood have a satisfying ending?"

Does peanut butter go good with hot dogs?

I don't know, does peanut butter go good with hot dogs? Or was that a rhetorical question?

Boots wrote: "I don't know, does peanut butter go good with hot dogs? Or was that a rhetorical question?"

I don't know. I became a vegetarian three years ago.

Oh congratulations! I take it you got tired of eating lips and assholes?

Boots wrote: "Oh congratulations! I take it you got tired of eating lips and assholes?"

As food, yes.

Nice!

The ending was very good. An excellent book to read as my first in the club.

Perfectly apt ending to an awesome plot.

I read it and I agree. A fine ending with lots of room to continue with the characters in the following books. This is the way to do a series.

The ending leaves it open for a sequel but does it have to be 'satisfying'? For me it ended the right way, with what had happened in the first two thirds/three quarters of the book it finished how it should.

Matth1982 wrote: "The ending leaves it open for a sequel but does it have to be 'satisfying'? For me it ended the right way, with what had happened in the first two thirds/three quarters of the book it finished how it should."

This quoted write-up would have been excellent. I may be wrong, but the rest of your post seems spoilery to me. You may have noticed that no-one in this thread hinted at the actual conclusion, because that wasn't the topic. No one wanted to be told how the book ends. Try not to be so insensitive in the future.

Walt wrote: "Matth1982 wrote: "The ending leaves it open for a sequel but does it have to be 'satisfying'? For me it ended the right way, with what had happened in the first two thirds/three quarters of the boo..."

Sorry - I had wrote this on another forum and copied and pasted it in I should have re-read what I wrote and removed the spoilery content.

Matth1982 wrote: "Walt wrote: "Matth1982 wrote: "The ending leaves it open for a sequel but does it have to be 'satisfying'? For me it ended the right way, with what had happened in the first two thirds/three quarte..."

Apology accepted. :)

Thanks for editing the original post.