Sad news for fans of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch’s latest Gentleman Bastards book, The Thorn of Emberlain, has been set back a bit. It’s disappointing news as a reader, but sadder news as a fan of Scott Lynch. The guy is such a role model, such a friendly guy, such a funny person, someone who puts a smile on so many faces and yet life is so incredibly cruel to him. I don’t know much about depression, I’ve had the odd issue with anxiety in my life – as I’m sure many introverts have – but my brain really struggles to comprehend how a person who should feel so good about themselves and be so happy suffers with depression. Thanks to Scott I’m coming to see depression not as a state of mind that needs a hug or positive chat to resolve, but a disease that requires the sufferer to constantly battle against. Set-backs are a certainty, for recovery is a brutal path to tread.

I will post Scott’s statement below, but do visit his blog and bookmark it as he has promised to update it regularly, firstly though I’d just like to wish him well and – if he happens to read this – let him know that no one sees this as his fault. It is the fault of an awful condition and I believe I speak for the entirety of genre fans that we aren’t going to offer anything but support and warm feelings during this time. The gifts he has given us in the form of unforgettable characters and adventures will forever remain some of my favourite memories as a reader.

If giving you time and space to recover and perfect the next set of memories you’re gifting me and the community is the only repayment you ask for then you’ve got the equivalent of about 3000 years to get book four out, sir!