We at Fantasy-Faction are big fans of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series. So much so that we’ve teamed up with Gollancz and Scott to do a reread of the first and second books, and then a first-time reading of the third. This isn’t going to be your typical read along either. Nope. What we want to do, in true Fantasy-Faction style, is make this a community event. We want to invite each and every one of you – whether you’ve read and enjoyed the series before or are reading it for the first time – along for the journey. If you are new to the series, here’s what you have to expect:

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he’s part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich – they’re the only ones worth stealing from – but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards. Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it’s a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city. But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa’s power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming. A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora . . .

So, why should you read along with us and not just on your own…like you normally do? Well, we’ll be reading through the book at a rate of about 4 chapters a week (there is 16 in total – so it’ll take about a month) and, at the end of each week, we will pause and have an in-depth article on what has happened so far. We will use the comments section for a detailed discussion and, most excitingly of all: we’ll have Scott stopping by for a number of things. First, we’re hoping to get some answers from him about what he was thinking/planning when certain things were written and how he feels about them now (for both the newbies and the re-readers).

Second, we’ll be hosting exclusive videos of Scott talking about Republic of Thieves and teasing us a bit with what to expect.

We’re still in talks with Gollancz on where each part will take place, but it’ll likely be a mixture of their blog and here. 🙂 Oh, and you’ll be glad to hear that these will be mostly spoiler free discussions with huge spoiler tags (that you will have to click to open) for any content that discusses how a certain scene is setting up future events for example.

What we hope is that, by the end of the reread, those who’ve joined us will know the world, characters, and workings of The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies so well that when The Republic of Thieves is released it’ll really enhance their reading experience.

The idea is that we’ll finish book one in 4 weeks, book two in four weeks and be ready to tackle book three together after that.

Wait a minute: this sounds AWESOME, but I don’t have a copy of Lies of Locke Lamora.

If you are in the UK, genuinely don’t have a copy of The Lies of Locke Lamora, and can commit to this re-read, our very good friends Gollancz have given us a number of copies to give to you… for FREE! Now, if you have the book or have a friend who can lend it you – it would be great for the group dynamic if you could do it that way. If you are not sure if you can commit to the re-read, it would also be great if you could allow someone else who can to have the book to get a copy instead.

But if you can commit, you are in the UK and have Twitter, well then you’re in luck. All you need to do is Tweet the following:

@FantasyFaction #INeedLockeInMyLife

Feel free to add a message on the end. I won’t disqualify you for anything additional (questions, remarks, expressions of excitement, etc). 😉

If you already have a copy please leave us a comment to let us know you’ll be joining in 🙂

Hopefully you’re as excited as we are!!! 😀