Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch book cover

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Red Seas Under Red Skies

576 pages 2007 Fantasy, Heist Fantasy, Adventure 🌶️ Clean Standalone

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The Vibe

Locke and Jean con a casino owner while simultaneously being blackmailed into becoming pirates. They know nothing about sailing. The ocean doesn't care. Lynch takes the buddy-heist formula of book 1 and puts it on a ship — with disastrous, hilarious, and ultimately heartbreaking results.

Spice Check

🌶️ Clean

Clean — adventure fun.

Content Heads-Up

Violence
Death
Piracy
Gambling

Is This Book for You?

Skip if you dislike:

Haven't read book 1
No pirate fiction

Ending: Bittersweet

Pacing: Fast

What This Book Feels Like

Moods: Fun Pirate Clever Adventurous

Tropes: Casino Heist Pirate Ship Con Artists Forced Sailing

If You Loved This, Try These

The Lies of Locke Lamora

Same heist-fantasy energy

Robert Jackson Bennett

Same clever thief-protagonist fantasy

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it as good as Lies of Locke Lamora?

Different — more adventure, less heist. Divisive but beloved.

Is there actual piracy?

Incompetent piracy becoming competent — the learning curve is hilarious.

Is it a standalone?

Book 2 of the Gentleman Bastard series.

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