The Republic of Thieves

First off, the good:

Lynch's prose is as good as ever, and remains the defining quality of the series. I also liked the relation between Locke and Sabetha in general, even though the way it is explored in the novel is pretty terrible.

Now, the bad:
There are two plots in this book, one set in the present, one in Locke's childhood. The problem with this split is that it is entirely unnecessary. Both of them revolve around Locke and Sabetha's relationship, so there is really no point to the flashback-plot because it doesn't add anything. To make things worse, both parts lack tension because the effective outcome is foreseeable from the very beginning.

Admittedly, both books one and two of the series had plot-related issues and stood on the shoulders of engaging characters and fantastic prose. The prose is still there, but the characters aren't, most importantly Jean. He is reduced to the role of a simple henchman to do Locke's bidding, and the wonderful friendship between him and Locke that was built up beautifully in the previous novels is just... gone. Instead we finally get to see Sabetha in action, and the difficult and incredibly frustrating (both for Locke and the reader) relationship she and Locke have. Which would be fine if the book had anything else to offer, perhaps in the flashback chapters that take up half the book and serve no purpose to the story or the characters.

At the end of the day (and the book) I was left thoroughly disappointed.