| Title | : | The Prophecy Con (Rogues of the Republic, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1477824715 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781477824719 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 512 |
| Publication | : | First published September 23, 2014 |
Who would have thought a book of naughty poems by elves could mean the difference between war and peace? But if stealing the precious volume will keep the Republic and the Empire from tearing out each other's throats, rogue soldier Isafesira de Lochenville - "Loch" to friends and foes alike - is willing to do the dishonest honors. With her motley crew of magic-makers, law-breakers, and a talking warhammer, she'll match wits and weapons with dutiful dwarves, mercenary knights, golems, daemons, an arrogant elf, and a sorcerous princess.
But getting their hands on the prize - while keeping their heads attached to their necks - means Loch and company must battle their way from a booby-trapped museum to a monster-infested library, and from a temple full of furious monks to a speeding train besieged by assassins. And for what? Are a few pages of bawdy verse worth waging war over? Or does something far more sinister lurk between the lines?
From Patrick Weekes, one of the minds behind the critically acclaimed Mass Effect video game series, "The Prophecy Con" continues the action-packed fantasy adventure that kicked off in "The Palace Job."
The Prophecy Con (Rogues of the Republic, #2) Reviews
-
You know how sometimes you’re watching a big-budget blockbuster movie and there’s a crazy action scene going down, with heroes and villains throwing haymakers and blasting each other with futuristic weapons and explosions explosioning and the camera is zoomed in too close and the lighting is a bit murky and you’re thinking, “Hey, this looks pretty cool…wait, what just happened? Did he just—ooh, that was awesome! Wait, huh? How did she get—is that the same person as…whoa! Boom! That’s gonna leave a mark! I have no idea what’s happening, but this is pretty great!”
That was me for about 75% of The Prophecy Con. (Caveat: due to life craziness, I read this only in bit-sized chunks and had a hard time getting a flow going, which is not the book’s fault in the slightest and may have contributed somewhat to that lack of clarity—I find that user error is by far the most common explanation for anything that’s amiss in my life.)
I liked, but did not love, The Palace Job, but elected to continue on due to the fact that 1) numerous GR friends love this series and 2) almost universally, people said that book two was better than book one. I’m happy to report that throngs of Goodreaders are pretty sharp—book two is definitely better than book one.
There are a number of features that make this a really fun read: the characters, who are highly entertaining and somehow manage to show a surprising amount of depth despite their tendency to dialogue almost exclusively in quippy one-liners, and they’re as refreshingly diverse (in the social sense) a bunch as you’ll find in a fantasy book; the schemes, plans, machinations, plots, contingencies, intrigues, and tactics—Loch is dizzying in her ability to Macgyver up a new idea regardless of circumstance; and the world, which takes much more definitive shape in this book than its predecessor and offers a very interesting take on dwarves, elves, and fairy creatures.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention Kail’s mom jokes. I have a soft spot for a good mom joke, even though I’m now sadly at an age where I have to be very careful to confirm that someone’s mother is, in fact, still amongst the living (and not suffering some tragic malady) before firing off such jokes myself. (Also, for those of you still on the dating scene: I do not recommend the use of mom jokes on a first date, especially if you elect to go in a bovine direction without first confirming that your date’s mother did not die in a tragic cattle stampede.)
It’s not a perfect book—there are still points where the twists and turns get so labyrinthine that you get the sense that even Patrick Weekes is a bit confused and he’s just trying to joke his way out of it, and there are times when the humor is less sharp than at others (though, to be fair, keeping up a 30 Rock-esque joke cadence is no easy task even for an entire room full of comedy writers, so it’s understandable that not every joke lands squarely).
Also, no matter how good a writer is, it’s almost impossible to write an exciting poker scene—it can work in movies if shot right, but, on the page, one’s eyes tend to glaze over at rules descriptions, the specifics of each hand, and each player’s astute analysis of the others’ tells.
Ultimately, though, this is one heck of a well-crafted adventure and an undeniably entertaining read, and sets up what should be a thrilling (and undoubtedly joke-filled) concluding chapter. I’m in.
(Thanks, Aja, for the semi-buddy read, even though I think you were done before I was even a quarter of the way through!) -
This is my kind of fantasy.
It's got that unputdownable thing going for it that just KILLS my ability to function as a normal person, with normal person things to do. I made deals with myself for a few days while I was reading this. Bad deals, but deals, nonetheless.
Deals like: I will feed the kids nutritious (yet delicious!) meals once I finish Prophecy Con. Tonight, though, I can throw a frozen pizza in the oven for them, and we'll call pepperoni a vegetable!
Because that's what books like this do to me. They force me to malnourish my children. Sorry, kids.
This picks up not very long after the first book,
The Palace Job leaves off.
So, Loch gets to be a reputable law-abiding citizen for about 10 pages in this one, and then all hell just breaks loose. Somebody has set Loch up to take the blame for a political snafu...of sorts. Plan A was to kill her on the spot, and leave no witnesses. Alas, for them, no.
Naturally, Loch and Kail escape, because they're AWESOME! Duh.
And, also, if they died in the first ten pages this would have been a hard book to sell...
Still, in order to avoid a war they need to find something that will appease the wronged party. Something that is preferably not Loch's head.
Enter the elven poems...that no one can even read.
What about the rest of the crazy-but-lovable crew, you ask?
Well, the whole gang (eventually) gets back together to help clear Loch's name, and the race to find the ancient relic thing is on!
Like the last book, this has a hyper-twisty storyline, and there never seems to be enough of a break in the action to be able to comfortably put this down.
*see starving children*
It's one double cross after another, and then a few side cons just to keep things interesting.
I thought I wouldn't get bamboozled by the Whodunnit this time around, but even after I found out who was responsible for everything, I still couldn't believe it.
Damn! You're a sneaky man, Mr. Weekes!
Cliffhanger?
Why, yes. Yes, there is. And not just any old cliffhanger! One that's so freakin' big, I don't even have to ask if there's going to be a third book. Was I shocked? Um...yes. A bit.
The less I say about the actual plot the better, but if you're a fan of fantasy, humor, & heist-like stories, then this a series to check out!
Important Edit, People!
It turns out the reason I found the ending to be so shocking and cliffhangery, was because I read the Kindle version of this, and the Post-Script (epilogue) was after the Acknowledgements. If you have a Kindle, then you already know that Amazon likes to kick you out of the book when you finish, and into their How Would You Rate This...thing. It's annoying to say the least, because in order to rate it, you actually have to write a review. And, I personally write enough reviews as it is.
So, no thank you.
This time around it caused me to miss some pertinent information!
*glares at Amazon*
Anyway, if you buy the Kindle version, don't forget to look for the epilogue.
Also reviewed for:
-
This sequel to the Palace Job was an improvement in almost every way possible. As the first book nicely wrapped up its plot line, one wonders where the next book will head to. Let's just say that the title is an important clue as to what's in store for the Rogues of the Republic.
Everything in this sequel was bigger. The world-building was more expansive as Loch and her crew had to find and steal back the very same item that they have stolen from the Republic. What is so important about this manuscript? I always do love a bit of a mystery component in my books as it is a real page turner. And while there were dwarves, elves and fairy creatures in this series, they are not quite the same as those that we are familiar with.
The pacing was tight with a lot more action. In fact, it was almost non-stop action all the way from the first chapter. Even the non-physical action sequences was exciting in a manner of Casino Royale. The plot was deeper and darker with higher stakes as the fate of two nations on the precipice of war depended on Loch and her crew’s success. As for the plot twist and revelation, I definitely did not see that coming.
The core of good storytelling lies with its characters. With such a big ensemble cast where almost every single one plays an important role, the third person narrative strangely straddles between omniscient and limited. What I noticed, though, was that the female characters tend to get more in-depth personalisation. Aside from Loch, who was the main protagonist after all, the development of Desidora (the priestess) was significantly more fleshed-out and to a lesser extent, Ululenia (the unicorn - yes, you read that right) and Tern (the alchemist). The perspective of the male characters remained more or less omniscient although the author was able to place a bit more emotional impact on Kail, Loch's loyal companion, through this interaction with the others. Regardless, it was hard to pinpoint a clear favourite, as I liked ALL of them. A lot.
The story being what it was – action-packed and fun – did not suffer from this narrative style. My earlier complaint about the patchiness of the writing also did not surface for this sequel, or I could have just gotten used to the author's style. Either way it's discernibly better. A thoroughly entertaining read that improved from book to book, it will be intriguing to see how this will all eventually conclude in the third and final book.
This review can also be found at
Booknest -
The prophecy Con is full of interesting characters, weird magic, different lore and a whole host of craziness. It has a very interesting story and I like it but…..due to the jumping PoVs and the sheer number of things happening at the same time sometimes it is hard for me to become really invested in the story. I get a little OCD with fantasy books wanting to understand the world and the magic and sometimes I struggle with this particular series as it brushes on the magic but I never really understand it. I like to equate this to an A.D.D. persons dream book since it is so jumpy.
Still there are plenty of entertaining moments with:
Kail always insulting your mother in a fight“Wait, were you just trying to get us to take everything off?” Kail asked, winking at one of the guards and moving to force eye contact in return. “Man, your mother is so much more polite about it.”
Dairy’s unexpected continued virginity“Are you really certain that you don’t find Ululenia attractive?” Hessler asked. “Maybe it was first-time jitters. I mean, as far as I can tell, she is arrogant apple, babbling brook, creeping cat, all right, I’m stopping!” He glared at Ululenia. “There was no need to resort to cluttering up my mind.”
“I disagree strongly.” Ululenia’s horn flared, and she headed back toward the office, her slim hips swaying in her white dress with every step.
“You’re . . . you’re sure?” Hessler said. “Because while I am by no means a paragon of masculine attitudes . . . you don’t get many chances at something like that.
“I’m sure.” Dairy looked at Ululenia, then Hessler. “I thought you were with Tern, Mister Hessler.”
“Well, yes, but I’m not dead.”
Tern and Hessler’s new relationship…it is a bit cute. Kail and Desidora’s complicated dance of something and Loch and Pyvic figuring out how to juggle their sometimes conflicting jobs with their relationship.
There is quick wit everywhere“Can you go any faster?” Pyvic asked.
“Yes, I’m just choosing to go this speed because your mother likes it when I take my time!”
&
“There’s not a lot to hold onto up on top.”
“A lesser man,” Icy said, “would find a way to reference your mother in response to that sentence.”
So with all that awesomeness you might say “Why Robin did you only give it 3 stars? Well my friends the answer is that after I set this book down I sometimes have no idea what the point of what I just read was. I finished this a few days ago and totally forgot what the direction of the entire story was and had to go back through my notes to refigure out the plot.
The Plot…I think.
To avoid war between the Republic and the Empire (seriously I have flashbacks to Star Wars every time I see republic and empire used in this book) Loch must steal back the Elfin book that she gave the elves so they would save the floating city in The Palace Job. Why do they need the Elfin book, that is a little unclear, there may be a prophecy in the book that could bring the ancients back or the glimmering folk. So Loch and team devise a plan and prepare to steal the book back. However along the way they are chased by A Grundle of foes. Not only do they have an Imperial Princess and her body guards tracking them, there are some Knights, the Justicars and apparently Demons as well. Sufficed to say there really isn’t much down time. Something is regularly blowing up or fighting breaks out.
I will say that there isn’t much down time in this book. Something is almost always happening and just when our characters have broken free from one death defying event then another happens. It is a fun ride with quippy banter, action action action and an unexpected ending. Really I didn’t see that coming at the end. Still not my favorite fantasy series because, details I love them and sometimes I felt like I didn’t understand this world or it’s magic. However I do like the characters so it will be interesting to see how the final book plays out.
Oh and just for fun....look I found Ulenia looking for Virgins in SLC
-
A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
Mr Weekes, thanks ever so much for rescuing my poor soul after the
Iced fiasco. The Prophecy Con was just what I needed to get my book life back on track.
As I was reading the character recap at the beginning of the book I just knew this was going as fantastic as
The Palace Job. I was wrong. It wasn't as fantastic as
The Palace Job, it was even better. Non-stop kick-ass action, ever-expanding world-building, brilliant plot and hilarious character interactions.
What I like most about Rogues of the Republic? The Rogues obviously! What a crazy bunch of misfits, I love them all! Loch kicks butt as a newly appointed Justicar. Pyvic is now a captain and part of the dysfunctional family. Kail is hilarious as ever with his mother lines (he kicks butt too!). Ululenia the shapeshifting unicorn kills me whenever she coaxes minds to befuddlement ("Arrogant apple, babbling brook, creeping cat" hahaha!). Tern the super cool alchemist/safecracker/crossbow expert and her boyfriend Hessler the wizard/university drop-out with a very limited field of expertise (or not). Desidora the kick ass love priestess turned death priestess turned love priestess and Ghylspwr her talking, magical warhammer. Indomitable Courteous Fist aka Icy the Imperial acrobat/contortionist and former monk and his vow of non-violence. Rybindaris aka Dairy, Champion of Dawn and Ululenia's designated young muscular virgin (or not).
What I love here is the way the author plays mix and match with the characters as the story evolves. He keeps changing the teams, which is fantastic in terms of character dynamics.
Weekes has created an amazing cast of characters. The Rogues are fantastic of course but so is the rest of the cast. From Princess Veiled Lightning, Gentle Thunder and Shenziencis, to Irrethelathlialann the elf ("Ethel" hahaha!), Mister Dragon, the Gods-damned Knights of Gedasar, Cevirt, Bertram and Gart Utt'Krenner the dwarf. Even minor characters in the story are brilliantly developed.
Oh it might be time to talk about the story now. Right. Sorry about the character fangirling. Since the book is pretty much non-stop action it would be difficult to summarize the plot line so I'll keep it short: in order to avoid war Loch & her crew have to steal back The Love Song of Eillenfiniel, the elven manuscript they stole then returned to the Elves in
The Palace Job. Obviously nothing goes according to plan and everything that can go wrong does. What a wild roller-coaster ride this is: great action scenes, pursuits, traps, distractions, fantastic fight scenes… it never stops. And the twists! Weekes is one of the very few authors whose unexpected tricks & twists I never see coming. [One word of advice here: read the book to the very last page. When I say to the very last page I mean the part after the Acknowledgments. Trust me on that.] What else? The humour!
The Palace Job was funny but The Prophecy Con is downright hilarious. It's one crazy line after the next. This book is just brilliant from beginning to end.
Let's end this with a list of random awesomeness shall we?:
Lapitects. The museum theft. Wind-daemon powered airships. The Elven book of sex poems. Fire-daemon powered trains. Tern fangirling like a teenager every time Veiled Lightning is around. Crabs in the library. Zephyr-class airships. Iofegemet. Zombie armies. The suf-gesuf tournament. Dwarves. The Voyancy. Elven treeships. Jyelle. The train scenes.
This is only one of the coolest books ever. Mr Weekes, please write a sequel. I need more Rogues in my life!
· Book 1:
The Palace Job ★★★★★
· Book 3:
The Paladin Caper ★★★★★ -
Wow. I liked the first book in the series. I loved the second.
Right from go, we've had great action scenes directly in the service of both story and character development. I can't tell you or anyone how much I love it when great action actually and truly does service to the story.
In this case, we have yet ANOTHER manuscript that needs to be procured, and as a reader I'm wondering how it's going to be twisted in comparison to the surprises we had in the previous book, but soon enough I'm satisfied that such preparations weren't needed, nor did we need to introduce a full cast of characters. Instead, we are lovingly plopped right into an adventure with people we already love and who have (mostly) worked out their differences, and a few who have either moved on or have been the subject of some rather major changes in the previous tome.
What I wasn't prepared for, and what I was thoroughly amused by, was the never-ending dance of fighting and bad decisions masquerading as the perfectly plausible. We had so many reversals and amusing enemies in the first half of the novel, all of which included planes, trains, and automobiles, all of which was lovingly visual and visceral, that I swore that I was watching one of the best heavy-action heist movies... ever. I mean, I don't think I'll ever forget the Elf or the Hunter. Even Veiled Lightning was pretty damn amazing, and the end of the train-scene was pretty epic, including the funny-as-hell reversal.
I really wasn't prepared for the whole book turning into a fantasy scene of the Gambler, either, with high stakes poker getting only higher when all the current gods and the old gods started staking claims. Oh, and we can't forget mutually assured and instant destruction of the Empire and the Republic.
I was enthralled by the story and was tempted to stay up all night to read it, but damn it, life kept intruding on my enjoyment of this great book!
The final surprises, (and yes, there are multiple surprises,) have solidified my adoration of this author. It has graduated from mind-candy (even though it's a fast and easy read,) into an awe-inspiring tour of goodness. I can't recommend this enough! -
December 2023 update: Yup, still delightful read. Well paced, great world, delightful characters. I am surprised no one has tried to turn this into a show yet, it has all the right ingredients for a fun fantasy series.
~~~
I considered reviewing the first three books in the
Rogues of the Republic individually, but in retrospect these books aren't so much discrete books but parts of one overarching story (and in no way related to the fact I took so long to get around to reviewing them I had forgotten some details of them). While there are distinct heists in each of the books there is one plot line that winds its way through each book. I would recommend anyone reading this series to read them consecutively, I think that method really enhances the experience and helps keep all the many characters fresh in your memory.
So everyone and their mother has described this series as high fantasy meets Oceans Eleven (the
George Clooney one, not the
Frank Sinatra one). And.. well.. they are all right. In classic heist fashion the ring leader along with her (in this case) right hand man spend the first part of the story collecting professionals with very specific skills needed for "The Job". Of course, being high fantasy, the requisite professionals are a bit different. Mainly more magic users needed and each with a special skill. Naturally things don't go as planned, there are some unexpected twists and turns, and things unfold a bit differently from "The Plan".
One aspect of Weekes's writing I liked was the great care he showed in his world building. Magic systems and rules were introduced to advance and explain the plot at appropriate times, avoiding any cumbersome data dumps. Further, the world itself was only shown in so far as it related to the plot. Once again no major data dumps explaining the history of this world or its politics, only things that are applicable to the events at hand. Weekes does drop some little nuggets in one book that are elaborated on in later books. He keeps his narrative powder dry and his plots move along briskly for it.
Probably the most important part of a heist story-line, even more so than "The Job" itself, is the character chemistry. If the characters and/or their motivations are weak the entire story will fall apart. Weekes, in my estimation, hit it out of the park with the characters. I won't go through them (since there are a lot) but I will say they all stood out in their own way. He made the bold (and correct choice) to not try to develop all the characters at once. He had different characters have different prominence throughout the books leaving some backstories unexplained for a while. In this way we didn't suffer any narrative drag by shoehorning in backstories that didn't need to be told yet. It let some characters retain an air of mystery and shine at just the right moment. Also, independent of that, the chemistry between the characters was fantastic and developed naturally over the course of the books.
But this isn't just a heist story, it is also a high fantasy story and in this department Weekes once again does smashingly. Even though this world has all the traditional fixings (humans, ogres, dragons, dwarves, elves, ancient races) Weekes looks beyond the their traditional characteristics and gives them a twist unique to his world. For instance: crystals are an integral part of magic in this world. An ancient race basically engineered elves to be very in tune with crystals to the point that their presence turned elves into extreme savants. Now that elves are free they have completely forbidden crystals from entering their lands and they avoid traveling to human lands because of the widespread use of crystals there. This is neat world building that Weekes is able to fold into the larger narrative. This is but one example of his additions to common high fantasy themes that make his world both recognizable and unique.
I devoured these books. Heck, due to the time change on my flight to Hawaii (yes, it is just as amazing as you have been led to believe) according to Goodreads I finished the second book the day before I started it. They are fast, but engaging reads, with great, intricate plots, an expansive story, and amazing characters (my favorite part of the books). I cannot recommend this highly enough to folks who enjoy fantasy or heist stories (and definitely recommended for people who like both!).
And thanks to Goodreads being part of the Amazon collective I just linked my highlighted passages from the kindle to my Goodreads account for you, gentle reader, to feast upon (though I have no idea what happened with book number two's quotes, I was sure I had more :-/)
One final note: these books had a refreshingly fresh take on sex. Namely no slut shaming, healthy, mutually respectful sexual relations between various characters, and not an eye batted at same sex relationships. -
*** 5 ***
Wonderful!! Fun! Action and never-ending rolercoaster of fighting and highly implausible but tremendously entertaining situations. As I had seen in some of the other reviews, this felt like a supper-actionny high-adrenaline heist flick in 3D! There were many new characters introduced, among them my favorite Veiled Lightning, the princes of the Imperium, and a second talki9ng "trinket", which mixed in with our core crew was a formula for one of the most fun books ever!!! There were some close calls, where my heart was ready to explode, some very tender moments, and my favorite moment in the entire book, delivered by our virgin loving Unicorn:
“You do prefer virgins,” Kail said. “I mean, when Loch and I found you, you’d just finished deflowering some young village man and a strapping young ogre.”
Tern burped, winced, and swallowed.
“Yes,” Ululenia said, smiling and staring off into the distance. “I enjoy the supple limbs of those who have never rested in the dewy meadows of a lover’s embrace, the lust-darkened gaze in eyes for whom the world is still lit in the colors of spring. But for my virgin, I might have stayed even after the flush of manhood had risen in his loins.”
“I’m so glad you asked her this, Captain,” Kail said. “These were pictures I needed in my head.”
I am adding this to my light-fun-and-OOOO-SOOOO-worth-it shelf!!!! -
12/7/15 Review: This was even better than the first. Non-stop action and witty banter between all the characters make this a win in my book. The pace moves very fast so there are times when I had to go back to make sure I understood the world building. We get some new players in this installment and even though there were plenty of characters to keep track of before they don't seem superfluous. They add to the rich world and don't clutter it up. A lot of times with ensemble casts it can be easy to forget about some characters or not really care what happens to some. I don't get that with this series. Although I do have my favorites (Kail and Tern) I was equally invested in everyone's story.
One pattern I've noticed is . This didn't bother me but I could see how some might be annoyed with it.
I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series.
3/12/15: $2.00 on Amazon Kindle. -
So when I finished Palace Job I wasn’t particularly impressed with it. After saying as much in my review I was assured by one of my friends that the second book was better and I should continue on with the series. I filed it away, not really a priority, but when I saw the books were on sale I decided to pick up the second one and give it a shot. On a whim I picked up the third as well figuring I could handle the loss if I ended up not liking the second book either. Now, after finishing Prophecy Con, I’m very thankful that I decided to pick up the third book as well.
My first issue with the predecessor to this book was the sheer amount of viewpoints. While this book still had a lot of different narrators (and a few that still seemed superfluous), it was a vast improvement. This directly fed into my next complaint that Loch always needed to be fifty steps ahead of everyone so readers were often left in the dark until the big reveal. This time, there were clues and enough hints that you could at least try to put together what was going on to keep up, and that’s not a bad thing, it just makes the reader feel like part of the team rather than a casual spectator.
Prophecy Con also moved a lot faster so I had no problems reading it this time. I didn’t put it down and then not want to pick it up again, or slog through what felt like unnecessary chapters. I wanted to keep reading, I wanted to know more, and I wanted to see how things were going to turn out. Given that this was a sequel, the characters were also much more fleshed out and interesting this time around so I found myself getting attached to them more than I had before. I got angry when they were slighted, I sympathized with their pains, and I was happy for their victories.
Writing wise there were still a few points that seemed unpolished to me, a time or two where I had to go back and re-read something or riddle out what someone was doing in a fight but it wasn’t story-breaking for me this time. I want to know more about the world though. Weekes redefines a lot of fantasy tropes but doesn’t spend a lot of time examining them, I hope in the next book we go back to the Dwarven cities and the Elflands because I want to be able to explore more, and I really really hope that some of our antagonists make a reappearance as well! -
Everything that I loved about the first book is back in this second one. I cant say enough good things about the wit and banter between these characters, its full of awesome one-liners and has a good mix of some pretty incredible action set pieces as well! I love, loved it! Weekes has fleshed his characters out so well you immediately connect with them! They are full of personality, charm, and quirks and I cant help but wish I was right along side of them - even when they are in the most dire of circumstances!
I follow Patrick Weekes on Twitter and know that he is a very active D&D role-player, and after reading these two novels of his I cant tell you enough how badly I would love to sit in on some of his campaigns. Me thinks it would be a pretty incredible experience!
Anyways, if you have read the first book - no worries - you're gonna love this one too! If you haven't read his first book...well...go read it, silly, Its fun and best of all when you finish it you can read this one straight away afterwords!
Its a win-win! -
I love this gang. They are so much fun and entertaining that I don't even realize the book is over until the audio stops playing.
The Prophecy Con is the second installment to the Rogues of the Republic series. In it, you will still met Loch and her gang. They have a new heist mission (aka it's like Ocean 12 right now), in which they have to steal a book. This whole thing falls heavy on their shoulders.. because if they fail - a war will happen.
We also meet the Princess of the Empire, and ugh, she just annoyed me. I mean, I'm glad she had goals and was persistent.. but could she just leave Loch alone? I also really enjoyed seeing Lock and Pyvic together - they were so freaking adorable!
Other than that, a lot happened in this book. It was jam-packed with action, just like the previous book, and it was quite enjoyable. I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. Whether it was with the actual heist, relationship wise, or ya know.. who may or may not die. It was a constant guessing game that entertained me.
I can't wait to dive into the third book just to see how it's all going to end. -
ASDGFHJKL. I have no words for the absolute delight that is this book.
There is a lot that is good about the Prophecy Con. And - this is going to sound tangential, but bear with me - it reminds of the new Barbie doll line in the way it finally, finally, embraces diversity of all kinds. So I thought I'd review it like the launch of a new doll line. Well, basically I copied the description from the Barbie site and changed a few words, so all credits to them.
Welcome to the Dollhouse, where you can be who you want to be without judgmental side-eye.
With a ton of new looks, the Weekes® Fantasy™ dolls offer real-world diversity and combat options for endless heist-related fun! Each doll has a distinct personality that reflects current trends with a matching power/skill and one accessory (not the kind to murder), like a talking war-hammer or a badly named lock-pick. Each also has a unique look with a variety of hair colors and styles, eye colors, skin tones and face shapes; some of the dolls feature a different gender orientation for added diversity.
Just Like You - If You Were Badass!
Weekes® Fantasy™ dolls each have their own look, personality and style -- just like you do! Explore a wide range of stories and an equally wide range of hilarity. Each doll is ultra cool (sometimes in a nerdy fashion) with a unique mix of snark and style, loveability and diverse humour.
Explore Cons with Fabulous Manuevers!
The fantasy elements reflect today’s trends, including elves, dwarves and the occasional forest creature #unicorn. Available for perusal are the mysterious woods housing the fairy folk, the Asian-influenced Imperial regime, the questionable democracy of the Republic, the orderly dwarf cities and the occasional elven cruise liner.
Badass Weapons Complete Play!
Accessories add to the fun. Each doll carries the perfect gadget to inflict blunt force trauma or melt a door! Colors and styles are as varied as the looks and just as trendy. Some of the dolls feature a a magical power instead, or both in case you like them really overpowered. A final quirk completes the characterization, like a preference for whipped cream lattes, or cool nine-ringed swords.
What's in the book?
Features: Literally acknowledging the presence of anything is a spoiler, so be warned
A trip to a Xiaolin temple type place that ends with heroes plummeting into a river
A complicated heist in a highly secure dwarven museum that goes horribly wrong
A trip to an underground library for a fairy dissertation that goes horribly wrong
A high-speed heist on a train that goes horribly wrong
A high-stakes poker game on a luxury elven ship that doesn't go quite as wrong
A FREAKING DRAGON WHO IS A MAFIA BOSS (?)
Several unexpected character developments - mostly to do with a certain young man
Strong, loving relationships between existing couples #shipperondeck
A gentle-woman thief who masterminds complex operations and comes out on top when it matters
Her boyfriend who is almost too good to be true
Her right-hand man who isn't there just for decoration
A love priestess who match-makes incessantly, even for the people she plows down with her talking war hammer #forgetthor
One analytical acrobat who wins the deadpan snarker competition (no mean feat considering the other characters) and is my second favorite character
A unicorn who is ironically, the most aggressive character in every sense, talks in flowery metaphors and is my favorite character
An alchemist safe-cracker and an illusionist wizard who are much funnier together than apart
Aforementioned gentle-woman thief being the subject of the most shocking con in the book
An ending that will make you rip your hair out...until you read the post-script
Find your OTP and play out your fantasies! More variety makes reading Weekes® Fantasy™ more fun. Collect them all (each hilarious separately, but make an explosively addictive cocktail together).
Be Anything with Weekes®!
DISCALIMER: Weekes Inc. is not liable for any side effects including but not limited to, side splitting laughter, nail biting tension, and any Kail-induced insults to other people's mothers. Gullible virgins and batteries not included with Ululenia dolls.
In all seriousness, there's a reason why I'm reviewing the second book instead of the first. It's because I thought Loch and Kail were pretty useless in the first one, and it was more an introductory long con than a series of increasingly awesome heists. TPC has everything the first book had, and some more. Sex positivity, gender and racial diversity, utopia level female equality, good writing, and bucketloads of fun. This is it, people. The gold standard for everything. There's no contest after this.
-
I'm not sure what it was that this novel lacked that the first one had, but where I loved the first one, I just couldn't finish this one. Honestly, it could have had more to do with my state of mind than the novel itself.
-
Another fun romp with the Rogues of the Republic. Perhaps not quite as good as the first, now that some of the jokes are a bit old and--oh who am I kidding. Kail's your mother jokes will never get old.
-
[I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.]
I read the first book not long ago, and a lot of what I posted in my review at the time is valid again in here. The heist(s), with several levels of deception, double-crossing the opponent, thwarted plans, having to do with a situation turned for the worst... And with twists that aren't always planned by all members of the team, ending in somewhat hilarious moments that nicely counterbalance the overall "they're a bit too ready for absolutely everything" feeling one may get. Because something's bound to give, to turn sour in a heist, otherwise there wouldn't be as much interest in reading such adventures—at least not for me.
The characters are mostly the same, with some changes reflecting darker turns of events from the first book. Kail is still his old I-give-a-name-to-everything lockpick and pickpocket, and his skill in wielding "mom jokes" remains the same (also he's contaminated Icy); however, his brush with mind-bending magic left him a bit more somber, but more decided than ever to fight this. Desidora has returned to her duties, yet is now questioning her role within the team, as she feels she is less useful. (I quite liked the conversations between these two, as their predicaments were somewhat related.) Ululenia and Dairy... well, let's just say things didn't exactly go as planned (not to mention that the unicorn had to make a choice whose consequences wouldn't be so light). Loch is trying to work on the side of a law that doesn't exactly make things easy for her in that regard. Hessler has broadened his magic, with somewhat dangerous results that however leave room to humorous dialogues: a welcome thing, considering that the tone of the novel is a bit darker and that this time, wounds aren't only superficial.
We are given a bit more of a view of other parts of the world here: the Empire, the dwarves, the elves, as well as the Ancients themselves. A welcome addition, too. At first sight, it doesn't stray too far from clichés (Elves had tree-ships and prefer to live far from humans, dwarves are often miners...); however, read just a little longer and the differences become obvious. I especially liked how the dwarves were so polite and orderly, while the elf dignitary was at the same time badass and insufferable (in a funny way). While the rules of magic in this world remain fuzzy, the relationship between magic and elves (through the crustals embedded in the latter) was interesting nonetheless.
This novel may have been slightly less humorous than the first one, because its stakes were higher from the beginning—not just a heist to steal a book and earn tons of money, but preventing a war, and trying not to become the sacrificial lamb in the middle of all this. Oddly or not, I liked it even better for this reason, and for another one: this time, knowing the characters, I could also better anticipate on what their moves might or might not be, and this made it more "logical", so to speak, when something happened that I would've otherwise deemed a deus ex machina. Predictable? In a way. Yet the kind of predictable I like, that I *want* to see happen, and then, when it happens, I strike the air with my fist and I'm all "Yesss!"
4.5 stars. I'll keep recommending this series, and hope book 3 is on the same level. -
Do you know what this increasingly reminds me of? The Disney version of _The Three Musketeers_. No, don't laugh. It has the same mix of serious problem, witty banter by engaging characters, interesting set pieces, well-drawn fight scenes, and sense that the reader/viewer should be having fun with all this. Situations may be unreasonable and possibly absurd, but not outright silly. The narration is witty, and the dialog is dry and darkly humorous.
Oh, and the Greek chorus puppet shows are brilliant. They wrap story events with political infighting and propaganda, all for the reader to sift through the layers.
I'll probably be sick of the series by the end of the third: this is a 'same, but more and better' style of sequel, and after the tense card tournament--contractually a heist series must include one--I was starting to get that sick feeling one has after partaking of too much dessert. But it could have been the too much dessert.
Weekes's use of race continues to intrigue and trouble, which is exactly how an explicit use of race should proceed. There's a subtle, patronizing racism in the setting where many white people profess sympathy toward the Urujar yet harbor prejudices, or they qualify their support or beliefs using words like 'most' and 'but these'. I don't think I've ever seen this sort of unsettling nuance in a fantasy series and would like to find opinions from those who are more personally close to the subject. -
You should definitely read Book 1 first to get the full background of Loch and her bizarre crew of eclectic characters, as well as an introduction into the high-fantasy world that this series takes place in. In the first book we see Loch and her crew breaking into a magic vault to retrieve her family treasure, with some things going awry on the journey, but now they have to steal a book of elf-porn to stop a war. Yes, you read that right!
This is comedic fantasy, witty, droll, occasionally laugh out loud funny. Often absurd, yet touchingly realistic. Character writing is definitely Patrick Weekes' strong point, along with on-point dialogue, and thinking up crazy scenarios. You can feel his experience of video game writing with Bioware, as this book would make a crazy video game. Bioware, are you reading this? You should be...
I enjoyed this book more than the first; I felt the first was a little overcomplicated at times, this one is simpler, more concise, and the plot roars faster than an assassin-filled train. This book was non-stop fun, so I'm giving it a well deserved five stars. -
The adventures of Loch and her friends continue in the second instalment of what is now called the 'Rogues of the Republic' saga.
Fresh off her deadly encounter with Archvoyant Silestin, Loch escorts a diplomatic mission to the Temple of Butterflies where they must assuage the Empire's fears over the firing of the Heaven's Spire. But when Imperial Princess Veiled Lightning traps Loch and Kail a ploy is revealed to surrender Loch to the Empire in order to prevent the breakout of another war. Narrowly avoiding capture, and after an enlightening chat with the new Archvoyant Bertram, Loch learns of a way that might just save her skin and avoid outright war. Unfortunately, it involves retrieving one ancient elven manuscript by the name of "The Love Song of Eillenfiniel," the same one she already handed back to the elves!
That definitely puts Loch in a bit of a quandary, doesn't it? The gang's all back for another job, with the exception of Dairy who's off being fine according to Ululenia. If there's something I can say without a shred of doubt about 'The Prophecy Con' is that it's certainly action-packed. Indeed, the action is practically non-stop. Even something relatively harmless as doing research in a library can suddenly turn into Harry and friends trying to dodge Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic. That's what it reminded me of anyway.
In any case, the job appears to be pretty straightforward. After some diligent tracking on the part of boyfriend Pyvic (not part of the crew, but he's okay) they manage to trace the manuscript to a dwarven museum. Seems like a straight crash and grab, doesn't it? Now throw in the Night Fox from Ocean's Twelve in the form of the elf Ethel (did you really think I'd memorize his real name?), as well as Princess Veiled Lightning and her entourage, some crazy Van Helsing-like Knights from the Republic set out to capture Loch, and you should have a pretty good idea things don't go nearly as planned.
Back in my review of 'The Palace Job' I noted how Loch suffered from something akin to writer omniscience in that she always knew what her enemies were planning (usually when us readers didn't) and consequently had a counter-plan of her own. While Loch still shows her cunning in planning ahead from time to time, this is nowhere near as prevalent as it was in the first instalment. In fact, more often than not, Loch and her team get one-upped in 'The Prophecy Con' and we get to see Loch dealing with the fallout... and Kail usually having to pay the price of said fallout. *cough* *cough*
With so many involved parties all after each other, but mostly after Loch, the action can be at times overwhelming and feel a bit repetitive. Indeed, there came a point when my brain would simply switch on an appropriate action sequence for the scene being described while I skimmed through the words. Understand, it's not that the action is bad (far from it), it's just that there's too much of it.
See, there's a part I love about any good heist movie/book and that's the preparation. Every member of the crew has a part to play in the con/heist that requires careful planning. This prelude is every bit as important as the con itself and in 'The Prophecy Con' it's lacking. Again, this comes down to how much more fast-paced this book is, with Loch racing against time to prevent a war with the Empire. Having said that, the last con, incidentally Loch's last chance to recover the elven manuscript, is more drawn out (yes!) and it features a battle of wits rather than swords in a poker-like tournament that is oddly reminiscent of the movie 'Maverick.' And while I didn't even try to understand the rules of suf-gesuf it was no less exciting, even if I did guess Loch's ace in the hole early on.
The characters are also a bit of a mixed bag. Some are dealing with the aftermath of the first book, such as Kail, Dairy, and Desidora. Kail appears to remain his usual wise-cracking self though he has gained a measure of perchance wisdom he shares with a depressed Desidora, who laments the loss of her powers as a Death Priestess. Dairy, on the other hand, has to come to terms with life after fulfilling the prophecy and a unicorn scorned.
Icy's just Icy and Ululenia's after more virgins so I guess that leaves Tern and Hessler for the crew. I think it's fair to say I enjoyed their interactions the most. The fact that they're now dating allows us to see more of their personalities or perhaps a different side of them, not to mention it sets the stage for some humorous situations. If I had to choose one character as my favourite in this book, it'd probably be Tern.
With regards to Loch and Pyvic... Sigh. Another reason I enjoyed 'The Palace Job' was that cat-and-mouse game between Loch and Pyvic that inadvertently hit its peak in a certain kavha house... Okay, I'll stop here before I reminisce too much and embarrass myself. This dynamic no longer exists in 'The Prophecy Con' seeing as Loch and Pyvic are now dating. This isn't a problem per se. Our leads being in a relationship could make for some interesting reading... if they shared more screentime (what, should I call it pagetime?) together.
Early on, the story separates the two (with good reason but reason be damned!) and negates any possibility of establishing a dynamic similar to the one Tern and Hessler have going. Worse, in the few scenes they are together they behave exactly as two Scout Captains rather than a couple. I have to side with Desidora here, it wouldn't hurt if these two showed a bit more range in their feelings and interactions with each other.
To that end, why not have the two run a con together in the next book? Maybe they get trapped behind enemy lines and have to make it back? These two need some time to learn about each other, work off each other, and I can think of no better scenario than having them rely on each other and no-one else.
There is A twist that I'm not going to spoil that has to do with the title of the book. The twist does come as a surprise, mostly because we remain largely ignorant of 'the prophecy' until the very end, what prevents us from pondering a very logical question. As usual, Loch was fastest putting the narrative clues together but I don't begrudge her (much) seeing as Poirot does this every time. Nonetheless, I have to admit the breadcrumb trail was not very clear for the reader to follow if there was one at all. Furthermore, the more I think back on it, the more certain pieces don't fit the puzzle and the odder (or convenient) the actions of certain parties appear to have been. Perhaps a more critical second read is due.
In the end, I flashed through 'The Prophecy Con' much like with 'The Palace Job' if for different reasons. With the first book it was the question of, "What will happen next?" that encouraged me to devour it. With 'The Prophecy Con,' however, I think it was the hope that something else would occur, something more, and it succeeded and failed in equal measure.
I'm still definitely looking forward to Book 3 though so keep 'em coming.
PS: I almost forgot. Why didn't you make the dwarf part of the crew?!?! -
Are you kidding me?! Really?! I hate cliffhangers … luckily it is very obvious how this one will be resolved. That's the problem with twist at every turn, you learn to never believe what you read is actually happening. XD
Careful spoilers for book one in the series coming.
The Prophecy Con is the second book in Rogues of the Republic series. It's set a while after the end of book one. Loch has decided to follow her boyfriends suggestion to join the Justicar and she and Kail are on a diplomatic trip to smooth over some problems with the Empire. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned. Suddenly, Loch is on the run from some very powerful and dangerous people who want to use her as a scapegoat for Selestin's crimes. Luckily, she still has her crew to help her out, now with the addition of her boyfriend and her godfather.
This book had everything I loved about the first book and some things more. The characters are as weird and amusing as ever but they aren't untouched by the events of the last book. I really appreciated how Kail's storyline was handled. I didn't really like what happened to him at the end of the last book, but the way Weeks handled the fallout in this book was great! I also really liked the fact that we got two healthy romantic relationships portrayed in this story and they are completely different! Their relationships felt very true to the characters and sweet in their own ways. I loved both couples! Ululenia's and Dairy's problems had me giggle half the book (I guessed pretty early on what the problem was but it was still hysterical). Also, we meet a dragon?! Can I expect the phoenix for the next book to make pantheon of mystical fantasy creatures complete? XD I also really liked how the social and historical issues were even more in the forefront!
All in all I really enjoyed it … the only downside was the plot. It was less clear cut than in the first book and less exciting, which is weird considering the stakes were a lot higher this time around. But then again, the second book in trilogies is usually lacks a bit in terms of plot so it can set up the finale … is this even a trilogy?
Anyway, off to read the third book! -
Your mother likes it when I read this book to her in bed.
Ok, this was a BLAST. I loved the Casino Royale with elves. I loved Dairy. I am in love with Diz. I'm on TeamDizzyKail. I love the Kail "your mother" jokes. I love Loch. I loved Tern's fangirling. I basically loved everyone and everything and it was awesome.
Go read this book.
Shoo. -
Loch and her gang are trying to prevent war between the Republic and the Empire. It all hinges on them being able to steal the same book from the first book in the series back from the elves, all while Loch is being hunted by the princess of the Empire, an elite force of Knights from the Republic, and demons possessed by her old enemy, Jyelle. Fun! Their adventures take them from train crash to high stakes gambling on an airship. This is just book 2 of a trilogy though, so in the end
I'm really enjoying this series. It is action packed and I love not knowing how all the pieces of the plan are going to fit together in the end - and then, somehow they do and it is brilliant. I can't wait to read what happens next with these characters!!! -
$0.99 Kindle sale, July 1, 2020
-
I was so excited to be approved on NetGalley to read all the books in the Rogues of the Republic series so far, and The Prophecy Con didn't disappoint at all!
It starts pretty soon after the ending of The Palace Job, and we see our characters back in the thick of the action, at least Loch and Kail, because after the events of the previous book the diplomatic relationships between Empire and Republic are quite tense. We learn about the changes (Loch as a Justicar) and we see how everyone is dealing with the aftermath of their saving the world, Dairy and Desidora the ones with more issues finding their way after the extraordinary.
The action and the humour in this one are non-stop and perfectly mixed as it was in the first book. I found myself laughing out loud as well as cackling and simply howling with laughter at some points... what can I say, I simply look the humour in this books, it can be subtle, it can be cheeky... and I love it!
And the action... we start with a diplomatic mission that ends up with a battle, Loch getting a new weapon from her foe and starting a new mission to recover/steal a precious artifact, this time in the name of peace and not personal revenge. And this time is not so much a heist but an ongoing mission about stealing/recovering/winning the damned artifact and discovering what else is threatening the precarious peace between the Empire & the Republic.
As the action moves around quite a bit we get to see much more world building and we meet dwarves and elves. These are and aren't the dwarves and elves we've met before. Their societies are similar enough to what we've seen before, but I feel that the author gave them his own unique twist.
The relationships between the characters have shifted a bit, and some of them are paired up, and their interactions can be both a moment of relief from the action as well as some added gravitas, depending on which relationship. I'm quite more partial to one of them two established ones, but the other two just won me over in the end even if their chemistry is not so obvious or maybe well developed.
As a sequel it expands and builds upon what we knew from book 1, but also manages to give a twist to what we thought we knew and add a betrayal to make things even more interesting and unexpected!
The ending was rather horrible and I was ready to scream at my Kindle in rage, but luckily the author decided to take pity on us poor readers and added a epilogue to make sure we didn't end up hating him!
I'm now thoroughly in love with this series and these characters and will say that if you like fantasy books with humour, diversity and twisty action, you NEED to check them out! Very well deserved 4 to 4.5 stars! -
Oh Patrick Weekes, how could you do this. You follow up what was one of the most awesome books of last year with an even better book. As witty, snarky and brilliant the last book was, this one turns the dial all the way up to 11. The team dynamics are as strong as ever though now with a few couples added in, its cuter as well.
Loch remains a fantastic character and the best part really has to the point that she leads the team and there is hardly any special attention called to it. Make no mistake, this is a con on top of a con, you can never trust whats happening as the every party has an ace up their sleeve.
Kail's motherly references never fail to elicit a chuckle even as Tern and Hessler's interactions are so cute. The focus does shift a bit away from Icy as compared to the previous book
There are new characters introduced, some of who are likely to continue in the upcoming book even if one character introduced suddenly vanishes and never makes an appearance
More of a 4.5 this book rather than a 4. The minor quibble being that sometimes things fall in place too pat, almost Dues Ex Machina-eqsue, but I guess thats the charm. Trying to really figure out the con in the situation.
Outstanding, Impressive and Fun -
Writing a lengthy book review is rare for me. Generally, I stick to the Tarzan style of review writing. You know, ‘Ummm, good! Me read again. 5 star!” And yet, this particular book deserves more, especially since I pre-ordered it back in July!
First, the positives. Characters you love. Snappy dialogue, humor, horror, pain, tears, action and angst, all the things that make fantasy fantasy. Books with those characteristics make me go out and seek all that an author has written. I love the book, it’s fabulous. But...
And here comes the negatives.
While this book is good, it’s not great. Why? Because there is so much that forces the reader to refer to the first novel, The Palace Job. And that’s the problem with this book and the Ocean’s Trilogy that it is so clearly an homage to. You have to be intimately familiar with the characters to gain a true appreciation. So much of the dialogue and scenes depend on you, the reader, to remember who’s who and why. And even in some cases, the how.
I still enjoy the book, but as I find myself halfway through it, I ask myself, should I stop and reread the first book and then start this one over???? -
Ahhhhhh what was that ending?!?!? Please say it's not true!!!!
-------------------------------------------------
Following the events of book one, Loch is settling into her new position as Justicar. Things are going great between her and boyfriend Pyvic, and the rest of the gang seems to be settling into their own roles. That is until they're roped into another heist to steal back the book they stole in the first book. A war is brewing between the Empire and the Republic, and the only way for Loch and the gang to stop it as to steal the Elven Manuscript.
Along the way, we have a whole host of enemies, old and new, who are determined to stop them at any cost.
Overall, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one, but the humour and the fantastical elements are still great. I love Loch and Pyvic's relationship, and especially love that neither of them are putting it before their duties (although some Justicars believe that Pyvic is doing just that).
But the ending. That. Effing. Epilogue. Ruined. Me. There is no way that's real. No way on Earth that that is how this book ends. There better be some magic-magic to undo that. Or I won't be a happy chappy! -
Oh, I loved, loved, loved this book!
It was one of those books that I did not want to end; one of those books where you slow down as you get closer to the end. The dialogue is snarky, witty, sparking and very real. The action is intense and never drags, the complications and solutions are believable in the world created (no Deux ex Machina).
But none of that captures the shear joy of reading this book. I love these characters! I am invested in their lives and desperately want to know what happens next. I was so glad when Mr. Weekes left such an obvious set-up for another book, I hope he writes very, very quickly.
Would I read it again? Absolutely!!! -
I received an e-book copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Prophecy Con is book 2 in the series.
I wasn't expecting too much from this book but it surprised me. I liked the humour and there were many twists in the plot that I wasn't expecting, especially towards the end. Overall, a great book.
