Author Scott Lynch gave readers a thrilling update on his Gentleman Bastards Sequence leading up to the release of the series' fourth book, The Thorn of Emberlain.
The Lies of Locke Lamora and its sequels follow Locke Lamora and his band of thieves, the Gentleman Bastards, as they pull off a series of high-stakes con jobs and often end up in more trouble than they bargained for.
Thus far, the series consists of three novels — 2006's The Lies of Locke Lamora, 2007's Red Seas Under Red Skies, and 2013's The Republic of Thieves. Since then, updates have been few and far between on the story continuing.
The third book, The Republic of Thieves, ended with the return of the series' original antagonist, The Falconer, and fans are eagerly awaiting where the story goes next!
Lies of Locke Lamora Gets New Update for Book 4
A new update on author Scott Lynch's website teased the release of three new novellas set between the third book, The Republic of Thieves, and the upcoming fourth book, The Thorn of Emberlain.
The linked sequence of the 3 Gentleman Bastard novellas will be called The Road to Emberlain.
When asked when they will be released, Lynch is unclear on the timetable since Subterranean Press, his longtime publisher, will release it. As soon as he knows that timetable, he plans to update fans on all his channels:
"This is a project forthcoming from Subterranean Press. The books will be offered in their usual spectacular lettered and limited editions, with original illustrations, many of them signed by me. Subterranean Press has been a world leader in fine collectible editions of SF/F works for decades. All details and release timetables will ultimately be up to them; expect the next announcement about these books to come from them. I will repeat all new information in every channel I have as soon as I have it."
According to Lynch, The Road to Emberlain is "a linked sequence of three novellas" bridging the gap between his series's third and fourth books. This will cover about a year, showing "Locke and Jean spend crossing the continent" and working out how to get to Emberlain.
Also of note is that these novellas will not be essential reading to those who only want to read through the main books:
"'The Road to Emberlain' is a linked sequence of three novellas bridging the events of 'The Republic of Thieves' and 'The Thorn of Emberlain,' detailing the year Locke and Jean spend crossing the continent and developing the scheme that will bring them to Emberlain in its time of war. Absolutely nothing in these novellas will be essential to readers of 'The Thorn of Emberlain;' no critical plot information will be withheld. However, I hope readers will find these shorter works a pleasant expansion and a deeper exploration of the background story."
According to the author, each novella "clocks in around 40,000 words," and he hopes they will allow fans to relax and take their time through the story. They will have the same vibes as the Gentleman Bastards books while adding "heartfelt conversations" and much calmer slices of life:
"They're pretty robust. Each one clocks in around 40,000 words. They're also a fun chance (or so I hope) for a bit of a leg-stretch and some halting to smell the roses, as it were. In these novellas you'll find all the convoluted swearing, desperate schemes, and fast-paced bloodshed you expect from the Gentlemen Bastards, but you'll also find heartfelt conversations, slices of life in Locke's world, elements of religion and philosophy, stargazing, strange mysteries and stranger truths. You'll get songs, campfire tales, and ghost stories told beside empty roads and ruins.
Again, it is crucial to me, as a cornerstone of this project, that nothing in these books be required to understand any of the events of 'The Thorn of Emberlain.' However, if you're eager to spend just a bit more enriching, mystifying, blood-soaked quality time with Locke and Jean, look no further."
Read Scott Lynch's full blog update here.
When Will The Thorn of Emberlain Be Released?
According to this new update from Scott Lynch, he is ready to release each of the 3 novellas now. The main mystery is when his publishing partner, Subterranean Press, will be ready to push the novellas forward.
Considering he came with this announcement now, fans are hoping the novellas start releasing by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
If the novellas were to be released in late 2024 or early 2025, Lynch may want to give fans time to read those stories before The Thorn of Emberlain arrives. That could give the fourth Gentleman Bastards book a late 2025 or early 2026 release, assuming the novellas are made available by the end of the year.
Unfortunately, nothing has been officially announced on this front yet. Fans will have to wait for Scott Lynch and his publishing team's next update for more information.
The first three books in The Lies of Locke Lamora are available on shelves and via online retailers.
