Who Would Like This Book:
If you love witty banter, twisty heist plots, and immersive world-building, The Lies of Locke Lamora should be high on your list. Think Ocean’s Eleven meets fantasy Venice, with a band of lovable rogues who are clever, flawed, and incredibly entertaining. The camaraderie among the Gentleman Bastards is heartwarming, and the city of Camorr feels vibrantly alive - perfect for readers who crave intricate schemes, surprising turns, and character-driven action. If you’re a fan of capers, clever cons, and fantasy with grit (but not endless dragons or elves), you’ll have a blast with this one.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers find the first third of the book slow, with a lot of world-building, info-dumps, and timeline jumps that can make the pacing feel uneven. If you prefer your stories to get to the point quickly or dislike lots of detailed background, this might test your patience. Others were disappointed by the lack of prominent or well-developed female characters, feeling the book is a bit of a boys’ club. And if excessive violence, profanity, or darker themes put you off, be warned - it doesn’t shy away from grit or gore. The sometimes showy dialogue and non-linear storytelling may not click for everyone, either.
About:
The Lies of Locke Lamora is an epic fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Locke Lamora and his band of thieves, the Gentlemen Bastards, in the city of Camorr. The plot twists and turns with surprises at every corner, leading to an edge-of-your-seat experience for readers. The book seamlessly combines elements of crime heist fiction with a flawlessly executed fantasy setting, creating a unique and engaging story that keeps readers hooked until the very end.
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Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include graphic violence, torture, and explicit language, which are present throughout the story.
From The Publisher:
"Remarkable . . . Scott Lynch's first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining."-The Times (London)
An orphan's life is harsh-and often short-in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld's most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game-or die trying.
Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora
"Fresh, original, and engrossing . . . gorgeously realized."-George R. R. Martin
"Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven't read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again."-Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind
"A unique fantasy milieu peopled by absorbing, colorful characters . . . Locke's wit and audacity endear him to victims and bystanders alike."-The Seattle Times
"A true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf . . . Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens."-Booklist (starred review)
"High-octane fantasy . . . a great swashbuckling yarn of a novel."-Richard Morgan
Ratings (584)
Incredible (150) | |
Loved It (211) | |
Liked It (101) | |
It Was OK (50) | |
Did Not Like (50) | |
Hated It (22) |
Reader Stats (1475):
Read It (581) | |
Currently Reading (26) | |
Want To Read (640) | |
Did Not Finish (55) | |
Not Interested (173) |
19 comment(s)
Its been a while since I read this - if you love heists & witty banter- this is for you
I am so sick of sarcastic characters.
In the end, I think the book is alright. It was very engaging for the first third of the book, and then I really lost interest in the middle, before becoming interested again in the last third. It felt like the narrative was lost in the middle and I was confused about where it was going but, minus the boring middle bit, it ended excitingly. Would not read again, and I’m not too interested in reading the subsequent books.
Similar to six of crows but with more cussing. This book gives you found family and cunning plans and high stakes. The characters were lovable but it's quite a slow read. But it's amazing.
Just couldn't get into it. I may try again later.
Finally got to this long-time resident of my TBR and was rather disappointed. Perhaps I pinned too high of hopes on it, but the execution fell flat. The writing didn’t flow for me at all, the characters didn’t pique my interest, I just
didn’t care. The same story could have been told in at least a hundred fewer pages and probably been at least as enjoyable. Also all of the hopping around between past and present events was frankly annoying. The one thing I did enjoy was the world.
That said, I can appreciate what I’m sure other readers like about it. It’s just not for me. Got almost 10% in before I gave up.
Mindnumbingly boring! only made it about half the way through before giving up. I actually felt more love for characters from the first law series (which I really hated and also gave up on half way though the first novel) than this one. just bland. meh
Very nice. I loved the storyline and adored the characters. My only reservation is the unnesasary amount of violence. if it wasn't so good I would dnf because of it.
This was more complex and confusing than I was prepared to follow at the time.
1 star
DNF @60%
Over explaining ruined the story. Multiple angles of the same story, going back and forth between the past and present ruined it for me. It feels the author tried very hard to make the characters cool as well as deadly. Low fantasy, God knows who does the genre tagging to the books.
A brag and a drag story.
Happy Reading!!
What can you read after
The Lies of Locke Lamora?
About the Author:
Scott Lynch is the author of The Lies of Locke Lamora, Red Seas Under Red Skies, and The Republic of Thieves. He lives in Wisconsin and frequently visits Massachusetts, the home of his partner, SF/F writer Elizabeth Bear. He moonlights…
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