The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Book Synopsis
The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a friend to the poor, a ghost that walks through walls. Slightly built and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich (who else would be worth stealing from?), the poor never see a penny. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves: The Gentlemen Bastards. The capricious, colourful underworld of the ancient city of Camorr is the only home they've ever known. But now a clandestine war is threatening to tear it apart. Caught up in the middle of a murderous game, Locke and his friends are suddenly struggling to stay alive.
Charlotte's Rating
Charlotte's Review
I thought that Scott Lynch's first novel, and the first in the Gentlemen Bastards series, was very enjoyable. The dark world of thieves that Locke inhabits immediately drew me in, and the themes of the novel, such as friendship, trust and survival, all drew my interest and kept me reading.
I really liked Locke, the central character. He is charming and extremely clever, the brains behind all the Gentlemen Bastards' scams. His ability to change who he is with only a uniform and a different accent is impressive and often very amusing.
The other supporting characters were believable and really helped to create the world of the novel and the strange underground world of thieves. I also like that, in a male dominated environment, there are many strong female characters. The Capa's daughter, Nazca, is a very strong character and immediately makes an impression as a forceful girl who knows exactly what she wants.
The plot was engaging and kept me turning each page. At moments I looked at the hundreds of pages that were left and thought, 'How on earth can this story continue for that many pages?' And yet Scott Lynch always managed to throw some new complication into the mix to prevent Locke from reaching his ultimate goal, making the plot more complex and enjoyable.
The city of Camorr itself is very similar to sixteenth century Venice, but some of the spectacles that go on in the novel, such as the Shifting Revel, hint at the grandeur of the colosseum in Rome. Every aspect of the world that has been created has been carefully considered to make the world believable.
I sometimes found Lynch's use of strong language a little unnecessary and some of the violence may put other readers off; however, the rest of the book made up for it. I would advise anyone without a strong stomach (when it comes to the death of many important characters) to be wary of picking this book up as it may not be your cup of tea.
The plot did have a slow start, but I didn't struggle in persevering and following the story through to its conclusion. These flaws were outweighed by the positives of the book. I would recommend it to anyone with a love of fantasy, and I will definitely be picking up the next instalment in the Gentlemen Bastards sequence sometime soon.
Disclaimer: May not be appropriate for children due to violence and language.
