The Lies of Locke Lamora (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence)

FORMAT: Audiobook RATING: ★★★★★ / All the many many many stars! REVIEW: Okay, I think this will actually be a very short review, basically because there are only so many ways for me to say that I loved this book before it gets annoying and redundant. I listened to the audio version (although I also bought the paperback too, but just never got around to it) as narrated by the incredibly talented Michael Page. Seriously talented. I cannot recommend him enough, his narration is everything and so absolutely perfect for this book. The voices, inflections, and differing intensities are just so good. I could fawn for sentences longer but it's probably not necessary, you get the point. This book. Oh, this book. I love it, everything about it. Locke and Jean (pronounced in the French way, just an FYI) have become some of my most favored literary characters. The author, Scott Lynch, has created a vivid and interesting world filled with wonderfully explored characters. The book may technically be in the Fantasy genre but it is not so deeply enmeshed that it couldn't also be listed in other genres. In fact, the fantasy elements are such a light touch that it could almost feel like Historical Fiction...which is why I easily recommended the book to my mom (a woman who doesn't really like fantasy elements in adult stories) and she became so drawn into the book that she couldn't put it down. She devoured it even faster than I did. The author spends just the right amount of words painting us a picture (or pictures) of the fictional city of Camorr but it's truly a character driven book. And the characters are amazing. The dialogue is snappy, witty, heartfelt, and just freaking enjoyable. I laughed and gasped my way through the entire book. It's a grittier Robin Hood-type story but somehow more realistic even in a fantasy world setting. There's also a fair amount of cursing but it feels natural and right for these characters and this world. Funny and heart-racing, I can't wait for more....and luckily there are more books in this series. It's also not a linear time line telling and Lynch does this fantastically. Cutting back and forth in time using "Interludes" to tell the stories of The Gentleman Bastards and how they came to be the genius team of criminals they are is just good storytelling. Not a lot of authors can accomplish this without losing the drive and flow of the story but Lynch nails it. Like I said earlier, I could go on and on. I love this book. You should read it. Now excuse me while I go add this to my list of best books ever.

In the realm of fantasy literature, there are few books that manage to strike a perfect balance between the grim and the lighthearted. "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch is one such work, standing as a grimdark masterpiece that captivates and entertains in equal measure. The charismatic protagonist, Locke Lamora, is an undeniably captivating character. With his wit, charm, and penchant for mischief, he has a unique ability to navigate the dark and dangerous world he inhabits, all while maintaining a sense of fun that is infectious. This duality serves as the lifeblood of the story, providing both tension and levity. Locke's partner in crime, Jean Tannen, is a character who can be described as lovably lethal. His fierce loyalty and devotion to Locke are matched only by his ruthlessness when it comes to protecting their interests. Together, they form an unforgettable duo that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. The story itself is a thrilling romp through a meticulously crafted world, filled with intrigue, danger, and excitement. Despite the dark overtones, Lynch manages to infuse the narrative with moments of humor, primarily through the dialogue and banter between characters, which can be downright hilarious at times. However, it is not all fun and games in the city of Camorr. The story is peppered with heartbreaking moments that serve to remind the reader of the stakes involved and the fragility of the characters' lives. These emotional beats are woven seamlessly into the narrative, adding depth and complexity to the tale. One of the great strengths of "The Lies of Locke Lamora" is its ability to keep the reader guessing. As the plot twists and turns, one cannot help but be swept up in the excitement, wondering what will happen next and how our heroes will navigate the increasingly perilous situations they find themselves in. It is worth noting that the story starts off with a somewhat slow pace, allowing the reader to become acquainted with the intricately designed world and its inhabitants. However, once the narrative gains momentum around a third of the way through, it becomes a veritable rollercoaster of events that will leave you breathless. In conclusion, "The Lies of Locke Lamora" is a rich, engaging, and unforgettable read that deftly combines darkness and humor to create a truly unique fantasy experience. Scott Lynch's masterful storytelling and unforgettable characters make this novel a must-read for fans of the genre, and its thrilling conclusion will leave you eagerly anticipating the next adventure in the series.

Probably one of the greatest fantasy books ever made, best depictions of male friendship in fiction, insane plot twists you don't expect, amazing world with tons of details, awesome book!

The Lies of Locke Lamora is Epic Fantasy without all the Epic. Since Scott Lynch's third book in the Gentleman Bastards series, Republic of Thieves, just came out to great fanfare. I decided to check this series out. It's no secret that I find the bane of Epic fantasy all the tedious description and navel gazing about the world. I understand the point is to immerse the reader, but far too often I find it to be nothing but voyeurism into the mental masturbations of the author. Worse yet, all that nonsense rarely adds anything to the story itself. No guidance for the characters. No direction for the plot. Mind you, I'm not a scene-sequel junkie that requires nothing but action thrusting the story forward. I find these stories just as tedious because all you get is the next "raising of the stakes" and no plot intricacy and slim character development. I want balance! The Lies of Locke Lamora delivers. The cast of characters is fairly small for such a long fantasy tale, but because the story is presented in two threads, one in the past and one in the present, you get two for the price of one on many of the characters. You also get to see how the characters develop into who they are. Scott Lynch does a marvelous job switching back and forth between relevant interludes from the past and back into the present. This can be hard to pull off. All too often, flashbacks are either thrust into a story ham-fisted and seem clunky, or they have no relevance to the current plot and are simple character info-dumps. If you hate flashbacks, you need not fear them in this story, the past and present are woven together very elegantly. The point of view is principally from Locke's vantage, but 5-10% of the time it does switch to other characters. This doesn't bother me. I don't need to have everything from one PoV, or balance amongst the other eyeballs we see through. However, without getting into any solid spoilers, there was one major plot point where one of the main character dies that would have been nice to see, but we only get to see the aftermath from Locke's perspective. This is just a detail. Far be it from me to tell Scott Lynch how to present a story. For all I know, such a scene was in there, but was edited out to prevent redundancy. The story itself is interesting because it is not what one expects from the initial promises. The Gentlemen Bastards are grifters, and the story begins with the group running a long con on one of the nobleman. Though, about 30% of the way in, a new plot wave sweeps in and takes the characters for different a ride. From a meta point of view, this is unusual precisely because it creates a number of promises to the reader that go, not so much unfulfilled, as meaningless to the true story. I suspect many that don't like this book don't like it for just this reason. For my part, I thought it a brilliant writing device. Basically, all that meaningless Epic exposition I find so tedious, was written as a meaningful story that is swallowed alive by a greater story. That said, I could see such a technique getting over used and not done half as well. So my hat goes off to Scott Lynch for writing such a seamless transition of one story morphing into another (while writing the seamless transition from past back into present!). This story is well known for being a bloody tale, so be warned there is a lot of violence, though I would not describe it as "graphic" in its gratuity. The created world, Camorr, is a violent place. The characters are simply a product of such a world. I would classify it as '80's rated R. Today, a director would probably let the most bloody of actions happen just off screen and be happy with the PG-13 rating. Overall, I was really impressed with this story. As a reader, it's the porridge that's neither too hot, nor too cold, and turns out to be just right. It is a marvelous example of breaking many rules of the trade in just the right way to make a compelling story.

🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 At first, this book reminded me of something Joe Abercrombie might write, but the further I read, the more that impression faded. While—like Abercrombie—Lynch presents anti-heroes navigating a world dominated by the wealthy and powerful, the similarities largely end there. In an Abercrombie First Law novel, your allegiance constantly shifts as the point of view changes; you’re never quite sure who to root for. Here, however, you are always firmly on the side of the Gentleman Bastards, led by the eponymous Locke Lamora. Additionally, while the book contains plenty of violence, it pales in comparison to the brutality of Abercrombie’s battle scenes. Beyond these surface parallels, the two authors’ styles diverge in many significant ways. The narrative alternates between chapters set in the present and interludes depicting events from Locke Lamora’s childhood. Lynch generally does a strong job of transitioning between past and present, often using earlier events to illuminate current ones. That said, some of these elements feel unnecessary to the overall plot. For example, the discussion of Stephen Reynart’s fear of heights seems extraneous, given his minor role as a public authority figure. Likewise, portions of several chapters—and even an entire chapter detailing Locke’s acquisition of an expensive suit for a heist—could have been trimmed or condensed. That chapter, in particular, could have been summarized in a page or less without losing any meaningful context. The characters are fun and likable, and the reader gets a particularly strong sense of both Locke Lamora and his best friend, Jean Tannen. Early in the book, there are repeated references to Sabetha Belacoros, a former member of the Gentleman Bastards who appears to have been integral to the group and possibly a romantic interest for Locke. However, after these early mentions, she all but disappears until a brief reference at the end. Given her apparent importance, I would have liked to see her featured more prominently—either through childhood interludes or in the present-day storyline. The other members of the gang—Locke, Jean, the Sanza twins, and later Bug—are all given significant attention, and it’s clear they endured troubled childhoods even before being taken in by their caretaker, mentor, and criminal trainer: Father Chains, the faux “blind” Priest of Perelandro. Still, aside from Locke and Jean, the backgrounds of the other Bastards are not explored in enough depth to fully understand their motivations and emotional responses. Religion plays a significant role in the world, with twelve traditional gods, each served by a distinct clergy. The Gentleman Bastards, however, are trained in the ways of the nameless thirteenth god, worshipped only by the “right people.” Their irreverent, mocking prayers to this god are often humorous and add a great deal of charm to the story. Character deaths are an expected—and often necessary—part of storytelling, but here they felt somewhat excessive. Bug, the Sanza twins, and Nazca Barsavi - the daughter of the city's crime boss and possible fiance of Lamora's - are all murdered, and Father Chains is already dead by the time the present-day story begins, though we’re never told exactly how he died. Given the relatively small cast of characters, these losses felt especially heavy. As noted earlier, religion is integral to the story, yet the belief systems themselves are not fully explained. I hope Lynch expands on this in later installments, because when he does explore religious themes, they are clever, entertaining, and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. Despite the criticisms above, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, well-written, and highly entertaining, with excellent prose and memorable characters. While this review may sound somewhat contrarian given the rating I assigned, the flaws I’ve noted pale in comparison to the book’s strengths. I would readily recommend it to anyone who enjoys light-magic fantasy, an underdog story, or simply a fun read set in a society that may look vastly different from our own, yet feels strikingly familiar once you get beneath the surface.

Writers take note: _this_ is how you do dark fantasy. Good character development and complexity. Constantly keeps you engaged and wondering what will happen next. Instead of giving you all the background in the beginning, it alternates chapters from the main story (Locke Lamora and his gang as adults) to their history as children or earlier adults. There are even myths and urban legends from the city's history to enrich the cultural and historical context of some aspects of the story. You get just the depth of background you need for the next chapter, in satisfying little mini-stories scattered throughout a complex and action-oriented story with multiple subplots and complex characters. It is an occasionally frustrating but excellently effective pacing mechanism. The story is clearly a fantasy entertainment piece with its layers of confidence tricks and games and humor, but while parts of it are light-hearted and playful, it is not really a light read. Nobody who gets much screen time is innocent. The story starts out with orphaned children in a den of thieves, and despite showing us their further education and enjoyment of life, it definitely gets progressively darker from there, including some rather graphic scenes of torture, gladiator entertainment, and fights wherein everybody involved gets severely injured. There are psychological tortures, severed appendages, and gruesome deaths both on-screen and off. The main characters do their best to save lives, but do not leave their revenge story with clean hands. Sometimes people are murdered off-screen in painful ways and their corpses desecrated, not because of any culpability on their part but simply to cause pain to their loved ones (in trope language this is called "getting fridged"). In the author's defense, he handles this darkness and violence very well. In a world where the lives of the poor or criminal classes are harsh and come cheap, some of the most badass fighters are women, some of the richest merchants are dark of skin, and men get fridged four times as often as women. People get tortured, but even for women that torture is not sexual in nature. So, while some people are disenfranchised, victimized, and stripped of their agency in the cruelest and most final of ways, it is not done in the manner of the standard tropes prevalent in our culture and doesn't reinforce harmful stereotypes. It is not done in a lazy way. While some of the violence may seem like unnecessarily graphic stage dressing, it's at least not misogynistic, sexually charged, or racially uneven violent stage dressing, and as such it comes as something of a relief. Writers: if these are mechanisms you want to use in your writing, make sure you execute them like Scott Lynch does. Don't get lazy. Here's an example of how to do it well. Readers: This may be a fantasy story, but do not expect a hollywood ending. Everything does NOT turn out okay, there are major losses along the way, it's not just the villains with blood on their hands, and that moment when your mind rebels and you hope for a certain twist, it's not. There is no deus ex machina, and sometimes the cavalry arrives too late. Nevertheless, the ending is still very satisfying, and leaves you curious to see how the protagonists will adapt to their extremely changed circumstances. I normally prefer lighter entertainment, but I'm already 1/3 through the next book in the series.

This is probably my favorite Action/Adventure Fantasy book that I've ever read. Everything about it is just so perfect. It has an interesting world, a unique cast of characters, and a twisty-turny story that is so enthralling it's tough to put the book down. I've read it multiple times, and even when I know what's going to happen I'm still hooked on every word waiting for what will happen next. The Lies of Locke Lamora stars Locke Lamora (of course) as an orphan that grew up in the underworld of the unforgiving City-State Camorr, and in the present day of the story is the leader (Garrista) of the Gentleman Bastards. The rest of the Underworld of Camorr lives under a Secret Peace, where the nobility is not to be touched in any way, but as a priest of the Crooked Warden (The Unnamed 13th God of Thieves and Liars) Locke and his Gentlemen Bastards only go after the nobility. The nobles are pretty large fish to fry, and if it was ever revealed what they really did, every one on both sides, criminal and noble, would want them worse than dead. The Gentlemen Bastards consist of Locke: the master con man, his best friend and muscle of the group: Jean Tannen, the Jacks of All Trades but Masters of None twins Calo & Galdo Sanza, their new apprentice Bug, and former members Sabetha (Locke's former love interest) & Father Chains (father figure, teacher, & their original Garrista). Their lives are good, and while they're setting up a new scheme to steal thousands of gold from a Don, things become complicated when a new power comes into play in the underworld. The Grey King has come calling, he's on a mission of revenge, and his main weapon of choice is a Bondsmagi of Karthain named The Falconer. The odds are already stacked against them, but to make matters even worse, if they were to kill the mercenary magician, the rest of his guild would wipe them and anyone they've ever known from existence. What unfurls from this set up is such a perfect novel with an incredibly strong beginning middle & end, that I would have been fine with it being a standalone novel. Thankfully, the series does continue, and it never stops taking surprising twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoy how Scott Lynch weaves the story in his debut novel, as there's so many different threads to keep track of and bring to a satisfying conclusion. There's the coming of age story told in flash backs to Locke's early life an an Orphan that's too ambitious with his thievery. The con man story where they're still trying to steal the noble's fortune while everything's falling apart. The multi-faceted revenge story of the Grey King, the main villain of this story that could have easily been the anti-hero main character of a different fantasy novel. Then finally the fantasy underworld story that takes place in between everything else. It's all just so masterfully crafted, that this is one of my all time favorite books. I would highly recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora to any fantasy fan, and it would be a decent entry point for someone new to fantasy as the story isn't too epic or difficulty to understand/follow as it mostly focuses on the incredibly interesting characters.

Let me start by saying that I met Mr. Lynch at the Phoenix Comicon and he was all smiles and incredibly nice. This was a story I was very interested in reading. I will also say upfront that I plan on reading the second book in this series. And I plan on doing it in the near future. So why only 3 stars? Two words: Descriptions. Characters. Now, if you’ve read my reviews you’ll know I’m not into lengthy descriptions. Worked into dialog or a natural scene? Oh hell ya, I love it. A paragraph? Sure. That’s how most do it. Two paragraphs? Okay, I’ll deal. 3 pages? Forget about it. I’m skimming right over that. 3 pages where the tense is switched to present while the rest of the book is in past? Yeah, I’m not skimming, I’m plain skipping. Why? I hate hate hate it when I get pulled out of a story. It’s very easy for me to completely lose myself in a book. I can read for hours without realizing it; missing meals, forgetting about appointments, ignoring appointments, waking up at 4am because I can’t stop thinking about the book, and so on. But when I’m continually pulled from the story, I get very upset. It’s jarring for me. So that alone dropped this book an entire star rating. I probably missed tons of interesting little tidbits from those sections, but I can’t stand info dumps and pages of descriptions. So, honestly, it ticked me off because I know I missed some cool stuff. Let’s tack on to that the flashbacks. I didn’t so much mind it when the went to Locke’s childhood and initiation into the Gentleman Bastards. Those gave me insights into his character and I did enjoy them, though I felt he was extremely indifferent for such a young child. What I did not like was when a scene ended with a reveal and then we backtracked to how it came to be. I already know so going back doesn’t do much for me. I’ve lost the tension, the interest, and the care: I know the end result. On top of the pages of description, there were paragraphs on top of paragraphs of in-depth dialog for the scheme the Gentleman Bastards were attempting. Now, this is going to come down to purely personal preference. I didn’t care much for all the laboring setup of the Don Salvara. It’s just not something that holds my interests. This is something my sister would enjoy. She tends to like all that stuff, which is why we don’t have the same books in our top five. Add this to the all the description and I’m skimming quite a bit. Characters? Ugh! This was the most frustrating part of the book and the one area I walked around spewing my frustration this morning when I finished it. So, let me tell you that I enjoyed the characters. But... they were nothing too terribly special to me. The banter got me to smile a few times, and I like the sense of camaraderie the Gentleman Bastards had. With all my readings and reviews, I’m slowly identifying what draws me to a character. I’ve often said that I like my characters a little broody and internally tormented. That’s definitely true. But what I found enticed me to Locke Lamora (I’m just going to say it here: I friggin love this character’s name) was his vulnerability. And that’s when I realized that I look for that trait in my favorite characters. The vulnerability doesn’t always stem from something traumatic, but it definitely helps me latch on to characters. Now, Locke Lamora is not your average protagonist weighing in at two hundred pounds of nothing but muscle. He gets the crap beat out of him and knows that he’s no physical match for half the people he runs into. I really really liked that about him. So, why did I not latch on to him? I asked myself that same question this morning and discovered why. He lacked a bit of depth to me. He didn’t have quirks. I don’t remember reading how he stood, how his stances were set when he was in trouble, when he was happy. I hardly got an expression from him. He was stone, in my mind. He had no life. However, there was that vulnerability in him that kept me interested in his character. And there were some hints that there’s more of his past that we’re going to learn about in upcoming books. That alone will keep me reading on. The writing was very approachable and I found Mr. Lynch’s voice nothing short of delightful. When I was in a good scene with all my senses firing, I was there and I loved it! Truly gifted with prose. While I did have some beefs with the book, I can’t fault Lynch’s writing. And if you boil down the story, it was very interesting and engaging. So, overall, if you don’t mind some descriptions, I really do recommend this book. I’ll definitely pick up book two at some point and hope to become a little bit more invested in Locke Lamora. And I’ll be ardently recommending this book to my sister.

What a great book! Scott Lynch has built an entertaining alternate world. The characters feel so alive. I also loved the plot, the flashbacks, the ending, the words he used, the minor characters. I was getting near the end, sitting on a ferry home after a long journey and I exclaimed out loud 😆 I stood up, put my hand over my mouth when I realized where the plot was going. Nobody noticed tho. Absolutely loved it!! Onto book 2!

Muy interesante

I could go on about this book forever. I LOVE everything about it. Scott Lynch has managed to create a world and chaaracters that inspire that same feeling I got when I was a child, where I could get immersed in worlds and almost feel like I was actually there. It is funny, sad, happy, dark, epic, dramatic, romantic, clever and so many more adjectives. But I think above all the book is beautiful in every aspect. The writing is just that good.

I picked this book up since I saw a lot of great reviews on goodreads. It took me a few pages to get into it but then... I just loved everything about this book, it's seriously one of the best worlds I've ever read about. The characters are not only great themselves but the dynamic between them is so beautiful to read about. I loved the plot, the mysteries and twists and turns. Scott Lynch must be a very very smart man and so is his main character Locke.

Super wydanie, dostarczona w idealnym stanie.