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silentquercus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, and Medical content
karlin0336's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.0
After reading this one, I don't think Grimdark Fantasy is really my thing. Too unnecessarily gory and dark. Found it very hard to keep interested in this one.
Only a couple things were good about this book - the friendship between Locke and Jean, and the action-packed ending.
Only a couple things were good about this book - the friendship between Locke and Jean, and the action-packed ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Excrement
Minor: Sexual content
So much unnecessary gore and cursing :(dempson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
boba_nbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Spice Rating: 🫑 / 5 🌶️
Though it takes quite a while to pick up, the ending of this book is well worth the wait.
Life is harsh on the island city of Camorr, and that couldn't be more true for young orphan Locke Lamora. He's a bright young boy who just manages to escape slavery and death in order to train in the priesthood as a thief under one of the best con artists in the game. Eventually, Locke becomes the leader of a group of young men--the Gentlemen Bastards--who are infamous for fooling even the most feared in Camorr. But when a regular heist leads to something far more sinister, Locke and his friends have to decide what, and who, they are willing to risk for fame and fortune.
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fun and witty, though somewhat gruesome, tale full of a rag-tag group of heroes, lovable side characters, and worthy adversaries. Lynch creates a vivid world that readers will be able to picture themselves in every step of the way.
Yes, this book is lighthearted and fun, but it is also quite dark and full of gory sequences as well as horrifying backstories. The character development and world building were my favorite parts of this novel as they created so much depth to the story for me.
This book only gets knocked down a bit because it took me quite a while to read. I think that's mainly on me and my reading slumps, but it did hinder my experience a bit. Maybe someday I'll come back to this book to give it my full, undivided attention.
Though it takes quite a while to pick up, the ending of this book is well worth the wait.
Life is harsh on the island city of Camorr, and that couldn't be more true for young orphan Locke Lamora. He's a bright young boy who just manages to escape slavery and death in order to train in the priesthood as a thief under one of the best con artists in the game. Eventually, Locke becomes the leader of a group of young men--the Gentlemen Bastards--who are infamous for fooling even the most feared in Camorr. But when a regular heist leads to something far more sinister, Locke and his friends have to decide what, and who, they are willing to risk for fame and fortune.
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fun and witty, though somewhat gruesome, tale full of a rag-tag group of heroes, lovable side characters, and worthy adversaries. Lynch creates a vivid world that readers will be able to picture themselves in every step of the way.
Yes, this book is lighthearted and fun, but it is also quite dark and full of gory sequences as well as horrifying backstories. The character development and world building were my favorite parts of this novel as they created so much depth to the story for me.
This book only gets knocked down a bit because it took me quite a while to read. I think that's mainly on me and my reading slumps, but it did hinder my experience a bit. Maybe someday I'll come back to this book to give it my full, undivided attention.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content, Excrement, and Alcohol
renpuspita's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
2 WEEKS Reading well spent and one of my Top Read 2024!!
One thing that I regret is why I just read The Lies of Locke Lamora in 2024, but if I see the state of Gentleman Bastard series that continue in limbo maybe the decision is right, lol.
Where to start? This book have so many elements that I love. Locke is an anti hero, through and through. While he become a reluctant hero near the end regarding the fate of Camorr, in the end he is still true to himself. Locke is a thief, he stole money from Camorr's nobles for his own gain. Or to quote the late Father Chains, the first garrista of Gentleman Bastard, to relieve those nobles of their wealth, lel. Just like the title of this book, we will get through so many Locke's lies. Whether when he plan to rob a unfortunate Don Salvara of his money or to save his life from the clutch of the Duke Nicovante's Spider or when he try to juggle two task at the same time that given to him by Capa Barsavi and the Gray King. I find myself read with trepidation but also excitement in the same time because I want to know if Locke will come out safely from his predicaments. Locke is not a book smart, but he is witty, savvy and even after tortured so much, he still come back from his injury to plan revenge against those who wronged Gentleman Bastard.
The Lies of Locke Lamora written in non linear timeline. In the main chapter, we will read through Locke's lies and adventure in the present while in the Interlude, we have a coming-of-age story from when Locke first brought into Gentleman Bastard and some of Camorr's history. Some of the Interlude kinda disturb the flow of the story, but the rest was proceeding smoothly. I like the Interlude when Father Chains teach Locke about the art of thievery. Not just steal here and there, but also learn about culture, clothing, language, Camorr religion that consist of twelve divine god & goddess (and the unnamed thirteenth God, the God of Thief) and cooking intricate dishes, all in order to successfully plan a disguise when they steal noble's wealth or tricking their big boss.
One of the spotlight of this book beside Locke's bigger than life personality is his friendship with Gentleman Bastard, especially Jean Tannen. Jean might have less appearance compared to Locke, but he's a loyal companion. Don't let his soft and big physique fool you, because Jean is a skilled swordmaster (or weaponmaster) with a hatchet called The Wicked Sisters. But importantly, he always ready to save Locke when he's in problem and while their relationship start rocky in which Locke once mock Jean as a softie (in which proven otherwise because Jean just barely lost his parent and he's in much grief so his temperament was running high), they become solid in the end. This book also have little to none romance, although Locke seems to can't move on from his paramour, Sabetha. I really curious what Sabetha did that make Locke still enamored but unwilling to admit it. While the women is not one of main characters (a pity), I like that Locke manage to write them all as strong characters and not one of damsel in distress or annoying and oversexualized character. The Interlude titled Woman in Camorr also one of my favorite because the Camorr's brothels and prostitutes are powers to be reckoned with.
If there's any complaint, maybe because I feel the way Lynch write the world building is unclear. From the vibes alone, maybe this book influenced by Italia in the pre-Renaissance era. Some of the term also pretty much Italian, like Capa that obviously taken from "Capo". The map in my book only show Camorr with its canal (pretty much like Venice) but I wish the map also show the entire kingdom. A glossary will be nice, though. The magic system is pretty much simple since the fantasy aspect mostly focused onto the religion of Camorr citizen and the dynamic of the nobles and the criminals. I'm willing to take aside my complaint because The Lies of Locke Lamora is the Lynch's first book to be published and I hope the world building will be explain thoroughly in the next book.
To quote a random commenter in my reading thread for The Lies of Locke Lamora on Twitter, a good book written by crazy person that maybe will finally finish the series, lol. I will recommend this book if you like your fantasy with anti hero who will charmed you from the start and never have a dull moment. The violence, blood and profanity can be too much to read, but if all of it don't bother you, then it's the time to read about how Locke Lamora spun his lies and deceits to deceive Camorr's nobility and his enemies!
One thing that I regret is why I just read The Lies of Locke Lamora in 2024, but if I see the state of Gentleman Bastard series that continue in limbo maybe the decision is right, lol.
Where to start? This book have so many elements that I love. Locke is an anti hero, through and through. While he become a reluctant hero near the end regarding the fate of Camorr, in the end he is still true to himself. Locke is a thief, he stole money from Camorr's nobles for his own gain. Or to quote the late Father Chains, the first garrista of Gentleman Bastard, to relieve those nobles of their wealth, lel. Just like the title of this book, we will get through so many Locke's lies. Whether when he plan to rob a unfortunate Don Salvara of his money or to save his life from the clutch of the Duke Nicovante's Spider or when he try to juggle two task at the same time that given to him by Capa Barsavi and the Gray King. I find myself read with trepidation but also excitement in the same time because I want to know if Locke will come out safely from his predicaments. Locke is not a book smart, but he is witty, savvy and even after tortured so much, he still come back from his injury to plan revenge against those who wronged Gentleman Bastard.
The Lies of Locke Lamora written in non linear timeline. In the main chapter, we will read through Locke's lies and adventure in the present while in the Interlude, we have a coming-of-age story from when Locke first brought into Gentleman Bastard and some of Camorr's history. Some of the Interlude kinda disturb the flow of the story, but the rest was proceeding smoothly. I like the Interlude when Father Chains teach Locke about the art of thievery. Not just steal here and there, but also learn about culture, clothing, language, Camorr religion that consist of twelve divine god & goddess (and the unnamed thirteenth God, the God of Thief) and cooking intricate dishes, all in order to successfully plan a disguise when they steal noble's wealth or tricking their big boss.
One of the spotlight of this book beside Locke's bigger than life personality is his friendship with Gentleman Bastard, especially Jean Tannen. Jean might have less appearance compared to Locke, but he's a loyal companion. Don't let his soft and big physique fool you, because Jean is a skilled swordmaster (or weaponmaster) with a hatchet called The Wicked Sisters. But importantly, he always ready to save Locke when he's in problem and while their relationship start rocky in which Locke once mock Jean as a softie (in which proven otherwise because Jean just barely lost his parent and he's in much grief so his temperament was running high), they become solid in the end. This book also have little to none romance, although Locke seems to can't move on from his paramour, Sabetha. I really curious what Sabetha did that make Locke still enamored but unwilling to admit it. While the women is not one of main characters (a pity), I like that Locke manage to write them all as strong characters and not one of damsel in distress or annoying and oversexualized character. The Interlude titled Woman in Camorr also one of my favorite because the Camorr's brothels and prostitutes are powers to be reckoned with.
If there's any complaint, maybe because I feel the way Lynch write the world building is unclear. From the vibes alone, maybe this book influenced by Italia in the pre-Renaissance era. Some of the term also pretty much Italian, like Capa that obviously taken from "Capo". The map in my book only show Camorr with its canal (pretty much like Venice) but I wish the map also show the entire kingdom. A glossary will be nice, though. The magic system is pretty much simple since the fantasy aspect mostly focused onto the religion of Camorr citizen and the dynamic of the nobles and the criminals. I'm willing to take aside my complaint because The Lies of Locke Lamora is the Lynch's first book to be published and I hope the world building will be explain thoroughly in the next book.
To quote a random commenter in my reading thread for The Lies of Locke Lamora on Twitter, a good book written by crazy person that maybe will finally finish the series, lol. I will recommend this book if you like your fantasy with anti hero who will charmed you from the start and never have a dull moment. The violence, blood and profanity can be too much to read, but if all of it don't bother you, then it's the time to read about how Locke Lamora spun his lies and deceits to deceive Camorr's nobility and his enemies!
"Someday, Locke Lamora,” he said, “someday, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope I’m still around to see it."
"Oh, please," said Locke. "It'll never happen"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Excrement, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death and Sexual content
sfox_the_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Just incredible. It takes but a moment to get going but then doesn't let you go when it does.
The characters are incredible, the imagery is superb - you can really see the streets of Camor - the plotting is efficient but surprising where it winds up. Was going to be a 5/5 but I wanted just a little bit more out of the last few chapters so far as complexity goes. Then again, the ending needs to be conclusive when you don't have the guarantee of a sequence.
That said, Lynch manages to make the ending keep you on the edge of your seats until the last. During the last few sequences, I kept thinking, "is he going to do it," at both the author and Locke. Thankfully, Lynch sticks the landing.
For the audiobook: the voice acting is superb, with every character having a distinct voice - even at higher playback speeds! It was a treat for the ears, an adventure for the soul.
I commend this work to you, review reader. It is a new, and permanent, insert into my fantasy top ten.
The characters are incredible, the imagery is superb - you can really see the streets of Camor - the plotting is efficient but surprising where it winds up. Was going to be a 5/5 but I wanted just a little bit more out of the last few chapters so far as complexity goes. Then again, the ending needs to be conclusive when you don't have the guarantee of a sequence.
That said, Lynch manages to make the ending keep you on the edge of your seats until the last. During the last few sequences, I kept thinking, "is he going to do it," at both the author and Locke. Thankfully, Lynch sticks the landing.
For the audiobook: the voice acting is superb, with every character having a distinct voice - even at higher playback speeds! It was a treat for the ears, an adventure for the soul.
I commend this work to you, review reader. It is a new, and permanent, insert into my fantasy top ten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Cursing and Sexual content
jadejoro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Absolute masterpiece of a book.
Three things to note:
1) This book is for adults. Every character, especially the lead, is a morally gray bundle of trauma and issues. If you need a relatively good guy to cheer for in order to enjoy a book, you will not find one here. Also, pretty much every adult content warning applies. (see below)
2) It's long. And I don't just mean word count (although yes, that's high). Part of Locke's survival skills is his ability to notice *everything*, so you as the reader will also be noticing everything. I personally found this abundance of details delightful, mainly because of Lynch's wonderful use of language. If you allow yourself to sink into the story, the slow pacing and highly descriptive language will leave you as familiar with Camorr as Locke himself by the end of the book.
3) As said above, it's slow. Lynch let's his characters tell the story, and a lot of them are no hurry whatsoever. You'll jump from the present to the childhoods of more than one character, learning about religion, politics, and history alongside our thieves in training. Slow though they be, not a single one of these side stories is a waste; in fact, several of them directly inform the present day story in the chapter immediately preceding or following it.
As for the actual plot of the book, I think the back cover blurb does the complex story few favors. Generally speaking, we have a group of thieves who steal mostly for the joy of it. They solely target the uber rich, breaking the "Secret Peace" maintained by Camorr's organized crime system. This makes Locke and his gang targets on all fronts -- the duke's Spider wants him caught, and the lower city's Capa would happily skin them alive if he knew what the Gentleman Bastards were up to. Despite the danger, Locke and his gang love their lifestyle. So, when a masked usurper puts both their lives and their livelihoods in danger, the Gentleman Bastards find themselves in a convoluted plot that mixes politics, revenge, pride, and greed.
I highly recommend this suave, riveting low fantasy adventure to anyone with the time and energy needed to appreciate it.
Three things to note:
1) This book is for adults. Every character, especially the lead, is a morally gray bundle of trauma and issues. If you need a relatively good guy to cheer for in order to enjoy a book, you will not find one here. Also, pretty much every adult content warning applies. (see below)
2) It's long. And I don't just mean word count (although yes, that's high). Part of Locke's survival skills is his ability to notice *everything*, so you as the reader will also be noticing everything. I personally found this abundance of details delightful, mainly because of Lynch's wonderful use of language. If you allow yourself to sink into the story, the slow pacing and highly descriptive language will leave you as familiar with Camorr as Locke himself by the end of the book.
3) As said above, it's slow. Lynch let's his characters tell the story, and a lot of them are no hurry whatsoever. You'll jump from the present to the childhoods of more than one character, learning about religion, politics, and history alongside our thieves in training. Slow though they be, not a single one of these side stories is a waste; in fact, several of them directly inform the present day story in the chapter immediately preceding or following it.
As for the actual plot of the book, I think the back cover blurb does the complex story few favors. Generally speaking, we have a group of thieves who steal mostly for the joy of it. They solely target the uber rich, breaking the "Secret Peace" maintained by Camorr's organized crime system. This makes Locke and his gang targets on all fronts -- the duke's Spider wants him caught, and the lower city's Capa would happily skin them alive if he knew what the Gentleman Bastards were up to. Despite the danger, Locke and his gang love their lifestyle. So, when a masked usurper puts both their lives and their livelihoods in danger, the Gentleman Bastards find themselves in a convoluted plot that mixes politics, revenge, pride, and greed.
I highly recommend this suave, riveting low fantasy adventure to anyone with the time and energy needed to appreciate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Gore, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fatphobia and Sexual content
melreadsandrecs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming and Vomit
inthebrineydeep's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Torture
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Sexual content
ageckocalledachilles's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book is really fun, and would have got 4*, butI am of the personal opinion that authors who kill off the lovable cheeky urchin for an emotional reaction deserve to suffer and so points were deducted. Other than that a great romp through a well built world with complex lore, lovable characters and witty dialogue.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic