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kaziaroo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.5
This book was okay. I didn't love it, didn't hate it.
Things I liked:
- the characters and their relationships were likeable and interesting, and the side characters were fun
- it was entertaining to read and the ending was satisfying. It would be fine as a stand-alone read – I haven't yet decided whether to read the sequel
- the setting was very rich and felt like a real place – I loved the Falselight and the Elderglass structures. The religious and social settings were also interesting.
What I didn't like:
- Unfortunately my Kindle edition didn't come with a map but I think paper editions do. A map would have made the characters' movements easier to follow.
- There's a lot of swearing – obviously this is personal preference and I did get used to it after a while.
- a lot of the dialogue felt very modern (and American) and at odds with the historical, Italian-inspired setting. Hearing members of the nobility coming out with phrases like "surely you must be kidding" was jarring and took me right out of the story. Characters of different social backgrounds also all seemed to talk in the same way.
- the pacing was all over the place. One moment there's a flurry of action and the next there's thirty pages of trying to swindle some stuffy bankers out of their clothes. I found the first half pretty boring and the second half only just made up for it. The narrative style is very episodic, almost more suited to a magazine or TV show than a novel.
- the main villain is very mysterious, but actually so much so that I found it harder to take him seriously. When we do find out more about him, it's in an info-dump right near the end of the book.
- although I praised the setting, I did find the book a bit too descriptive. I didn't really care what specific food the characters were eating or what it looked like, or the precise sectors of the city the characters walked through from A to B. Maybe if I'd had a map... The narrator also name-drops a lot, and my edition didn't have a glossary either. There are a lot of names of gods, locations, months/days, etc and I ended up skimming over whole sentences that were just a string of unfamiliar names that had no bearing on the rest of the book.
Things I liked:
- the characters and their relationships were likeable and interesting, and the side characters were fun
- it was entertaining to read and the ending was satisfying. It would be fine as a stand-alone read – I haven't yet decided whether to read the sequel
- the setting was very rich and felt like a real place – I loved the Falselight and the Elderglass structures. The religious and social settings were also interesting.
What I didn't like:
- Unfortunately my Kindle edition didn't come with a map but I think paper editions do. A map would have made the characters' movements easier to follow.
- There's a lot of swearing – obviously this is personal preference and I did get used to it after a while.
- a lot of the dialogue felt very modern (and American) and at odds with the historical, Italian-inspired setting. Hearing members of the nobility coming out with phrases like "surely you must be kidding" was jarring and took me right out of the story. Characters of different social backgrounds also all seemed to talk in the same way.
- the pacing was all over the place. One moment there's a flurry of action and the next there's thirty pages of trying to swindle some stuffy bankers out of their clothes. I found the first half pretty boring and the second half only just made up for it. The narrative style is very episodic, almost more suited to a magazine or TV show than a novel.
- the main villain is very mysterious, but actually so much so that I found it harder to take him seriously. When we do find out more about him, it's in an info-dump right near the end of the book.
- although I praised the setting, I did find the book a bit too descriptive. I didn't really care what specific food the characters were eating or what it looked like, or the precise sectors of the city the characters walked through from A to B. Maybe if I'd had a map... The narrator also name-drops a lot, and my edition didn't have a glossary either. There are a lot of names of gods, locations, months/days, etc and I ended up skimming over whole sentences that were just a string of unfamiliar names that had no bearing on the rest of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Cursing, Death, Gore, Grief, Violence, Blood, Murder, Bullying, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical content
Moderate: Classism, Fatphobia, Excrement, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Drug abuse, Sexism, Trafficking, Abandonment, and Death of parent
olia_k21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Child death
the_real_al_cal's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
After many, many years of keeping this book on my shelf, I finally decided to delve into it! After seeing countless adoring reviews from readers who share my taste in books, I thought I was in for a wild, spectacular ride. How did I feel upon finishing this book? ...It was just okay.
What I liked about the book (without spoilers): Most of the main characters. I really enjoyed the Gentleman Bastards and their relationships with one another. I have a soft spot for twins in storytelling, so I instantly fell in love with the Sanza boys. The worldbuilding was also pretty good, and the world was easy to picture in my mind's eye. The dialogue was fun. Most of the action was well-written, and the antagonists didn't pull their punches, which made the danger much more real. Locke's plans are always really fun and interesting to follow, and you don't always know what he's up to until he puts his plan into action. It's a really fun way to tell the story.
What I didn't like about the book (without spoilers): THE PACING. That was the most frustrating part of the entire book for me, and the thing that stuck out to me the most. It constantly away from the action to tell little vignettes from the past. Sometimes the stories are touching or add to the plot in some way, but other times they feel totally unnecessary. They're often right after exciting cliffhangers, which completely destroys the tension that Scott Lynch builds in each chapter. They weren't bad moments; they were just told at the wrong time. If the entire story had been told in a more linear fashion, I probably would have really enjoyed those chapters--and the whole book--a lot more.
I have a feeling that this may be different in the rest of the series, but I also didn't care for the treatment of women in this story. There were a few named women, but they were often only there as plot devices before they were shuffled out of the way. The Gentleman Bastards kept referencing another woman, but she never showed up. I imagine she plays a bigger role later in the series, but judging this book based on the women who were included, it wasn't the most diverse or empowering story that ever existed.
All this to say: I won't say I'll never read the rest of the series, but I'm not chomping at the bit to buy the next book either.
What I liked about the book (without spoilers): Most of the main characters. I really enjoyed the Gentleman Bastards and their relationships with one another. I have a soft spot for twins in storytelling, so I instantly fell in love with the Sanza boys. The worldbuilding was also pretty good, and the world was easy to picture in my mind's eye. The dialogue was fun. Most of the action was well-written, and the antagonists didn't pull their punches, which made the danger much more real. Locke's plans are always really fun and interesting to follow, and you don't always know what he's up to until he puts his plan into action. It's a really fun way to tell the story.
What I didn't like about the book (without spoilers): THE PACING. That was the most frustrating part of the entire book for me, and the thing that stuck out to me the most. It constantly away from the action to tell little vignettes from the past. Sometimes the stories are touching or add to the plot in some way, but other times they feel totally unnecessary. They're often right after exciting cliffhangers, which completely destroys the tension that Scott Lynch builds in each chapter. They weren't bad moments; they were just told at the wrong time. If the entire story had been told in a more linear fashion, I probably would have really enjoyed those chapters--and the whole book--a lot more.
I have a feeling that this may be different in the rest of the series, but I also didn't care for the treatment of women in this story. There were a few named women, but they were often only there as plot devices before they were shuffled out of the way. The Gentleman Bastards kept referencing another woman, but she never showed up. I imagine she plays a bigger role later in the series, but judging this book based on the women who were included, it wasn't the most diverse or empowering story that ever existed.
All this to say: I won't say I'll never read the rest of the series, but I'm not chomping at the bit to buy the next book either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Moderate: Grief and Cursing
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
leanne_miron's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Excrement
Minor: Vomit, Body shaming, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
forsidious's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-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
Was really impressed with this book - I had heard it was slow paced so was hesitant to read it, but so glad that didn't stop me. I'd say the first half is moderately paced, but relatively light hearted and thoroughly entertaining. I love every Gentleman Bastard and their personalities really shine as you're getting to know them. The 2nd half of the book is much faster paced and also much darker. Shit starts to go down and there are suddenly real stakes and mistakes matter beyond just not getting some coin.
Overall characters I think are where this book shines - even the side characters are great. One of my favorite characters is Sofia Salvara - she ends up being a badass and I overall love how Lynch writes his female characters. I think this is a book series that easily could have gone wrong in that department, but every female character we meet is a badass in their own right. I hope to see more female main characters in the future rather than them being sidelined.
My only complaints are the Falconer seemed too powerful at some points - I liked how it was resolved, but like...why are these guys not ruling the world? Also, Locke seems to have a bit of plot armor - he was in the cask a little too long to have survived. I think if the drama had been cut down a bit and they'd been able to get him out of it sooner then maybe...but it just feels like he's a bit *too* invincible
Overall characters I think are where this book shines - even the side characters are great. One of my favorite characters is Sofia Salvara - she ends up being a badass and I overall love how Lynch writes his female characters. I think this is a book series that easily could have gone wrong in that department, but every female character we meet is a badass in their own right. I hope to see more female main characters in the future rather than them being sidelined.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual violence
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
This is a book you have to really want to be into to enjoy and that wasn't me. It's intolerably long and overly descriptive yet with unmoving writing. I mean, I love some good world building but this was too much. I hope I never see the word “interlude” again. And though I did eventually like Locke enough, for the most part the characters were underdeveloped to the point I was stone faced when serious things happened to them bc I couldn't connect with them at all. But I did like the Gray King's coup. It was violently ruthless and gory and one of the few moments here where things actually happened and you know what? The Gray King had some points. Also, I don't know about yall but I found this book so moralistic at points, like shut up. But I'll give credit to Mr. Lynch's writing in one regard. The way he writes prayers is actually so heartfelt and they're kinda beautiful. And I liked that there wasn't too much cynism in regards to religion here compared to other dark fantasy books that do that to show how gritty and irreverent the characters/world is and blah blah.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexism, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
veronika_kasardova's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Torture, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, and Violence
alexxxx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
Minor: Alcohol and Vomit
bluejayreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was recommended to me by a friend (the same friend who recommended Circe, funnily enough). And like I do with most recommendations from friends, I didn’t really pay attention to what the book was about, just threw it on my to-read list and picked it up with no expectations and no real idea of what it was even supposed to be about.
I have to take a small detour here and talk about Leverage. Leverage is a TV show featuring a bunch of variously-skilled former criminals (and one insurance investigator) who use their various criminal skills in brilliant and elaborate plans to take down criminals that the law can’t or won’t touch. I adore the show. It’s hands-down my favorite show ever and the only show I’ve loved enough to enjoy fandom content. And if Leverage was on the more dubious side of morally gray, set in a Venice-flavored fantasy world, and led by a teenager who belongs in the definition of “confidence game,” you might get something like The Lies of Locke Lamora.
I don’t know how to write a review of this book except to say that it is really, spectacularly good. It is long, even for a fantasy book, but it needs every single word of that length because there is just so much going on always and constantly. That was the overwhelming feeling I got from reading – that everywhere I looked and even in the background, there was so much going on. The action never stops, it just swings back and forth among perspectives and times. The main story of Locke and company pulling their scam and running up against the Grey King is interspersed with bits from Locke’s past, from the history of the city and nation, and other things happening in Camorr at the same time. And it’s not just Locke against the Grey King, oh no – that would be far too simple for the audacity of this book. There are no less than five, and arguably up to eight, different factions fighting for their own goals for their own reasons (and two of them are Locke himself).
A large part of what makes this book so hard to review is that the details are revealed in layers. It starts out with a crew of talented thieves and grifters preparing to run an elaborate con on a pair of nobles. Okay, I thought, A fun and adventurous heist story. Cool. And then the story begins to peel back the layers to all the competing factions, all the factors at play in Camorr, all the plans set in motion and beginning to come to a head, and suddenly the highly entertaining and audacious heist is one of the least interesting parts of the story.
Everything is happening all the time and you’re constantly getting more information and nothing is ever what it seems. You may have gotten through three twists and finally think that you’re at the truth of something finally and you’re probably wrong. Very few solid answers are available to any but the most perceptive reader (definitely not me) until the very end. And I adored it. It was somehow both incredibly dark and a ton of fun, full of plot twists, overlapping schemes, audacious plans that somehow delightfully work, and steady slow reveals that felt like repeatedly handing me puzzle pieces and requiring me to figure out where they went while I was still receving more puzzle pieces.
I didn’t know going in that this was a series, but you’d better believe I’m reading the next book. And I very much hope that it’s more of the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Blood, Gore, Violence, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Excrement, Death of parent, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Terminal illness and Sexual content
triforception's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This shit slaps. Locke Lamora starts out weirdly slowly - I didn’t break page 100 on my first attempt, but once you get over the prologue and first little bit, it absolutely grabs you and does not let go. It’s paced in some ways like a rollercoaster - the tension rachets up further and further and further until it explodes and you’re in free-fall, just for it to start ramping things up again even higher.
The writing is clever enough that it can be almost annoying in places, almost as though it were being written by the protagonist, who is a wonderfully arrogant and frustrating and loveable little shit. Speaking of these characters, they’re very effective at provoking the intended reaction from the reader. Locke Lamora is competent enough that his arrogance is justified, but vulnerable and susceptible to failure enough that he never comes off as invincible (and this boring). His companions are all likeable in their own way, and the book is excellent at making you attached to this (fairly morally dubious) gang of criminals, and very very good at making you hate and fear their enemies. The lack of diversity is a bit disappointing- while the book features formidable female characters, none of them are main protagonists and there are no LGBT characters to be found. That said, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a dryly funnny, often very dark, always extremely exciting fantasy novel and I look forward to picking up the sequel.
The writing is clever enough that it can be almost annoying in places, almost as though it were being written by the protagonist, who is a wonderfully arrogant and frustrating and loveable little shit. Speaking of these characters, they’re very effective at provoking the intended reaction from the reader. Locke Lamora is competent enough that his arrogance is justified, but vulnerable and susceptible to failure enough that he never comes off as invincible (and this boring). His companions are all likeable in their own way, and the book is excellent at making you attached to this (fairly morally dubious) gang of criminals, and very very good at making you hate and fear their enemies. The lack of diversity is a bit disappointing- while the book features formidable female characters, none of them are main protagonists and there are no LGBT characters to be found. That said, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a dryly funnny, often very dark, always extremely exciting fantasy novel and I look forward to picking up the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Sexual content and Slavery
Minor: Sexism