Scan barcode
A review by mediaevalmuse
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
3.0
Maybe closer to 3.5.
I picked up this novel after a stellar review from Patrick Rothfuss and after hearing a lot of my friends gush about it (at least those who are interested in fantasy novels). Overall, it's a very fun read with a lot of action, beautiful imagery, and swearing that seems like an art form. It's a rather swashbuckly tale, though it's not about piracy, and lovers of rogues, thieves, and the like will love this novel and its sequels.
Things I Liked
1. World Building: Scott Lynch’s novel is, as George RR Martin says, “gorgeously realized.” Camorr is so built up that readers lose the sensation of it being a fantasy and instead, it feels like one is reading about a historical time and place. Everything detail is so convincing and, on top of that, the aesthetic aspects draw the reader in. Camorr has sort of a medieval/early modern Venetian feel to it, which is a refreshing break from the typical “medieval England” basis for a large number of fantasy novels.
2.Pace: Lynch is very good at crafting his prose with vivid imagery, but he is also very conscious of moving the plot along so there is no “lag time.” Despite this novel being over 700 pages, readers don’t feel it because there is seemingly no “fluff” or unnecessary filler.
3. Wit: The characters (as well as the writing) are incredibly witty. This aspect serves to push the plot by giving street thugs the smarts and intelligence to take on their world. It’s a great way to show how characters from a lower social class can operate in other social circles.
4. Interludes: In between every chapter is an interlude that gives the back story for the Gentleman Bastards (mostly their childhood and training). I very much appreciated this method as opposed to a giant information-dump at the outset of the novel, and the breaks these interludes created served to enhance some areas of the plot, making them “heavier” and more likely to stand out to the reader.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Attachment to Characters: Although I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, I never found myself attached to any particular character. Part of this may be due to the fact that Lynch’s prose doesn’t offer us insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings. I never knew what Locke’s fears were, what he liked or didn’t like, or anything about his personality other than what related to thieving. They all had to be inferred, which is a fine way of doing things, but not when it's difficult to do so.
2. Female Characters: Don’t get me wrong, there are ladies in this book. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that all females largely play supporting roles and receive little character depth or “screen time.” This made the novel feel a bit like a “boy’s club.” I am not suggesting that Lynch should have made the book about a female character, but if we take a tally of all the named women in the book, most of them are victims Granted, Dona Sofia does get to be a bit of a badass by taking charge at the end of the book, and there is an elderly female woman who is the head of a secret police force, but they are seen so little and I wish we had gotten to follow them around longer.
3. Unnecessary Scenes: Despite the exciting pace of the novel, there were many scenes that were not necessarily contributing to the overall plot. While they were by no means “boring,” they did, however, detract from the main action. For example, the first ~200 pages of the novel are essentially the heist with very little attention to the movements of the Gray King or the political turmoil of the criminal network. We also get an extended look (50 pages? More?) of Locke trying to steal some clothes so he can impersonate Lukas Fehrwight to acquire more money. While fun to read, I don’t think these episodes needed to be as extended as they were because they made readers forget the main drive of the novel: working against the Gray King.
Recommendations: Definitely read this book if you're a fan of thieves, rogues, pirates, etc. and stories related to heists and gang conflict.
I picked up this novel after a stellar review from Patrick Rothfuss and after hearing a lot of my friends gush about it (at least those who are interested in fantasy novels). Overall, it's a very fun read with a lot of action, beautiful imagery, and swearing that seems like an art form. It's a rather swashbuckly tale, though it's not about piracy, and lovers of rogues, thieves, and the like will love this novel and its sequels.
Things I Liked
1. World Building: Scott Lynch’s novel is, as George RR Martin says, “gorgeously realized.” Camorr is so built up that readers lose the sensation of it being a fantasy and instead, it feels like one is reading about a historical time and place. Everything detail is so convincing and, on top of that, the aesthetic aspects draw the reader in. Camorr has sort of a medieval/early modern Venetian feel to it, which is a refreshing break from the typical “medieval England” basis for a large number of fantasy novels.
2.Pace: Lynch is very good at crafting his prose with vivid imagery, but he is also very conscious of moving the plot along so there is no “lag time.” Despite this novel being over 700 pages, readers don’t feel it because there is seemingly no “fluff” or unnecessary filler.
3. Wit: The characters (as well as the writing) are incredibly witty. This aspect serves to push the plot by giving street thugs the smarts and intelligence to take on their world. It’s a great way to show how characters from a lower social class can operate in other social circles.
4. Interludes: In between every chapter is an interlude that gives the back story for the Gentleman Bastards (mostly their childhood and training). I very much appreciated this method as opposed to a giant information-dump at the outset of the novel, and the breaks these interludes created served to enhance some areas of the plot, making them “heavier” and more likely to stand out to the reader.
Things I Didn't Like
1. Attachment to Characters: Although I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, I never found myself attached to any particular character. Part of this may be due to the fact that Lynch’s prose doesn’t offer us insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings. I never knew what Locke’s fears were, what he liked or didn’t like, or anything about his personality other than what related to thieving. They all had to be inferred, which is a fine way of doing things, but not when it's difficult to do so.
2. Female Characters: Don’t get me wrong, there are ladies in this book. However, it doesn’t negate the fact that all females largely play supporting roles and receive little character depth or “screen time.” This made the novel feel a bit like a “boy’s club.” I am not suggesting that Lynch should have made the book about a female character, but if we take a tally of all the named women in the book, most of them are victims
Spoiler
(SPOILERS: Nazca is killed to further the Gray King’s plan, Sofia is the victim of a heist, the Berangias sisters are basically henchmen and get killed, Sabetha is literally only mentioned - we never see her, etc.) or minor characters that serve to help the “main” characters with something and are quickly forgotten (such as Felice the prostitute, Jessaline and Janellaine d'Aubart, etc.)3. Unnecessary Scenes: Despite the exciting pace of the novel, there were many scenes that were not necessarily contributing to the overall plot. While they were by no means “boring,” they did, however, detract from the main action. For example, the first ~200 pages of the novel are essentially the heist with very little attention to the movements of the Gray King or the political turmoil of the criminal network. We also get an extended look (50 pages? More?) of Locke trying to steal some clothes so he can impersonate Lukas Fehrwight to acquire more money. While fun to read, I don’t think these episodes needed to be as extended as they were because they made readers forget the main drive of the novel: working against the Gray King.
Recommendations: Definitely read this book if you're a fan of thieves, rogues, pirates, etc. and stories related to heists and gang conflict.