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A review by tsunni
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
adventurous
dark
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
Starts slow, but hooked me about halfway through. Scott Lynch takes his time with overly detailed descriptive prose, and frequent flashbacks and interludes that constantly interrupt the main plot, most of which doesn’t quite rear its head until halfway through. I wasn’t a huge fan of the constant back and forth in timeline, but the characters and the interesting glimpses into their childhoods and training make up for it.
The characters absolutely carry the story for me, making up for the world building which goes a bit longer winded than I enjoyed. The Gentlemen Bastards, the main characters, are an extremely charming group of young adult brats/thieves that won me over with their camaraderie and cleverness. Locke Lamora, the main protagonist, is really well written and never crosses into annoying with his cleverness; the rest of the main cast all have their own moments and everyone is super likable in their own way. The main antagonists are a little more 2 dimensional; I wish there was a bit more time devoted to making them more complex.
The story gets dark and emotional in several parts but those moments feel well earned. The second half picks up a lot and I ended up finishing it pretty quickly once the main plot gets going. I already miss the Gentlemen Bastards, looking forward to book 2.
The characters absolutely carry the story for me, making up for the world building which goes a bit longer winded than I enjoyed. The Gentlemen Bastards, the main characters, are an extremely charming group of young adult brats/thieves that won me over with their camaraderie and cleverness. Locke Lamora, the main protagonist, is really well written and never crosses into annoying with his cleverness; the rest of the main cast all have their own moments and everyone is super likable in their own way. The main antagonists are a little more 2 dimensional; I wish there was a bit more time devoted to making them more complex.
The story gets dark and emotional in several parts but those moments feel well earned. The second half picks up a lot and I ended up finishing it pretty quickly once the main plot gets going. I already miss the Gentlemen Bastards, looking forward to book 2.