seano312 's review for:

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
4.0

This was soooo close to being 5 stars. Wanna know how close? I'm denying him a 5th star because his cursing wasn't creative enough.

This is an urban fantasy set in a medieval Mediterranean-like world. Thieves and temples and secret police and lords and crime bosses are all done very well. Magic is mostly potions and alchemy and a powerful wizards guild that has a very profitable monopoly.

The main characters are the "Gentlemen Bastards" a group of thieves who pull off elaborate heists. One goes off the rails the same time a new crime boss comes to power. Lots of blood and complications ensue.

The writing is fairly fussy, but I think it adds to the charm of the story. I also liked some of the side character arcs that went in some interesting directions.

I'll probably read the second book in the series someday.