Scott Lynch - The Lies of Locke Lamora

REview by Ro Bennett on show 1st July
My son sent me this book and I glanced at it, saw that it was fantasy and thought, ‘Hm, don’t like the look of that and put it on the bookshelf.’ Then he phoned to ask me if I’d read it...’ So, I assured him it was the next book on my list, sighed and knuckled down...

My first impression was that it was cribbed from Dickens, as it started with some orphans and an old man like Fagin who was teaching them to pick pockets and steal, and Lock Lamora was just like the Artful Dodger - but then I began to enjoy the author’s style of writing and his entertaining way with words, the witty dialogue and the way the story unfolded.

The book is full of twists and turns, it’s very atmospheric, there are bits of magic, excellent dialogue and rather graphic violence which I could have done without - except it adds to the suspense. To further add to the suspense there are ‘Interludes’ which intersperse the action and these give you more background history to the characters, so you become more involved and attached to them. The action takes place within a city which is reminiscent of medieval Italy, except that large portions of it are made of glass constructed by a long lost civilisation. From the descriptions you can tell that the author has a vivid picture of the city and layout and buildings in his mind.

As the story developed, I began to care about Locke Lamora and his gang. There are shocks and surprises, which kept me gripped. It was a ‘just one more page’ type book, pretty harrowing stuff at times. I wanted to know how it turned out but didn’t want it to end.

Scott Lynch has an amazing imagination. He is also a freelance writer for various role-playing game companies and a web designer, so that’s probably why his imagination is so vivid and highly developed.

You can catch a glimpse of his style from the Product Description:

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count. Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards. Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city. But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming. A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora . . .


Here are some excerpts from some reviews:

"Exports the wit and suspense of a cleverly constructed crime novel into an exotic realm of fantasy and the result is engagingly entertaining. A remarkably stylish debut."

'Like Locke Lamora himself, Scott Lynch's novel oozes charm, ability, guile, flair, courage, cheek, humour, brevity and bravery in equal measure. It's an awesome debut, powerful and dangerous, romantic and relentless and absolutely lives up to the hype. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a novel you'll have to work very hard not to be utterly blown away by.'

A richly developed fantasy novel, with a nice line in earthy dialogue and many instances of grotesque violence. Lies of Locke is just like it's anti-hero - bold, witty and likely to catch you off guard."

Expertly written, with the tension ratcheted up throughout the book.

I’ve just started reading the second book called Red Seas under Red Skies which promises to be just as gripping.
review by Ro