The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | Excellent Fantasy Novel

The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | Great book with lots of promise for books to come

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The Lies of Locke ...

	The Lies of Locke Lamora Scott Lynch Spectra, 2007 - 752 pages average customer review:based on 135 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

In this stunning debut, author Scott Lynch delivers the wonderfully thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his band of confidence tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part Robin Hood, one part Ocean?s Eleven, and entirely enthralling.?

An orphan?s life is harsh?and often short?in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains?a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected ?family? of orphans?a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting.

Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld?s most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful?and more ambitious?than Locke has yet imagined.

Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi?s most trusted men?and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr?s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game?or die trying.?

From the Hardcover edition.

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Excellent Fantasy Novel

I recently started this book at the beginning of the semester and can't put it down! It is a hell of a fun ride of a novel. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy novel. Great new author, can't wait to read what he has ahead for us.

Great book with lots of promise for books to come

This is my favorite book of the last several years and I probably read 20+/year (mostly fantasy). The book moves along very quickly with a caper like quality to it that was unlike any book I have every read. The plot was ingeniously put together even though at times it did stretch plausibility. While certain aspects of the book could have been better developed, such as magic and several of the characters, it did nothing to detract from the story and leaves a lot of room for development in further books. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have loaned it out to several friends who greatly enjoyed it as well. I look forward to more from Mr. Lynch.

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"I can't believe it isn't sci-fi!"

I read hard boiled crime and Science Fiction and I view most fantasy as idiotic. Elves? Middle Earth? Good grief. If I live long enough I will see the development of FTL Travel, time travel, android girlfriends, flying cars and a lot of other cool stuff I can read about right now. Sure, I'm going to have to live a long time to pull this off but as soon as immortality is developed, it won't be a problem.

This book, The Lies of Locke Lamora is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read. A REAL 5-star book. Edge of the seat excitement. A dizzying array of plots, sub-plots and sub-sub-plots so well arranged that you can easily keep track of everything. This "fantasy" now stands side by side with the likes of Altered Carbon, The Skinner and Jennifer Government on a revered altar in the underwater cathedral I built to house the worlds greatest books. I'm so hard to please that I have less than 20 5-star books although I have 4 and 4.5 star books to tide me over between the 5-star eras.

The storyline has been well covered in other reviews. I just want to make sure my fellow sci-fi brothers and sisters don't miss out. Just go buy it now. Trust me on this.

Oh, let me plug a couple of my other 5-stars. None But Lucifer (Gateways Retro Science Fiction) and Truth Machine

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Now HERE'S something completely different

What I love about "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch is that it isn't your typical fantasy. The setting isn't reminiscent of Medieval England or ancient Scandinavia or the like, but rather it looks and feels like the Renaissance era of Italy. Also, the characters are much more anti-heroic than the protagonists found in other fantasy novels. And plus, the dialogue is sharp and witty (I hope you don't mind heavy profanity). The plot twists are hard-hitting, and the ending of "Lamora" leaves you wanting more. Well, luckily "Red Seas Under Red Skies," the sequel, has come out before I bought and read this one. I'll be reading that soon.

Grade: A

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