The Lies of Locke Lamora

by: Scott Lynch
An orphan's life is harsh--and often short--in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld's most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game--or die trying. {cover copy}
This was the first book I chose to read when I bought a large stack of highly recommended fantasy books for research for the Nerdy Post fantasy box a few months ago. The premise was intriguing, but I actually mis-read the little blurb set above the cover copy, and thought it was a crime novel set in a fantasy world, not a crime caper. The difference of course is that the main character is a criminal and you are rooting for him, rather than, say, a detective. Which suited me just fine, since I have a soft spot for rule-breaker characters. And I have to say, I now have a soft spot for Locke Lamora. Because wow, this book was great! It was so engaging right from the start, and never let up. Even when parts weren't intense, the way the story was told kept me wanting to read on. And the twists and turns of this were fantastic. I was definitely invested in this little band of Gentlemen Bastards, and think of this book often even now that I've finished it. Which is always a good sign. My favorite thing about Locke is that he's really smart (like criminal smart, if that makes sense) and always seems to be a step ahead of everyone. I also really like the banter in this story. It's definitely got my brand of humor in it, which you can see in a couple of the quote examples below!

At the height of the long wet summer of the Seventy-seventh Year of Sendovani, the Thiefmaker of Camorr paid a sudden and unannounced visit to the Eyeless Priest at the temple of Perelandro, desperately hoping to sell him the Lamora boy. {first line}
"...and he too suffers from a slight case of being imaginary."

"You can't help being young, but it's past time that you stopped being stupid."

"...gifted like you are with a preternatural talent for the vexation of others."

"But time's a river, Locke, and we've always drifted farther down it than we think."

• sea • {last word}