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The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1)

Scott Lynch

Start date: February 20, 2012

Finish date: March 26, 2012

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Mar 03, 2012 Stephanie Griffin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

FABULOUS! That’s how I would describe Scott Lynch’s fantasy THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA. Locke Lamora is a trained thief, apprenticed along with a handful of other boys by the Eyeless Priest of the Temple of Perelandro, to pilfer from the rich.
Do you love a good fantasy read? Look no further than this destined-to-be-a-classic tale. With assassins, birds, disguises, espionage, friendship, gangs, goats, hats, horses, matchmaking, merchants, monasteries, orphans, pirates, poison, pubs, revenge, secret ...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Adrienne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library, fantasy, assassins-thieves-etc

An enjoyable book! The story jumps between two narratives: the first is a present day, large-scale con that Locke and his group of Gentleman Bastards are pulling and the second tells us how Locke got to be where he is today. The first half of the book felt like The Sting set in a fantasy world, albeit with more of Locke's and Jean's backstories. About halfway through the book we transitioned to larger overall conflict, and though I also found the first half enjoyable, I liked the second much bet An enjoyable book! The story jumps between two narratives: the first is a present day, large-scale con that Locke and his group of Gentleman Bastards are pulling and the second tells us how Locke got to be where he is today. The first half of the book felt like The Sting set in a fantasy world, albeit with more of Locke's and Jean's backstories. About halfway through the book we transitioned to larger overall conflict, and though I also found the first half enjoyable, I liked the second much better as it got quite suspenseful by the end.

Overall I liked the tone of the writing, but I'm not sure how much I got out of the two narratives. The interludes felt like a way to take a break from telling the main, present-day story and to keep us in suspense about what was going to happen - somewhat like a commercial break with more relevance. I did enjoy reading the bits where the boys were apprenticed to various groups and priesthoods. However, near the end of the book, I noticed that the interludes served more to flat out tell us about the world in the story instead of about the characters. I'm not sure if I only picked up on this at the end or if it really started at the end, but I certainly got the feeling that I was being told about this world instead of seeing it through the characters' interactions, dialogue, and reactions. That's what I would have preferred.

Except for Locke and Jean, I didn't feel like I got to know the characters as people. What makes them tick? I have no idea. Okay, I take that back - I know what makes the Capa tick, but that's just one of many. I would have liked to have seen more interactions among the Gentleman Bastards that revealed their characters to us. And - I certainly wanted to know more about Sabetha! Mmmph.

And one last complaint: I would think that the first day of Villianhood 101 will teach you that if you want to get something done (and especially if you want to get around to killing someone), don't spend a good 15 minutes talking to them about your plan. Because that's probably just bad news bears for you. I'm looking at you, (view spoiler) ...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Rod Dunsmore rated it it was amazing

This book is similar to Ocean's 11 but set in a medieval/magic setting. Locke Lamora is a con-artist and the banter he has with his crew is always pretty funny -- very similar to Ocean's 11. Not good for kids, lots of cussing, violence, a few scenes with Locke visiting a brothel. B+ on plot, A- on world building, A- on character development. Once you get about 2/3rs of the way through you get hooked into a "can't put it down" mode. I'm gonna get the next book for sure. ...more

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Dec 01, 2013 Oliver rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, read-in-2013

*re-read*

Almost a five star review ... almost, if not for some slight dei ex machine shenanigans here and there.

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Aug 28, 2013 Bruce rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed the author's use of flashbacks and foreshadowing. The setting seems to be an exciting mix of low fantasy and Italian renaissance. The characters, even the short lived ones, have depth. The distinctiveness of the setting comes from the relics left behind by the ancestors and in the descriptions of the food, give me phantasmavola over elven bread any day. ...more

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Nov 02, 2013 Charlotte rated it liked it

It started off pretty slow but picked up dramatically half way through. The world building was very impressive and I enjoyed the sections where Chains was teaching Locke. All that said, I didn't particularly connect with the characters so I probably won't be continuing this series. I'd recommend it to those who like con games, though. ...more

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Feb 25, 2012 James rated it really liked it

Fun and light, bloody and humorous. I enjoyed the world that Lynch built, a sort of Venice meets Sicily, and the magic system was intriguing (cat's cradles and the written true name of a victim). Certainly looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings. ...more

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