BOOK | ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ Review
- Alex C
- Feb 7, 2017
- 3 min read
Here is a book to make you wonder what grand schemes are playing out on the sidelines of your life - right now, under your very nose, without you ever having the faintest clue.
‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ is the supremely clever first novel in the ’Gentleman Bastard Sequence’ by Scott Lynch. With seven books planned (three of which are currently available), you should absolutely let Locke Lamora into your life; he is sure to make it significantly more interesting.
Lynch’s epic fantasy is set in a vibrant reimagining of medieval Venice - complete with canals, criminal gangs, advanced alchemy, and echoes of a strange, lost civilisation. It is against this compelling backdrop that Locke Lamora and his band of thieves (a.k.a. the Gentleman Bastards) distract, charm, and ultimately swindle the wealthy and the powerful. Despite the genius of their schemes, the Gentleman Bastards have come to the attention of an ever-growing collection of dangerous people - some of whom craft schemes of their own.
‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ is first and foremost a very smart book. The plot is a rollercoaster, abundant with twists and turns. Well-laid plans go awry in spectacular fashion, chaos is always just around the corner, and a multitude of cliffhangers ensure the reader’s eyes are always glued to the page. It’s impossible to put this one down, so get ready to find yourself reading “just one more chapter” at 2am.
The Gentleman Bastards’ schemes are genuinely clever. There’s an astonishing level of detail in every heist, and the characters’ spontaneous actions feel like real flashes of inspiration from the honed wits of the world’s finest thieves.
Lynch’s style is illustrative in a very rewarding fashion, as he isn’t overly dense, like many fantasy writers tend to be. He allows the way characters interact with the world and each other to paint a broad-strokes visual full of hints and suggestions, trusting readers to put their imaginations to work. Despite numerous flashbacks and a handful of changes in narration, the story flows well. Readers don’t ever feel like they’ve been rudely ejected from the narrative, even when they’re experiencing a vastly different piece of it.
However, while the characters are varied and interesting, it’s sometimes difficult to feel emotionally connected to them. While it’s easy to grasp motivations, Lynch doesn’t do much to make sure you feel motivated alongside his cast. You want Locke Lamora to triumph, but only because you desperately need to know how he’s going to pull it off. As a result, the book can drag slightly in places where not much is happening in the plot and we’re just passing time with the characters.
‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ also lacks a major female presence. While there are plenty of outstandingly written women in the ensemble cast, none of them are given lead roles; this is to the story’s detriment, as well as being slightly puzzling since Lynch can clearly write fascinating women.
Overall, the excellent writing style, vibrant setting, and captivating plot ensure the world Lynch has created is worth visiting (and revisiting). Just don’t expect a soap opera that will have you invested in everyone’s emotional journey. It’s all about the plot, the story, and the brilliance of Locke Lamora’s lies.
In terms of reading level, ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ manages to settle itself comfortably between the upper edges of young-adult and the first steps of ‘proper grown-up’ high fantasy. While there is no shortage of bloodshed, some truly inspired cursing and a smattering of brothel-related adult content, it’s not a challenging read. At around 190,000 words ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ is long enough; think ‘Fellowship of the Ring’, but not nearly as hefty or intimidating as many other epic fantasies out there.
Who should read this book? People who wish Sherlock Holmes was written from Moriarty’s perspective, and came with an MA15+ rating.
Grab ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’ Kindle Edition for $12.99 on Amazon.com.au. Or, you can (and absolutely should) go all-out and snap up the first three novels in the ‘Gentleman Bastard Sequence’ for $34.99.
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