Scott Lynch has made a name for himself in fantasy circles with The Lies of Locke Lamora. It is an enjoyable read that focuses on the initiation of a roguish Locke into the underworld of Camoor, a city that bears no small resemblance to Venice (minus the sharks, I suppose). It is populated with interesting characters, has a swiftly moving plot, and takes place in an interesting fantasy setting, so there's something to appeal to most fantasy readers.

From the beginning, dialogue is a strength in the writing. I found myself laughing at the very beginning at the banter between the Shadowthief and Locke, and them and Father Chains. Clever stuff, although I would have to agree with some of the reviewers who feel the cursing is both off-putting and incongruent. Nonetheless, the dialogue is snappy, building exposition and character in a dynamic way from the very beginning.

The story is told in pieces, with chapters alternating between Locke's growth with Father Chains and the Gentlemen Bastards, and the current time. The technique works surprisingly well, as Lynch does a nice job of breaking the sections to somehow relate--the past often partly foreshadows or illuminates the present. He does such a good job of building tension, however, that I was skimming the past parts by the end of the book so that I could find out how Locke extracts himself and Jean from the ultimate fiasco.

Locke has a fatal flaw a mild wide, and it's apparent from a very young age. Father Chains goes through great lengths to help him learn this lesson, but it becomes apparent the message has bypassed Locke. Unfortunately, it means his own cleverness usually outmaneuvers him and puts loved ones at risk. It's a bloodthirsty book, from the "games" prisoners can go through to win lighter sentences or freedom, to the shark-dancing women performing on special occasions. Locke's final justice to the Falconer is bloody, and it too will come to haunt him.

There's a section told by "Spider," head of the secret section of the Duke's security, and it's a confusing bit. While well done and interesting, it truly does not well fit the rest of the story. Maybe Lynch was at a loss for how to build greater tension. I'm guessing that's the best reason for the section about her, as it otherwise fails to fit into the general narrative. When I first started reading the chapter, I half expected it to be about the female Gentleman Bastard the guys keep referring to--that would have made more sense.

There's also a tiny narrative bit near the end from the Grey King, a piece that seemed unimportant. Lynch had done such a good job of building him as a villain, it hardly mattered what his background was. The attempt to humanize him mostly fell short as it was a boilerplate family revenge tragedy--maybe the point is that he is the same as Locke? Could be, could be. It does contribute to the overall sense that pursuing revenge will ruin you. In that, Lynch achieves a very delicate balance. While many will applaud Locke's daring and ingeniousness, in the end, revenge is cold comfort.

Cross posted at http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/the-lies-of-locke-lamora-by-scott-lync... ( )

After years of playing my tiny violin for the absence of character-driven SciFi and Fantasy novels, I am beginning to feel like a hypocrite. The Lies of Locke Lamora is the story of an elaborate heist. In the kingdom of Camorr where the royalty lives in glass towers, and the rest of humanity live in colorful but decaying island neighborhoods, a group of urchins are raised in the faith of The Crooked Warden, a god of trickery. They progress from picking pockets to elaborate costumed con jobs, and eventually set their sights on the royalty. When they are forced in to a particularly dangerous job by a ruthless gang leader, their hoax begins to fall apart, and their cleverness is put to the test. The characters are flat, but the plot, which is inventive and cleverly revealed, is the engine of this very entertaining first novel.

As a side note, the hardcover version features the worst author portrait I've ever seen. ( )

"Gentlemen Bastards." hissed Locke, "do not abandon one another, and we do not run when we owe vengeance.”

It's been years since I read this the first time - so many years the only thing I could remember is thieves, twists in plot and much profanity! And I still loved this one the second time around - still full of profanity and funny quotes as these boys grow up and get to know the thieving life. It's interesting trying to keep the storylines straight as they tell one back story with another back story and flip flop between those 2 and the present. But once they story catches up and it starts the twists, the long cons are surprising and, again, things I didn't remember and ones I was completely surprised by. I love the writing and the characters - I love the humor and the plot. Such a fun book. ( )

"What thief does not fight to hold what he has?"
"One that has something better," said Locke. "The stealing was more the point for us than the keeping; if the keeping has been so fine, we would have found something to fucking do with it all."

This is a fantastic book. Entertaining as they get. Even if you think you don't like fantasy it should be read by anybody, the snobbier the better. It's unbelievable that is a debut. ( )

I really enjoyed the read. It is written in very easy to read way, filled with interesting characters and interesting world. The not so usual band of heroes and the lives they lead left me biting my nails at times and with mouth opened with interest at other times. I had quite a few laugh out loud moments , thanks to this book and felt characters strangely relatable. Highly recommended read for someone that is looking for not super deep fantasy, thats engaging and woven intricately enough to keep you wanting for more. Will surely be returning to read the other books in the series. Oh and also thieves swear a lot , so if you are super sensitive or was considering this for your young kid reconsider, book has quite a few mature(brutal, not sexual) scenes depicted there . ( )