Ah, Mr. Scott Lynch, how you have won our hearts. It has been four years since THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA was released, and we still find that we are chuckling quietly to ourselves at the antics of your characters. Of course when this happens, people tend to look at us strangely because they have no idea as to the origins of the quiet laughter.
It is their loss. We sit in satisfaction of our assured superiority.
Taking into account that the next, third, entry into his Gentleman Bastard sequence, The REPUBLIC OF THIEVES was slightly delayed until next year (Scott Lynch had some personal issues to deal with, and we hope that everything went as peacefully as possible), we decided that not enough people know Lynch's work. THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA is the first book in a proposed seven-book sequence that follows the adventures of Locke Lamora, professional thief and con-man.
Lynch takes us, warping in time, through the life of gifted thief Locke Lamora. This book is a tale of the long con, and how dangerous but lucrative it can be. The story-telling in LOCKE LAMORA is incredible, though for the uninitiated it can take some time to adjust to Lynch's jumps back-and-forth in time. However, Lynch uses this method with precision to give the current time-line more impact by mixing it with the character's past.
As we read LOCKE LAMORA, we soon found ourselves enthralled by the trip Lynch takes us on, and by the story and adventure that unfolds during this stunning first novel. The city in which this tale takes place is impeccably envisioned and that translates to us while we read Lynch's descriptions. The definitive culture is tangible and believable, as is the magic, alchemy, politics, and lives of the population Lynch creates.
Don't be put off by the poor US Edition paperback cover. Buy. It. Now. Here.
Recommended Age: 18 and up.
Language: They are professional thieves and con-men. They swear with gusto, a lot, and it honestly makes for some of the funniest sections in any book we have read. We aren't kidding. However, language like the Gentlemen Bastards use can be offensive.
Violence: Yes, it has violence, but none of it is overdone, or over-the-top.
Sex: A brief scene describing a nude woman Locke encounters.
Look, if you aren't reading Lynch, you are stuck in the Stone Age of Fantasy. Scott Lynch is absolutely brilliant, and his writing is superb. Obviously we have read the second novel in the series, RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES, and we were blown away--we'll have a review for that one up before the release of THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES (to give all you faithful readers a chance to read the first one and experience Lynch's mastery of writing. Or read the first one again, if you have already had the privilege).
Go give Lynch some major respect and thanks at his website.
http://www.scottlynch.us
We CANNOT WAIT for the third book, THE REPUBLIC OF THIEVES, which should be coming out early next year. We may just import it from England. Lynch is just that awesome.
The Lies of Locke Lamora
3:30 AM
Nikki
Posted in
