[Book Review] The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Set in the thriving Medieval inspired city of Camorr, The Lies of Locke Lamora is a stunning début novel from Scott Lynch. The first book in the Gentlemen Bastard sequence, Lynch has managed to produce a thoroughly engrossing read. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a tale that is told in two intertwining threads, consisting of Locke's current mischievous and brilliant confidence games and episodes of his upbringing and training.

The book manages to be a stunning fantasy novel without making the fantasy the main focus of the story. Lynch manages to create a world in which alchemy, sorcery and legends of elder races support and enhance the plot in subtle and important ways, without being overpowering story elements and overshadowing the plot.

Locke is a marvellous confidence trickster and thief, who is full of intelligence and bravado. With his fellow Gentlemen Bastards, the Thorn of Camorr as he is known, devises elaborate and masterful schemes to deprive nobility of their fortunes. As part of Camorr's underground, Locke is pulled into a deadly war between a shadowy figure, known only as the Grey King and the leader of Camorr's Underground, the Capa Barsavi. As events spiral out of control, Locke and the Gentlemen Bastards find themselves in increasingly dangerous situations, Lynch manages to describe events with exactly the right amount of pace.

As an interesting side note, on an answer on the frequently asked questions page on his website, Lynch discusses the origin of Locke's name.

“Is it true that Locke's name has something to do with a video game?
Locke's first name is an homage to a character in SquareSoft's Final Fantasy VI, also known as Final Fantasy III in the United States. This game had a huge influence on me when I was in my mid-teens; I think it's one of the most brilliant and heartbreaking console roleplaying games ever created, a real work of art.
From http://www.scottlynch.us/faq.html.”

The Lies of Locke Lamora is available form Gollancz and the second book in the Gentlemen Bastard Sequence, Red seas under red skies, has recently been published in hardback. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone, even if you are not normally a fan of speculative fiction.

[Hammer]

Sounds quite interesting. I might see if I can get a copy next time I'm going by a bookshop.

[Charlie Parker]

I like the sound of 'gentleman bastard'