rachelmoore212's review against another edition
3.0
This was an enjoyable read, however the biggest issue for me was the constant jumping back and forth in time, to an often excessive extent. There are stories told in the past interspersed with what is happening currently, which is quite comment for these types of novels, but then on top of that the present day scenes were often told out of order, back and forth between the end of the scene and the beginning. To me, this was frustrating and totally unnecessary, as it didn't add anything to the story, and if anything it made the pacing off. When everything is told out of order, then the story doesn't build in an exciting way, which is what I expect from a heist story.
anam_ali's review
4.0
The brilliant thing about The Lies of Locke Lamora is the world-building. It is amazing, it is intricate, it is beyond beautiful. As a writer I was awed, I appreciated the heck out of it. Sadly, that is also (in my opinion) the worst thing about this book. It made me realize there is such a thing as too much world-building. As a writer I was impressed, as a reader it bored me to tears in places. But perhaps I am being hasty. But perhaps I am not being hasty at all as it took me three tries several months apart to finish this book despite the fact that I was really interested in the characters and the story. The first time I blamed myself and my mood; perhaps, I thought, I wasn't in the right frame of mind to finish this book. The second and third time I figured out my mood had nothing to do with it.
Scott Lynch, while being a really good writer, doesn't know how to 'show, not tell', and he tells and tells and tells. God help me, despite being interested in the history of Camorr and its surrounding world, there were passages when I was this close to throwing my Tab down and giving up as I just wanted the story to move the hell ahead and not take a history lesson! I was thinking of letting it go for the fourth and final time.
And then the events at the Echo Hole happened, followed by the events at the temple of Perelandro and I will never, ever forgive Scott Lynch as long as I live. I finished the book this afternoon and I am still emotionally wrecked, so thanks for that man! :/
Scott Lynch, while being a really good writer, doesn't know how to 'show, not tell', and he tells and tells and tells. God help me, despite being interested in the history of Camorr and its surrounding world, there were passages when I was this close to throwing my Tab down and giving up as I just wanted the story to move the hell ahead and not take a history lesson! I was thinking of letting it go for the fourth and final time.
And then the events at the Echo Hole happened, followed by the events at the temple of Perelandro and I will never, ever forgive Scott Lynch as long as I live. I finished the book this afternoon and I am still emotionally wrecked, so thanks for that man! :/
madswag27's review against another edition
4.0
I wavered on it once or twice, but overall this was a really fun read. On the whole I liked the (detailed to the point of excessive) worldbuilding of Camorr (a ~fantasy Venice), possibly because I'm a sucker for anything in which people fight sharks for entertainment. The plot in its barest bones is a band of thieves pulling off heists, but I did love that the stakes were actually high and the characters didn't always get off lightly. The overall vibe for me was a little Six of Crows, a lot Assassin's Creed... the only thing that might lower the rating for me (3.5? even a 3?) was it not having enough central female characters for my liking. There were some - and amongst them, interesting ones I'd have liked to see more of! - but none of them got to be enough of an ever-present part of the narrative to satisfy me. Maybe that'll change in the rest of the series? I'll have to see.
tanyad95's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mimosaeyes's review against another edition
4.0
Larger-than-life thieving fun - full of outrageous grifts, banter, and quite a lot of violence and profanity. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a hearty helping of well-crafted story. There are so many players in the power ecosystem of Camorr, and the twists and turns kept me absolutely hooked. I was also fascinated by the rich and imaginative setting. It draws on Venice, and it’s said to be full of remnants left behind by the Eldren, a mysterious and technologically advanced race.
We learn about the anti-heroic protagonist, Locke Lamora, through chapters that intercut between the plot in the present, and key moments in his adolescence and training. I find him exceptionally likeable. The same goes for Jean Tannen (an aside: I especially like how it’s emphasised that Jean is a good fighter who is also built stocky, even fat). Locke and Jean make good character foils, and I’m excited to continue reading about their exploits.
This book gets progressively darker and more complex as the Gentleman Bastards are drawn ever deeper into a tangled web of manipulation and intrigues. Its construction is masterful, and its conclusion immensely satisfying.
We learn about the anti-heroic protagonist, Locke Lamora, through chapters that intercut between the plot in the present, and key moments in his adolescence and training. I find him exceptionally likeable. The same goes for Jean Tannen (an aside: I especially like how it’s emphasised that Jean is a good fighter who is also built stocky, even fat). Locke and Jean make good character foils, and I’m excited to continue reading about their exploits.
This book gets progressively darker and more complex as the Gentleman Bastards are drawn ever deeper into a tangled web of manipulation and intrigues. Its construction is masterful, and its conclusion immensely satisfying.
eyeliketoread's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
bolynne's review against another edition
5.0
Not sure why I took so long to read this. It's absolutely magical and I can feel how much heart and love went into creating this world and story. The turns that were taken were clearly well thought out and had me on the edge of me seat.
Usually, I'm not a fan of jumping back and forth between past and present, but the character growth was so important and I never once got lost (a real triumph for me).
Read this. All you fans of Six of Crows, especially. You won't regret it.
Usually, I'm not a fan of jumping back and forth between past and present, but the character growth was so important and I never once got lost (a real triumph for me).
Read this. All you fans of Six of Crows, especially. You won't regret it.
rwsmitty's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lewistronb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
annelives's review
4.0
I actually would rate this a 3.5, but since that option isn't given I round up.
This story is clever and the created world is interesting. Not a world I'd want to live in or even visit, but interesting none the less.
I felt detached from the book while I was reading. While the writing and plot were engaging enough to keep me reading, I felt nothing for the lead protagonist. I actually liked the other gentlemen bastards more than Locke Lamora and found the interludes more interesting when it included them.
The flow of the story was also a bit tiring: present day to interlude back to present day to different scheme present day to interlude etc. All the jumping around became tedious.
I liked the interludes or flashbacks much more than the present day story. Seeing how the formation of this group came to be was more fascinating than the convoluted present day situation that the group is trying to survive (with little success).
I'm not sure if I'll read the next one. I imagine the mysterious gentlewoman bastard who Locke is in love with will play a role and I don't care enough about Locke to care about his love life. If it centered more on Jean I'd be more likely to read it.
I would however try another book by this author that wasn't a Locke Lamora installment though.
This story is clever and the created world is interesting. Not a world I'd want to live in or even visit, but interesting none the less.
I felt detached from the book while I was reading. While the writing and plot were engaging enough to keep me reading, I felt nothing for the lead protagonist. I actually liked the other gentlemen bastards more than Locke Lamora and found the interludes more interesting when it included them.
The flow of the story was also a bit tiring: present day to interlude back to present day to different scheme present day to interlude etc. All the jumping around became tedious.
I liked the interludes or flashbacks much more than the present day story. Seeing how the formation of this group came to be was more fascinating than the convoluted present day situation that the group is trying to survive (with little success).
I'm not sure if I'll read the next one. I imagine the mysterious gentlewoman bastard who Locke is in love with will play a role and I don't care enough about Locke to care about his love life. If it centered more on Jean I'd be more likely to read it.
I would however try another book by this author that wasn't a Locke Lamora installment though.