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penguin_emperor_of_the_north's review against another edition
3.0
On the plus side, I liked the plot, the scheming between the protagonists, the Spider and the Gray King was interesting. Locke's efforts to scam the nobility, the Spider hunting him and the Gray King's ongoing scheme against the local underworld was all very interesting.
But the thing that stopped me from enjoying this too much was my distaste for the main character. I think the book was going for a Robin Hood hype but a key part of 'rob from the rich and give to the poor' is 'give to the poor'. If you're just stealing and hording, you're not particularly impressive morally.
Add on, that till the last quarter or third, I actually liked and sympathized with the antagonist and there was one conflict that seemed to be resolved by a supervillain cliche (). That limited my enjoyment for the book but I'd likely continue the series if I get the chance.
But the thing that stopped me from enjoying this too much was my distaste for the main character. I think the book was going for a Robin Hood hype but a key part of 'rob from the rich and give to the poor' is 'give to the poor'. If you're just stealing and hording, you're not particularly impressive morally.
Add on, that till the last quarter or third, I actually liked and sympathized with the antagonist and there was one conflict that seemed to be resolved by a supervillain cliche (
Spoiler
when the Falconer tries to mind control Locke into killing Jean instead of continuing to control Jeankristoferbrock's review against another edition
Come back to this when you have more motivation. Should be good
avidreadr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A solid read. I unfortunately read this during a time when I was chomping at the bit to read other new release, but I enjoyed this book enough to see it through the end. Not sure I will continue the series - it’s nice that the book ended conclusively enough that a further installment doesn’t feel necessary.
Half a star knocked off solely for the reason that I am not super interested in the heist / con trope. But this book does the trope super well with a lot of fun twists and other elements / layers going on.
One thing this novel does particularly well: the plot was very well crafted and paced. Interesting things happened at a good clip, with fun new elements introduced throughout. I also liked the quality of prose. The book was well written but not too pretentious or hard to digest. The world building was done slowly throughout the book , I felt like I really could visualize the city and the different locales we go to.
The more I think about it…the more I liked this book!
Half a star knocked off solely for the reason that I am not super interested in the heist / con trope. But this book does the trope super well with a lot of fun twists and other elements / layers going on.
One thing this novel does particularly well: the plot was very well crafted and paced. Interesting things happened at a good clip, with fun new elements introduced throughout. I also liked the quality of prose. The book was well written but not too pretentious or hard to digest. The world building was done slowly throughout the book , I felt like I really could visualize the city and the different locales we go to.
The more I think about it…the more I liked this book!
eleanor_jane's review against another edition
3.0
3.5, concept is fun and has some good twists, but just a little too long sorry Dad
sarahetc's review against another edition
5.0
Among people I know who love books, there seem to be several consistent artifacts that make a book outstanding: beauty or novelty of language, relatability or extraordinariness of character, completeness and interest of universe, and related to all, whether the pacing of the story matches and flows, either quickly so that you devour it or slowly so that you can savor it. The Lies of Locke Lamora, full of beautifully descriptive, but also novel language introduces a bevy of interesting and relatable characters in a fully-realized, complete universe. They go on to have a rollicking, dangerous adventure made up of several, small, equally as exciting adventures. In short, this is a book lover's book.
The novel starts with a description of an abandoned cemetery, inhabited by orphans, who are cared for by a character simply called The Thiefmaker. The cemetery sits on an island in Camorr, a city made of islands, like a sprawling Venice if the canals were wider and full of man-eating sharks and gigantic rays. The Theifmaker is trying to sell an orphan he didn't buy, one six-year old Locke Lamora, to a conman who fronts as a priest while running a gang, composed mostly of children whom he is teaching in the arts of thievery, called The Gentleman Bastards. Lynch then jumps 15 or 20 years into the future, where the Gentleman Bastards, grown and incredibly successful, are about to pull their biggest game and wickedest burn yet-- to bilk one of Camorr's noblemen out of an incredible amount of money. And that would be a simple thing if the thieves gangs of Camorr, ruled ruthlessly by Capa Barsavi, weren't specifically prohibited from stealing from the nobility-- an arrangement called The Secret Peace created by Barsavi and the primary law enforcement agent of the Duke, a mysterious figure known only as The Spider.
The story pounds along, with short interludes that take the reader back to the youths of the Gentleman Bastards, and their educations both formal and informal. Lynch's universe is fully realized, with a complete cosmology, geography and culture. He gives tantalizing hints at the wider history of his world and tells short stories within stories as spectacular amuse bouches for the rest of the series.
I want to say so much more, but I won't. I want everyone who loves stories to discover this book on his or her own terms. I've probably said too much and I haven't even hinted at the real villains or the real action. To sum up (too late): I love the characters. I love the universe. I love the pace. I love each masterfully crafted phrase, right down to the vowels. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. And I hope that, if you're reading this in anticipation of picking it up yourself, that you love it as much as I did.
The novel starts with a description of an abandoned cemetery, inhabited by orphans, who are cared for by a character simply called The Thiefmaker. The cemetery sits on an island in Camorr, a city made of islands, like a sprawling Venice if the canals were wider and full of man-eating sharks and gigantic rays. The Theifmaker is trying to sell an orphan he didn't buy, one six-year old Locke Lamora, to a conman who fronts as a priest while running a gang, composed mostly of children whom he is teaching in the arts of thievery, called The Gentleman Bastards. Lynch then jumps 15 or 20 years into the future, where the Gentleman Bastards, grown and incredibly successful, are about to pull their biggest game and wickedest burn yet-- to bilk one of Camorr's noblemen out of an incredible amount of money. And that would be a simple thing if the thieves gangs of Camorr, ruled ruthlessly by Capa Barsavi, weren't specifically prohibited from stealing from the nobility-- an arrangement called The Secret Peace created by Barsavi and the primary law enforcement agent of the Duke, a mysterious figure known only as The Spider.
The story pounds along, with short interludes that take the reader back to the youths of the Gentleman Bastards, and their educations both formal and informal. Lynch's universe is fully realized, with a complete cosmology, geography and culture. He gives tantalizing hints at the wider history of his world and tells short stories within stories as spectacular amuse bouches for the rest of the series.
I want to say so much more, but I won't. I want everyone who loves stories to discover this book on his or her own terms. I've probably said too much and I haven't even hinted at the real villains or the real action. To sum up (too late): I love the characters. I love the universe. I love the pace. I love each masterfully crafted phrase, right down to the vowels. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series. And I hope that, if you're reading this in anticipation of picking it up yourself, that you love it as much as I did.
traitorjoe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
murraybymoonlight's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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
bruinuclafan's review against another edition
4.0
What can I say? The writing is fine--nothing special. This isn't Ursula K. Le Guin. But it's a fun story with interesting plot lines that made me want to keep listening. The narration was really good too.