Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Lies of Locke Lamora

Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

24 reviews

sandeater's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

maidofbees's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was actually my third attempt at reading this book, and I finally did it! The content is a lot darker than my usual fantasy reads, which I think is why I struggled. That said, it was also funny and had a lot of heart. It's a shame there weren't many female characters- those that were in this book were minor.

Content Warnings

ziopera's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Content Warnings

marvelmania's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Pros

THE CHARACTERS! I loved all of the Gentlemen Bastards, especially Locke. He is an interesting take on a thief main character. He's not your typical, handsome, strong, brooding thief. He is complex in his emotions and he's not afraid to show it. He has a lot of love for his friends but is also capable of causing some real destruction and death. I like that he is described as being "mid" in every physical way. It causes people to underestimate him and makes his thieving all the more rewarding.

The actually thieving itself. Although most of Locke's thieve comes from using disguises and not actual... heisting, the way it comes together is very satisfying. Locke's ability to deceive makes up for a lack of action packed stealing. The long con is done well.

Galdo, Calo and Bugs death legitimately shocked me. I actually sat there with a surprised Pikachu face. I was not expecting it even though it was totally foreshadowed earlier. I genuinely thought we were going to have a happy little thief found family for the entire of this series. The deaths were also impactfully written with the right amount of emotion.

This book balanced emotion very well. I found myself laughing at some parts and wanting to cry at others. The balance makes the book very entertaining.

Incredibly descriptive and immersive world building and writing. I was able to picture this book perfectly in my head as it was told.

Cons

World building. Yes it is a pro and con. It was amazingly descriptive but sometimes it was just too much. A slog to get through in some chapters.

Lack of female characters. It would've been nice if we actually got to see Sabetha in Locke's youth. She's mentioned a few times, even being said to have been around. But we never actually get to see her which is disappointing considering her and Locke have a romantic relationship. I'm sure the 2nd book will amend this.

Content Warnings

saskia_slottje's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Loved this tale of crossing and double crossing and triple crossing, with deep within its onion like plot the golden nugget of a heart, set against a wonderfully detailed but distinctly uncomfortable world

Content Warnings

dragonaion's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book is brilliant, a wild ride, and I was delightfully surprised. I thought this would be a story of a petty thief who would get caught and end up escaping in a new Robin Hood retelling. What I got was something completely in a world of its own that has almost made me cry repeatedly. What can only be described as "grunge fantasy" (high fantasy 1,000 years post societal collapse in the slums of New York) this has more heart, love, and sheer brilliance than almost any other book I've read to date. Every moment, every interlude, weaves together in such a way that turns this from a story into art, following a batch of characters that are relatable, lovable, and wears no plot armor. I cannot gush more about how amazing and unique this book is- if you have fond memories of the concept of the brotherhood in Theives, this is just the story for you.
"Liar... Liar... Liar... Bastard!"

Edit: I've found another book that is a sibling-story to this. If you enjoyed The Lies of Locke Lamora, you will absolutely feel right at home with Nevernight by Jay Kristoff.

Content Warnings

madamenovelist's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

josiahpeterson17's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny tense medium-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

4.0

I was pretty indifferent through the first 100 pages. It was honestly difficult to read parts of it. But I think I also may have been super tired the first night I picked this up.

Anyways, the 2nd half of this book really is excellent. Everything clicks. The plot takes off, and the characters really shine. This was a fun ride. Locke and Jean are an awesome duo. I'll likely continue the series sometime this year.

Content Warnings

mikhoest's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While I think it does rely a bit on the second book to give this story its full weight, The Lies of Locke Lamora is still such a great introduction to this series. Having failed to enjoy some other books that tried to go for a similar mood, I've come to appreciate all the things this novel gets right.

The world is cool and unique, with a strong atmosphere and tons of little cultural touches that bring it to life. Camorr is an unforgettable place. I'd hate to live there, but I feel like I could read a hundred books about this twisted, layered version of Venice. I love concepts like elderglass, the alchemical drinks, the strict social orders and the nuanced religions.

The characters are fun and lovable. Locke proves himself to be more heroic than I had expected, but even if he were as much as a 'bastard' as he claims to be, I think I'd still have fun reading about him. His charisma is magnetic. The others are great, too, and their interactions are pure gold.

The main plot takes a bit to kick in, but only because we first have to be treated to an absolutely beautiful scam by Locke's gang, in which they pretty much pull out a nobleman's wealth with one hand, while pushing it with the other. That is some Better Call Saul-grade chicanery, and I ate it up. The rest is a revenge-driven power struggle between Camorr's major players, with the surprising angle that Spoiler
Locke is not one of them. He and his gang are just pawns in a bigger game, which is one of my favourite things about the plot.

The regular flashback sequences took a bit for me to get used to, but the book is written that way for a reason. A lot of moments are given extra meaning in the context of Locke's childhood. It also works really well for setting up jokes.

I've never read a better 'thief fantasy' story, and I doubt I ever will. Not with this kind of imagination poured into it, at least.

Content Warnings

rangerwing75's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ll be frank and admit that the only reason I wanted to read this was because of Murphy Napier constantly singing its praises, and I trust her judgment on good books.

And holy hell was she right.

The dialogue was the best part of this book. The characters are witty and filled with all kinds of colourful insults and threats.

The world is so so detailed. Like. It’s clear a lot of care was put into crafting this world. However, I found this could be a bit of a detriment at times. There’s a lot to remember, because everything impacts the plot in some way, and I struggle with grasping detail sometimes.

My only other big gripe is that there were times when the plot dragged. When it dragged, it dragged hard. I’m also not so sure how I feel about the interludes (which is just a fancy term for the flashbacks). Yes, they provided the necessary information for what was to come, and I don’t think there was a better way to have gone about it, but it just wasn’t something I personally enjoyed.

Overall, solid book. Locke and Jean’s friendship is top tier. Be mindful of the constant threats to cut off people’s balls.

Content Warnings

More...