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A review by bklassen
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
5.0
This review is coming to you hot off the heels of finishing this book because after 750 pages, I have THOUGHTS.
Firstly, and this is not a knock against Scott Lynch or the book itself, but more so a cautionary tale as there are tons of Gentleman Bastard fans out there, and I was driven to read the book from some recommendations using keywords: heists, pirates, underdog tale, etc. Lies of Locke Lamora (LoLL for short) does contain heists and underdog elements, but I think I was operating the misunderstanding as I think there are pirates in the second book, but definitely not in this first installment. And while there are heists in this book, the whole plot does not revolve around heists. While they play a part, I wouldn’t necessarily call this a “heist book” because there is A LOT in this book.
Ok, expectations have been set, so let’s dive in, shall we?
Lynch has devised an incredible world full of depth, fascination, and a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar. There are references to things like sharks (called wolfsharks), watermelon (called river-melons), and inspiration galore from Venice, Italy. However, this is not a knock against Lynch; could you imagine reading a book where every single element is 100% original and needs to be explained in detail as you have no frame of reference? Firstly, that would be certainly impossible because everything in art is at least some part derived from either life or other art. Secondly, it would be exhausting.
No, there is some fantastic world building here. I loved the descriptions of Camorr with its structures of alien Elder glass and the completely different calendar, the different religions, the cultural practices, and more. There are times when every single description feels so fleshed out that you kinda get lost in the descriptions a bit, or need to re-read because you’re not quite sure what Lynch is describing, but there are some truly beautiful paragraphs in here. It could also be that the world in Lynch’s head is just that fantastical that almost every description requires the, at times, flowery and visual language. Just know that this is not really a book you can plow through if you want to get a good grasp on the world. Hell, not even the world just yet – really, the city of Camorr and some of its history.
That might be part of it – the city is vast, there is tons of history (former alien inhabitants, the class variations, etc), and diverse as well. I can’t imagine how I would go about describing Camorr any differently, to be honest. I did love names that Lynch is quite fond of – The Gray King, The Thorn of Camorr, Aza Guilla aka Lady of the Long Silence aka Goddess of Death, and so, so many more. Each one seemed to fit so perfectly in how it rolled off the tongue, conveyed the meaning, and fit the setting so well.
Because besides the incredible world building, there are many other things in the book that work just so well. The plot alternates between the advancing current plot and interludes that harken back to either history of Camorr and its traditions, or of certain characters (namely Locke Lamora). At first, this feels like it pulls you out of the story and you get frustrated that you couldn’t just get the story in chronological order to maintain pace.
However, I think this was brilliantly done – there is a ton to explain. Tons. Beyond tons. Patrick Rothfuss (another fantasy author known for spinning complex, compelling tales and then not releasing a follow up in years, a la George R R Martin) made a great point about being a fantasy writer. He said “you’re constantly walking the knife-edge between boring people by explaining too much, and confusing them by explaining too little.”
I didn’t even really think about that until I read that. It feels so true – you’re inventing so many things that contemporary authors and even historical authors don’t need to worry about, and yet if you go too overboard, you run the risk of losing the thread of your plot, losing your momentum, and thus losing your readers.
About halfway through I realized that this structure allows Lynch to keep the plot moving without info dumping or confusing the readers. This way, he gives you context for the next or previous chapter – just enough to make sure you understand and not bog you down. What was previously frustrating revealed itself to be a brilliant solution to a problem, and by the end actually increased tension because you’re trying to learn what will become of our beloved hero and the dangerous situation he’s found himself in, but Lynch slows it down a bit to give you some critical or interesting info with great payoff.
Speaking of the overall plot, if you’re like me, your trajectory will go a little something like this:
- 25% wow, this is great world building, but it’s a bit slow. There’s a heist here, sure, but it doesn’t feel very suspenseful. In fact, everything is going smoothly. Too smoothly…
- 50% Oh boy, Locke is in a little bit of a pickle. Let’s see where this goes…
- 66% OH MY GOD. This just became another story entirely!
- 75% Oh Locke, oh you idiot – the ropes are drawing closer and closer and you’re trapped in the middle of them. It feels like it’s going to take a miracle to get you out of this one.
And then you devour the last 25% in one go.
What was once a jaunt through entertaining vignettes about Locke’s past, the group coming together, their education and upbringing with Father Chains, and a heist that will set them up very well quickly soon becomes a story told at breakneck speed with twists, revenge, murder plots, an overpowered villain, and a fantastic switch on the protagonist.
See, in a slight change from a traditional story arc (or maybe I’m just reading the wrong books), Locke and his gang are doing well for themselves at the start. Well, maybe not the start of their lives as Locke becomes an orphan and causes some major mistakes in his earlier life that takes the lives of several of his cohorts. But when you’re introduced to the main plot, or perhaps the main plot of the first half, Locke is the leader of a gang that has a tidy set up of familiarity with Capa Barsavi (sort of the major boss of all the thieves in Camorr), a safe and hidden home of comforts, a good cover-up story, and enough money to set themselves up for life.
Then the rug is pulled out from beneath him, and Locke soon finds himself being played rather masterfully by several parties. He loses some of his best friends, perhaps even adopted family, his home destroyed, his resources and money stolen, and even his health vastly diminished. Using what little they have left and his wits, Locke must devise a plan to stop the new Gray King, who has an insanely powerful and seemingly unbeatable mage to protect him, get revenge, and save the lives of hundreds of people.
It's insane, and it works so well.
The best part of putting a protagonist back at square one and removing their advantages is that it forces them to a) rethink their hubris and arrogance, b) teach them valuable lessons, and c) use their most powerful asset – their brain.
But even with an imaginative and deeply fleshed out world, an expertly used plot structure, and a suspenseful and action-packed plot, what would a 10/10 story be without its characters?
The characters in LoLL won’t soon be forgotten, at least for me. Between the perfectly despicable villain, the Camorri nobility, the boys’ replacement dad Father Chains, and a cast of well-developed side characters, you already have enough for a rollicking good time. But the protagonists are where the story shines. There’s a pair of mischievous and wise-cracking twins, an impudent and eager young “intern”, the loyal and multi-faceted brawn, and at the heart of it, the leader of the gang and the heart of the story. The Thorn of Camorr. The wise-cracking, irreverent, quick-thinking master of pretend himself: Locke Lamora.
However, in a smart move by Lynch, Lamora has more heart than the usual stereotype after years of lessons on empathy and careful thinking drilled into him by Father Chains. After his childhood antics inadvertently costs of the lives of several of his peers in the de facto orphanage, Lamora is taught about the value of caution and human life. He does not take a life unthinkingly, he is exceptionally loyal to his small gang (and only family he really has, blood or not), and he can be humble when he royally messes up. Thus, Locke isn’t quite a Deadpool type, but more like a thief with a heart of gold. Except it’s more like just a heart, because if it were made of gold, he’d steal that, too.
Based on the length of this novel, I hope you can surmise that this is an amazing book if you’re willing to invest the time. Sure, there’s quite a bit in the front and I often needed to slow down to fully absorb the details of the world, but it’s more than worth it. I swore I would only read the first book because there are only 3 books published in a 7-book series, the 3rd book was published in 2013, and the next doesn’t even have an official release date.
It is not Lynch’s fault, because I can only imagine the pressure to continue a complex and rich series with a satisfying storyline and conclusion that lives up to popularity and reader expectations. Technically authors don’t owe us anything, although I will concede that they won’t reap the money that comes with publishing new books. Except for royalties and profits on books already sold. And if you’re George R R Martin, your series gets published into a tv show, you become a producer, you get to contribute ideas to a vastly popular video game by FromSoftware, and you can write other books and series that will almost certainly be consumed by fans and the world alike.
All that to say – I will definitely be picking up the other books in the series, when and if they come out, but we’ll see when. Based on what I read from this book, there’s some loveable characters, highly compelling plot and futures, and plenty more lying, scheming, and stealing in Locke’s future.