544 pages
English language
Published April 24, 2007
An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.
I'd tell you 1, 2, 3 or 5 stars. I'd tell you I wasn't entertained. I'd tell you I wasn't captivated by the prose. ...But I'd be lying.
I don't want to spoil anything here, so I'll just say that if you're a grown-up and are okay with grown-up imagery and language, there's really no reason you should pass on this book. It's got a story that will engage you emotionally, relatable characters, steady character growth, an expansive world that feels alive, and 2 sequels thus far. If I had a Mount Rushmore of first novels in the fantasy genre, this would probably have a spot.
These days, very few books keep me up until 2 at night. This one did it for me.
In a fantasy city inspired by Venice in the Renaissance, Locke Lamora is a thief. Not any common thief though, he's been brought up to be the BEST thief, along with his crew. He made me think of Arsène Lupin or Fantômas (minus the sadistic approach—which is taken by Lamora's enemies).
The action is fast-paced, the world is well made, but I regret that almost all major characters are men.
The kind of book that you just can't put down with a set of characters that you actually give a damn about. Best fantasy I have read in a long while.
Review to come.
4.5 stelle e mezzo. La mia opinione, seppur striminzita, è nei commenti.
Not too bad for a magic heavy fantasy novel. Intricate world building and fascinating characters. Magic was a problem though. Longer review to come. Audiobook narration was top notch.
This was an excellent book and a great counterpoint to the last book I read (a detective novel). The characters and plot are top-notch and the setting is quite interesting too. While this is part of a series, this book feels very complete. I'm not sure how the story will progress beyond the first book, but there is at least one element left open that I think may be addressed. I will certainly be reading the other books in this series.
My full review is on my blog: strakul.blogspot.com/2013/11/book-review-lies-of-locke-lamora-by.html
