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The Lies of Locke Lamora [Paperback]

Scott Lynch
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
RRP: £8.99
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Book Description

1 Feb 2007

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count.

Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards.

Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city.

But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming.

A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora . . .


Frequently Bought Together

The Lies of Locke Lamora + Red Seas Under Red Skies (GOLLANCZ S.F.) + Prince of Thorns (The Broken Empire, Book 1)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Gollancz; New Ed edition (1 Feb 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0575079754
  • ISBN-13: 978-0575079755
  • Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 19.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (136 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 4,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

"Locke's resilience and wit give the book the tragicomic air of a traditional picaresque, rubbery ethics and all."--"Publishers Weekly "
"Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser would have felt right at home with the Gentleman Bastards. They're not out to save the world, just their own skins...oh, and to relieve some nobles of their gold, jewels, and silks along the way. This is a fresh, original, and engrossing tale by a bright new voice in the fantasy genre. Locke Lamora makes for an engaging rogue, and Camorr a fascinating and gorgeously realized setting, a city to rival Lankhmar, Amber, and Viriconium. I look forward to returning there for many more visits."--George R. R. Martin
"Scott Lynch is a con man, a conjuror, a wickedly entertaining juggler of words with knives up his sleeves and hatchets down his back. By the time you realize he's dangerous, you're already bleeding. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a ticket inside the astonishing city-state Camorr, and a free pass into the com --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

Introducing Locke Lamora, the fantasy genre's next cult hero. A brilliant debut fantasy from a 26-year-old author.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Starts slowly, but keep at it 11 April 2008
Format:Paperback
I suspect a fair number of readers will give up on this in the first few chapters: you can tell this is a debut novel and the writer is sort of settling into his own voice as he goes. The first impression was of a sort of sub-Jack Vance, which is a hard act to follow.

It's worth persisting though - the language becomes less florid and the plot more fascinating: I really liked the setting. At first I didn't warm to the characters, but after a while I started to get attached to them. Be warned though, if you are the kind of reader that finds violence and death to sympathetic characters in fiction hard to read, you may not like this.

Several reviewers have referred to this novel as fantasy: it's set in a renaissance culture in the ruins of an alien culture, which to my mind makes it sci fi, but perhaps sci fi is less in the public eye just now.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining caper 19 Oct 2007
By Roman Clodia TOP 50 REVIEWER
Format:Paperback
This is like the Godfather, Oliver Twist and Ocean's Eleven mixed up and distilled on the page. Fun, witty, violent and entertaining, it keeps you reading and so is the perfect commute read. As other reviewers have said, Lynch dramatises rather than tells - a bit of a lost art for contemporary writers.

Personally I didn't like the flashbacks and back story, and thought it was too much of a device to delay the main plot but that's personal taste. There are places where Lynch overwrites but this is forgiveable, especially in the middle section of the book where the tension really ramps up. Lynch doesn't shy away from making his characters realistically violent as so many writers do out of moral correctness and that adds to the texture of the plot and characterisation.

This isn't by any means great literature, but it is a great romp of a novel that reminded me of how much sheer fun reading as a child used to be.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Assured and entertaining 11 Oct 2008
By I Read, Therefore I Blog TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
An assured debut novel the plot centers around a con that the Gentleman Bastards (Locke, Jean Tannen, Bug and the twins Calo and Galdo) are pulling on a nobleman, involving a rare wine. The con also allows Lynch to introduce Locke's backstory, from joining a gang belonging to the Thiefmaker and his transgressions that lead to his adoption by Father Chains and inauguration into the Gentleman Bastards. It also gives Lynch the opportunity to establish his world credibly and competently and in such a way that you want to find out more about it.

Although the con goes a little too smoothly to be fully believable, Lynch eventually introduces the Grey King, a dangerous man with his own agenda who coerces and blackmails Locke into helping him settle an old score with Barsai, the head of Camorr's crime syndicate. Although the end of the book is never really in doubt, I enjoyed the way in which the Grey King was always one step ahead of Locke. However, the introduction of the Bond Mage felt like a cop-out, particularly because Lynch doesn't really explain how magic works in this world until near the end, when the concept of 'true names' is revealed to cheap effect.

Until the Grey King's introduction about half-way through the text, the pace feels a little slow, although Lynch's writing style is absorbing. Characterisation is well handled - Locke et al aren't evil so much as of a different moral ilk to other folk and Lynch takes the time to set out their own moral code. Lynch's descriptions are evocative and vivid and Camorr has an almost Venetian feel to it.

On the negative side, this book doesn't have feature strong female characters. The women are pretty much on the sidelines in whore/wife roles.
... Read more ›
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75 of 89 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Fantasy Book 2007 25 April 2007
By himilne
Format:Paperback
I'll keep this simple. Buy this book. This is a fantastic romp that really does make you read it at any opportunity you can get. I could hear it calling me when I was at work. I couldn't sleep until I'd just read one more chapter ... I can't recommend it enough - it's the best book I've read in years (probably since Julian May's The Many Coloured Land). It's not classic fantasy but that really does not matter. Just buy it, take a day or two off work and enjoy. I don't need to go into the plot, the characters or the writing. If you're interested enough to be reading this review then just take my word for it. You really will get to laugh, cry, plot, plan and be amazed by Locke Lamora and the Gentlemen Bastards ...

I always like to know what other authors people read when I am checking a review so to help you, my taste in books runs from SF authors such as Peter Hamilton, Iain Banks, Alastair Reynolds, Richard Morgan, fantasy writers including Raymond Feist, R Scott Bakker, Julian May, Steven Erikson, George RR Martin, Tad Williams, Dan Simmons and other good storytellers such as Christopher Brookmyre, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Fowler, Matthew Reilly, Clive Barker, Michael Crichton.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars So good I missed my train stop 12 April 2007
Format:Paperback
A truly excellent read. The characters are well-defined and above all, enjoyable to spend time with. The complexity of the scams pulled by the Gentlemen Bastards keeps you gripped, and a perfect sense of comic timing (despite the fact that this is certainly not a comedy) had me laughing out loud at points.

The whole book had me itching to continue reading. Not just to see how the whole story panned out, but sheer desperation to see what happens on the next page, in the next chapter. It literally pulls you through this breakneck adventure, and leaves you happily exhausted by the end of it.

The style of writing and attention to detail in terms of setting up this ancient city are superlative, and I can't remember being so engrossed by a new fantasy world since I first stumbled upon China Mieville.

Can't recommend this strongly enough.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow burner
Almost gave up on this a couple of times as the plot takes rather a long time to set up and Scott Lynch goes the scenic route to get there as well. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Martin Squires
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read, but a bit slow.
The basic plot is not bad. The book is a bit slow and quite a bit of it seems to be written
to increase the page count.
Published 1 month ago by Murky Dismal
5.0 out of 5 stars love it
I absolutley love this book and have read it several times.It is just the right length and the main characters are rogues but you really warm to them very quickly. Read more
Published 1 month ago by pipin
5.0 out of 5 stars Slow burner - persevere!
Well I couldn't take to it at first, but it really develops slowly and brilliantly and becomes a plot on a larger and larger scale. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. S. Greenmantle
5.0 out of 5 stars Add my voice to the chorus
Hard to believe this is his first book. It is brilliant, sparkling in every way. He does a fantastic job of structuring the book and his visual descriptions are pitch perfect. Read more
Published 1 month ago by GoldenHairLionClaws
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible!!!
Must get!!!
Absolutely sensational with its incredible plots, witty characters and amazing writing.
Is a definite five out of five stars!!!
Published 1 month ago by Seungyeon
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable rogues
While the story employs a core format that has been used before (Artful Dodger-esque), Lynch introduces several fresh ideas that, together with well balanced "world... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Story Fanatic
5.0 out of 5 stars A marvel
Truly one of the best books of all time. And I've read most of the others so I should know.
Jon
Published 2 months ago by J. Dore
5.0 out of 5 stars Why did it have to end?
I don't remember ever enjoying a book as much, and I read a lot. Close to perfect. I hope Scott Lynch writes many more.
Published 3 months ago by spore frog
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and rivieting read
Just what the Dr ordered to take my mind off real life.

I can't wait for the next book in the series
Published 3 months ago by SM Davies
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