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 game –
or die trying… (Book jacket)
Last night
I finished reading The Lies of Locke
Lamora and I must be allowed to rave.
Scott Lynch delivered such a wonderful kind of magic with this
book. It’s the kind of story that just
sweeps you off your feet and takes you on a thrill-laden adventure you just
wish you couldn’t come back from. I
never wanted this book to end.
Set in the city/country
of Camorr, where the poor resort to whatever desperate means to beat hunger, cold,
and find some means to thrive; and the rich live quite literally in gilded
towers, the world of The Lies of Locke
Lamora has to be one of the most well-conceived, empathic, most adventure-ripe
settings I’ve ever encountered. It is a
world that, for all the fantastical elements that make it seem far-removed from
our own, is brutally honest and unapologetically stark in its vivid portrayal
of human truth. You can practically
smell the stink of the slums and the sweat of the toiling working class right
along with seeing the glow and reflected glory of the elite’s glass towers, the
shine of their gold.
The main
plot of the novel dwells on the painful and tragic clash between Locke’s Gentleman
Bastards and the forces of a mysterious, vengeful foe called the Gray King. Locke and his band of skilled and audacious
con artists are on a big heist when the Gray King suddenly comes into the
picture, compelling Locke to be his accomplice in a mad scheme or else. It would have been easy for Locke and his
crew to deal with this guy, but the Gray King had a malignant and terrible ace
up his sleeve – a Bondsmage. Possessing
indescribable magical abilities, the Bondsmage made short work of all the
Gentleman Bastards’ efforts to resist or fight back. With him in the Gray King’s employ as well as
a crew of seasoned bruisers, assassins, alchemists, and shark-fighting
gladiators, Locke and his friends suffered the most horrific, most tragic
consequence. Locke finds himself bereft
of almost everything he held dear, and soon begins a desperate campaign for
absolute revenge even if it meant he must pay for it with his own life.
Interspersed
among the chapters comprising the central plot of the novel are “interludes”
where little by little the history of Locke and his companions are
revealed. Where did they come from, how
they all met, who taught them the skills required for them to ply their “trade”,
and what were the experiences that brought them together and turned them into a
unit as close-knit as any family tied by blood – all these and more are
illuminated, rendering you further and further absorbed into their lives. As a reader I felt so close to them I could
just imagine the sound of their voices and footfalls. I felt so much for them, that it hit me
doubly hard when things started to turn bad.
And then I really couldn’t stop turning the pages anymore. Not knowing immediately what would happen next
was plainly unthinkable. The book just
took me by a death-grip and pulled and pushed me to the very end. Spectacular kind of compulsion, this, that
only a good story can deliver. My eyes
felt so sore by the time I finished the book, deep into the dead of night. I think I might have tried not to blink.
I loved all
the characters, even the bad guys (they were such utterly despicable hell-spawns…
perfect), but I developed a soft spot for Locke. He was a splendid thing. In spite of being a profligate thief, a
shameless liar, and a (somewhat unintentional) killer, he still maintained his
own particular brand of innocence and naiveté.
I could just imagine him swagger through town all self-assured and
witness his deft mummery. A rakish
leader he might be, but he also deeply cared for his family the way a rough but
loving elder brother would. And then,
just like any loving brother would, he turned coldly unforgiving and merciless
to those who sought to harm his family.
Relentless in his pursuit for vengeance, his ruthlessness can only be
matched by none other than that of his enemy, the Gray King.
This book
was just lent to me by a good friend, but I swear by all that’s holy (or
unholy) I will grab myself a copy as soon as I spot it, as well as all of the
sequels (I think there are two by now) so that I may re-read at my
leisure. This is just the kind of book
that I cherish – one that lets me escape into another world without ever leaving
my seat (actually in my case, bed). How
is it possible to get an adrenaline rush while lying down and cuddling with a
book? Well, when the book happens to be
something like this.
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