Lies of Locke Lamora

Well, I have recently finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora, book one of The Gentleman Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch and I really enjoyed it.

The plot of the books is fairly straightforward: Lies, swindles and betrayal in a fantasy version of Venice called Camorr. The thief and priest of the 13th,the crooked warden, unnamed god of thieves and scoundrels, Locke Lamora (aka, the Thorn of Camorr) is in the middle of a caper to trick a Nobleman out of his fortune when he is drawn into the plot of the Gray King to unseat the crime lord of of Camorr. There is magic and mayhem and crooked dealings all around.

The book shines not in its plot, but in its characterization, setting, and use of language. Lynch successfully gives each of his characters a distinct voice and mannerisms that make them unique from one another. His descriptions of Camorr flesh out the city and make it feel like a real place, with a long history and all the baggage that comes with that history. These descriptions are even more effective as they do not cause the story to drag under masses of descriptive text, being inserted naturally into the flow of the plot.

If you enjoy reading about the exploits of a charming rogue and anti-hero, then try this book.