The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

[oryn]

This book is definately for adults and isn't one of the most popular books ever written (I have not yet encountered a single person who has read or heard of it), but it is absolutely fantastic. It's the story of Locke Lamora, leader of the Gentleman Bastards gang. This gang is one of many gangs belonging to Capa Raza, leader of the underground thieving network of the mythical city of Camorr (reminicsent of midieval Venice). Locke and the Bastards are the richest and most talented thieves in Camorr, but when the mysterious man known as the Grey King demands Locke's help with his intricately plotted revenge against the Capa Raza, their world--and the worlds of the people they rob--are about to be shaken to their cores.

A very funny and well-written novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora is incredibly original, centered around a Robin Hood who steals from the rich and couldn't care less about the poor. Despite that, Locke and his cut-throat friends are all incredibly likeable--you can tell that they have good hearts and really do care about each other.

The only qualm I might have with this book is that it is incredibly confusing in parts; I had to read several passages over again just to understand what was going on. This is mainly due to the fact that the author, Scott Lynch, will often go into long paragraphs about the history of Camorr and the Gentleman Bastards' very intricate plans regarding their thievary. While this is very interesting, it can get slightly long-winded.

I would definately give this book a 10/10 for quality, plot, and characters. And I'd rate it R for violence, some sexual references, and language.

[Carraka]

-agreement-

Very very.

Lynch ties for my second-place fantasy author.

My issues with it were the pacing at the end, but the brilliance of the rest of the novel, the detail of the worldbuilding, the intelligence of the characters, the banter, the twists of the plot -- more than worth it.

Regarding popularity, Lynch is pretty well-known in the fantasy community, but ... well, the fantasy community isn't the largest community out there. It also makes sense that you haven't met any people who've read it, considering it's an adult book. I push my friends, but most of them are still in young adult. Not that young adult is bad ... they're just ... young adults.