The Lies of Locke Lamora

The reviews which describe this book as "Ocean's Eleven meets Robin Hood" are very accurate. This book is the story of Locke Lamora, the leader of a small gang of con artists who make their living stealing from the nobles of Camorr, the city in which the book takes place, by way of extensive, elaborate plots. Of course, as the book goes on, things go awry as Locke and the "Gentlemen Bastards" get...more

The reviews which describe this book as "Ocean's Eleven meets Robin Hood" are very accurate. This book is the story of Locke Lamora, the leader of a small gang of con artists who make their living stealing from the nobles of Camorr, the city in which the book takes place, by way of extensive, elaborate plots. Of course, as the book goes on, things go awry as Locke and the "Gentlemen Bastards" get more than they bargained for. Scott Lynch has a very entertaining writing style, mixing just the right amount of humour, action and drama. Formulaic, but the formula is an excellent one.   hide

had my doubts, but i quickly realize this was a charming read

This book is unexpected. I actually laughed out loud at some parts in this book, then I cried at others. It is not in any way predictable and the characters are well done. I've read the sequel and look forward to more Scott Lynch (By look forward I mean check for a release date on amazon every chance I get)

This book was amazing. I especially enjoyed the way the author would toss in the comic relief. Usually the comic relief i see is pitiful, but i laughed out loud at the jokes, even after seeing the vivid images of a girl in a barrel of horse piss. This was a great change from the standard fantasy where you would have some generic hero fighting some typical "bad guy" with the anticipated plot...more

This book was amazing. I especially enjoyed the way the author would toss in the comic relief. Usually the comic relief i see is pitiful, but i laughed out loud at the jokes, even after seeing the vivid images of a girl in a barrel of horse piss. This was a great change from the standard fantasy where you would have some generic hero fighting some typical "bad guy" with the anticipated plot changes and the expected "happy ending". Also, you dont encounter a writer who isnt shy with his expletives often enough.   hide

Great book. For some reason a copy got sent to me (no idea where it was from...no return address and in a plain envelope...mysterious!) and I had reservations. Surely they'd only send out free copies of crap books that they couldn't sell? I was blow away by it though. Probably best described as Oceans 11 meets The Godfather meets...Pirates Of The Caribbean, maybe? If you like any of those movies...more

Great book. For some reason a copy got sent to me (no idea where it was from...no return address and in a plain envelope...mysterious!) and I had reservations. Surely they'd only send out free copies of crap books that they couldn't sell? I was blow away by it though. Probably best described as Oceans 11 meets The Godfather meets...Pirates Of The Caribbean, maybe? If you like any of those movies (and lets face it, who doesnt?) then you'll love this book. Interesting that it gets compared to a lot of different movies...with the film adaptation coming soon. Despite possibly being written with a movie in mind, it's stilll a very good book - Stephen Lynch is a clearly very capable author. Great plot, great characters, great dialogue...I eagerly await the next one - the sneak preview of the next book at the end of this was too much!   hide

I very much enjoyed this book.It took a few chapters to adjust to the writing style but it became very clever in how he has developed the characters. I found myself enjoying the book more and more as I read on. Scott Lynch has done a good job of developing the world and the characters without using a great deal of mindless detail and filler which so many fantasy authors tend to do. This was...more

I very much enjoyed this book.It took a few chapters to adjust to the writing style but it became very clever in how he has developed the characters. I found myself enjoying the book more and more as I read on. Scott Lynch has done a good job of developing the world and the characters without using a great deal of mindless detail and filler which so many fantasy authors tend to do. This was well worth the read.   hide

A breath of fresh air compared to the usual stale fare that is contemporary fantasy. Perhaps this is because it's not actually a fantasy story at all. All the elements are there - a pseudo-mediaeval society, ancient magic, an effete and murderous ruling class and a swaggering and murderous underclass, but underneath it all, it's a crime caper, a bunch of loveable rogues who rob the rich...more

A breath of fresh air compared to the usual stale fare that is contemporary fantasy. Perhaps this is because it's not actually a fantasy story at all. All the elements are there - a pseudo-mediaeval society, ancient magic, an effete and murderous ruling class and a swaggering and murderous underclass, but underneath it all, it's a crime caper, a bunch of loveable rogues who rob the rich (because that's where the money is), in a series of bravura cons. Then they get so far out of their depth they start dying. Yes, it's character driven, but there is a strong plot too. Lynch is a talented writer, witty and entertaining. Though it is a little self-indulghent in the middle sections, I found this story hugely enjoyable and happily read my way towards the end and the dramatic conclussions.   hide

The book started off well. I loved the way Lynch twisted some of the stories around and gave the reader what he didn't expect. Judging from the ending, I'm not sure what to expect to the sequel, but I'm sure it's going to be good. The battle with the Gray King at the end was a great climax. Overall a good book, but some of his usage of English and verb conjugation irked me. I...more

The book started off well. I loved the way Lynch twisted some of the stories around and gave the reader what he didn't expect. Judging from the ending, I'm not sure what to expect to the sequel, but I'm sure it's going to be good. The battle with the Gray King at the end was a great climax. Overall a good book, but some of his usage of English and verb conjugation irked me. I enjoyed the story though.   hide

A clever, fun-to-read book. But a bit bloody, too. Okay, more than a bit, but it was still a good read. It reminded me of The Sting. Nothing is as it seems.