The Lies of Locke Lamora

Gentleman Bastard, Book 1

By: Scott Lynch

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's Summary

“Remarkable...Scott Lynch’s first novel, The Lies of Locke Lamora, exports the suspense and wit of a cleverly constructed crime caper into an exotic realm of fantasy, and the result is engagingly entertaining.” (The Times, London) 

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 brutal game - or die trying. 

Praise for The Lies of Locke Lamora 

“Fresh, original, and engrossing...gorgeously realized.” (George R. R. Martin) 

“Right now, in the full flush of a second reading, I think The Lies of Locke Lamora is probably in my top ten favorite books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven’t read it, you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.” (Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times best-selling author of The Name of the Wind)

“High-octane fantasy...a great swashbuckling yarn of a novel.” (Richard Morgan)

©Scott Lynch 2006 (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

“A unique fantasy milieu peopled by absorbing, colorful characters...Locke’s wit and audacity endear him to victims and bystanders alike.” (The Seattle Times)

“A true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf...Lynch immediately establishes himself as a gifted and fearless storyteller, unafraid of comparisons to Silverberg and Jordan, not to mention David Liss and even Dickens.” (Booklist, starred review)

Narrator is a bit too much

The Narrator has an excellent voice but I think he lays it on a bit thick. There are times where the narrator is speaking in the narrator voices and he purposefully puts on this flowery english accent that makes it hard to follow. I do like to listen to books while I work but I just can't passively listen and follow the story due to narration. The opening was good with the conversation between the Thiefmaker and the Priest however I am now completely lost there are characters never introduced I think there was a time jump. It is also hard to follow since all the characters voices sound the same. Will have to re-listen when I can really focus on the book.

Extremely stylish but definitely flawed

tldr; extremely fun and beautiful writing, very stylish setting, but seriously flawed and contrived story and stakes.

Good first; the prose in this book is beautiful, hilarious, and just fun to listen to. The narrator is perhaps having a bit TOO much fun but it fits the writing quite well. The setting is, likewise, exquisitely painted. The city of Camor feels real, rich, and full. A+.

However, this book has some serious problems, the foremost of which is the extremely contrived plot. With some minor spoilers, the main characters are essentially high class scammers. We receive a description of a major scam which, frankly, makes no sense. Layer on layer of plots, some of which make sense, many of which are absolutely and obviously pointless. Characters gain or lose motivation whenever it seems important for the plot. It's a mess.

Another issue is that, despite the gruesome descriptions of injuries and violence and language, this book is really not very gritty. We're presented this band of thieves who steal money without any compunction but are all obviously perfectly likable people who care more about each other than money and would never harm anyone (except for those they're robbing). It's weird, we're in this gritty world but all the main characters are prefectly honorable, idealistic even.

A few other gripes. The pacing is weird, with a bunch of flashbacks at kind of obnoxious moments. Major climaxes are weirdly underwhelming. Characters are kind of simple and predictable. The main villain is very weak, for most of the book we as the reader have no reason to even dislike him and after that it's not clear how the villains plans conflict at all with the heros, other than the fact that they've decided to kill each other.

In summary, the book is weak in plot and very contrived, but the prose is delightful and the narration very hilarious.

Daniel Greene was right!

This was one of the best pairings between a story and narrator I have come across.

Great pacing throughout. Loved the interludes that provided extra back story and context. Definitely downloading the next book as soon as I finish this review.

I found this based on the recommendation of the Youtuber Daniel Greene. Check him out if you're looking for a new "read".

Amazing world building with high stakes

Can't even begin to describe how much I enjoyed this audiobook. The author does a wonderful job of building his world, of marrying the familiar with the alien. Yes, this world has the smells and tastes you love and are familiar with, garlic and rosemary and thyme, but it's also foreign and strange. The people live in a city built by ancient beings, the geography and politics are unlike anything you're familiar with. It's a subtly Italian setting, except it's not at all. But it's wonderfully constructed, the characters are fun, the stakes are thrilling and intense, and it always makes you want more.

The narrator did a great job, captured the book beautifully, perfect accent.

Get it, you won't regret it.

Complex and elegant plot

Incredibly immersive and detailed! I like the weaving back and forth through time. I grieved with Locke, rooted for him, celebrated his victories, and feared for him when defeat looked inevitable. A balanced narrative that lets the consequences of actions play out for good and ill. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. But forewarning to the faint of heart, the language and actions of the life and lies of Locke Lamora are not for those of delicate sensibilities ;)

Ocean's 11 as a Fantasy Novel

The narrator is fantastic. I knew by the end of the prologue that I would love this book. Ended at a good spot if you don't want to commit to the whole series.

Weak story line.

This author curses just to curse, and not very well might I add.
There was a girl in the story, never seen or heard from her. Just some mystery love.
Overly descriptive on silly scenes.
Spends time describing non entertaining and non important parts to the story.
Don’t wast your time or money on this one.

Beautiful.

This book swept me off my feet. The setting is amazing. The layout and the progression of the story keeps you on your toes. One of my favorites!

To each their own.

Perhaps this story has let me down because it has been showered with quite a few glowing reviews and it didn’t meet any of my expectations.
Maybe other readers will relate to my feelings towards stories such as this one. If you like intense sword play, magic, dragons, elves, or anything you would find in a classic fantasy tale , you’re looking in the wrong place. I started this book with hopes of amazing world building and being able to relate to cheeky and witty characters that provide entertaining dialogue at best. Simply put, the hook and bait was nowhere to be found and the story never enthralled me enough to reel me in. The writing isn’t bad at all, so If you’re ok with a very slow start and countless detail that slows the story down then read this book. To each their own.

Not for me

Had such great hopes for the series; and perhaps it is the readers voice and performance that turns me off the most. But I just don't care about these characters. The voice just got on my last nerve. I had to stop after only a few chapters as I couldn't handle it and I just didn't care what happened to any of the characters.