The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1) in SpecFic Buddy Reads

Oct 27, 2011 Nataliya rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: location-is-the-true-protagonist, 2012-reads

The Lies of Locke Lamora is a love child of Ocean's Eleven and The Godfather. With blood, deaths, betrayals, money, and drowning in horse urine. With a sh*tload of non-PG humor. All for the price of one. And it's SO. GOOD.

“Some day, Locke Lamora,” he said, “some day, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope that I’m still around to see

...more

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Aug 11, 2015 Lyn rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Blah, blah, blah, I'm a thief.

Meh, DNF.

OK, so I get to be the odd man out this time, the cranky old curmudgeon who failed to like a wildly popular book.

Ok.

Many of my GR friends loved this book, which was hyped as a mix between the Godfather and Ocean’s Eleven, and that sounded great. It also started pretty good with a Fagin and Artful Dodger type situation. I also thought the writing was akin to Brent Weeks and China Mieville.

And then the rest of the book happened. I just did not care anymore ab ...more

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Mar 17, 2017 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library-catalogue

This is honestly one of the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everything from the characters to how each section of the story was organized felt like a fresh spin on the classic concept of thievery and how it’s usually presented in a fantasy world. I have to admit that this series had me on board from the very first chapter, mostly because I thought it was funny as shit (now seems like a good time to mention that the series contains a lot of profanity). The dialogue is incredibly witty, This is honestly one of the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everything from the characters to how each section of the story was organized felt like a fresh spin on the classic concept of thievery and how it’s usually presented in a fantasy world. I have to admit that this series had me on board from the very first chapter, mostly because I thought it was funny as shit (now seems like a good time to mention that the series contains a lot of profanity). The dialogue is incredibly witty, and I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud; I even went back to reread some of the funnier passages once I was done. The series was totally infused with that great situational humor that really gave it a life of its own.

The plot was pretty clever – an Ocean’s 11-style framework with a lot of plans, sub plans, and countless moving parts that eventually lead to the big payoffs (or the big fails, as the case may be). I really enjoyed seeing what harebrained scheme the characters would concoct next and delighted whenever they managed to pull one off. Did I always know exactly what was going on? That’s a definite no – but the journey was so much fun that not knowing didn’t bother me.

So far, I’ve made it sound like this series is a lighthearted comedy with very little substance – but I assure you it also has its fair share of absolutely heart wrenching moments. Things definitely don’t always go according to plan, and it’s how the characters deal with the fallout from those failures is what made this series truly poignant in my mind (that, and it was funny… did I mention it was funny?). For me, The Gentleman Bastards series was unique in almost every writing category I can think of, and that’s part of the reason why it’s now among my favorites. I didn’t like all of the books equally, so I’m going to take a minute to talk a little more (spoiler free) specifics about each one.

The Lies of Locke Lamora:

As far as the humor goes, I think I laughed hardest during the first third of this one (which is understandable considering the plot gets more serious as it goes). I thought it offered an excellent introduction to the story, great character development, and great storytelling. As I mentioned before, the organization of each scene was different than I’ve read before because it kind of bounced back and forth between past and present. You get a glimpse in the past long enough for the “present” passages to have more meaning and context, which might be why I came away from it feeling satisfied from how rounded the story was. There was a section kind of near the middle where I wasn’t totally sure what the scheme was, let alone how what they were doing contributed to it, but that may just have been an attention problem on my end. In any case, it eventually made itself clear and I was just as enthralled near the end as I had been at the beginning. A strong first book, no doubt about it, but it’s the second one that really rocked my world.

4.5/5 stars

A part of me wishes I had read the first book of this series when it first came out ages ago – I’ve had it sitting on my shelf since then. The other part of me is grateful I waited, however, because of how long the wait is between book releases. There is a lot going on in these novels, so many things to orchestrate, that I’m frankly just grateful the author had enough energy to give us at least three books in the series, but I would still appreciate a solid release date for the fourth book. I’m excited to see the series getting so much attention in both the blogosphere and the bookselling world, and I’m even more glad to have finally joined the ranks of fans eager to see what happens to Locke next. If you are sick of the same old thing, give this series a try, you (probably) won’t regret it! As a side note, I listened to bits of these on audio and it is an experience… I think it’s now my preferred format for the series.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com ...more

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May 31, 2009 Chris Haught rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi-fan-group, fof-reads, read-owned-hardcover

This book was simply a lot of fun. The schemes of Locke Lamora were impressive, even after I've seen such films as Ocean's Eleven and The Italian Job.

It's part caper, part Robin Hood like tale, part epic fantasy, part Mafia-style pictoral of a Venice-like city. While magic isn't common, it's certainly used with a wallop when it is brought in. I compare it to Robin Hood, since the legends surrounding "The Thorn of Camorr", as Locke is known, say that he steals from the rich and gives to the poor ...more

27 likes · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2015 Cathy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

DNF at 150 pages, 30%. Truth be told, I was pretty much done already, when I checked the page count at page 64 with a sigh and an eye-roll. Pure stubbornness kept me going this far, with a heavy dose of skimming. And it took me six days.

Very wordy. Why use ten words, if you can say it in twenty? I started skimming early on, to find the plot underneath all the flowery prose. And the details about the details, describing even more details. I did not mind the swearing or the violence or the lack in ...more

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Jul 03, 2022 Carrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mgr, own, fantasy, debut

When I first started LLL I had to put it down because I was still kinda slumping. I wasn't sure it was me or the book. It was me, this book is fantastic. The Locke is such an interesting character, a bloody hilarious great character.

Sooo many good quotes from this book. I have tabbed so much humor and sass. One minute I'm laughing then gasping with my hand covering my mouth because like a switch Scott Lynch can change the mood.

Can not wait to read the next book.

...more

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Jun 24, 2014 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is honestly one of the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everything from the characters to how each section of the story was organized felt like a fresh spin on the classic concept of thievery and how it’s usually presented in a fantasy world. I have to admit that this series had me on board from the very first chapter, mostly because I thought it was funny as shit (now seems like a good time to mention that the series contains a lot of profanity). The dialogue is incredibly witty, This is honestly one of the most unique fantasy series I’ve ever read. Everything from the characters to how each section of the story was organized felt like a fresh spin on the classic concept of thievery and how it’s usually presented in a fantasy world. I have to admit that this series had me on board from the very first chapter, mostly because I thought it was funny as shit (now seems like a good time to mention that the series contains a lot of profanity). The dialogue is incredibly witty, and I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud; I even went back to reread some of the funnier passages once I was done. The series was totally infused with that great situational humor that really gave it a life of its own.

The plot was pretty clever – an Ocean’s 11-style framework with a lot of plans, sub plans, and countless moving parts that eventually lead to the big payoffs (or the big fails, as the case may be). I really enjoyed seeing what harebrained scheme the characters would concoct next and delighted whenever they managed to pull one off. Did I always know exactly what was going on? That’s a definite no – but the journey was so much fun that not knowing didn’t bother me.

So far, I’ve made it sound like this series is a lighthearted comedy with very little substance – but I assure you it also has its fair share of absolutely heart wrenching moments. Things definitely don’t always go according to plan, and it’s how the characters deal with the fallout from those failures is what made this series truly poignant in my mind (that, and it was funny… did I mention it was funny?). For me, The Gentleman Bastards series was unique in almost every writing category I can think of, and that’s part of the reason why it’s now among my favorites. I didn’t like all of the books equally, so I’m going to take a minute to talk a little more (spoiler free) specifics about each one.

The Lies of Locke Lamora:

As far as the humor goes, I think I laughed hardest during the first third of this one (which is understandable considering the plot gets more serious as it goes). I thought it offered an excellent introduction to the story, great character development, and great storytelling. As I mentioned before, the organization of each scene was different than I’ve read before because it kind of bounced back and forth between past and present. You get a glimpse in the past long enough for the “present” passages to have more meaning and context, which might be why I came away from it feeling satisfied from how rounded the story was. There was a section kind of near the middle where I wasn’t totally sure what the scheme was, let alone how what they were doing contributed to it, but that may just have been an attention problem on my end. In any case, it eventually made itself clear and I was just as enthralled near the end as I had been at the beginning. A strong first book, no doubt about it, but it’s the second one that really rocked my world.

4.5/5 stars

A part of me wishes I had read the first book of this series when it first came out ages ago – I’ve had it sitting on my shelf since then. The other part of me is grateful I waited, however, because of how long the wait is between book releases. There is a lot going on in these novels, so many things to orchestrate, that I’m frankly just grateful the author had enough energy to give us at least three books in the series, but I would still appreciate a solid release date for the fourth book. I’m excited to see the series getting so much attention in both the blogosphere and the bookselling world, and I’m even more glad to have finally joined the ranks of fans eager to see what happens to Locke next. If you are sick of the same old thing, give this series a try, you (probably) won’t regret it! As a side note, I listened to bits of these on audio and it is an experience… I think it’s now my preferred format for the series.

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.nikihawkes.com ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Jul 02, 2013 Liam || Books 'n Beards rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, fantasy, library, 2014, bought-2021, 2021

"So this is winning," he said.
"It is," replied Jean.
"It can go fuck itself."

Second time reading LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA, I enjoyed it!

Locke Lamora and his Gentleman Bastards are the best thieves and conmen in Camorr, a city full to bursting with thieves and conmen - they steal for the sake of stealing, for the thrill of the game, but when a new force enters the underworld and angles for a takeover, the Gentleman Bastards are wrapped up in a plot for the very survival of their awful, wonderful c ...more

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Dec 25, 2017 Helen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This reads as a fun romp; a young group of thieves steal from the rich and bond over dinner. Meanwhile, lying about their success to their overlord.

Yet, if you read carefully you'll notice that the sharp dialogue races across some decidedly vicious torture. The dialogue is excellent.

I listened to the audio mostly and the narrator was brilliant. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

May 07, 2013 Amber (Books of Amber) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: otp-alert

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

The Lies of Locke Lamora is amazing. Freakin' brilliant. I think it deserves 100x more attention than it is getting right now. With an easy but engaging writing style, lovable characters, and fantastic world-building, you can't really go wrong.Let's start with the world-building because it was beautiful. It's more subtle than, say, The Way of Kings or Mistborn. You start the book feeling quite at home in Renaissance Italy, and then all of a sudd

This review was originally posted on Books of Amber

The Lies of Locke Lamora is amazing. Freakin' brilliant. I think it deserves 100x more attention than it is getting right now. With an easy but engaging writing style, lovable characters, and fantastic world-building, you can't really go wrong.Let's start with the world-building because it was beautiful. It's more subtle than, say, The Way of Kings or Mistborn. You start the book feeling quite at home in Renaissance Italy, and then all of a sudden super intelligent fantastical sharks jump out of the water and start eating gladiators, and there's talk of magicians and you're like woahhh.

Throughout the book there are subtle hints of the history of the world and the characters, and Lynch slowly starts to pull back the layers and introduce things in a completely natural way. This onion has a lot of layers, and by the end of the book you will be dying to find out more about the world and the backstory. Not only that, but I think the Gentleman Bastard series is made up of several onions and even though I'm three books in, I've only really discovered about half of the first one. Onion, that is. We're still talking about that analogy.

Also, I have to mention the representation of women in this series and world. A lot of the time in the fantasy novels I read (looking at you, Mistborn) the female characters are few and far between, and they're so under-represented it hurts me. In the Gentleman Bastard series, however, Lynch does a pretty great job with it. While there aren't any female main characters (yet), there is an abundance of secondary and tertiary female characters, and a lot of them are in-fucking-charge. AND the whole city of Camorr is basically run by women. There's a chapter dedicated to talking about how the women rose up and basically came to rule the city. I died. DIED.

Okay, so, the characters. LOCKE AND JEAN, FIRST AND FOREMOST. If they're not your OTP then you're doing it wrong. Their relationship is the loveliest thing, and it really is the focal point of the series. There's not Locke Lamora without Jean Tannen. They prop each other up. Locke is meant to be a BAMF leader but he's also vulnerable and Jean is there to help and protect him. I was telling Tatum about how Jean protects Locke with his physical strength and power, whereas Locke protects Jean with his wits and sharp tongue. It's legit.

The rest of the gang of thieves and con-artists are, of course, wonderful. They're not as developed as Locke and Jean are, for reasons that become clear later on, but throughout the series you get to know them more and more and now that I've finished The Republic of Thieves I am in love with this little crew. I love this whole crime family to pieces.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is a book that I'm dying to reread. I rarely reread anything, and right this second the only recent (as in, in the last three years) reread I can recall doing is The Final Empire. And that's one of my all time favourites. JUST LIKE THIS BOOK.

Just read it. Thanks.

OHOHOH, I should end with some quotes! Here you go:

There’s no freedom quite like the freedom of being constantly underestimated.

"I cut off his fingers to get him to talk, and when he'd confessed everything I wanted to hear, I had his fucking tongue cut out, and the stump cauterized."Everyone in the room stared at him."I called him an asshole, too," said Locke. "He didn't like that."

"Until Jean shows up."

...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Suzanne rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

A fantasy version of The Sting, this was an enjoyable book. Two things raised it from a 3 to a 4 for me - a totally unexpected event at the middle of the book, and the 'waiting for Jean'. I liked how the timeline shifted from past to present. ...more

1 like · Like · see review