Locke Lamora is a Bastard. A Gentleman Bastard. Once of a group of six highly intelligent, incredibly well trained thieves, living in an ancient city ripe for the picking.
“Remember what I said when I told you we didn’t work like other thieves work? We’re a new sort of thief here, Locke. What we are is actors, false facers.”
Scott Lynch draws readers into the Gentleman Bastards world instantly. Interludes describing Locke’s childhood, training, education, and friendships cultivated under Father Chain’s watchful tutelage. Topped with the vivid descriptions of the city of Camorr’s corrupt traditions, equally corrupt nobility, and ancient alien ruins all add to the atmosphere of a world that’s quite fresh feeling in a genre that sometimes can feel well worn.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
Because George R.R. Martin said so? No, seriously. When The Man is quoted on the front cover as saying it’s “an engrossing tale…” you pick up the book and give it a shot. Happily, Lynch lives up to the praise and delivered some truly lovable scoundrels.
Rating (4 stars)
After my first time reading the novel, I felt the interludes were a bit too frequent, and wasn’t really keen on them. After reading it a second time, I feel that if they weren’t there, the story itself would be a bit hard to follow in spots (Locke’s back story is essential to his character’s flaws and behaviors, and can’t really be glossed over, or left to the reader to make leaps or assumptions).
They aren’t too intrusive, or too lengthy, which can be a tad distracting, but I would have preferred a bit more fleshing out of the main plot, and offshoots.
Read this book:
If you’re a gamer who’s played Dishonored, you’ll enjoy the similarities of the not quite Steampunk, not quite full-on Victorian feel of the world. If you’re not a gamer, but enjoy a story with a smart mouthed, quick witted protagonist handling what feels like a dozen spinning plates threatening to drop, this story deserves your attention.
Don't Read this book:
If you don’t like thieves, questionable morals, (proud) liars, crude language, or unusually rude humor in some places, avoid this book.
Once you're done, do this:
Play Dishonored or Skyrim to test out your new-found love of pick-pocketing in an environment that won’t actually land you in significant trouble, or making calls for bail money if your fumble fingers get you caught.
