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The Lies of Locke Lamora

The deviously twisty fantasy adventure you will not want to put down

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The Lies of Locke Lamora

By: Scott Lynch
Narrated by: Michael Page
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About this listen

 'One of my top ten books ever. Maybe top five. If you haven't read it, you should' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the Wind

'Fresh, original and engrossing' George R.R. Martin, the phenomenon behind A Game of Thrones

They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he's part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count.

Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich - they're the only ones worth stealing from - but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards.

Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it's a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city.

But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa's power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming.

A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora ...

Readers can't get enough of Locke Lamora:

'Original, engrossing, emotional, and devastatingly impactful; this extremely well-written tale of avarice and brotherhood is a treasure of gold, and you will want your share of it' Novel Notions

'A rewarding read, well written, and entertaining. I'd recommend any fantasy fan to give it a try' Mark Lawrence, Sunday Times bestselling author

'It is witty, profane, violent, over the top, and frequently hilarious. I can't believe this is Scott Lynch's first novel, and I can't wait to read more. This is an incredibly fun adventure novel. Find yourself a copy and read it' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'You guys, this story is unreal. It's so morally wrong that you don't even want it to be right. It's that luring, that gritty, that bold . . . its masterfully chaotic - so many subplots, so many characters, so much world-building. theres never a dull moment . . . its intricately woven - no movement, no scene, no word is insignificant. Everything is so interconnected on so many levels. I straight up got chills in some parts' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'A love child of Ocean's Eleven and The Godfather. With blood, deaths, betrayals, money, and drowning in horse urine . . . and it's SO. GOOD' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'It stole hours of sleep. It wrapped me in cozy myth. It gave me the blessing of feeling like a kid again, snuggled up with a book, wondering how the hell 10pm became 4am. Find. Buy. Consume' Pierce Brown, bestselling author of the Red Rising series

'I mean seriously, I loved all those characters and their cunning and deceiving ways. XD Throughout the entire book I never knew what to expect and there were about a ton of "Oh, sh*t!" moments that were shortly followed by "Jeez! NO!" and "What happened now?" exclamations' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐©2006 Scott Lynch Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Humorous Parenting & Families Relationships Funny Paranormal

Critic reviews

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
Fresh, original, and engrossing . . . gorgeously realized
The Lies of Locke Lamora is one of my top ten books ever. Maybe my top five. If you haven't read it, you should
A great, swashbuckling yarn of a novel
Filled with thievery goodness, hilarious turns of phrase and description, and some truly harebrained schemes, The Lies of Locke Lamora belongs on any fantasy fans bookshelf
This extremely well-written tale of avarice and brotherhood is a treasure of gold
A rewarding read, well written, and entertaining
[This book] stole hours of sleep. It wrapped me in cozy myth. It gave me the blessing of feeling like a kid again
If you like intelligent funny dialogue, clever protagonists facing equally clever antagonists, and vivid original world building, Scott Lynch is your guy
All stars
Most relevant
I've just realised that I havn't reviewed this series. I typically don't bother reviewing books that already have many reviews, and to be honest I have nothing particularly new to add...........so rather, I'll review this book with reference to the full series.

This is a fun series - all three books that have been released so far are easy going, enjoyable, escapist listens. Narration is good. Each could stand alone, but each ends with the prospect of new adventure. By the time one gets to the third book in the series though, there are quite a few open questions about who Locke really is.....I may just have to start at the beginning again in order to identify new clues.

If like me, you read a review by someone who has also rated /raved about a book you feel similiarly about, that you then trawl through their other reviews to get ideas for other possible listens..........and if your taste is similar to mine, then have a go at this series too (it makes a lighter, yet still enjoyable, alternative to the heavier Sanderson/Rothfuss/Brett epics).

A fun series to escape with

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Lynch has written an excellent story in the spirit of Fritz Leiber, with characters that do full justice to their Grey Mouser and Fafhrd ancestry. Pastiche this is not. Witty, cunning, and occasionally swashbuckling, his characters dance through the stained glory of their fabulously imagined city and into a special place in fantasy folklore.

The audio book is beautifully read by Michael Page, and you can tell that he is relishing the plummy accents of the extended cast.

A fantastic listen. Highly recommended.

Fantastic modern fantasy storytelling

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I think this may be the best combination of book and narrator I've found so far - many, many dishes got washed with loving attention so I could carry on listening! (Wouldn't dream of trying to drive and listen, as it's far too engrossing for safety.) I wasn't sure at first that the repeated flashbacks were going to work very well for listening, but everything was kept perfectly clear by Page's excellent reading and voices, and there was a great payoff as each story from Locke's childhood fit into place in the story in the present. Great story, a deeply sympathetic crew of characters, and brilliant reading added up to a perfect listening experience.

Wonderful

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book which was a bit like a hustle and a sting together with loads of twists and turnsSet in an unknown time and place just adds to the thrills! Bit on the bloody side for my normal taste but well worth suffering that for the joy of the book

GREAT BOOK

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If you've read the first two books in Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, this is a worthy read to help you pass the time.

Locke Lamora shares some characteristics with Qvothe, although the world it is set in relies less heavily on the magical elements, and author and narrator combine to make you really feel for the characters.

The narrator does a fairly good job of differentiating the characters, reads well and is fairly engaging but he is somewhat "Shakespearian" in his enunciation. The dialogue is somewhat overacted in places and you never forget that you are listening to an actor (or an acTOR) reading to you. Still enjoyable but, for me, not as immersive an experience as books read by Rupert Degas or Peter Kenny for example.

For those awaiting the third Kingkiller Chronicle

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