The Lies of Locke Lamora (The Gentleman Bastard Sequence, Band 1)

The Lies of Locke Lamora got me hooked right from the start, with a fresh and new writing style and interesting characters. Imagine "Six of Crows" but waaaay darker and more violent - more for adults and set in a world so unlike ours, it itches something in your most creative brain-parts that you have not thought of before. Although I sometimes wished for a more emotional and immersive insight into the characters, I was still able to feel for them through the highs and lows they were put through. Overall, a great introduction into a dark, fantastic and gripping world! Can't wait to see the world and characters expanded and deepened in the next books!

I came for the scheming and a post I saw on Tumblr which was wondering who would out-smart the other- Kaz Brekker or Locke Lamora? In the end, I stayed for great worldbuilding, what a mysterious and lively scenery! There are still a lot of questions left unanswered: Who are the Eldren, what is Elderglass? Where will our heroes go next? What happened with the mysterious Sabetha and where is she right now? Of course I appreciated the clever plot too: Every time I thought I knew where this was going I was baffled by the next twist. There were many moving parts but they fit together quite nicely in the end. All in all: Rich and rewarding fantasy, many heists and missdirection and the Bastard Gentlemen are a lovable bunch. You will cry though, I guarantee you this.

I had a hard time getting into this book, probably due to the old-timey writing style and the many throwbacks into Locke‘s early life, but after around 200 pages things finally began picking up, but unfortunately never really left the ground. I did enjoy the intricate world building, as well a the band of brothers bullshitting their way through Camorra and robbing rich people blind without them realizing it. I respect Lynch for never taking the easy way out and putting his characters through hardships and trauma, but in combination with lots of profanity, blood and gore the book felt bleak and depressing at times. Last but not least, the lack of relevant female characters was disconcerting and made me, a female reader, feel somewhat excluded. Given The Lies Of Locke Lamora is his debut, Lynch did a great job, but for me personally, the 700-and-odd pages left a lot to be desired.