…The Lies of Locke Lamora
Really, I should say this is my first impressions after 350 pages of The Lies of Locke Lamora, as I stayed up until 4:15 AM this morning, glued to its pages. Clearly, that provides some sort of hint as to my opinion of the novel.
The Lies of Locke Lamora describes both the childhood and adult career of a thief, the eponymous Locke Lamora. Instead of being a linear story, Scott Lynch ricochets the narrative back and forth from future to past, similar to Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind except with much more action in the present. This allows him to explore Locke’s upbringing and training while still describing the intrigues and danger of Locke’s adult jobs. Lynch uses this nonlinear technique very effectively, sometimes skipping to create humor or tension and at other times jumping to emphasize a point of character development or a detail about the world. He tends to scatter his information dumps throughout, and the info-dumping tends to be localized to a piece of history or information immediately pertinent to the action. On Lynch’s writing style, I would say: interestingly done, and very readable.
My complaints so far: women? Are there any female protagonists? And what about a villain, of any gender? What’s the obstacle to overcome? I’ve plowed through 350 pages and I’m still not certain if there even is someone to root against. I recently read the Mistborn trilogy, which also described a thieving crew planning a heist, but that novel had a very clear antagonist: a tyrannical emperor. Lynch’s narrative has established Locke’s motivations and experiences, so I’m curious to see what’s in store for him and his gang. Expect a review early next week!
Loved this book, especially the fact that it reads so quickly. And don’t worry, you’ll have a villain soon.