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The Lies of Locke Lamora

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Affluent Ascetic: The Gentleman Bastards live relatively modestly despite having stolen a fortune. This is partly because they get much more pleasure from planning and executing cons than from spending the money, and partly because if the extent of their wealth were known they would be killed for breaking the Secret Peace that prevents them from stealing from the nobility.

its masterfully chaotic - so many subplots, so many characters, so much world-building. theres never a dull moment. So I knew it was a flattering comparison, but at the time, I was kinda irked by it. I remember thinking, "Why do I have to be the next Scott Lynch? Why can't I just be the first Pat Rothfuss? I'll probably be a lot better at that, I've got way more experience at it if nothing else...." Aristocrats Are Evil: Of the aristocrats and oligarchs present in the books thus far, the vast majority take Moral Myopia to an art form, feel no compassion or empathy for the lives of commoners except for those in their employ, and live in decadence that would put Versailles to shame. Don and Dona Salvara appear to be among the few exceptions, and even they aren't necessarily philanthropists. Yep, that's right, excitement is me ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ And that is all. I have nothing else to say about this book. BUT. I'd hate to see you go so soon, so I shall (very generously, I might add) share my Delightful Lamora Reading Experience (DLRE™) with you. I suffered through 31% of this, there's no reason why you shouldn't suffer through this review as well. Please don't thank me, I'm generous like that. The result is one big bloody mess that the author has thoughtfully devised. He has written in very well too, for the most part, although there are a few moments when his prose goes overboard. Don’t get me wrong, he describes some things with real eloquent detail, but others are just in too much depth. I remember reading a paragraph long description of a barrel of ale at one point. This was completely unnecessary. However, when these in depth description are applied to a combat scene the result is fantastic. This is my only criticism for the novel, and if they were toned a little I would have enjoyed the book a little more.

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The process of "Gentling," basically a sort of chemically-induced lobotomy, is considered too cruel to use for punishment, even in a city where child thieves are routinely hanged. for these reasons, and despite a more or less rousing finish only a leeeeetle bit diminished by firstbookitis, i find i can rate this no higher than a two. you guys, this story is unreal. its so morally wrong that you dont even want it to be right. its that luring, that gritty, that bold. After the Gentleman Bastards admit that they have to let Mistress Gloriano in on the scheme to frame Moncraine for Boulidazi's death, mainly because it will involve burning down the inn's stable, Jenora, her niece, admits that she won't be happy about it. Cut to the next scene, and she's definitely not happy... because this isn't the first time she's had to disappear a body, and the Bastards should have come to her in the first place. Haven’t you ever heard that one before? Your Capa Barsavi, he’s not from Camorr, originally. Taught at the Therin Collegium. So, when he drags someone in for a talking-to, that’s ‘etiquette lessons.’ And when he ties them up and makes them talk, that’s ‘singing lessons.’ And when he cuts their throats and throws them in the bay for the sharks…”

Secretly Wealthy: In the first book, despite possessing a massive fortune, the gang poses as an only moderately successful group of cat burglars. This is partly out of necessity (the only way they could steal as much as they have is taking from the nobility, a death sentence due to the secret peace), and partly because they don't really have any goals beyond the heists and scams themselves. They plan to use their funds to get a fresh start when trouble arises, but other than that they don't really have any practical plans for the money. Blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim, blah blah blah, skim skim skim. It took me a while to get in to initially as we are thrown straight into the world which has numerous races, religions and underworld hierarchy but after about 30-40 I was under the spell. Some of the cons are mesmerising. I remember numerous times when I thought that the con couldn't get any more complex or multi-layered it did and I was left in awe. Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: All the way through to cynical, then out the other side.Finally, Lynch is planning a second seven-book series, taking place fifteen or twenty years after the first one. Just Like Robin Hood: The Thorn of Camorr, they say. Notably subverted, though; even he points out (in another guise) that he's not donating money to the poor; he considers the act of stealing from the rich action enough against them. Actually, he and his band kept their vast stolen fortune in a private vault and have no idea what to do with it.

one of the very best second novels I've ever read. If anything it's an improvement on the first in the series..." I wanted to read it for ages but never had the time and now that I did my monthly blog meme I have no other choice than to go through with it – Which, truth be told, is awesome! *lol*

Gentleman Bastards: The Lies of Locke Lamora

Two-Faced: Selendri. She was horribly alchemically burned over half her entire body in an assassination attempt on Requin. 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 Scoundrel Code: The Secret Peace, which is an agreement Capa Barsavi made with the ruling powers in Camorr. The criminals receive a measure of protection and autonomy in exchange for not directly targeting the nobility or the city watch. Gratuitous French: Many fictional Therin words are based on mangled hodgepodges of Romance language root words, such as contrarequialla (a female shark fighter), which has root words for "against" and "shark" along with what looks like a feminine suffix.

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