Book one of a planned seven series on the Gentleman Thieves.
This is a great read. Locke Lamora is the greatest thieve in the city of Camorr [which reminds me of Italy in the Renaissance or around there]. He, along with his gang, come up with elaborate schemes to steal from the nobles and merchants all the while making their boss, Capa Barsavi, think that they are nothing but common thieves. In fact, Locke and his friends are probably richer than most of the nobles in the city. They have fun doing what they do since it's all they've ever known. Locke and his friends are all orphans who grew up under the tutelage of Father Chains, once one of the best and more artistic thieves Camorr's ever had. Their simple lives get complicated by the arrival of the Grey King who declares war on Capa Barsavi by assassinating his best men. Things go from bad to worse when Locke gets caught in the middle as both the Gray King and Capa Barsavi want him to help them defeat the other.
The book was fun and a fast read as you really get caught up in everything that is going on. Scott has a nice way of writing and there are very few instances where I found myself skimming or skipping a paragraph. Coincidentally, while reading this book I couldn't help but think it would make a great movie. Apparently Warner Brothers thinks the same way as there are rumors this will be made into a movie by them.[1]
For all that I loved this book there where two things which bothered me. The first was the fact that this is not our Earth, it's an invented world, yet the people use the same cuss words we do. It's not the fact that they cuss since they are lowlifes but the fact that they use words like "shit" and "fuck" which are modern day words. It kind of brought me out of the story when that happened. Another thing was the fact that Locke and two of his masters kept saying "ah" every other sentence. I understand one character with a habit of doing but three main characters, well, it was somewhat aggravating.
Nonetheless I recommend this book as a great and fun read. Anyone that likes adventures will certainly love this. I can't wait to read the rest in the series!
A solid 4.5 out of 5.
Posted by
Mailyn
1 comments:
words like "shit" and "fuck" which are modern day words.
Sorry to rob you of the illusion of 15th-16th century-like speak, but that's not true.
Fuck goes back at least 500 years, probably more. Allusions to the word were used by Shakespeare, but it had probably been use a long time before that but never written down, since a word like that isn't likely to have been written down by the christian monks who were among the few who could read and write before the Renaissance.
And shit is originally Old Norse (still said as 'skit'/'skid' in some Scandinavian countries), and therefore around a thousand years old.
They're considered modern because these days we don't risk criminal charges of indecency against us for using them (except if you're on certain television channels in the States and the MPAA are listening in). Doesn't mean people weren't calling each other that in 15th century London.
But Lies of Locke Lamora was a really entertaining read. Look forward to the next book this summer.
Fun blog. Good luck with it.
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