Love for Lynch’s ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’
Posted by jaytomio on November 9, 2005
Two blog posts from me in a single day is a first, but I just wanted to share a brief thought about a book coming out mid-2006 by Scott Lynch entitled The Lies of Locke Lamora. I finished a second reading of the manuscript earlier this week, and while I have agreed to hold back my more lengthy opinion of the book until early 2006, I do know there is a rather large amount of interest regarding this debut. If I’m not mistaken the UK proofs may be making their rounds now.
Young Locke, ‘The Thorn of Camor’ is a unlikely combination of Arsene Lupin and Jack Dawkins, in a Dickensian setting that still has illuminating remnants that belies its previous alien origins. What struck me most is Lynch’s ability to depict a wide amount of emotional atmosphere. Most books I have preferred as of late set a single - and often times brilliant — emotional and atmospheric tone, but Lynch delivers from tones one would think to find in a 18th century romantic locale to scenes that make me think of the movie PayBack, and does so seamlessly. Humor, remorse, vengeance, mischievousness, loyalty, deceit, bravery, love - Lynch serves it all with grace and wit.
More detail both positive and negative later; but my reread was as delightful as my introduction, and it read with in a manner depicting a crafty subtlety that’s not the norm from many debuts. An adventurous rump of a reading experience, I can’t wait for the continuation of the adventures of the Gentlemen Bastards in ‘Red Seas Under Red Skies’.
Update! (5/26/2006)
My full review of The Lies of Locke Lamora is now up. Check it out.
Tags: books, book reviews
November 16, 2005 at 2:26 pm
Neato! I hope I get to read this one before 2007 rolls by- seems more and more promising all the time!!
November 16, 2005 at 2:27 pm
Wanting very much to get my hands on this damned book!!!
November 16, 2005 at 2:32 pm
I realy enjoyed it, and with the refinement that would be there that I don’t see (my understanding is that my copy is not the finished product) any qualms will most likely be corrected, or probably more correctly stated, smoothed out.
It really just strikes a balance of quality and plain old (and I hate to use the Richard Morgan blurb on the cover but) swashbuckling fun, which is not a combination that I feel is exactly common anymore. Not only do characters suffer, and experience loss, but there are legitimate instances of pure fun - and at time I read books that feature children, or young characters which are beatifuly written, and present wonderful ideas and creativity, but showcase no youthful exuberance, making the choice of young protagonsits seem uneccesary - just young grim adults essentially.
A book that shares a similar quality (regarding chidlren’s actions) was John C. Wright’s ‘Orphans of Chaos’ (which I just loved also).
JP - The work also stand well on its own (I know how you don’t care for series), so even if you don’t wish to continue you get full bang for the buck, in regards to getting a complete story with the first installment.
November 17, 2005 at 2:33 pm
Thanks for the reminder about this book, Jay - I remember lurking a bit at Frameshift (back when it was DeadCities 3.0) and hearing Stover and a couple others talk about Scott’s book. I was intrigued then and when I learned about the 2006 release date, made a point of reminding myself to get it ASAP. Sounds like I’ll have a real treat in store for myself whenever I get my hands on it!
Larry
November 17, 2005 at 2:34 pm
No doubt Larry, and welcome.
February 15, 2006 at 10:52 am
[...] For the record, I don’t give a caricature of a prophet’s shit who else reviewed what, or what they may or may of have said about a book I, or anyone at FBS is also reviewing. Am I supposed to? I’m sorry we were confused, we got a ‘review’ copy by mistake, next time send us the ‘hype-copy’. I also don’t understand people who interview authors (at length in some official standing) whose work they have never read or aren’t planning to read immediately before. What is that about? What could possibly motivate someone to interview an author they have never read? Have I approached authors about interviews while inquire on a debut? Yes I have, but always the out is available, as I just might slam the book – this never crosses the mind of a hyper. It’s simple bullshit hype; it’s exactly the same thing as someone who jots down pages their audience wants (I won’t call it writing), instead of being a relevant, ‘real’ writer. Isn’t writing trying to put the reader in your shoes even if (or especially) exploring paths unknown to you? Isn’t that substantially different than simply throwing their own shoes (that you, yourself may not even like) back at them? Why do people do this? I think amongst people that review books –and this concerns those recently who started doing so (including myself) — not the veterans (some of which are mentioned later), simply because if they were vets they would know authors appreciate well thought out criticism, there is a certain desire to be the first to recognize the next ‘hot’ book. This is of course is a pretty lame motivation because it implies some sense of competition with anyone other than one’s self; it also tends to account for numerous instances of hyperbole-filled banter. Again, I look to myself and I find I very much enjoyed many debuts this year. I loved recent first efforts by Yellin, Duncan, Phillips, Valente, Monette, Rossi, etc, and I have been rather adamant of my early praise for Scott Lynch’s forthcoming The Lies of Locke Lamora (which is just terrific), but I honestly never consciously had it in my mind to promote them, or worse, myself through lauding them, for any other purpose except to share how much I enjoyed their work. I read some reviews that it’s clear that we saw the same thing, but ‘the spin’ was put on. I’m writing a review now of Tim Lebbon’s recent Dusk, and I’m a big fan of Lebbon’s prior work (I absolutely loved As the Sun Goes Down), but some of the praise I’m hearing for this book simply baffles me. It’s not awful by any means, but if I went by some of what I read, I may have the idea that it’s actually ‘good’. This is a marginal effort at best by Lebbon in my mind, which definitely makes his entry into the high fantasy better than most authors currently in that sub-genre (simply because Lebbon has a leg up because he is actually a talented author), but its nothing astounding (full review soon). [...]