eBook, 512 pages
English language
Published June 27, 2006 by Random House Publishing Group.
An orphan’s life is harsh — and often short — in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game — or die trying.
I'd tell you 1, 2, 3 or 5 stars. I'd tell you I wasn't entertained. I'd tell you I wasn't captivated by the prose. ...But I'd be lying.
Absolutely love the first half of this book, feels quite mythic. Nice characters, good banter. Then it just gets darker and darker. I thought reading it a second time would be more pleasant, but no it's still pretty bleak.
It's well written though, criminals do crimes, have crimes done unto them, etc. I'd re-read Abercrombie though I think. I keep fiddling with the star rating, somewhere between 3-5 depending on how I feel!
This book starts like a heist novel set in medieval Venice, but quickly (1/3rd into the book) takes dangerous turns into new territories. The number of deaths in this book is staggeringly high for fantasy. The world-building is quite good, and I believe I'll pick up more on it in a second read.
On to the next book.
"If I accept your argument then the self-evident truth of any legitimate thing could be taken as grounds for its falseness.”
That single quote sums up the devious nature of this book's characters rather well indeed. I was quite taken in by the primary plot action in the third chapter, for instance, where I should really have been on my guard for such trickery!
Locke is quite interesting a lead character and his retinue are colourful and well-written, and the worldbuilding is paced well and enjoyable.
"It's impossible to be intimidating when one angry woman has your cock between her teeth and another is holding a stiletto to your kidneys."
I very much liked the narrative structure of the book too, although when the action of the story was in full flow I found the harkening back to interludes of things gone before a little tiresome as I wanted more …
"If I accept your argument then the self-evident truth of any legitimate thing could be taken as grounds for its falseness.”
That single quote sums up the devious nature of this book's characters rather well indeed. I was quite taken in by the primary plot action in the third chapter, for instance, where I should really have been on my guard for such trickery!
Locke is quite interesting a lead character and his retinue are colourful and well-written, and the worldbuilding is paced well and enjoyable.
"It's impossible to be intimidating when one angry woman has your cock between her teeth and another is holding a stiletto to your kidneys."
I very much liked the narrative structure of the book too, although when the action of the story was in full flow I found the harkening back to interludes of things gone before a little tiresome as I wanted more action. Still, they told the history very well and doubtless added to the suspense.
As for the story? I like confidence games. Properly planned and well executed they are things of beauty, morality aside. The fights were intense and brutal, the danger well worth worrying about and the good and the bad, the peasantry and the Mafia, the nobility and the artistes were all rendered well and a true pleasure to read about. Particular scenes of particular enjoyment for me were the final part of the seventh chapter, Jean's run-in with the Berangias Sisters and the episode at the counting house.
“Well, I for one have no expressions of sympathy to spare, since he kicked my balls hard enough to make them permanent residents of my lungs.”
But it's not a five star read. It's not even a four. I "Liked it", but the one off-putting thing was the sheer and persistent nature of the profanity. The book is set, says the jacket, in a city which originally belonged to an "alien race". My question is did the Humans taking over all originate from some sort of arc of potty-mouthed school children? It's fuck this, shit that, and cocksucking something else and I can say that it was the most irritatingly distracting thing about a book I have had the misbegotten pleasure to encounter since an audio book I once heard read by a volunteer with loose, rattling teeth.
The first book by a new author is usually promising but shaky. This book is pure genius.
The characters are well rounded, the dialogue is natural, the world is detailed and realistic, the plot is layered and fearless.
I could not put it down.
The only thing I don't like about this book is the title, and the author has already done a lot better with the title of the sequel Red Seas Under Red Skies
