Review: Before They Are Hanged

Superior Glokta has a problem. How do you defend a city surrounded by enemies and riddled with traitors, when your allies can by no means be trusted, and your predecessor vanished without a trace? It's enough to make a torturer want to run – if he could even walk without a stick.

Northmen have spilled over the border of Angland and are spreading fire and death across the frozen country. Crown Prince Ladisla is poised to drive them back and win undying glory. There is only one problem – he commands the worst-armed, worst-trained, worst-led army in the world.

And Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. The most hated woman in the South, the most feared man in the North, and the most selfish boy in the Union make a strange alliance, but a deadly one. They might even stand a chance of saving mankind from the Eaters. If they didn't hate each other quite so much.

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven – but not before they are hanged.

“Before They Are Hanged” is the 2nd book in the First Law Trilogy. The First Law Trilogy is actually one long story which is published in three books. Compared to for instance Scott Lynch’s Lock Lamora series, the First Law books are much less suitable to be read as standalone books.

“Before They Are Hanged” picks up right after the open ended story lines of “The Blade Itself”.

Sand dan Glotka is ‘promoted’ by Arch Lector Sult to the position of Superior of Dagoska; a city state somewhere in the South. His task is to root out traitorous elements in the ruling council of Dagoska and to defend Dagoska from a possible attack by Gurkish forces.

Meanwhile, the Union Army and the merry band of Northmen lead by Threetrees prepare to fight their war against Bethod, the King of the North. The Union army is ill prepared and ill trained. Lord Marshal Burr has enough worries managing the two rivaling generals Kroy and Poulder and Colonel West is burdened with babysitting Prince Ladisla, who proves to be a useless weakling.

The third main plot thread is the quest of Bayaz, Ninefingers, Jezal and Ferro in the far far west. Their journey takes them through a war ravaged Old Empire and a dead ancient city to the very edge of the world where supposedly the Seed, an devilish weapon of enormous can be found. Bayaz is intending to use this weapon against his former co-apprentice Khalul, who is now a prophet behind the Gurkish Emperor and seeking to increase his influence on the world using dark methods.

Once again it was Glokta who stole the show for me. His constant inner dialogue makes Glokta the most developed and best rounded character. Logen Ninefingers is a close second for me, he is the one that ‘carries’ the quest plot thread. Character development is the strong point of this book anyway, like it was in “The Blade Itself”. We see Jezal changing, being humbled by his experiences on the road. Bayaz remains bit of a mystery but perhaps we’ll learn more of his motivations in the last book. Collem West is bit ‘flat’ to me, but I really liked the parts with the Dogman, Black Dow, Tul Duru Thunderhead, Harding Grim and Rud Threetrees. It will be interesting to see where their adventures take them in “Last Argument of Kings”.

Concerning the plot: The war in the North is the only plot thread that remains completely open ended in this book; the other two story arcs have a beginning and an end, but what they actually contribute to the story as in advancement of the plot remains to be seen. Sure, there is the character development, but for me the result of Glokta’s activities in Dagoska and especially the result of Bayaz’ quest left me wondering a bit about the actual contribution to the overall story. (Spoiler ahead: they travel several months to the end of the world and find… nothing? Ah it’s not here - well, let’s get back to the Union then. ) Maybe / probably we will understand some things better after reading “Last Argument of Kings”.

Point of criticism once again: there’s no map. In this book it’s even more annoying than in the first one because the characters are on the move a whole lot more and there are even more references to faraway places. I still think it’s a cop out to not include a map and say it’s because it might restrict the reader’s own fantasy too much. But hey, I rather read a good story without a map then a bad story with a map. And a good story it is.

Conclusion: I liked “Before They Are Hanged” , albeit a little less than “The Blade Itself”. The novelty and freshness of Abercrombie’s approach to the epic fantasy genre is naturally a little less in the 2nd book. Without it there’s still plenty to enjoy – the action, the political intrigue, the humor /cynicism and especially the dialogue, the characters and their development. But regarding plot advancement I have mixed feelings and some of the musings of the main characters tend to get a little repetitive. But still: “Before They Are Hanged” is a very entertaining and enjoyable book and if you enjoyed “The Blade Itself” you will like this one too without a doubt!

8 / 10

Review: The Blade Itself

Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught up in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian, leaving nothing behind but some bad songs, a few dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies.

Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends as cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules.

Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendships. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government... if he can stay alive long enough to follow it.

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

Finally… I read The Blade Itself, the much-hailed and critically acclaimed debut of Joe Abercrombie. I bought this one and it’s follow up “Before They Are Hanged” over a year ago. It took some time however before I could get my hands on the last book in the trilogy. The George RR Martin experience taught me not to start a series anymore before the series is actually finished. In the Netherlands the paperback edition of “Last Argument With Kings” was released just last month, so after I picked it up and had it actually sitting on my book shelve, I felt save to start the First Law Trilogy.

It certainly was worth the wait and actually I am happy I waited, because after finishing “The Blade Itself “ I know I would have been frustrated if I had to wait a year (or five) to be able to continue reading. Now I have no problem – I ‘m already well on my way in “Before They Are Hanged” and the 3rd one will follow immediately after that one. Be warned: “The Blade Itself” is not a standalone novel and if you buy it you might as well by book 2 and 3 right away.

About “The Blade Itself”: I really liked this book, almost everything about it. You have to like it just by looking at the books: beautiful cover art (the whole series) and also the booktitles: not standard and therefore intriguing – at least to me. I maybe strange that way, but if a book ‘looks ugly’ I will not buy it; even it got raving reviews.

The characters make this book shine. Not really your typical fantasy stereotypes to be found here. Also all of the characters have their own distinctive voice, which is an achievement because it's where a lot of writers fail.

We have a barbarian, but this one, Logen Ninefingers, is tired of fighting. He is a legendary warrior turned tired and somewhat philosophical. But that doesn’t mean there will not be fighting… I liked his philosophy when he accepted a sword, even though he would rather not use a sword anymore: “better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it”. You have to be realistic after all.

There is a young officer in the King’s Army, Jezal dan Luthar; who is reluctantly training for the yearly sword fighting Contest. He wants the honor and the glory, but doesn’t want to be bothered too much. He is superiorly arrogant, selfish, snobbish, lazy and should be utterly unlikable. But maybe the reader sometimes recognizes some things in his way of thinking…?

The star of this book is Sand dan Glotka, a former legendary sword fighting champion and war hero. Now he is a cripple (after having spent two years in an enemies torture chamber), who is employed by the Inquisition – so he is now a torturer himself. His constant inner dialogue is what makes this the most interesting character. “Why do I do this…?”

Then there is the old wizard Bayaz, the First of The Magi. Not your typical kind of wizard, who’s character is used to provide most of the history of the world and through who’s storyline we see most of the direction in which the books will go. This book is setting the ground for some kind of quest it seems.

Other characters that will play a role are Ferro; a savage ex slave woman from the south hell bent on revenge on her former masters and Collem West; an officer in the King’s Army and friend of Jezal, despite him being not of the same (good) blood as Jezal himself; and we have a pack of Northmen, barbarians who used to be with Logen Ninefingers.

All these characters start off with storylines of their own, but it soon becomes clear that somehow somewhere their paths will cross.

I also liked the world itself. Not really the standard medieval setting, something similar but ‘fresh’. I liked the humorous references to standard fantasy: the barbarian and the wizard with his apprentice going to a prop shop to buy costumes before an audience with the King to really look like… a barbarian, a wizard and an apprentice. Or Ardee who is reading a history book (in three volumes..) about wizards and knights and swords; about magic, romance and violence – and calls it ‘utter shit’. Funny stuff, just read it to appreciate it.

The political intrigue is there and it’s well done. There’s a puppet king with a useless heir; the Kingdom is really ruled by the Closed Council, consisting of different figures vying for power.

One thing I didn’t like: there’s no map. Abercrombie seems to have his reasons for not including a map but whatever these reasons are: I just like a map in a book like this. I want to know where the characters are in relation to each other; especially when they are on the move (like they will be in the 2nd book.) An argument seems to be that it is better if the reader uses his own fantasy and creates a map of the world in his own head or else the readers imagination is restricted or something. Hmmm. I just disagree. This is my only complaint however and it doesn’t stop me warmly recommending this book to anyone who likes their epic fantasy with an edge.

Conclusion: this is epic fantasy with a twist. Hard edged, not for the faint of heart because of the explicit violence and swearing, with some clever humor; this is a character and dialogue driven book that is clearly laying the ground works for something bigger. A good, fast and enjoyable read that will make you want to jump in its sequel “Before They Are Hanged” right away!

8,5 / 10

Review: Red Seas under Red Skies

Escaping from the attentions of the Bondsmagi Locke Lamora, the estwhile Thorn of Camorr and Jean Tannen have fled their home city. Taking ship they arrive in the city state of Tal Varrar where they are soon planning their most spectacular heist yet; they will take the luxurious gaming house, The Sinspire, for all of its countless riches. No-one has ever taken even a single coin from the Sinspire that wasn't won on the tables or in the other games of chance on offer there. But, as ever, the path of true crime rarely runs smooth and Locke and Jean soon find themselves co-opted into an attempt to bring the pirate fleet of the notorious Zamira Drakasha to justice.

The second installment in the Gentleman Bastard Sequence is a strange, difficult one to review. It seems that there are a lot of things to criticize, but I still finished the book with a good feeling; I simply enjoyed it, despite its shortcomings. And now I will try to explain why...

Like the first book I enjoyed the world Scott Lynch created. We get to see more of the world now, not just the city of the first book. Because the first book was exclusively limited to the city state of Camorr it’s fair to say the world in the first installment was a bit better developed, more detailed for sure. But I enjoyed seeing more of the world and not being limited to just Camorr. For me seeing more of the world worked and it’s good to know there is much more to discover left for the next 5 books.

The sharp and crisp dialogue, the humor, the drama & tragedy, the intrigue, Scott Lynch’s stylish style (?) – it’s all there and it’s all good. This is escapism as it should be – read an hour before sleeping and being completely transported to and absorbed by the world the writer created – this feeling is what I remember from being a young boy who started reading and being totally absorbed by the stories I read. The Gentleman Bastard books do this for me and that’s good. I even found myself ‘saving’ the book for reading in bed, without distractions of wife, child, television and telephone during the evenings. Lesser books I can read with whatever going on around me, the two Lock Lamora books I wanted to save for optimal enjoyment it seemed. Good job Mr. Lynch!

But there are also some problems. Locke and Jean are invulnerable. In itself this is not too bad (I mean I can also enjoy a James Bond movie while I know James will never die) but being in mortal peril constantly and coming out alive no matter what gets to be a little bit much after a while (and takes away some of the tension and excitement). Leading characters in ongoing series obviously usually survive, but in Locke’s and Jean’s case is too often because of dumb luck or because of other contrived reasons.

There were also some problems with the pacing. The first third of the book is used for setting up the Sinspire heist and the Archonate plotline. Nice and slow, no problems here. Then we get a part that’s a bit too long to my taste and drags a bit in which Locke and Jean learn to be sea men, which is the set up for the pirate part of the book. It is a too sudden departure from the Sinspire / Requin plotline; somehow it didn’t feel right, like Lynch threw together the plans for two separate books – one about the heist and one about pirates and crammed these two books into one. It felt somehow inconsistent I guess.

I actually liked the pirate part when it started good and well; the characters of Zamira and Ezri and the rest of the pirates, the description of Port Prodigal, the adventures at sea. Biggest problem arises when the plotlines of the beginning of the book are wrapped up in the last 50 pages or so; which seems to be ridiculously fast compared to the much slower pace of the early and middle part of the book. I appreciate the dramatic effect of a quickening pace toward the end of a story, but this was a bit too quick and too conveniently wrapped up.

Another unsatisfactory part of the ending: who was Merrain really working for? Didn't seem to be for Requin or the priori and she definitely wasn't working for Stragos . Did she work for the Bondsmagi? Doesn’t make much sense does it? Something for the next book maybe. And what’s the deal with these Bondsmagi anyway? I’m not a big magic fan and if it’s used it has to be explained well. The bondsmagi are completely off scene in this book, which is fine, but we are led to believe that they are super powerful. Why then don’t they just kill Locke and Jean them if they hate them so much? We’ll find later I suppose.

But all criticism aside: I still enjoyed this book a lot. A bit less than its predecessor, but I’m sure that everybody who read ‘Lies’ will want to read this one, and that the overall vibe and being in Locke and Jean’s world is enough to provide enjoyment. And although both books feature a lot of graphic language and violence, this one has a somewhat ‘darker’ vibe overall. No problem for me, but I can imagine that readers who particularly liked the devil-may-care vibe of the first book are a little bit put off by this one.

Conclusion: Despite its shortcomings it is still an enjoyable and entertaining story with the same sense of adventure as the first Gentleman Bastard book and I recommend this book to everybody who enjoyed ‘The Lies of Locke Lamora’.

8 / 10

PS: Although this is the second installment of a supposedly seven book series, this book like the first one is pretty much self contained. There are some open plotlines and there’s even a ‘cliffhanger’ at the end of ‘Red Skies’ but these books are nothing like for instance GRRM’s Song of Fire & Ice where all plotlines stay open. This makes the waiting for an extra year (Gentleman Bastards #3: Republic of Thieves seems to be postponed to 2010) less aggravating than in GRRM’s case.

Review: Bones of the Hills

Great conclusion to a brilliant trilogy.

`I am the land and the bones of the hills. I am the winter.'

Genghis Khan is the powerful leader of a nation united from the tribes and victorious in the long war against the Chin, the Mongolians' ancient fow. But now trouble arises from another direction. His embassies to the west are rebuffed, his ambassadors killed or mutilated.

So Genghis and his armies, led by his brothers and trusted generals, embark on their greatest journey, through present day Tibet, Iran and Iraq and on to the shores of the Mediterranean. Conquering city after city, one empire after another, by battle, by the siege warfare they have learnt from the Chin, by fear and by persuasion, the Mongolian power stretched over the entire region.
Genghis Khan conquered a greater empire than any other man. This achievement was made even more extraordinary as during these years, over these campaigns, his sons as well as his brothers were vying for his favour, for the right to lead the most successful of his armies, to bring in the greatest conquests, to achieve the succession.

He had already proved himself a great warrior. Now the challenge is to show himself as an outstanding ruler for his people and that rare leader, one who can manage his succession.

This is the final book of the Conqueror trilogy and maybe the best one of the series. This is high praise indeed because the other two books where excellent as well.

In this book Genghis turns his ‘attention’ to the West – to Muslim Central Asia. A governor of these lands killed the envoys that where send there by Genghis’ brother. Genghis, never a man for envoys and negotiations himself, is outraged and decides to teach the governor and his Shah a lesson.

This results in another book full of military strategism, intrigue, bloody battles, cruelty & heroism – and as always Iggulden’s writing style puts the reader right there in the front lines; feeling the sand between the teeth, seeing the blood and the guts and smelling the horses.

What made this book even deeper than the previous installments is the further development of the characters we already came to love or hate, like Genghis’ brothers Khasar, Kachiun and Temuge, the shaman Kokchu, the generals Tsubodai, Jelme and Arsan. Also important in this book is the story of the sons of Genghis. We especially get to see the struggle between the oldest two sons: Jochi, the brave but bitter eldest son of who Genghis doubted if he was really a trueborn son or a bastard as a result of the rape Genghis’ wife had to endure during an abduction by a band of Tartar raiders; and Chagatai, the treacherous second son looking to usurp the position of his elder brother, who by rights of birth, should inherit his father’s position. Here we get to see Genghis at his most vulnerable. He is the great leader, the cold and calculating strategist and ruthless conqueror, but also the father who has mixed feelings about his sons and who doubts his own ability to do the right things regarding their upbringing. Especially the character of unwanted and unloved Jochi and his special connection to Genghis’ best General Tsubodai leads to heartbreaking developments. Good stuff!

Conclusion: the last installment in the Conqueror Trilogy is a must read not only for fans of historical fiction but also for anyone who loves an action packed tale of war and conquest. Be sure to read ‘Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire) and ‘Lords of the Bow’ first!

9 / 10

Review: Lords of the Bow

Deeply satisfying sequel.

For centuries, Mongol tribes had warred with one another. But now, under Genghis Khan, they have united as one nation, setting their sights on a common enemy: the great, slumbering walled empire of the Chin. Genghis will lead his warriors across the Gobi Desert and into a realm his people had never seen before—with gleaming cities, soaring walls, and canals. Laying siege to one city fortress after another, he will crush each enemy in a different way—until his army faces the ultimate test of all.In the city of Yenking —modern-day Beijing— the Chin will make their final stand, setting a trap for the Mongol raiders, confident behind their towering walls. But Genghis will strike with breathtaking audacity, never ceasing until the Emperor himself is forced to kneel.

This impressive sequel to Wolf of the Plains / Birth of an Empire starts at the point where Genghis, formerly known as Temujin of the Wolves, is finishing up his campaign to unite all the Mongol tribes.

After becoming the undisputed leader and melting all these different tribes into one nation, one army, he turns his attention to the South – to the Xi Xia Empire and next to that the great Chin Empire. We get to see the preparations, the logistics involved in moving a 100.000 person army with followers over vast distances; we are part of the trek through the Gobi desert and the arrival at a fortified mountain pass that guards the access to the wealthy empires in the south, which will be the scene of the first major battle in this book. We get to see the learning curve of the Mongols, who have to adapt their warfare methods. On the plains the Mongols never knew stone buildings, nor walled cities with defensive weapons like they encounter in the empires in the south.

Like the first book this one has a lot of bloody action and intrigue; more than the first book this one has major, large scale battles. Iggulden’s descriptions of these battles, his eye for detail and for strategy and tactics are sublime. In this book we don’t spend all the time with Genghis. We see the adventures of Genghis’ brothers Khasar and Temuge on their ‘scouting trip’ into the Xi Xia Empire. We get to know these brothers better than we did in the first book; Khasar the crude warrior, Kachiun the intelligent leader, Temuge the soft schemer. Also we are introduced to Tsubodai – a heroic youngster who will be the best known general in Mongol history; a real historical figure. All these characters feel real and have their own distinct personalities.

In this book the period is covered of the first steps into the Xi Xia Empire to the siege of Yenking (present day Bejing). We get to see not only Genghis’ victories, but also his doubts and frustrations. Lengthy sieges were not exactly to the Mongols taste but sometimes unavoidable.

Interesting detail and real historical fact is the tactic Genghis and the Mongol invented to cower the besieged city into surrender. On the first day of the siege they would put up a big white tent. This tent symbolized the possibility for the city to surrender without bloodshed. Without the besieged city’s surrender the Mongols would put up a red tent the next day – indicating that surrender was still possible but now only the women and children would survive. If necessary the next day a black tent would be raised – meaning surrender was now impossible and everybody inside the city walls would be killed. Implemented without exception this was of course a perfect way to install fear in cities that where next on the Mongol’s route.

Iggulden simply is a master storyteller. His style makes the reader feel right in the middle of the action and paints a vivid picture of the day to day life in an army on the move and also of the life and machinations in the Chin cities.

The end of the book lets us see a brooding Genghis who longs for the plains of home and who wants to see his sons grow up (although they are not equally loved by their father...) And with just a little knowledge of history we know Genghis still has to look to the West… Anyway: enough promise for the last book!

Conclusion: Lords of the Bow is a deeply satisfying sequel to Wolf of the Plains and appetizing prequel to the last book in the series: Bones of the Hills. Outstanding!

9 / 10

Review: Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire)

Excellent historical fiction.

A remarkable story of heroism and adventure, of a boy who had to become a man too soon, of a family and a tribe who had to learn to win to survive. A man without a tribe was at great risk, so the young boy abandoned with his siblings on the harsh Mongolian plains had to struggle to avoid death. He survived both starvation and hostile attacks by learning remarkable leadership skills and gathering a group of outsiders like himself. Hunted and alone, he dreamed of uniting the tribes into one house, one nation. He became a great warrior. He would become father to his people. He would be Genghis Khan.

I read this book a while ago and didn’t get to writing a review yet. But a review is in order, because this book deserves the highest recommendation imho. For me there’s just a fine line between an enjoyable historical novel or a good fantasy book – I like my fantasy light, with low key magic. I enjoy good stories however that focus on massive battles, political machinations and adventure in various interesting settings. The real world can be as good a stage for me as a well developed fantasy world. Because the (13th century) Mongolian plains that make up most of the stage of this book was almost like a ‘new’ world to me it is easy to recommend this book also to readers who tend to stick exclusively to (epic) fantasy.

Wolf of the Plains is the story of Temujin, who would be later known to his people and the world as Genghis Khan. Temujin was born a son of the khan of his tribe, the Wolves. Although there’s little written account of the life of Genghis Khan, there are some facts known of his early life. It is known that when his father died Temujin, his mother and siblings, were cast out of the tribe and left to die on the frigid Mongolian plains. Temujin’s older brother was too young to take on his father’s position and they were abandoned. Circumstances made Temujin leading figure in the survival of his family and his slow and difficult rise to a position of power.

Historical purists or fanatics always have criticism on historical fiction because authors take creative liberties. I am not a purist nor fanatic but I simply enjoy an engrossing story with characters you care about. Iggulden carefully explains in his afterword where he took some artistic liberties and what is based on actual fact. Even so: it’s not called historical fiction for nothing. So don’t expect a history book but a straight up action packed and fast paced read that’s hard to put down.

Another reason that makes this book a high quality read is Iggulden's description of the life as lived by 13th Century Mongol tribesmen. He clearly thoroughly researched the era and the people (as he explains in his notes). Their way of life really comes alive and is completely believable: The strong tribal structure, the nomadic lifestyle of the Mongols, the prowess with bow and arrow, the importance of horses and good horsemanship; what they ate; the drinking of the blood of their living horses when there was no food available; the constant warfare and uneasy, shifting alliances between the tribes, and the warfare and tensions between the Mongols and other races in the area such as the Tartars in the north and the Chin in the south.

This book covers Temujin’s youth. So keep in mind that this is the first book in a three book series! We get to know Temujin through his hardships in his early years and we see him develop in a hard, brutal, ambitious, vengeful and intelligent leader of men. Funny thing is that we get to see the development of his empire through the Mongol eyes. History tells us Westerners that the Mongols were a ruthless an barbaric kind of people who paved their empire by ways of death and destruction. And although Iggulden does not try to sweeten the picture of the exploits of Genghis and his peers and ruthlessness was definitely part of their tactics, the fact that we see it ‘from their side’ does make you think. We are more inclined to think of Alexander the Great or Julius Ceaser or Richard Lionheart as great conquering heroes. But people like Atilla the Hun and Genghis Khan are barbaric tribesmen in our collective history’s eyes. Depends on which continent you grew up I guess…

But I digress… Wolf of the Plains (Birth of an Empire in the US) is a terrific start to a three book series. And although the pace of this first installment may be a little bit slower than that of two following books it’s a truly wonderful book. Don’t let the slow start put you off, but enjoy the atmosphere / ‘worldbuilding’ and the introduction of the characters. Soon enough you’ll be engrossed in the life and trials of Temujin and hungry for the next installment!

9 / 10

Review: The Lies of Lock Lamora

Slick, Stylish & Fun!

The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a ghost that walks through walls. Half the city believes him to be a legendary champion of the poor. The other half believe him to be a foolish myth. Nobody has it quite right.

Slightly built, unlucky in love, and barely competent with a sword, Locke Lamora is, much to his annoyance, the fabled Thorn. He certainly didn't invite the rumors that swirl around his exploits, which are actually confidence games of the most intricate sort. And while Locke does indeed steal from the rich, the poor never see a penny of it. All of Locke's gains are strictly for himself and his tight-knit band of thieves, the Gentlemen Bastards.

Locke and company are con artists in an age where con artistry, as we understand it, is a new and unknown style of crime. The less attention anyone pays to them, the better! But a deadly mystery has begun to haunt the ancient city of Camorr, and a clandestine war is threatening to tear the city's underworld, the only home the Gentlemen Bastards have ever known, to bloody shreds. Caught up in a murderous game, Locke and his friends will find both their loyalty and their ingenuity tested to the breaking point as they struggle to stay alive...

Obviously I am later than anybody jumping on the Lock Lamora bandwagon. Super hyped in 2006 / 2007, but I managed to ignore it – for some reasons the jacket description and the setting didn’t really appeal to me. So I had this one sitting on a book shelve for almost two years and I gave it a try because I just finished The Ten Thousand by Paul Kearney and I wanted something less military and less bloody. It was certainly less military...

The Lies of Lock Lamora brought me back to childhood memories of when I first consciously started enjoying being absorbed by a good book. I remember reading (too) late in bed with a little light on and being transported with a fantastic adventure to a make believe world. This is exactly what ‘Lies’ did. (Even though the content is definitely not for children – there’s a lot of violence and strong language.) This book is just plain old fun!

The plot is nothing too complicated. The story is situated in Camorr; a city state reminiscent of Venice with a renaissance / gothic vibe with hints to be a much bigger world. Very well done! Minor criticism: the book could have used a map. (But hey: there’s internet, so a map is easily found). The book jumps back and forth between present and past. The flashbacks (called interludes) are short enough not to distract from the main story and important enough to be interesting. Alternating between past and present is a tricky thing to do but Scott Lynch did it just right.

The story starts as a caper-tale full of scheming, planning and thieving and turns about halfway in a pretty violent and bloody tale of war and revenge. As I said: nothing to complicated – but he overall ‘vibe’ of this book is what makes it special. This is an old fashioned adventure full of twists and shocks, with interesting characters in a beautifully realized world that draws you right in. A book that makes you think about how it will continue during the day, during work or under the shower or other mundane activities has to be fantastic! Another sign this was an truly excellent book is that I really did not want it to finish…

What also made this book stand out over others was Lynch’s flair for language; his descriptions are imaginative, lyrical and vivid, and the dialogue is witty to the extreme. I really liked the eloquence; the way people talk in this book – something that may not seem realistic when you look at our own world, but which was perfectly acceptable for me as the way of conversation in Camorr and which adds a lot of humor to the story.

The Lies of Lock Lamora goes (close) to the top of my all time favorite list and I will start reading the sequel right away even though I had planned to start another book. That says it all!

Conclusion: strongly recommended for everybody who like a good old fashioned adventure story in a fantastical setting. Slick, stylish & fun!

9 / 10