It's
hard not to be too effusive about this novel, Scott Lynch's debut. It
is a great read that stands out moreso for being the author's first
published effort and became an immediate favourite of mine.
The strength of this novel, I think, is based on a
very detailed, fully-realized world that Lynch has built, although that
worldbuilding, ironically, is also one of this novel's weak points
(more on that later). Through the novel, there
are intricately fleshed out details about the economy, art, cuisine and
sport and leisure interests of the world's inhabitants. There is always
a sense that the characters live in a real world. Lynch takes this one
step further and imbues even minor characters
with personalities and interesting histories. Different characters take
on roles of hero or villain at different times and are driven
by rational motivations.
