Tuesday 10 June 2014

Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch



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.