The Lies of Locke Lamora
Encyclopedia
The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fantasy novel by Scott Lynch
. It follows the adventures of a group of con artists known as the Gentlemen Bastards. They live in a city called Camorr, heavily based on late medieval Venice
. The book is divided into two interspersed stories. In the present time, the Gentlemen Bastards must contend with the Grey King, a powerful figure terrorizing Camorr's criminal community. Every other chapter, however, delves into the history and mythology of Camorr, the Gentlemen Bastards, and especially the protagonist Locke Lamora.
The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first book in a projected series of seven.
on the city's richest citizens, in defiance of the Secret Peace (an unspoken agreement between the criminal underground and nobility that establishes a toleration of thievery and mischief in Camorr as long as the nobility is not targeted). Over time, Locke becomes known as the "Thorn of Camorr", an identity which is never linked to Locke, who maintains the pretense of being a perfectly ordinary sneak thief.
In time, Locke becomes garrista (leader) of the Gentlemen Bastards. His crew includes Jean Tannen, an expert fighter (especially with hatchets- his favorite pair is nicknamed "The Wicked Sisters"); Calo and Galdo Sanza, a pair of jack-of-all-trades twins; a young apprentice named Bug; and a woman named Sabetha, whom Locke loves and who, for unspecified reasons, does not appear in the novel.
At the beginning of the novel, the Gentlemen Bastards are commencing an elaborate confidence game against Don Lorenzo Salvara and his wife. Locke pretends to be Lukas Fehrwight, a representative of a powerful wine-making family that needs to get its stock out of its home state before it erupts into civil war. During the course of this con, a mysterious figure named the Gray King begins killing prominent members of the criminal community. Soon, the Gray King confronts Locke and due to Locke's skills at deception, coerces him to impersonate the Gray King during a meeting with Capa Barsavi, head of Camorr's criminal underworld. It is also revealed that the Gray King employs a Bondsmage, a member of an exclusive guild of sorcerers who are infamous for both the ridiculous fees required to acquire their services and the wrath they collectively bring down on any person or group that kills one of their members.
Despite reassurances that the Bondsmage's magic will protect Locke, things go very wrong during the summit meeting. While the Bondsmage's sorcery prevents Locke from being cut or pierced, it confers no superhuman strength, and does not protect against blunt trauma. When the Capa's men discover this, they wrestle him to the ground and capture him. Locke realises that his capture and execution was the Gray King's plan all along, in order to lower Barsavi's guard. Furthermore, he cannot reveal his true identity to Barsavi because the Capa would then kill not only him, but the other Gentleman Bastards as well. After a brutal and lengthy beating, Locke is sealed in a funeral cask filled with horse urine and thrown into the harbor. Confident that his enemy is dead, Barsavi invites the entire underworld to a celebration in his headquarters, a dry-docked ship. At the height of the celebration, Barsavi is assassinated by his twin bodyguards (actually the Gray King's sisters), who also kill Barsavi's sons, and his most trusted underlings. The Gray King appears before the stunned onlookers, and takes the name "Capa Raza", declaring himself the new head of the underworld.
With help from Bug and Jean, Locke is saved, and they return to the Bastards' home to find it ransacked and Calo and Galdo killed. One of the Gray King's men is lying in wait, and kills Bug before being killed by Locke. Enraged, Locke swears revenge. Down at the docks, Jean kills the Gray King's sisters, while Locke tries to complete the confidence game with what few resources he still possesses. Unfortunately, the Salvaras have been tipped off to Locke's scam; they invite him to the nobility's party on the city's most important holiday, where he is nearly captured by the city's spymaster. After escaping and fleeing to one of his hideouts, Locke finds the Bondsmage waiting for him, already having incapacitated Jean. By exploiting the bondsmage's arrogance and psychic link with his scorpion-hawk familiar, Locke and Jean barely manage to subdue him, and proceed to torture the Gray King's secrets out of him. Wary of the ruthless reputation of the Bondsmagi, the Gentlemen spare the Bondsmage's life, but remove his fingers and tongue rendering him unable to practice his craft.
From the Bondsmage, we learn that when the Gray King was a boy, his father had opposed the brokering of the Secret Peace, resulting in the execution of nearly his entire family. In the intervening years, the Gray King's consuming hatred had driven him to build up a vast amount of wealth and stage his complex plot against Capa Barsavi and the nobility of Camorr. His revenge on Barsavi complete, the Gray King turns to exact vengeance upon the nobility. For this, he arranges the delivery of four sculptures as "gifts" to the Duke of Camorr. The statues are actually timebomb
s filled with Wraithstone (a dangerous mineral that effectively lobotomizes
those who are exposed to it) and are set to explode at nightfall. Locke rushes back to the party, and manages to warn the assembled nobles before the bombs go off. In view of his selflessness, and despite his numerous crimes against the nobility of Camorr, Locke is allowed to leave to go after the Gray King himself. In single combat aboard the Gray King's ship, Locke finds himself completely outmatched against the Gray King, but manages to trick him and ultimately kill him, avenging his fallen brethren. The novel ends with Jean and Locke aboard a ship setting off for a new life.
, criticized the book http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2006/06/the_lies_.shtml.)
Scott Lynch (author)
Scott Lynch is an American fantasy author, best known for his Gentleman Bastard series of novels. He resides in Western Wisconsin in the city of New Richmond, Wisconsin. According to his website, he had a variety of jobs including dishwasher, waiter, web designer, freelance writer and office manager...
. It follows the adventures of a group of con artists known as the Gentlemen Bastards. They live in a city called Camorr, heavily based on late medieval Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. The book is divided into two interspersed stories. In the present time, the Gentlemen Bastards must contend with the Grey King, a powerful figure terrorizing Camorr's criminal community. Every other chapter, however, delves into the history and mythology of Camorr, the Gentlemen Bastards, and especially the protagonist Locke Lamora.
The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first book in a projected series of seven.
The Gentleman Bastard Sequence
- The Lies of Locke Lamora (June 2006)
- Red Seas Under Red SkiesRed Seas Under Red SkiesRed Seas Under Red Skies is the second novel in Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series.-The Gentleman Bastard Series:#The Lies of Locke Lamora #Red Seas Under Red Skies...
(July 2007) - The Republic of ThievesThe Republic of ThievesThe Republic of Thieves will be the third novel in Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastard series. It will detail the continuing adventures of Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen and also introduces Sabetha, Locke's previously absent love interest....
(March 2012 ) - The Thorn of Emberlain (forthcoming)
- The Ministry of Necessity (forthcoming)
- The Mage and the Master Spy (forthcoming)
- Inherit the Night (forthcoming)
Plot summary
After a devastating plague, a man known as the Thiefmaker pays off the city guard to allow him to take in thirty newly-orphaned individuals, whom he plans to train as thieves. One orphan sneaks into the group of paid children, "thirty-one of thirty". The Thiefmaker soon discovers that this one child, Locke Lamora, is extremely clever but not "circumspect", and is a liability due to his lack of foresight or restraint. The Thiefmaker decides to sell Locke to Chains, a priest of the Nameless Thirteenth god, the Crooked Warden who protects thieves. Chains uses his temple as a front to operate the Gentlemen Bastards. They play confidence gamesConfidence trick
A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...
on the city's richest citizens, in defiance of the Secret Peace (an unspoken agreement between the criminal underground and nobility that establishes a toleration of thievery and mischief in Camorr as long as the nobility is not targeted). Over time, Locke becomes known as the "Thorn of Camorr", an identity which is never linked to Locke, who maintains the pretense of being a perfectly ordinary sneak thief.
In time, Locke becomes garrista (leader) of the Gentlemen Bastards. His crew includes Jean Tannen, an expert fighter (especially with hatchets- his favorite pair is nicknamed "The Wicked Sisters"); Calo and Galdo Sanza, a pair of jack-of-all-trades twins; a young apprentice named Bug; and a woman named Sabetha, whom Locke loves and who, for unspecified reasons, does not appear in the novel.
At the beginning of the novel, the Gentlemen Bastards are commencing an elaborate confidence game against Don Lorenzo Salvara and his wife. Locke pretends to be Lukas Fehrwight, a representative of a powerful wine-making family that needs to get its stock out of its home state before it erupts into civil war. During the course of this con, a mysterious figure named the Gray King begins killing prominent members of the criminal community. Soon, the Gray King confronts Locke and due to Locke's skills at deception, coerces him to impersonate the Gray King during a meeting with Capa Barsavi, head of Camorr's criminal underworld. It is also revealed that the Gray King employs a Bondsmage, a member of an exclusive guild of sorcerers who are infamous for both the ridiculous fees required to acquire their services and the wrath they collectively bring down on any person or group that kills one of their members.
Despite reassurances that the Bondsmage's magic will protect Locke, things go very wrong during the summit meeting. While the Bondsmage's sorcery prevents Locke from being cut or pierced, it confers no superhuman strength, and does not protect against blunt trauma. When the Capa's men discover this, they wrestle him to the ground and capture him. Locke realises that his capture and execution was the Gray King's plan all along, in order to lower Barsavi's guard. Furthermore, he cannot reveal his true identity to Barsavi because the Capa would then kill not only him, but the other Gentleman Bastards as well. After a brutal and lengthy beating, Locke is sealed in a funeral cask filled with horse urine and thrown into the harbor. Confident that his enemy is dead, Barsavi invites the entire underworld to a celebration in his headquarters, a dry-docked ship. At the height of the celebration, Barsavi is assassinated by his twin bodyguards (actually the Gray King's sisters), who also kill Barsavi's sons, and his most trusted underlings. The Gray King appears before the stunned onlookers, and takes the name "Capa Raza", declaring himself the new head of the underworld.
With help from Bug and Jean, Locke is saved, and they return to the Bastards' home to find it ransacked and Calo and Galdo killed. One of the Gray King's men is lying in wait, and kills Bug before being killed by Locke. Enraged, Locke swears revenge. Down at the docks, Jean kills the Gray King's sisters, while Locke tries to complete the confidence game with what few resources he still possesses. Unfortunately, the Salvaras have been tipped off to Locke's scam; they invite him to the nobility's party on the city's most important holiday, where he is nearly captured by the city's spymaster. After escaping and fleeing to one of his hideouts, Locke finds the Bondsmage waiting for him, already having incapacitated Jean. By exploiting the bondsmage's arrogance and psychic link with his scorpion-hawk familiar, Locke and Jean barely manage to subdue him, and proceed to torture the Gray King's secrets out of him. Wary of the ruthless reputation of the Bondsmagi, the Gentlemen spare the Bondsmage's life, but remove his fingers and tongue rendering him unable to practice his craft.
From the Bondsmage, we learn that when the Gray King was a boy, his father had opposed the brokering of the Secret Peace, resulting in the execution of nearly his entire family. In the intervening years, the Gray King's consuming hatred had driven him to build up a vast amount of wealth and stage his complex plot against Capa Barsavi and the nobility of Camorr. His revenge on Barsavi complete, the Gray King turns to exact vengeance upon the nobility. For this, he arranges the delivery of four sculptures as "gifts" to the Duke of Camorr. The statues are actually timebomb
Timebomb
Timebomb is a 1991 sci-fi action film written and directed by Avi Nesher. Starring Michael Biehn and Patsy Kensit ....
s filled with Wraithstone (a dangerous mineral that effectively lobotomizes
Lobotomy
Lobotomy "; τομή – tomē: "cut/slice") is a neurosurgical procedure, a form of psychosurgery, also known as a leukotomy or leucotomy . It consists of cutting the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain...
those who are exposed to it) and are set to explode at nightfall. Locke rushes back to the party, and manages to warn the assembled nobles before the bombs go off. In view of his selflessness, and despite his numerous crimes against the nobility of Camorr, Locke is allowed to leave to go after the Gray King himself. In single combat aboard the Gray King's ship, Locke finds himself completely outmatched against the Gray King, but manages to trick him and ultimately kill him, avenging his fallen brethren. The novel ends with Jean and Locke aboard a ship setting off for a new life.
Foreign Editions
- De Leugens van Locke Lamora Dutch Edition, 2006.
- Las Mentiras de Locke Lamora Spanish Edition, October, 2006.
- Les Mensonges de Locke Lamora French Edition, February, 2007.
- Locke Lamoran valheet Finnish Edition, June, 2007.
- ロック・ラモーラの優雅なたくらみ Japanese Edition, June, 2007.
- Kłamstwa Locke'a Lamory Polish Edition, October, 2007.
- Locke Lamoras lögner Swedish Edition, September, 2007.
- Gli Inganni di Locke Lamora Italian Edition, September, 2007.
- Laži Loka Lamore Serbian Edition, March, 2010.
Movie Adaptation
Warner Brothers bought the film rights soon after the book's release. The brothers Kevin and Dan Hageman have been hired by Warner Bros. to write the screenplay. Michael De Luca ("Zathura") and Julie Yorn ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") will produce.- Hagemans play it as it 'Lies': Brothers will adapt Lynch fantasy epic Variety.com, 13 July 2006.
Critical reception
The reception has been generally positive (though one prominent genre website, Strange HorizonsStrange Horizons
Strange Horizons is an online speculative fiction magazine. It also features speculative poetry in every issue....
, criticized the book http://www.strangehorizons.com/reviews/2006/06/the_lies_.shtml.)
- This link collects reactions to the Strange Horizon review by C.M. Morrison and the debate that followed it. 4 July 2006.
- This link also traces the debate.
External links
- Scott Lynch's website
- Locke Lamora Fansite & Archive of Literature
- Pen and Paper listing
- Interview with Scott Lynch by Alison Bone for The Bookseller, 10 April 2006.
- Interview with Scott Lynch by Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, 21 June 2006.
- Video Interview with Scott Lynch on YouTube, 21 July 2006.
- Interview with Scott Lynch by Elbakin.net, 7 August 2006.
- Interview with Scott Lynch by Katharine Stubbs for Sentient Online, 21 September 2009.
Reviews
- Review by J. K. Pelletier FantasyBookNews.com, December 2008
- Review by Jayaprakash on kvltsite.com August 2007
- Review by C.M. Morrison Strange Horizon, 26 June 2006.
- Review by John Berlyne SFRevu, June 2006.
- Review by Sherwood Smith The SF Site, 2006.
- Review by Pat's Fantasy Hotlist 29 May 2006.
- Review by Sue Griffiths Fiction Reviews, 2006.
- Review by Dylan Skerbitz Twin Cities Daily Planet, 5 September 2006.
- Review by Williams Lexner Reviews of Speculative Fiction for the Fan and Collector, 2 July 2006.
- Review by Violet Kane Alternative Reality Webzine, 2006.
- Review by Ilya Popov 6 February 2006.
- Review by Martin Jenner August 1, 2006 Computercrowsnest.com
- Review by Pawel Raczek May 5, 2008