[Review] The Fantasy Italian Mafia: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

"Lies go out, but the truth stays home."

What do you get when you mix fantasy with Italian mafia clichés? This book. "The Lies of Locke Lamora" tells the story of the Gentlemen Bastards, a band of thieves from a city state called Camorr. They work by deceiving and playing the rich noble class but don't give anything away. Raised to be extraordinary thieves, the likes of which people haven't seen before, they are working on one of their biggest hauls so far. Until things in the city turn sour.

Locke Lamora, Jean Tannen, Calo and Galdo Sanza, and little Bug are a group you will love with all your heart. They are fun, they are intriguing, and they are just really cool characters. Everyone of them has their specialties in working as thieves, making them all important in their own way to this group. And their relationships work well and are nicely fleshed out.

Especially Locke's and Jean's friendship will grow on you. These two have a great arc to their relationship and I now understand well why I've heard people name their friendship as one of their favorites in literature.

Next to the relationships there is an interesting world building going on that I'm assuming is very Italian inspired. At least in Camorr. There are a few other places mentioned and one is more on the Germanic side. My first assumption was for it to be inspired by Germany but after finishing I'd say the place also has Scandinavian influences. But in this book we mostly get to know Camorr. A city state with a lot of waterways and culture built around water. Names, places, and such are very much inspired by Italy and that's also why I want to say that most likely dark-haired characters with darker skin are probably not people of color but just inspired by southern Europeans. Just as a small disclaimer for people who want to know this.

I also have to add on that note that while this is one of the better fantasy books written by a man in terms of how women are treated, Scott Lynch still needs to work a tiny bit on it. He does have a few great and interesting female characters but they aren't as fleshed out in some cases compared to the male characters. Though this was his first book so I let it slide. What I do want to say, which might turn off some people who planned on reading the book: I will add a spoiler on my Goodreads entry for this book where you can read a slightly spoilery thing I want to point out. It's nothing too big but definitely disliked by many. (But there is a whole interlude chapter talking about the prostitutes in Camorr and trust me: that chapter was really cool!)

What is really important to the world is the religions. There is a whole pantheon and people favor certain gods over others. And I'd say these are some interesting gods for a fantasy world but also very fitting. Similar gods I've seen before but I did like the interpretation here with the temples and how people worship their gods. It also plays into the story so I won't say much even though it's not really a spoiler I'd say. It's just a lot more interesting to find out about these gods while reading the book.

And one of the most important aspects of this story is how the Gentlemen Bastards manage to be such great thieves. I also won't go into detail here but the way they (mostly Locke) plan and the things they do to deceive people are just wonderful. If you want sneaky and intelligent thieves, this is your kind of book. I bet many of you have already heard people compare this to Six of Crows as well and I do understand it. But keep in mind that and the end of the day both books are definitely their own thing. The focus on thieving crews with a brilliant mind at the front is a good reason for comparison though because this book will be a great one to read if you loved the Six of Crows duology. In general, if you like characters that work by planning out things in detail, you will love this.

I really loved reading this. I was entertained the whole time, the end kept me at the edge of my seat even though it wasn't the biggest end (but it was gripping!), and I immediately fell in love with these characters. For a first book this is really good and I definitely have to get the next two books that are already out.

Rating: 4.5/5★

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Disclaimer: All my opinions are my own. I bought the book myself and wasn't asked to talk about it. The quote is from the book.

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