The Lies of Locke Lamora
Why this book?
Reminiscent of a Dickens novel, Lies is a stylishly written jaunt into a rotting canal city packed full of gangsters, tricksters, and strange Eldren ruins. It follows a tight crew of young, talented shysters as they attempt to pull increasingly elaborate and dangerous confidence scams on the nobility, and end up embroiled in the sinister plot of a madman named the Grey King. There are no true battles here. The conflict inhabits a much narrower, more personal level. It’s concerned with intimate back alley backstabbings, rooftop chases, and tense confrontations with despicable gang bosses. A barrel of horse urine stands out among the book’s many highlights. The fights are oftentimes nasty and savage and the pace is relentless. Especially when our gang of loveable criminals falls afoul of a particularly vindictive sorcerer with a very clever pet falcon.