The Lies of Locke Lamora

Characters: ★★★★★ Atmosphere: ★★★★★ Writing Style: ★★★★★ Plot: ★★★★★ Intrigue: ★★★★★ Relationships: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★Overall Rating: ★★★★★A brilliant tale following expert con artist Locke Lamora and his crew as they venture out of out of their depth.First of all, I'm a sucker for a good heist story, especially in a medieval setting. Secondly, Lynch has a gift for crafting imperfect characters that you want to root for. His prose is so pleasant to read, and he somehow has a way of making crude language blend in flawlessly with the rest of his writing. It's astonishing that this is Lynch's debut.I loved the flashback chapters where we learned more about Locke and Jean's transformative upbringing and relationship growth. It really sets up a lot for the latter half of the story, and I'm sure will deeply play into the following books. The twists and turns, revelations and surprises within the plot made for an immersive and gripping story that you never wanted to end.In conclusion, this is one of the best bromances I've read in a while (but not quite on the level of Royce and Hadrian in Riyria) and I'm excited to read the rest in the series!