The Lies of Locke Lamora

A lot of fantasy books are written with tons of ambition. It’s a genre that very much lends itself to it, as there aren’t really any limits within the genre itself. The only barriers are created by the author themselves. However i do think that some authors would be served well by tempering their ambitions, and Lynch is one of them. With that said I enjoyed most of my experience reading The Lies of Locke Lamora. It has a fun premise, the main characters have a lot of charm and the basic narrative is very satisfying to follow up until the final act. I think this book is a ton of fun when it’s only focusing on the adventures of Locke and the rest of the Gentlemen Bastards. Where this book loses me is when it tries to expand its scope. One minute you’re reading about Locke coming up with a scheme, the next you’re reading about the economic system of the entire city. One moment you’re reading a cool action sequence, the next you’re reading about some random diplomatic relationships. It takes a very skilled writer to blend the micro with the macro and unfortunately I just don’t think Lynch is quite at that level. I don’t want to come across as too harsh on Lynch as I do like a lot of the ideas he has here and I think the core story of this book is a really good one. But not every fantasy book needs multiple countries, nor does it need to be over 700 pages. A version of this book that trims down some of the excess worldbuilding would probably land around 500 pages and I would be singing its praises. Alas, I am not reviewing that version, I am reviewing this one and this one is a flawed book with some great sections.