The Best Book of the Year

Hi,

Actually, that title is a bit of a lie. I realized as I wrote it that there's at least one other book vying for that title. But it's got some very, very stiff competition.

I just finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's pretty much everything I ask for in Fantasy Crime Fiction. How good is it? It's like this:

"Hi, I'm China Mieville. I write amazing fantasy novels full of wonder and enchantment and grotesqueries. Too bad my plots are thin excuses to walk around and look at all the phantasmagorical ideas I've got rattling around."

"My name is Charles Dickens and I write intricate clockwork plots. I also get paid by the word and the heft of the books shows it."

"Nice to meet both of you. I'm Harry Harrison. I write crackling sci-fi crime novels with witty rouges. But I'm not so much for the fantasy."

The three of them got together and concocted some sort of dark sorcery and let Mr. Lynch pen their literary offspring.

It's even better than my poor analogy above. It's one of those books where I try desperately to stetch out the reading to further enjoy it, but then I start reading and I'm closing the covers a few hours later.

Right -- so what's it about?

Locke Lamora is an orphan in the city of Camorr. Taken in by the Thiefmaker and then by Chains the Priest, he learns the skills of a master thief and con-artist and soon rises to command his small gang, the Gentlemen Bastards. He's having a great time applying his years of larcenous education to lightening the accounts of major nobles in Camorr. Then the mysterious Gray King starts killing off gang leaders in town and life takes a turn for the interesting.

I really don't want to say too much about it, other than it's one of the best books I've read this year despite a complete lack of zeppelins. The characters are all well-executed, the pacing is perfect, the dialogue is witty and sparkling, the fantasy elements are subtle but enchanting and the various con-games are delightfully complex. If you have any love for the fantasy rogue, you'll enjoy this book.

Highly, highly recommended
Tom

The Best Book of the Year

Hi,

Actually, that title is a bit of a lie. I realized as I wrote it that there's at least one other book vying for that title. But it's got some very, very stiff competition.

I just finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's pretty much everything I ask for in Fantasy Crime Fiction. How good is it? It's like this:

"Hi, I'm China Mieville. I write amazing fantasy novels full of wonder and enchantment and grotesqueries. Too bad my plots are thin excuses to walk around and look at all the phantasmagorical ideas I've got rattling around."

"My name is Charles Dickens and I write intricate clockwork plots. I also get paid by the word and the heft of the books shows it."

"Nice to meet both of you. I'm Harry Harrison. I write crackling sci-fi crime novels with witty rouges. But I'm not so much for the fantasy."

The three of them got together and concocted some sort of dark sorcery and let Mr. Lynch pen their literary offspring.

It's even better than my poor analogy above. It's one of those books where I try desperately to stetch out the reading to further enjoy it, but then I start reading and I'm closing the covers a few hours later.

Right -- so what's it about?

Locke Lamora is an orphan in the city of Camorr. Taken in by the Thiefmaker and then by Chains the Priest, he learns the skills of a master thief and con-artist and soon rises to command his small gang, the Gentlemen Bastards. He's having a great time applying his years of larcenous education to lightening the accounts of major nobles in Camorr. Then the mysterious Gray King starts killing off gang leaders in town and life takes a turn for the interesting.

I really don't want to say too much about it, other than it's one of the best books I've read this year despite a complete lack of zeppelins. The characters are all well-executed, the pacing is perfect, the dialogue is witty and sparkling, the fantasy elements are subtle but enchanting and the various con-games are delightfully complex. If you have any love for the fantasy rogue, you'll enjoy this book.

Highly, highly recommended
Tom