But nobody—and I mean nobody—has ever been hungry for it like this boy. If he had a bloody gash across his throat and a physiker was trying to sew it up, Lamora would steal the needle and thread and die laughing. He…steals too much.” I thoroughly enjoyed this book - it was rich in every way - characters, place, history, magic mixed with the mundane, stories waiting to be told around every corner. I've read a lot of fantasy novels, and this is now tied for first place (along with the Joe Abercrombie's Blade Itself). The Thorn of Camorr is said to be an unbeatable swordsman, a master thief, a ghost that walks through walls. Half the city believes him to be a legendary champion of the poor. The other half believe him to be a foolish myth. Nobody has it quite right. Aside from those minor quibbles, it was a very good book and my favorite (of the 4 I’ve finished) so far this year. If you like stories about criminals with hearts of gold, of brotherhood forged by shared experiences rather than blood, and fantasy that doesn’t rely on dragons and insta-love to drive its story, give this one a try.

I loved this book although it is not perfect and there were some things about it that annoyed me a tiny bit. But well.. love is not a logical thing so... Oops, sorry, it looks like the Fairness Police just caught me in the act again (see how they stop me the slow-mo way? That just goes to show how faithful they are to the author's style). Beyond the visceral and relatable feel of the world, it’s also stunning in its visual descriptions. Lynch writes sweeping passages about the locales of Camorr and beyond, all primed and ready for panoramic shots of a dirty-but-thriving city, replete with canals, gondolas, colorful buildings, and shady dealings between suspicious passers-by. Zoom in on the events of the novels for tense negotiations aboard a luxurious barge. Or pan around a vicious battle between two warriors and the primal marine beast they’re fighting. Then follow the camera through the secret entrance to the Gentleman Bastards’ hidden lair, accompanied by the sights and sounds of a sizzling meal-in-progress and the laughter of Father Chains, thrilled at his pupils’ latest score.Here it is in a nutshell: When I was first published, I was irritated when people compared me to Scott Lynch. Only now do I realize how huge a compliment I was being given. Yep, that's right, excitement is me ☢ sarcasm alert ☢ And that is all. I have nothing else to say about this book. BUT. I'd hate to see you go so soon, so I shall (very generously, I might add) share my Delightful Lamora Reading Experience (DLRE™) with you. I suffered through 31% of this, there's no reason why you shouldn't suffer through this review as well. Please don't thank me, I'm generous like that. To sum up everything right off the bat, this book is a good time. I remember people comparing it to Six of Crows at one point, but to be honest, the only thing they have in common is a heist subplot and great characters. Everything else is truly incomparable. The core of the story is clever, funny, charming, heart-wrenching, and fun...once you scrape away about half of the words. In 2010, I lost a marriage but gained a cat, a charming ball of ego and fuzz known as Muse (Musicus Maximus Butthead Rex I).

Worldbuilding: Well-done. The setting is not my cup of tea, but it’s different and fairly original. Scott Lynch deserves credit here for crafting an interesting city but often overwhelms a reader with so many island names and bridge crossings that he has to flip to the map at the front to keep things straight. While I appreciate writing that can be enhanced by a map, it feels like some parts of this were written in a way that would be indecipherable without it. Which loosely translates to: OMG this sounds so cool, I should buddy read it with my Silly Friends of Despicable Book Taste I love you too!!!! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how I ended up DNFing this thrilling piece of captivating literature. Oh believe me, I know I read it all wrong, blah blah blah, skim skim skim and all that crap. Well let me tell you something: if some of my dear friends hadn't waited for me to DNF this to tell me the first half of the book was boring as hell (you don't say?!) but that the second half was awesome, maybe I would have kept on reading. And maybe, just maybe, I would be ooh-ing and aah-ing about this right now ← you don't really believe any of this, do you? Oh good, you scared me there for a second. I mean boring crap is boring crap, no matter how you look at it.On the other hand, it really doesn't amount to much more than an entertaining confection. The book's apparently been optioned for a movie already, and I can see why: the dialogue's relentlessly effervescent, occasionally stretching credulity past the breaking point (characters have one-liners for every occasion even while collecting broken bones and concussions like trading cards) and the screenplay-friendly three-act structure is too often embarrassingly visible underneath the flesh of the story. I liked the descriptions myself, but they could be a bit much if you're not into descriptive novels. I'm on the fence - descriptions annoy me sometimes. These worked for me, but they're a biiiiiig part of the book. Lynch, Scott (April 2, 2010). "Do you have any updates regarding the movie deal" . Retrieved December 3, 2018. So in the end, I really enjoyed this book, primarily because of the characters and dialogue. The writer is far more accomplished at his craft than one would expect from a first time author. There were a couple of missteps along the way which dropped the rating for me down a notch. I will have the Grey King, and if all the powers of Camorr and Karthain and Hell itself oppose me, it will be nothing – nothing but a longer trail of corpses between me and your master.”