The Lies of Locke Lamora

The Lies of Locke Lamora, written by Scott Lynch and published in 2006, is the first entry in the Gentleman Bastards series. These novels mix caper stories and fantasy stories and include adventure, violence, dark humor, and intimate friendships. The Lies of Locke Lamora is an international best seller and was nominated for multiple awards. The other entries in the series are Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Republic of Thieves, and The Thorn of Emberlain.

Plot Summary

The Lies of Locke Lamora takes place in the trade city of Camorr, one of many city-states that came into being after the fall of the Therin Throne. The story alternates between Locke’s life during childhood and his life as an adult in his mid-20s. Locke arrived at the Temple of Perelandro in the city of Camorr when he was six years old. The city is known for its towers, bridges, and cellars made of Elderglass, an unbreakable material left behind by a civilization known as the Eldren. Camorr is also known for widespread crime led by kingpin Capa Barsavi.

The Temple of Perelandro secretly houses Father Chains’s Gentleman Bastards Gang, a group of thieves that does what it pleases throughout the city. Father Chains teaches Locke and the other boys in the gang about history, cultural customs, and more while he trains them in thievery and fighting. Years pass, and the gang becomes like a family to Locke.

As an adult, Locke and his fellow gang members set out to target a noble couple, Don and Doña Salvara. The gang is confident that their plan will succeed, until Doña Salvara becomes suspicious and reports her concerns to a friend. Doña Salvara’s friend, Doña Vorchenza, lives a double life as the head of a secret police force for Camorr’s duke. Vorchenza, known to the criminal world as the Spider, reports the suspicions to the duke.

The gang feels even more pressure as a rogue criminal who calls himself the Gray King targets members of Camorr’s criminal underworld. The group dismisses stories of the rogue’s notorious activities until he assaults and abducts Locke. After his abduction, Locke learns the Gray King’s identity. The Gray King uses his hired mage to intimidate Locke into appearing as the Gray King to speak with Capa Barsavi.

Caught between Capa Barsavi’s demands and the Gray King’s schemes, the Gentleman Bastards attempt to outsmart their way to safety. As they plan to vanish without a trace, Locke’s fellow gang members are murdered by the Gray King’s men. The Gray King ambushes Locke, who is left barely alive. Locke is left with Jean, his only remaining friend, to retaliate against the Gray King, outsmart the Spider, and flee Camorr. They kill the Gray King, and because they foiled the rogue’s plan to poison the nobility, the Spider allows them to leave Camorr under the condition that they never return.