The Lies of Locke Lamora

One of the books that I consider to be top-tier is the recent sensation, The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss. This book, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was published a year before The Name of the Wind and the two are, in my opinion, equals.

Both are typical, in that they weave the story of a charismatic (flawed genius) hero. What sets both apart from a sea of similar books is the quality of the writing, and how engaging the story is. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a much grittier tale than The Name of the Wind, but it also had me laughing out loud a lot more often than when I read the latter.

What attracted me to The Lies of Locke Lamora, at first, was a review which mentioned it as being “Ocean's Eleven in the middle ages”, and I think that that's about as good a single-phrase description can get. So if you liked Ocean's Eleven, and you liked The Name of the Wind (how can you not?!), then pick this one up, A.S.A.P.