I remember the first time I picked up The Lies of Locke Lamora. It was 2006. The cover looked cool, sure, but I wasn't expecting to be hit by a freight train of "creative profanity" and high-stakes thievery. Scott Lynch basically walked into the fantasy genre, kicked the door down, and shouted, "What if Ocean’s Eleven happened in a magical version of Venice?"
It worked. Boy, did it work.
Even now, two decades later, people are still obsessed. They’re still waiting for the fourth book, The Thorn of Emberlain, with a kind of desperate patience usually reserved for saintly figures or George R.R. Martin fans. But why? Why does this specific story about a "small, skinny, and utterly unimpressive" con artist stick in the brain?
It’s the world. It's the "Gentleman Bastards." Honestly, it’s mostly just the sheer audacity of Locke himself.
Camorr: The City of Glass and Filth
Most fantasy cities feel like cardboard cutouts. You’ve got the tavern, the castle, and maybe a "shady alleyway." Camorr is different. It’s built on the ruins of an alien race called the Eldren, who left behind buildings made of "Elderglass"—indestructible, translucent, and glowing with an eerie light.
Imagine a city of canals, bridges, and stinking gutters, all glowing like a neon fever dream at night.
The Secret Peace
The setting isn't just a backdrop; it’s a living machine. The city is governed by a weird, fragile truce called the Secret Peace. Basically, the Duke lets the criminal underworld exist as long as they don't rob the nobility. It’s a "you stay in your lane, we stay in ours" deal.
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But Locke Lamora? He doesn’t do lanes.
Locke leads the Gentleman Bastards, a tiny crew of highly trained con artists who live in the basement of a temple to the Crooked Visitor (the god of thieves). They spend their days pretending to be bumbling, low-level pickpockets to appease the local crime lord, Capa Barsavi. In reality, they are amassing a mountain of gold by pulling massive "long cons" on the very nobles the Secret Peace is supposed to protect.
The Gentleman Bastards: More Than Just Thieves
The heart of The Lies of Locke Lamora isn't the heist. It’s the brotherhood.
You have Jean Tannen, who looks like a soft, bookish giant but can turn into a whirlwind of violence with his twin hatchets (affectionately named Wicked and Perilous). Then there are the Sanza twins, Calo and Galdo, who provide the chaotic energy every group needs. And little Bug, the apprentice.
Scott Lynch does this thing with the timeline that I love (and some people hate). He uses "interludes." One chapter is the present-day heist, and the next is a flashback to when they were kids, starving on the streets and being trained by Father Chains.
"I only want to be the guy who’s already halfway to the border by the time they realize their pockets are empty." — The general vibe of Locke Lamora.
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These flashbacks aren't just filler. They show you exactly how Locke became such a brilliant, arrogant disaster. You see the trauma. You see the bond between Locke and Jean. Honestly, their friendship is the real romance of the series. They would literally burn the world down for each other, and by the end of the first book, they pretty much do.
What Most People Get Wrong About Locke
People call Locke a "mastermind." That’s a bit of a stretch.
Locke is a genius at planning, but he is absolutely terrible at predicting. He’s the guy who plans a perfect diamond heist but forgets that the building might be on fire when he gets there. Half the fun of the book is watching his elaborate, 400-page plan fall apart in the first twenty minutes.
He isn't a warrior. If Locke gets into a fair fight, he’s going to lose. He knows this. His "superpower" is just being able to lie faster than the other guy can swing a sword.
The Gray King Problem
The story takes a dark turn when a mysterious figure called the Gray King starts killing Capa Barsavi's men. Locke gets caught in the middle. He’s forced to play both sides—pretending to be the Gray King's puppet while trying to finish his own heist and keep his friends alive.
It gets violent. Like, "don't read this while eating" violent. Lynch doesn't shy away from the fact that these are criminals living in a brutal world. The shift from a fun caper to a revenge tragedy is jarring, but it’s why the book has such a legacy. It has teeth.
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The Influence on Modern Fantasy
You can see the fingerprints of The Lies of Locke Lamora everywhere now.
- The "Heist" Subgenre: Before 2006, fantasy was mostly "farm boy finds a magic sword." After Locke, we got a wave of "band of misfits pulls a job" stories like Six of Crows and The Final Empire.
- Morally Gray Protagonists: Locke isn't a "hero." He's a thief who steals for fun and profit. But he's charming, so we root for him.
- Voice-Driven Prose: Lynch writes with a specific, witty, and often vulgar energy that made fantasy feel "cool" and modern again.
Where is Book 4? (The Thorn of Emberlain Update)
This is the question that haunts every fan forum. The Lies of Locke Lamora came out in 2006. Red Seas Under Red Skies in 2007. The Republic of Thieves in 2013.
It’s 2026, and we are still waiting for The Thorn of Emberlain.
Scott Lynch has been very open about his struggles with mental health and anxiety, which have slowed his writing process. The good news? He is still active. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, we saw new short stories like "Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent" and news of novellas coming from Subterranean Press.
The world of the Gentleman Bastards isn't dead. It's just... taking its time.
How to Get the Most Out of the Series
If you haven't read it yet, or you're planning a reread, here is the "expert" way to approach it.
- Listen to the Audiobook: Steven Pacey’s narration is legendary. He gives every character a distinct voice and nails the comedic timing of the insults.
- Pay Attention to the Interludes: Don't skip them. They provide the emotional payoff for the ending.
- Don't Expect a "Chosen One": Locke is nobody. That’s the point. He’s just a guy with a lot of nerve.
Practical Next Steps for Fans
If you’ve finished the first three books and need more, check out the "Road to Emberlain" novellas. They bridge the gap between book three and the upcoming book four. Also, keep an eye on Lynch’s official site; he’s been more active lately with updates than he was in the early 2020s.
Ultimately, The Lies of Locke Lamora works because it understands a fundamental truth about humans: we love a good liar. Especially one who is doing it for all the wrong reasons but with all the right people by his side. It’s a story about friendship, the cost of revenge, and why you should never, ever trust a priest who can see perfectly well.