Book · 2006
The Lies of Locke Lamora
by Scott Lynch
A gang of con artists is three months into robbing the city's nobility when a rival crime lord starts murdering their kind for sport.
What does Reddit think of The Lies of Locke Lamora?
The Lies of Locke Lamora is r/Fantasy's book before anyone else's: 608 of its 1071 mentions come from there, versus 372 on r/suggestmeabook and 90 on r/printSF. Recommendation threads reach for it constantly and specifically as a standalone, one commenter calling it "brilliant... and works very well as a standalone" (↑375), which matters because the series itself doesn't behave that way. The Gentleman Bastards sequence has gone 12 years since Republic of Thieves with no Thorn of Emberlain in sight, and one thread notes bluntly that Scott Lynch "has been given way more grace than either Rothfuss or GRRM" for the wait (↑206). None of that dents the first book's reputation. Its dialogue gets quoted from memory, the "fuck up so magnificently" exchange pulls ↑413 on its own, and one reader compares the title's phonetics favorably to the Lannisters (↑239). Mentions have cooled since a 2020 peak of 214, down to 110-111 the last two years, tracking a series whose sequel drought has gone quiet too.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · heist-fantasy staple
- · standalone-friendly despite a stalled series
- · quotable dialogue
- · the Rothfuss/GRRM delay comparison
Common praise
- + One recommendation calls it "brilliant... and works very well as a standalone," which is exactly why r/Fantasy points newcomers here (↑375).
- + Its dialogue gets quoted from memory; the 'fuck up so magnificently' exchange pulls ↑413 on its own.
- + One reader compares the title's phonetics favorably to the Lannisters, calling it a name that 'rolls right off the tongue' (↑239).
Common criticism
- − The Gentleman Bastards sequence has gone 12 years since Republic of Thieves with no Thorn of Emberlain delivered (↑206).
- − One thread bluntly notes Scott Lynch 'has been given way more grace than either Rothfuss or GRRM' for the wait (↑206).
- − r/printSF barely registers it, 90 mentions, so its reach stays mostly inside r/Fantasy's own recommendation loops.
Who it's for
Come here for a heist plot that resolves in one book, which matters given how long the sequels take. r/Fantasy readers recommend it constantly to people who want epic fantasy without the ten-book commitment. If you're mid-series already and burned out waiting on Rothfuss or GRRM, know you'll have the same problem here eventually; Scott Lynch hasn't delivered Thorn of Emberlain either.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for The Lies of Locke Lamora?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“The Lies of Locke Lamora comes immediately to mind
“The Lies of Locke Lamora.
“*"Someday, Locke Lamora, someday, you’re going to f*** up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will s*** comets with glee. And I just hope I’m still around to see it.”* *“Oh please,” said Locke. “It’ll never h…
“The Lies of Locke Lamora would be my best suggestion. Brilliant book, and works very well as a standalone
“Locke Lamora’s rule of thumb was this: a good confidence game too 3 months to plan, 3 weeks to rehearse and 3 seconds to win or lose the victims trust forever. This time he planned to spend those three seconds getting strangled.” The Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
“Locke Lamora just rolls right off the tongue. The Lannisters all have great names as well and I really like Cauis Crispin.
“A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. First book is A Game of Thrones. There are kid characters but it’s as far from YA as it gets. The Second Apocalypse by R Scott Bakker. First book is The Darkness That Comes Before. The Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham. First book is A Shadow …
“Gentleman B*******. Lies of Locke Lamora was published in 2006, Red Seas under Red Skies in 2007, six years later we get Republic of Thieves in 2013. It’s been 12 years and going, still waiting on Thorn of Emberlain. Scott Lynch seems to have been given way more grace than either Rothfuss or GRRM, b…
Convinced? Pick up The Lies of Locke Lamora
Readers also mention
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A bastard prince trained as an assassin narrates sixteen books of loss, loyalty, and one very long grudge against fate.
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The Lies of Locke Lamora — frequently asked
Do I need to read the sequels to The Lies of Locke Lamora?+
No. One r/Fantasy recommendation specifically praises it as brilliant and notes it "works very well as a standalone" (↑375). That matters more than usual here: the Gentleman Bastards sequence has gone 12 years since Republic of Thieves with no Thorn of Emberlain in sight (↑206), so treating book one as complete is the safer bet.
Why does everyone quote The Lies of Locke Lamora's dialogue?+
Because it holds up on its own. The "someday, Locke Lamora... you're going to fuck up so magnificently" exchange pulls ↑413 by itself, and the confidence-game 'rule of thumb' line about three months to plan and three seconds to lose gets quoted just as readily (↑347). r/Fantasy treats these as some of the genre's most reusable lines.
Why hasn't Scott Lynch finished The Lies of Locke Lamora's series?+
Nobody quite knows, and Reddit is a little annoyed about it. One commenter lays out the timeline, 2006, 2007, then a six-year gap to 2013's Republic of Thieves, then 12 more years and counting, and notes Lynch "has been given way more grace than either Rothfuss or GRRM" for the delay (↑206).
Is The Lies of Locke Lamora r/Fantasy's most recommended heist book?+
It's close to a reflex answer there. It draws 608 of its 1071 mentions from r/Fantasy alone, versus 372 on r/suggestmeabook, and shows up in 'comes immediately to mind' style responses (↑519) whenever heist or con-artist fantasy gets requested.