Locke is a rather clever, somewhat proud, thief, whose band of merry men have earned a reputation for stealing from the rich, an act that breaches an unwritten rule of thievery in the city of Camorr. This reputation is hidden from the team's peers by their rather unusual approach to the art of thieving, the whole team are an ingenious bunch of con artists with a whole manner of tricks up their sleeves. Life is pretty straight forward until a gentleman calling himself "The Grey King" appears and sets his sights on taking out the biggest gang leaders in the city. Locke is drawn into the killing and the double crossing and his life gets thrown to the sharks.
Locke is an easy character to fall in love with, as is his closest comrade Jean. It is these two that really engage with the reader and make the story such a tough one to put down. I would certainly not mess with the two of them, I would either end up penniless or dead!
This is one of the best fantasy novels I have ever laid my grubby little paws on. The narrative is crafted with the utmost skill, balancing past with present and using some very sharp wit to get across the dark humour that saturates this pacey read. Don't worry, you can't have a fantasy without magic of course, it's not all thieving and killing. Lynch scripts the Bondsmagi as a vicious bunch of guild based magicians whose magic dominates others and protects their chosen clients from harm. They are a particularly nasty bunch and the one the Locke crosses paths with is a cruel, focused and vindictive fellow. If the mage himself was not enough, he is referred to as the Falconer, due to the Scorpion Hawk that accompanies him, think falcon with a scorpion sting instead of one of it's claws, a pretty nasty feathered fiend.
The world in which the novel is based is so rich in detail and culture it becomes hard to forget that this is not a part of the world we live in. Lynch takes great pleasure in describing the succulent dishes that his characters eat and just as much detail is given to the traditions and the culture of the city and the world in which these characters roam. One of the most interesting traditions I found was the somewhat gladiatorial shark fighting, watched by the nobles of Camorr for light entertainment. This takes a whole new approach to the ring fighting of the Roman Gladiators as sharks launch out of the water with frenzied blood lust to tackle maidens of battle armed with spears.
I found I wanted to know more about the creators of this fantasy world, the races that crafted the Elder Glass that litters Camorr with beauty and intrigue. At one point in the novel we are introduced to a garden of roses made entirely from this Elder Glass, all so sharp that the lightest of touches would result in blood shed and rumours imply that the roses will suck the blood out of anyone careless enough to brush past or fall upon them. I suspect that Lynch will take us further into the history of this world in later novels, and I can't wait to see where he will lead us.
A novel full of corruption, friendship, grand schemes and deadly magic, what more do you need? An absolute blinder for a debut novel, it is worth knowing that this is the first in a series too, so be prepared to want to read more. Perfect for fans of just about any fantasy in my opinion, but a particularly awesome read if you enjoyed Brent Weeks' "Night Angel" trilogy.
Oh, and did I mention it was brutal? Some of the violence and gore in this is a bit strong, not one for the faint of heart......you have been warned! There is a particularly unpleasant scene involving a bag of smashed glass and someones face, nasty business.
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