Week 3: The Lies of Locke Lamora Read-Along

“Come along on an epic adventure! Flights (of fancy), accommodation (ethical) and food (for the imagination) included. Poison not guaranteed. All travel is at your own risk. Late nights, sore eyes, and an overwhelming desire to spend hours in the kitchen creating something wonderful may ensue. All belongings are the responsibility of the traveller; travel will not be reimbursed if limbs are lost to sharks, or hearts to thieves.”

You are cordially invited to join The Lies of Locke Lamora read-along. Our itinerary is as follows:

• April 7th: Prologue and Book 1 – hosted by Imyril at X+1
• April 14th: Book 2, Ch4-6 – hosted by Imyril at X+1
• April 21st: Book 2, Ch7-8 – hosted by Wendy at The Bibliosanctum
• April 28th: Book 4 and Epilogue – hosted by Lisa at Over the Effing Rainbow

1. Camorr is clearly a man’s world. One of the three female characters who could hold any sway was cruelly fridged, while another remains notably absent. Will Sabetha swing in to save or seize the day? What are your thoughts on Donã Vorchenza’s role?

Wendy: I’d like to think Sabetha will show up, but that seems too obvious. I’m not at all happy with how Nazca was used and abused, but I am a bit happier with the introduction of the Spider and hope that she will play a powerful foil to either Locke or the Grey King. Or perhaps end up on Locke’s side, though potentially without her realizing it. Based on how things ended up after the Grey King revealed his hand, I feel like the Spider is playing the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi now. #OnlyHope

Tiara: Well, I was hoping to see the one female bastard, but I doubt it at this point unless she appears at the end. As for Nazca, if the goal is to wipe out his line, which started with his wife, it’s unfortunate, but it makes sense. I felt some kind of way about the whole horse piss thing. I mean, you killed her. You were going to get the proper response no matter what. But her death seems to be symbolic of a bigger rage in Raza, since he started this ruse years ago, that won’t be satisfied with simple deaths. Do I wish she could’ve been saved? Yeah, but he would’ve had to go a different direction with some of his plot points for that to happen because keeping her alive wouldn’t have made sense in the context of what we’re given with the exception of possibly making her turn on her father, which would’ve been yet another way she would’ve been considered fridged. I think it’s really cool that the Spider has turned out to be the exact last person you’d expect it to be. I feel like that whole scene with her should’ve had the soundtrack to The Godfather playing in the background. I do feel she’s going to be beneficial to Locke in some way, but in the end, she’ll probably be left shaking her fist and yelling, “If it wasn’t for those meddling kids!”

2. Apprenticeships, fighting, farming–the Gentlemen Bastards have undergone some significant training (save for physiking!) and testing. What do you think of Chains’ teaching methods. Do you think he adequately prepared them for their future in Camorr?

Wendy: I think Chains did an amazing job of setting them up to succeed, not only by letting them learn all of these things, but by encourage a bond between them with the understanding that we all have weaknesses that can be countered by others if we work together. It’s Wonder Pets at their finest! I wish I could send my kids to Chains for some useful education.

Tiara: A good game is one where you can take various roles and not be caught out there without a backup plan. He made sure they had the skills that they needed to to make the game their own. Knowledge really is power and you never know what knowledge and skills might come in handy, especially when you’re a thieves and have to think on the drop of a dime.

3. Pour out a forty for those lost. Share your thoughts on the passing of the Bastards and Barsavis.

Wendy: I’m not upset to see the Barsavis gone, save for Nazca, who turned out to be far more reasonable, rational, and capable than her introduction implied. There was so much potential for a great character there, and I loved the peek at the friendship between Nazca and Locke. I wanted to get to know her better and see that she was truly a threat that the Grey King had to remove for his success, rather than just an object in his way–but alas, this is not her story. As for the twins and Bug. Well:

Tiara: I can’t ever have nice things, especially when it comes to twins. This is like the third book this year where I’ve become attached to twins for things to go so horribly wrong for them. *cries for all her twins* And my heart, Bug… As for the Barsavis, this end seemed inevitable. Power is always usurped usually by force and violence. As it was pointed out, Capa Barsavi’s own reign was filled with misdirection and misdeeds until he got what he wanted. I feel terrible for them, especially his wife and daughter. I’m going to insert another Macbeth quote here because it’s fitting: “Vaulting ambition, which o’erleaps itself and falls on th’ other.” It’s a circle, and it goes around and around.

4. Everything in this book has been a series of long cons. Do you think taking the Capa’s throne is the end game for the Grey King? Or is there still more in store?

Wendy: I want to say yes, but then I feel like that’s a trap. I’m not sure if Capa Barsavi was the end game for the Grey King, or maybe someone is actually pulling the Grey King’s strings, or… in other words, Lynch has done a good job with the twists and turns to make me doubt every speculation and conclusion I come to.

Tiara: Doubtful. I think this is about revenge plain and simple, and I think he plans to bring the city to its knees for whatever misdeed it’s committed against him. This is his own intricate game. We see a whole interlude about it and how people who hold on to their hate explode in the most violent of ways. The could be an alluding to Locke’s own angry turn, but I have a feeling this is about both of them. It kind of reminds me of one of my favorite games. The plot of it is about a boy who’s father is killed, and he goes to avenge his father’s death only to learn that his path is following the murderer’s own path of revenge because the boy’s father wronged him. Revenge is another thing that cyclic and never-ending.