On reading "The Lies of Locke Lamora"

[marycrawford]

You know, I am really tired of fantasy novels where all the heroes and villains and almost all of the colorful side characters are men, except for


one secret mastermind who is revealed to be, OMG, a woman. The perfect disguise! Nobody would ever have suspected!

I did like the bit where she stabbed the hero in the neck with her poisoned knitting needles. Of course, then he managed to escape her by hitting her in the face and jumping out the window, because the secret mastermind decided not to have any backup for a meeting with her known enemy.

Rar.

Going back to reread naominovik's Empire of Ivory, which I recommend, and wherein both men and women are capable, clever and interesting, and some of the best minds belong to the dragons. *g*

Comments

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

It's by Scott Lynch, and his first novel. Apparently six or seven other books in the series are planned. I bought it because I read a good review and the premise appealed to me - a thief/trickster/conman hero in a Venice-inspired setting. I really wanted to like it, and there's some interesting worldbuilding in spots, but the characters never made that leap from the page to the place where I actually care whether they live or die. (That I was cheering on the woman who stabbed Our Hero in the neck is, I think, a bad sign...)

And yes, some of us would be more than happy to read Empire of Ivory, but some of us have to wait another week. :stares accusingly at you:

Hey, I went all the way to Amsterdam for that! And paid twelve euros for the paperback instead of $6.99 as it says on the back! So there. You could come over and borrow it from me, though. ;-)

[falzalot.livejournal.com]

PARTY AT MARY'S HOUSE!!!!!!!

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

HEE. I have tea and chocolate and Indonesian food! Come over!