I read the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch a couple of years ago, when I was deep into the fantasy heist style of stories. Think Ocean’s Eleven but in a fantasy setting. I love this kind of story, perhaps because they’re very much into robbing the rich or bringing down an evil empire of sorts.
What are the books about?
These books are the story of Locke Lamora, who grows from being an orphaned waif into a cunning and talented thief. With his partner Jean Tannen he forms the Gentleman Bastards gang, but even then we’re never quite sure which side any of them are on.
The first book is set in Camorr—think of a medieval Venice—but the next two spread out into an interesting world, full of problems and opportunities. It seems like everywhere they go there is someone worth robbing or a political system which needs overturning. They set up elaborate schemes to complete their crimes, and of course nothing ever goes to plan.
The first two books came out in 2006 and 2007, and the third in 2013. Since then there have been numerous reports of an expected seven book series, with the impending release of book four being reported over and over without any truth. Will they ever come out? I don’t know. It seems to be an ongoing issue with the series I like, where the release date for the next book seems to slip for years. I read a comment where someone said this should be considered a complete trilogy with an open ending, at least until another book is actually released, and that’s probably how we should think of all these series.
And yes, I’m very aware of my Kingsmoot series as I write this. But it’s only been a year gap for me, and the rest are coming, I promise.
The Themes of the Gentleman Bastards
Loyalty and Friendship
So I alluded to the shifting nature of the relationships within the gang, and that really is the crux of the books. What are the loyalties between people worth, how will they treat each other, and how far will they go to protect each other? There are deep questions here about the complexity of trust and betrayal, and over and over the question is asked about the price and consequences of loyalty.
Identity and Adaptation
As you might expect from a heist story, the main characters change their personas and identities on a regular basis to survive. Each time we seem to be asking whether this is the character’s real identity, or if something of that change will rub off on them in future. The more interesting question is about reinventing yourself to fit into the society you want to belong to, and how much of yourself you can leave behind.
Power and Corruption
There is a clear choice by the author to show everyone in power as being corrupt. Even the people you come to like have had to debase themselves in some way to rise to the top. Locke Lamora’s goal is always to eliminate the corruption at the top, but sometimes he has to choose between which corruption he will accept. As is often the case in fantasy stories, corruption for personal gain is much different to corruption to help others. The narrative of the stories is about unchecked power and the abuse of authority, something we could all do to think about today.
A Character of Great Interest
This is the section where I like to find similarities between one of the characters in the series and someone in my own books. I’ve found it’s not as easy to do when looking at a series which is kind of a different genre. Yes, it’s still fantasy, but it’s heist fantasy, which is a different beast to regular fantasy or epic fantasy.
When I’m looking for similarities here, I’m not necessarily finding a good match. Do I focus on Locke’s leadership? His orphan past? His crime ability? You can see my problem, I hope. In this case there’s too many variables to get a good match.
So I decided to think about the character Bug, and compare him to my Lassen. Both are young men, teenagers really, who are getting a start in the world but not sure where they fit. Bug is eager to learn and good at noticing small details. Lassen is almost the opposite, someone who thinks he knows it all and misses a lot because of it.
Bug is respectful and polite, and although he is naive he sometimes shows surprising maturity. Lassen is rude, mostly because he thinks his station in life is higher than everyone else. He is naive like Bug, but Lassen is wildly unaware of it. So many people try to help and guide him throughout the story, but he brushes them off because he already thinks he knows best.
The one thing they have in common is their growth as people. Bug starts as an inexperienced boy and becomes a capable member of the group. His fresh perspective helps the team to gain a different view on what they are doing. Lassen also starts as inexperienced, and it takes a while for his growth to appear. He spends much of his time butting heads with others, and it isn’t until he has an epiphany of sorts that he begins to develop into a smarter and more rounded person.
I really enjoyed writing Lassen, partly because I had a teenager of my own at the time, and I was able to base some of Lassen on him. Obviously not all, but if you look closely enough you can see it. I suspect Scott Lynch based Bug on someone he knows, or perhaps even himself at that age. It makes me wonder how many authors use traits of people they know in stories. I think it’s probably many more than you think.
Other series to read
I don’t want to have this section be the same over and over, but it’s undeniable that fantasy authors influence each other, perhaps more than any other genre. Even after reading all these you might be able to discover similar stories, and find a web of interconnected fiction spreading in front of you.
The Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo: Another heist story, and this one is fantastic. These would be in my top ten favorite books, if not higher.
The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie: Morally ambiguous characters, political intrigue, and plenty of fighting. About everything a fantasy series could want.
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson: I haven’t yet talked about this series. A little different to Stormlight, it still has politics but also the heist side of things.
The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss: I can’t help but recommend this, can I? A lovable rogue with a group of friends is right there for interest after reading the Gentlemen Bastards.
In Conclusion
The Gentleman Bastards live in a rich and detailed world with intricate plots and themes. We see the power dynamics of societies and the bonds of friendship. These adventures are fast and unforgettable. If I could fit a character like Locke Lamora into my world, I would do it in an instant. Perhaps someone similar will show up somewhere down the line.