This month for many people was all about The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. There was no denying that people had been waiting for this for such a long time it was going to be impossible to persuade them to read something else before devouring that first. At the same time though, we managed to attract a good number of people to read Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself, once they had finished the latest Rothfuss title. And it turned out to be a rather busy month for the book club (discussions here).
Well, next month there isn’t a huge title due for release (that I am aware of), so hopefully even more members will be joining us for what I consider a “classic” and one of the novels that will shape the future of fantasy: The Lies of Locke Lamora.
The Lies of Locke Lamora has been hailed by many fans as one of the best fantasy novels to come out this decade. By a relatively young, and fairly erratic writer, Scott Lynch. This is the first novel of a stated seven book series.
They say that the Thorn of Camorr can beat anyone in a fight. They say he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. They say he’s part man, part myth, and mostly street-corner rumor. And they are wrong on every count.
Only averagely tall, slender, and god-awful with a sword, Locke Lamora is the fabled Thorn, and the greatest weapons at his disposal are his wit and cunning. He steals from the rich – they’re the only ones worth stealing from – but the poor can go steal for themselves. What Locke cons, wheedles and tricks into his possession is strictly for him and his band of fellow con-artists and thieves: the Gentleman Bastards.
Together their domain is the city of Camorr. Built of Elderglass by a race no-one remembers, it’s a city of shifting revels, filthy canals, baroque palaces and crowded cemeteries. Home to Dons, merchants, soldiers, beggars, cripples, and feral children. And to Capa Barsavi, the criminal mastermind who runs the city. But there are whispers of a challenge to the Capa’s power. A challenge from a man no one has ever seen, a man no blade can touch. The Grey King is coming. A man would be well advised not to be caught between Capa Barsavi and The Grey King. Even such a master of the sword as the Thorn of Camorr. As for Locke Lamora…
Reading will commence on April 1, 2011
Book Club Rules
Rule 1: We don’t talk about Fantasy Book Club. Oh, sorry that’s a different club. You are actually welcome to invite friends and tweet this link about everywhere. We want as many readers as possible!
So…How does it really work?
Choosing a Book
What we do is take suggestions from our forum members throughout the month and then open a poll about 2 weeks before the month’s end. Then our members vote on which book they would like to read. A week before the end of the month we close the poll and users have a week to obtain the book – either borrow it, buy it, find it and pull it out from your collection, etc.
Spoiler Free Discussion
Next, we want discuss our books in a way that will not spoil the story, so we limit how much you can discuss and when.
Week 1 – You may only discuss the first 1/4 of the book
Week 2 – You may only discuss the first 1/2 of the book
Week 3 – You may only discuss the first 3/4 of the book
Week 4 – Anything goes
We are going to go based on page count. So for example, if a book has 500 pages then week one you can discuss up to page 125 and then week two 250 and so on. Each week will have a seperate thread, so as not to spoil the story for people who fall behind or come in late.
What if you want to read faster than that?
Not a problem at all. You are more than welcome to read ahead, but when discussing things just remember to post in the appropriate thread. And if you’re not sure when something happened, you can always use the spoiler tag to hide your post.
Should you not want any spoilers or discussion during the reading process, then just come after the end of week three and start discussing the book once you have finished. (This is how most book clubs operate anyway.)
If you would like to join in this month, you can visit our forums and add your name to the list.
Jennie Ivins
Julia Kitvaria Sarene