It is different from most fantasy novels in a couple of ways: there is a lot of swearing that seems strangely modern, i.e. suited for the times of guns and cars, rather than swords and horses where the novel is set. In a way that also fits with the other difference, the presence of 'elderglass' skyscrapers left behind by the planet's previous alien inhabitants and occupied by the current generation of less technologically advanced humans.
The dialogue is often very witty, and Locke is written in a hilarious sarcastic and irreverent style. This passage where he completely ignores Chains' advice about how to treat a Bondsmage (sorcerer) with respect is a great example:
"Sorcery's impressive enough, but it's their fucking attitude that makes them such a pain. And that's why, when you find yourself face to face with one, you bow and scrape and mind your 'sirs' and 'madams.'"
"NICE BIRD, asshole," said Locke.
The Bondsmage stared coldly at him, nonplussed.
Lynch also seems to have a particular interest in food - he treats us to detailed explanations of food that Locke and the other Gentleman Bastards prepare, and makes the culinary arts a particularly unlikely part of their con-artist education. His description of the Duke's banquet "The bullock's head with the body of a squid, he was happy to avoid" was like something straight out of Heston's feasts.
I thought Lynch could have spent longer with Locke in the dank underground caverns with the Thiefmaker, that community and life was fascinating and very Dickensian. And while I enjoyed the racing plot line of the climax, the switch to James Bond-esque thriller and Locke's sudden growth of a social conscious didn't fit well with the rest of the novel.
Despite these minor flaws, I loved it and will be reading the sequel Red Seas Under Red Skies.
4.5 stars.
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