Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent by Scott Lynch

$145.00 USD
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The hardcover is now sold out and will not be reprinted. The e-book edition is available on Amazon worldwide (here are quick links to the US, UK, and Canada) and on Kobo.


Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent is the Sixth title in Short Stops, a series from Conversation Tree Press dedicated to bringing exceptional shorter works of fiction to life through beautifully bound, letterpress-printed, limited editions that begin shipping immediately upon announcement. See the full announcement here.


The novels in the acclaimed Gentleman Bastards series trace the exploits of an elite band of thieves and confidence artists moving through a richly imagined city-state shaped in the image of medieval Venice. In Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent, Scott Lynch returns to the cobblestones and canals of Camorr, offering a glimpse into the formative years of one of the young Gentleman Bastards.

Here, however, Locke is not yet the architect of elaborate deceptions, but a boy apprenticed to learn something wholly new and entirely unnatural: the discipline and meagre rewards of (mostly) honest, hard labour.

Set against the uproar of taverns and the quiet menace of the canals, the story focuses on an unlikely companionship and the education it affords.

First published in Grimdark Magazine, this edition has been expanded by the author and is considered his preferred and final version.

If this is your first visit to Camorr, you’ll find a tale that’s equal parts funny, tragic, and warm, while being entirely accessible as a standalone. If you’ve met any of the Gentleman Bastards before—well, you know what to expect.


Locke Lamora and the Bottled Serpent by Scott Lynch is a limited edition of 500 unnumbered copies, letterpress printed by Ascensius Press in Maine on Neenah Cotton Pearl White Letterpress 118gsm paper. It features three full-colour illustrations by Even Mehl Amundsen and the book is quarter-bound in book cloth and hand-marbled paper from Renato Crepaldi. The endpapers are GF Smith Colorplan with a linen finish.

All copies are signed by the author and artist.

  • 5 stars: 23 (92%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 1 (4%)
  • 2 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 1 star: 1 (4%)
Some of the reviews shown are from related products the merchant grouped with this one.
C
Commonwealth
A series to treasure!

One of the highlights of our book-purchasing era! The Short Stops series is bibliophilic-nirvana!

T
Tootsie
Beautiful hand made book

Christopher should reach out to Book Reader to buy their handmade book that “doesn’t even have a dust jacket” 😂

B
Book Reader
A great story wrapped in a way too expensive page

It's been a while since I've read Lynch's work and was bouncing on me feet to get back into the world,
And let me tell you , it hasn't disappointed. Lynch's words pull you from the first chapter and deposit you back to the piss soaked and canal studded city of Camorr. You really feel as though you're back in Camorr with the gang. While you feel the absence of Jean, meeting Father chains back feels like meeting an old friend again.
The only downside, if I have to nitpick, is that the story ends a bit abruptly. But again, as I said, it's nitpicking.

But for the actual physical book itself I'm a bit torn. The paper quality is impeccable. It feels thick and luscious, if that makes sense. Thee paper is so thick that the words feel as if they are embossed into the paper. You can actually see and feel the depth of the actual printed letter. That being said, I really dislike the cover. It looks like a cheap second-hand book you would get at a flea market. At this price point, I would have expected a proper dustjacket. I understand the rising cost of material, but speaking only as a customer, its too expensive. Overall, while the physical book is good, truth be told, it's not worth the price. You essentially have paid $150 for a book that had quite a terrible cover and only 50 pages. While I'll always treasure the book, for those who feel that they missed out on getting the book, you made a smarter decision by not buying the book.

A 4/5 for the story, A 3/5 for the physical book

C
Coylenet
Beautifully produced and speedily dispatched

Beautifully produced and speedily dispatched by the wonderful folks at Conversation Tree Press.

J
Jackson
Locke Lamora

Top notch production from Conversation Tree . Look forward to see what comes next.

N
Nathan B
Absolutely beautiful book

Absolutely beautiful book. My first shortstop. Bought it as a Locke Lamora fan. And I’ll probably be buying more in the future

A
AnchovyBonJovi
Arrived in excellent condition

Arrived in excellent condition. The cover is beautiful. I'm very happy to have the opportunity to own a print version of this story.

J
Jeremy
Beautifully done!

Beautifully done! Nice work as always CTP!

R
Ron Hannah
I love this site

I love this site.
I'm waiting with baited breath for my copy of
20,000 Leagues Under The Seas..

It's getting closer and I'm getting more excited every day.

Meanwhile, I always look forward to what's next from Conversation Tree. Especially the Short Stops!

J
Joseph Lukesh
This volume is outstanding

This volume is outstanding. Artwork is great and fits well with the story line. Marbled paper covers are very, very beautiful - photos do not do it justice.

M
Mike
All Around Great!

High quality materials used, impeccable attention to detail with the design and the first new content from Scott Lynch to be published in a hardcover format in more than a decade! What's not to love?!?!?!

A
Anonymous

Gorgeous book!

S
Siep
Gold

The book is up the CTP's usual standard: pure gold. Looking forwards very much so to the next nugget coming our way!

A
Anonymous
Best production quality of a small press book

Best production quality of a small press book.

A
Antonio

Beautiful book!

D
David

High quality press

R
RACHEL

Amazing attention to detail and quality!

D
Diana

Beautiful book

T
Tom Coleman
Another exquisite production from CTP

Another exquisite production from CTP! I think this is the most beautiful short stop yet. Sorry Christopher...

B
Ben

Amazing work by CTP as always

N
Nabeel

Another fantastic production by CTP! Probably the nicest short stop thus far.

A
Anonymous
Christopher is a dumb

Christopher is a dumb dumb

M
Matt
Beautiful

On the expensive side but well worth the cost. Great communications from Tony as well.

B
Ben Tobin
Conversation Tree Press does amazing work

Conversation Tree Press does amazing work. The design, the textures, the story selection. Give them all the awards.

C
Christopher
When print runs are so low, that I can’t order a

When print runs are so low, that I can’t order a copy within 3mins of 11am, perhaps y’all need to re-evaluate your print runs.

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