I had big expectations about this one, unfortunately in the end they remained partially unfulfilled. 
 The book has several very good moments, when one can't put it down for several chapters in a row. On the other hand the many digressions are encumbered by a number of descriptions delivered with a methodical, too much specific vocabulary which fails to make them entertaining or remotely interesting. 
 The main disappointment, however, is in the characters which I managed to find interesting only when the first half of the book was long past: everything in them,their name (the "Gentleman Bastards") their conversations,their interactions, sounded fake, rehearsed; they speak and move exactly as a perfect "irreverent and charming rascal" should behave but somehow they are not convincing. 
 The problem is, one also expects them to score some big scam Ocean's Eleven-style, something so complicated that its details are only explained in the last chapter. On the contrary there is almost nothing mysterious in the plot of this book, the author explain every stage of the events step by step, leaving almost nothing to the reader to make suppositions with. The lies of Locke Lamora reveal themselves soon after their creator has uttered them and soon enough we learn that our protagonist is not the brilliant schemer we were led to believe he was but just some average swindler who falls in every trap set for him. 
 In the end I was a bit disappointed: this was a good adventure book ma not so brilliant as it is often described.