Queens' Play (Lymond Chronicles, 2)

Rating:
Summary: The Lymond Series is Incredible
Review: A friend lent me her much loved copies of "The Disorderly Knights" and then "Queen's Play" and I've been hooked on this series ever since. It has a richness of prose and depth of character that set it apart from the average hero story. It also has an intriguing plot line and an interesting view of Renaissance politics. All six books fit smoothly together with a tasteful use of foreshadowing. This is perhaps the slowest moving book of the series, but I find that each time I re-read this I enjoy it more. I would recommend starting at the beginning (with A Game of Kings) instead of in the middle and out of order, as I did. While each book is self-contained, there are enough references to previous incidents to make following the series order worthwhile. This is the series I always recommend when a meet someone who TRULY loves to read. I can't say enough good things about it.

Rating:
Summary: The Lymond Series is Incredible
Review: A friend lent me her much loved copies of "The Disorderly Knights" and then "Queen's Play" and I've been hooked on this series ever since. It has a richness of prose and depth of character that set it apart from the average hero story. It also has an intriguing plot line and an interesting view of Renaissance politics. All six books fit smoothly together with a tasteful use of foreshadowing. This is perhaps the slowest moving book of the series, but I find that each time I re-read this I enjoy it more. I would recommend starting at the beginning (with A Game of Kings) instead of in the middle and out of order, as I did. While each book is self-contained, there are enough references to previous incidents to make following the series order worthwhile. This is the series I always recommend when a meet someone who TRULY loves to read. I can't say enough good things about it.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner in the Lymond series
Review: Another winner in Dorothy Dunnett's tour de force of 16th century Europe. While not as enchanting as The Game of Kings (I dearly miss Christian Stewart--Oonagh O'Dwyer was nowhere close to being a suitable replacement), Dorothy Dunnett's richness of vision creates a compelling read. Although others have recommended starting with this one, I heartily recommend The Game of Kings first, even if just to understand Lymond's reaction to Erskine, his brother (in a bit cameo), and Lady Lennox. A great read. On to the next book!

Rating:
Summary: Another winner in the Lymond series
Review: Another winner in Dorothy Dunnett's tour de force of 16th century Europe. While not as enchanting as The Game of Kings (I dearly miss Christian Stewart--Oonagh O'Dwyer was nowhere close to being a suitable replacement), Dorothy Dunnett's richness of vision creates a compelling read. Although others have recommended starting with this one, I heartily recommend The Game of Kings first, even if just to understand Lymond's reaction to Erskine, his brother (in a bit cameo), and Lady Lennox. A great read. On to the next book!

Rating:
Summary: Intrigue and suspense abound
Review: Excellent book-I liked it even better than "The Game of Kings". The characters are vivid, the intrigue is complex and the suspense is high as Lymond tries to foil several assasination attempts on young Mary, Queen of Scots. Very enjoyable-I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction and/or mystery novels. Definitely an engrossing page-turner.

Rating:
Summary: 16th century historical fiction series tops for plots
Review: For those U.S. readers who have not read the "The Lymond Series" by Scottish author Dorothy Dunnett, just hang on to your hats. Written in the 1960's, these 6 volume attempts of a young Scot nobleman to regain his good name, save the baby Mary Queen of Scots,keep Scotland out of the clutches of the greedy English crown, and rescue his own baby son held captive by a ruthless enemy in the Turkish capital of Istanbul are historical adventure at its very best. The hero, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is one of the most complex and fascinating studies in modern fiction. The action begins in Scotland and Enland in the first novel, moves to France in the second, Malta and Africa in the third, Africa,Greece and Istanbul in the forth, Russia and a mad czar in the fifth, and back to Scotland in the 6th. I challange a reader to put any of these books down. Extrordinary story lines.

Rating:
Summary: 16th century historical fiction series tops for plots
Review: For those U.S. readers who have not read the "The Lymond Series" by Scottish author Dorothy Dunnett, just hang on to your hats. Written in the 1960's, these 6 volume attempts of a young Scot nobleman to regain his good name, save the baby Mary Queen of Scots,keep Scotland out of the clutches of the greedy English crown, and rescue his own baby son held captive by a ruthless enemy in the Turkish capital of Istanbul are historical adventure at its very best. The hero, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is one of the most complex and fascinating studies in modern fiction. The action begins in Scotland and Enland in the first novel, moves to France in the second, Malta and Africa in the third, Africa,Greece and Istanbul in the forth, Russia and a mad czar in the fifth, and back to Scotland in the 6th. I challange a reader to put any of these books down. Extrordinary story lines.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing
Review: I hate to be a spoil sport since so many comments about Dunnett have been so effusive- however, I have to be honest and admit that I just don't get it. The plot lines are very confusing and the characters are not well enough developed to identify with. In Game of Kings Lymond communicates solely by spouting erudite witticisms in various languages. Every uttered sentence is either joking, tongue in cheek or nebulous in some way. I never felt for one moment that I understood this character. In fact, there is almost a comical aspect of the larger-than-life adventures that undermines the historical accuracy. Another problem is that Dunnett uses a lexicon that is so archaic and erudite that it becomes annoying after a while. I never thought that I would ever feel this way about a book since I love a good challenging read. This is over the top! I started reading this series in the sincere hope that I would discover something as wonderful and entrancing as the Patric O'Brian novels, I have been sorely disappointed. To tell the truth, I had to stop reading Queen's Play after the first few chapters.

Rating:
Summary: Confusing
Review: I hate to be a spoil sport since so many comments about Dunnett have been so effusive- however, I have to be honest and admit that I just don't get it. The plot lines are very confusing and the characters are not well enough developed to identify with. In Game of Kings Lymond communicates solely by spouting erudite witticisms in various languages. Every uttered sentence is either joking, tongue in cheek or nebulous in some way. I never felt for one moment that I understood this character. In fact, there is almost a comical aspect of the larger-than-life adventures that undermines the historical accuracy. Another problem is that Dunnett uses a lexicon that is so archaic and erudite that it becomes annoying after a while. I never thought that I would ever feel this way about a book since I love a good challenging read. This is over the top! I started reading this series in the sincere hope that I would discover something as wonderful and entrancing as the Patric O'Brian novels, I have been sorely disappointed. To tell the truth, I had to stop reading Queen's Play after the first few chapters.

Rating:
Summary: The Second Book in the Best Series I have Ever Read
Review: I love Dunnett books because the characters are so well developed, and the plot so intricate yet discernable, I read in awed admiration. I have been fooled by the plot twists so many times, I have now come to expect it, and just smile when I see that I had been totally wrong yet agian. Dunnett has such a profound understanding of history and the human nature of both her characters and readers, that the story lives in my mind stronger than any movie that I have ever seen. I recommend this series to everyone, even if you don't speak French and Latin. It's worth the effort.