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Jamie the Red #1
Jamie the Red
King Walter is forced to send his favorite son, Jamie the Red, into exile because he continues to pick fights with his dull-witted half brother
220 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1984
2 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Gordon R. Dickson
589 books377 followersGordon Rupert Dickson was an American science fiction author. He was born in Canada, then moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota as a teenager. He is probably most famous for his Childe Cycle and the Dragon Knight series. He won three Hugo awards and one Nebula award.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 28, 2025
I came here backwards. What I mean is that I discovered this character by way of the sequel, Beyond the Dar Al-Harb. Which doesn't state that it is indeed a sequel--probably because one was printed by Ace books and the other by Tor books. Either can be read as stand alone, not much links them aside from our main character Jamie.
If you didn't know or surmise from the cover art, Jamie the Red is a Thieves' World character. Although, Dickson and Green place Jamie in a more historical setting. Magic works, but doesn't appear much.
The first third of the story was a challenge for me. Jamie is a spoiled son of a king who strongly desires to usurp his brothers and become king after his father. He doesn't resort to the usual methods to oust an unwanted royal sibling though. Oh no! He tries to fist fight them for supremacy. WHAT? Daddy can't put up with his shenanigans anymore so he banishes Jamie. Which is just fine because Jamie now dreams of being a famous knight and returning home rich. Reality soon puts it's foot down.
In the later parts of the book Jamie is a much more likable character. He begins to use his wits and his sword to navigate the troubled political waters of Italy.
Jamie matures and learns some hard lessons along the way. There is a larger destiny hinted at but never realized in this story. Are there more tales of Jamie the Red out there?
Jamie the Red has all the right ingredients to be something I would whole-heartedly relish. Like a lot of fiction published in the 80's it just comes out bland and forgettable. Lots of promise but little delivery.
If you didn't know or surmise from the cover art, Jamie the Red is a Thieves' World character. Although, Dickson and Green place Jamie in a more historical setting. Magic works, but doesn't appear much.
The first third of the story was a challenge for me. Jamie is a spoiled son of a king who strongly desires to usurp his brothers and become king after his father. He doesn't resort to the usual methods to oust an unwanted royal sibling though. Oh no! He tries to fist fight them for supremacy. WHAT? Daddy can't put up with his shenanigans anymore so he banishes Jamie. Which is just fine because Jamie now dreams of being a famous knight and returning home rich. Reality soon puts it's foot down.
In the later parts of the book Jamie is a much more likable character. He begins to use his wits and his sword to navigate the troubled political waters of Italy.
Jamie matures and learns some hard lessons along the way. There is a larger destiny hinted at but never realized in this story. Are there more tales of Jamie the Red out there?
Jamie the Red has all the right ingredients to be something I would whole-heartedly relish. Like a lot of fiction published in the 80's it just comes out bland and forgettable. Lots of promise but little delivery.
October 10, 2019
Gordon Dickson took Jamie the Red, his viewpoint character from the Thieves World series and placed him in a more standard fantasy/historical fiction novel with plenty of adventure and romance. Not a bad book.
July 9, 2009
I'm torn between two stars and three. It wasn't bad, but nothing really stood out in my mind.
May 26, 2022
The book starts with a banishment. He seeks adventure and wealth, so he can go home again and show them all. Instead, he fights and teaches as he learns about life. The pace can drag at times. Several times I nearly gave up, which says a lot.
June 8, 2021
Solid writing, but rather disjointed scenes (no transition). Overall, a decent plot. Room for a follow-on.
November 27, 2009
Sort of a Fantasy novel, but more like historical fiction. The banished son of a minor (viking?) king makes his way down to Italy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews