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The Lymond Chronicles #5
The Ringed Castle
For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions.
Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles , The Ringed Castle leaps from Mary Tudor's England to the barbaric Russia of Ivan the Terrible. Francis Crawford of Lymond moves to Muscovy, where he becomes advisor and general to the half-mad tsar. Yet even as Lymond tries to civilize a court that is still frozen in the attitudes of the Middle Ages, forces in England conspire to enlist this infinitely useful man in their own schemes.
Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles , The Ringed Castle leaps from Mary Tudor's England to the barbaric Russia of Ivan the Terrible. Francis Crawford of Lymond moves to Muscovy, where he becomes advisor and general to the half-mad tsar. Yet even as Lymond tries to civilize a court that is still frozen in the attitudes of the Middle Ages, forces in England conspire to enlist this infinitely useful man in their own schemes.
521 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
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2359 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Dunnett
35 books858 followersDorothy Dunnett OBE was a Scottish historical novelist. She is best known for her six-part series about Francis Crawford of Lymond, The Lymond Chronicles, which she followed with the eight-part prequel The House of Niccolò. She also wrote a novel about the real Macbeth called King Hereafter and a series of mystery novels centered on Johnson Johnson, a portrait painter/spy.
Her New York times obituary is here.
Dorothy Dunnett Society: http://dorothydunnett.org
Fansite: http://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/
Her New York times obituary is here.
Dorothy Dunnett Society: http://dorothydunnett.org
Fansite: http://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/
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July 4, 2022
“He knew that to bring Lymond home, even if it were possible, would involve extirpating a difficult and clever and dangerous man from his own chosen and brilliant setting, and throwing him instead into all the small, insidious intrigues which throttled the court of Queen Mary.”
Finally our infallible Francis Crawford of Lymond and Sevigny is shown to have a flaw — he’s terrible at picking international travel destinations. Scarred by the devastating events of the last book, Lymond ends up in medieval Russia as a mercenary and eventually military commander for still young but already brutal Ivan the Terrible. Bad move, Francis, and all the characters in this book seem to agree with me.
“They were bound, it seemed, for an unknown and barbarous country, ignorant of modern warfare and backward in weapons and tactics, there to offer their specialized services for what they were worth to the Emperor.”
After the emotional devastation the last book brought, this one was doomed to be a bit of a letdown. The previous volume was the story of Francis Crawford coming to the breaking point. This one is a story of slow healing — yes, rife with questionable (at least to me) choices and decisions that made me want to punch a book page periodically — but a healing nevertheless. And Lymond that emerges from this Russian sojourn is not the same person who had left that horrifying chess game in Stamboul palace. No, this Lymond, Tsar Ivan’s faithful Voevoda, is colder and more merciless, ruthless at times, sometimes calculatingly cruel, driven by the impossible standards he sets for himself and others, with ambition to be a perfectly rational machine of a human being. He’s frankly a bit scary and can be offputtingly infuriating. Not to mention that his devotion to Ivan the Terrible makes me question his choices and priorities.
“There have been so many misunderstandings in the past. What you did, often, was done for good reason. I know I am simple. I know you are devious. But, oh God, if there is any good reason for what you are doing now; any excuse; any unknown factor or subtle circumstance you are afraid I can't grasp, for the mercy of God, this time, tell me.”
And this made me realize that after the first 4 books I came to view Lymond as not quite human. His intelligence and ability to almost always be a few steps ahead of others made me treat him as someone infallible — and he isn’t that. He makes mistakes and stupid choices, and despite seeming eerily prescient he really isn’t. He actually is someone who deserves at times to be told off by his child-bride Philippa who can sometimes see the problems with more clarity than Lymond’s jaded mind allows.
The protective shell of detachment he built for himself is not just an insulation but an impediment and a cage. And that continued opacity with which Dunnett portrays him builds even more of a wall between him and us, making it infuriating at times to understand him.
“You are offered love and won’t accept it except on your own terms. That isn’t tragic. It’s the word you’ve just mentioned—it’s childish.”
———
“Philippa said, ‘And if that isn’t being damned magisterial, I don’t know what is. It’s my business because I love your family and you love your own, stately, self-perpetuated miseries.”
And on that note, this is finally the book where Lymond shares the spotlight with someone else - Philippa Somerville, a young woman who in the last book entered the marriage of convenience with Francis Crawford, but by now is much more than what he views her as - his naive child-bride that he’s known since age 10. She’s no longer that impulsive adolescent who rushed headlong into trouble in the last book, and whose feelings may have been the main reason for the outcome of that fateful chess game that was Lymond’s final straw. She is still young, but now a courtier, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Mary Tudor, and a very intelligent and educated young person who still can rush headlong into mistakes but also acquired sensible cleverness and a mind that can at times compete with Lymond on almost equal footing. And she learns to understand him and the stakes in the game if chess of life that he plays.
“Before coming to London, she had viewed her life and that of her friends through the eyes of a child at Flaw Valleys, or a child pushed by circumstance on a stormy but magnificent journey through Europe. Now she was wiser. In this brief and dizzying apprenticeship, she had started to realize that, whatever his occupation, Lymond’s life was lived on this level: the level on which the future of whole communities could be steered or reshaped, improved or jeopardized by a handful of people.”
As always in these books, we get intricate plot relying on greater history of that time period, with the background of political tensions, wars, trade relations, religion and other messy things of the 16th century. The characters remain the products of their times without allowing for modern sensibilities or fads. They are not 20th century characters in historical setting like we often see in other historical fiction; no, they come with attitudes and prejudices of their own time which doesn’t always make for a comfortable read — but who says that all the books need to be comfortable?
But most things will still resonate with us more than 4 centuries after Lymond’s time - and half a century after these books have been penned.
“Poverty. Poverty in the presence of starving cold and great, earth-cracking heat, and life lived in the shadow of the wolf and the bear, and tribes more cruel and avaricious. For it was the land which was implacable, far more than its masters. An obja, tilled by one horse, could be rented for two or three roubles or its equal in labour, and a fee of perhaps half of the rotated crop of rye or of oats. In law, the peasant might be hanged, where the boyar was only whipped or imprisoned, but discrimination was less than he had expected; serfdom was almost unknown.
Yet where was the succour when the grain was struck cold in the ground, and had to be gathered and ripened on Stovetops, and thawed in hot-houses, so that it might be ground? When the tinder-dry warehouses burned, and cities starved, and beggars, ragged and violent, roved the streets of Vologda, as he had seen them: Give me and cut me; give me and kill me.
How, if you were the Church, did you justify a single gold-collared ikon, with two thousand five hundred diamonds set upon its thick hammered surface? How, if you were the Tsar, did you vindicate your annual tribute, bartered for rich cloths and finer jewels for your treasurehouse? How, if you were a man from a softer land, where debate was instructed and free, and all the scholars and books from antiquity were there to correct and advise you, could you accept in your turn such a tribute, and use it to clothe the body and house of your mistress?”
4 stars. Not as amazing as the last volume, but still good.And the next book will be the end of Lymond’s story — it’s hard to believe that.
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Buddy read with nastya.
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Also posted on my blog.
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Recommended by: Nastya
May 12, 2022
“And the intellect,” said Alec Guthrie, “will bring you back to us?”
“Abandon your quest,” said Francis Crawford. “What you are looking for, dear Alec, is buried. And no leech in London is going to revive it.”
Lymond is depressed and has completely shut down emotionally, broken by the events of the previous book. He has lost too much and now exists one day at a time. And finds himself in the court of Ivan the Terrible in a cold and foreign, very young and barbaric Russia, that just shed centuries of mongolian rule. He is building Tsar Vanya’s army to fight tartars, eats herring under a fur coat, drinks kvas, goes to banya and learns perfect Russian in 4 months because of course he does. Russia is poor, undeveloped, cold and brutal.
Fans of the series seem to like this instalment the least, and at this point in the series I must agree. After the craziness and intensity that was Pawn in Frankincense, this was subdued and quiet, way too quiet for me. And even though Lymond shed everything human (or at least he wants to think so), this particular book lacked supporting charismatic characters to enchant me, Diccon Chancellor and new St. Mary guys just didn't do it for me I'm afraid (although I loved Diccon and Lymond talking about exploration, this human curiousity that drives progress (There is no land uninhabitable or sea unnavigable. They made the whole world to hang in the air.)). As a result, the russian part dragged for me and I was glad when we finally left Russia. And out of all the characters, strangely, Ivan the Terrible fascinated me the most. He is young, mad and mesmerizing.
But this one gave us Lymond at his most vulnerable, I will estimate that we had the most pages from his point of view here, he started to open up. The second part of this book was clearly a set up for the grand finale.
Although I have to say, Guzel turned out to be a huge disappointment. Unfortunately, she became a noncharacter after being the mysterious fascinating power-hungry woman we met in the previous book.
December 10, 2013
A slight disappointment after book four, but I guess it was inevitable, this feeling of letdown, of burnout and emotional exhaustion after the the showdown in Istanbul between Lymond and Graham Mallett. How could any writer top that? How can even the irrepressible Lymond recover ? The answer is you can't, you retreat, gather whatever wits remain available to you and you seek refuge in a place as far away from your former troubles as possible. So this is how Francis Crawford of Lymond, his health and his mental balance equally ravaged, sets out towards Russia and the court of Tzar Ivan Groznii in Moscow (or Muscovy, as it is was usually spelled at the time). Instead of leading, he follows the ambitious plans of Kiaya Katun, the former Sultan Suleiman harem mistress, to become a big fish in a small pond and take the backward, undeveloped Rusian country by storm.
hawking in the steppe is one of the attractions of the book.
Francis is selling military knowhow and more, promising to bring the Russians in line with the more advanced Western nations in terms of weapons, army discipline and organization, tactics, civil engineering and even political organization. The tzar sees an opportunity to counter the expansion of the Ottoman Empire on his Southern borders, to put a stop to the perennial atacks of the Golden Horde and to secure his Occidental borders against Polish and Hungarian forays. But his political and religious advisers are opposed to the rapid ascension of Lymond, to say nothing of Ivan's renowned volatile temper. It looks like Francis Lymond refuge from troubles is actually about to boil over in conflict and we will live again in interesting times under the expert guidance of Dorothy Dunnett.
To help Lymond in his nation building project we have some old friends from the mercenary company he established in Scotland (Alec Guthrie, Adam Blacklock, Lancelot Plummer) - reliable officers of many military and civilian talents, and a couple of new faces (Danny Hislop and Ludovic d'Harcourt) who seem to be asigned the role of rookie apprentice and reflecting mirror on the character of Lymond, continuing the tradition of building the image of the hero through the eyes of his anturage and through his deeds, rather than his words.
What these witnesses first notice is the major change in Lymond's demeanour, making him almost unrecognizable compared to the debonair scoundrel from the first volume:
They were led, as was their due, by an active and distinguished commander. But any warmth, any cameraderie, any cultivation of trifling pursuits and sharing of friendship and laughter must be engendered, they found, among themselves and the Muscovite soldiers to whom, by and by, they also gave office.
After having his heart thoroughly broken repeatedly in every adventure so far, Lymond decides to rein in his emotions and present to the world only a cold and detached intellect:
I have been cheated of tender emotions, including nostalgia. he declares to Guzel in a moment of candour.
Yet the best scenes in this fifth novel are exactly the ones when he lets his guard down and displays a new interest in the world around him and in one person in particular: Richard Chancellor - the navigator selected by the Merchant Adventurers of London to lead an expedition to the Muscovy Court by sailing around the northern shores of Norway. Richard (Diccon) is also dreamer and a mirror held up to reveal another facet of the diamond that is Lymond, constantly cut by adversity into new shapes. He dreams of opening a new trade route to fabled Cathay, not out of a thirst for riches, but hearing the call of the white spaces on the maps. The voyages themselves, fraught with dangers from violent storms and secret betrayers aboard ship tend to overshadow the military campaigns of Lymond against the Tartars and the political backstabbing in the Kremlin. As usual, Dunnet has prepared for us a scene of absolute enchantment as the highpoint of the novel, describing a winter expedition to a Polar Circle fur trading station and a night race on sleds under the Aurora Borealis. From the conversations between Francis and Diccon we get a glimpse of what brought them together, the parallels to be drawn between the captain of a ship and the general of an army:
The sea demands a man who knows the sea and respects it. A man who is prepared to be lonely. There is no isolation like that of the helm in a storm, except the isolation when it is windless.
---
I stopped counting after I had seen the first hundred or so of my soldiers dispatched to their earthly rest through me. You led, therefore you kill.
---
This is only half a story though, as we witness in this volume a character taking the spotlight away from Lymond and following a parallel plotline set in London, at the court of another absolute ruler like Ivan the Terrible, known more for her crimes than her leadership: Mary Tudor is insecure on her throne and allies herself with Spain, unleashing bloody reprisals against Protestants and against courtiers suspected of supporting her sister Elizabeth. And the challenger of Lymond for the leading role in the series is none other that the wunderkid, Philippa Somerville. Well, most readers probably suspected the author had big plans for the girl, after attaching her like a limpet to the Ottoman expedition despite being under age. Here we have confirmation, as she takes to court intrigue and witty banter like a fish to water:
Before coming to London, she had viewed her life and that of her friends through the eyes of a child at Flaw Valleys, or a child pushed by circumstance on a stormy but magnificent journey through Europe. Now she was wiser. In this brief and dizzying apprenticeship, she had started to to realize that, whatever his occupation, Lymond's life was lived on this level: the level on which the future of whole communities could be steered or reshaped, improved or jeopardized by a handful of people.
As a sort of Ariadne thread to follow in the series after the closure of the Graham Mallett angle, Philippa is on a private quest to uncover the mystery of Francis Lymond birth, as Francis adversaries try to use the same secret rumours to destroy him. This birth mystery investigation will take center stage in the last volume of the series, but the opening shots are fired here. In the meantime, The Ringed Castle though follows the chess analogy by constructing a game where Lymond plans to set himself up as the Russian puppetmaster are twarthed equally by his adversaries in London and by his own friends who see the danger posed by Ivan with greater clarity.
I must confess that despite some excellent passages and very interesting overall developments, this book is my least favorite in the series. It was slow to gather steam, it focused a bit too much on Philipa whose tranformation into a major player was abrupt, and it ended in a confusing and contrived manner with one too many plot twists and betrayals. But I can give you a preview / teaser : next book is the payoff, and it is magnificent.
December 3, 2011
I remember this book as being the one where you have to slog through a lot of Russian things to get to the "good" parts, which are Philippa coming into her own in the French, Scottish, and English courts. I am beginning to believe that Dunnett actually wrote these books about Philippa, she just didn't know that's what she wanted to do until a couple of books in. Philippa's a much more compelling character than Lymond.
However, on a less-Philippa-centric reread, the Russia parts are actually quite good and contain some of the meatiest sections of the book.
That does not mean, however, that I don't read the entire book with barely concealed impatience for the chapter when Certain Main Characters find themselves preforming an epic play written in verse. And all the characters start with "L." It's the best scene in the book, and one of the best in the entire series.
However, on a less-Philippa-centric reread, the Russia parts are actually quite good and contain some of the meatiest sections of the book.
That does not mean, however, that I don't read the entire book with barely concealed impatience for the chapter when Certain Main Characters find themselves preforming an epic play written in verse. And all the characters start with "L." It's the best scene in the book, and one of the best in the entire series.
July 6, 2010
Another great book in the Lymond series. I live in perpetual awe of Dorthy Dunnett.
This one sees Lymond following Guzel to Russia after the events of the last book. There he builds up the Tsar's army with some help from old friends (Yay Adam Blacklock!) and tries to suppress all his emotions and make himself into a machine. Lymond was even more damaged and pulled back than he's ever been in this book and it was tough not to have a perspective of someone close to him. I know it's bad when I miss Jerrott. But seriously I found it hard to fault him for any jerky behavior after what happened in the last book. I think he could drown a puppy at this point and I'd be like "Well...he's had a pretty shitty few years...."
It was nice to have Crawfords back in this book, even though they came with a nice side of angst and sadness.
It was also awesome to watch Phillipa develop into an even MORE kickass character, which seemed barely possible after the last book. It was great watching her delve into court intrigue, Lymond's library, and the mystery of his parentage. And I think it goes without saying that my favorite scene included a play with many L's in the Hall of Revels. <3<3
Like all the other books there was a big helping of PAIN and terrible things happening and intrigue and twists and turns, a lot of which I didn't see coming at all. Unlike the third and fourth books it was less constant action, but frankly it was probably a nice break since I assume things are going to get INSANE in the next book. I can't wait to start the last book but at the same time I don't ever want the series to be over.
This one sees Lymond following Guzel to Russia after the events of the last book. There he builds up the Tsar's army with some help from old friends (Yay Adam Blacklock!) and tries to suppress all his emotions and make himself into a machine. Lymond was even more damaged and pulled back than he's ever been in this book and it was tough not to have a perspective of someone close to him. I know it's bad when I miss Jerrott. But seriously I found it hard to fault him for any jerky behavior after what happened in the last book. I think he could drown a puppy at this point and I'd be like "Well...he's had a pretty shitty few years...."
It was nice to have Crawfords back in this book, even though they came with a nice side of angst and sadness.
It was also awesome to watch Phillipa develop into an even MORE kickass character, which seemed barely possible after the last book. It was great watching her delve into court intrigue, Lymond's library, and the mystery of his parentage. And I think it goes without saying that my favorite scene included a play with many L's in the Hall of Revels. <3<3
Like all the other books there was a big helping of PAIN and terrible things happening and intrigue and twists and turns, a lot of which I didn't see coming at all. Unlike the third and fourth books it was less constant action, but frankly it was probably a nice break since I assume things are going to get INSANE in the next book. I can't wait to start the last book but at the same time I don't ever want the series to be over.
May 31, 2019
Dunnett's dedicated fans seem to be split over this book: people either love it or hate it but personally this is my favourite in the series after Checkmate.
After the heated and heart-crushing journey in Pawn in Frankincense, Lymond is in Russia, building an army for the increasingly-insane Tsar Ivan (the Terrible). Like the Russian landscape itself, he is cold, frigid, icy, unreachable to either his own men of St Mary's or the potential new friends such as the navigator and explorer Diccon Chancellor. But no-one in Europe can leave him alone, not the people who love him like his estranged mother Sybilla nor those who hate him; and so Lymond is brought back to England where the fortress of his heart is suddenly breached, and no-one is more shocked than he.
Lymond is one of the most complex characters you will ever meet in fiction, but a far cry from the average 'romantic' hero. These books are wonderful, opaque, frustrating and ultimately hugely rewarding but they're not an easy read. Once you start though they are the most compulsive reading ever, so set aside the time they deserve - to be read and re-read.
After the heated and heart-crushing journey in Pawn in Frankincense, Lymond is in Russia, building an army for the increasingly-insane Tsar Ivan (the Terrible). Like the Russian landscape itself, he is cold, frigid, icy, unreachable to either his own men of St Mary's or the potential new friends such as the navigator and explorer Diccon Chancellor. But no-one in Europe can leave him alone, not the people who love him like his estranged mother Sybilla nor those who hate him; and so Lymond is brought back to England where the fortress of his heart is suddenly breached, and no-one is more shocked than he.
Lymond is one of the most complex characters you will ever meet in fiction, but a far cry from the average 'romantic' hero. These books are wonderful, opaque, frustrating and ultimately hugely rewarding but they're not an easy read. Once you start though they are the most compulsive reading ever, so set aside the time they deserve - to be read and re-read.
Read
September 10, 2012After the heated intensity of Pawn in Frankincense, this fifth (and penultimate) volume of the Lymond Chronicles comes across as cool and subdued – which might be owing to it taking place in the more temperate climates of Russia and England instead of the sun-drenched Middle East of the previous novel. This does not mean, however, that The Ringed Castle is not an exciting novel, or that tension and emotions would not run high, quite to the contrary.
Things do start somewhat slowly, but that is a welcome breather after the events that concluded Pawn in Frankincense and which are likely to have left the reader reeling and possibly somewhat numb with shock, even several months after reading that novel. But while there is a distinct shift in mood, plotwise events pick up almost right where the previous novel ended, with Philippa returning home. She is even more of a presence here than in the preceding instalment, her narrative weight almost equal to Lymond’s, and at least to my taste, considerably less annoying. Although it has to be said that for the first time in the series I found Lymond neither cringe- nor eyeroll-inducing through the course of a whole novel – I am not sure whether by this volume Dorothy Dunnett has matured as a writer, or whether Lymond has matured as a character but his usual melodramatic histrionics seem to be completely absent from The Ringed Castle. But maybe I am just getting used to him…
Lymond is trying to wipe the slate of his life clean, break with his past and start over, and to that purpose he is moving as far away from everything he knows – and that knows him – as possible and beginning a career as military advisor to Tsar Ivan of Russia (also known to later generations as Ivan the Terrible). But of course his past will not stay quiet and will not let him rest, embroiling not only him but also Phillipa who at the same time is starting to begin her own life at the court of Queen Mary of England (also known to later generations as Bloody Mary). The story relentlessly gathers momentum as events unfold, and what began slowly ends in an action-packed, fast-moving finale that, if not quite as heart-wrenching as the ending of Pawn in Frankincense, ends on an almost tragic note that does not bode well at all for the next, concluding volume of the Lymond Chronicles.
The Ringed Castle, like the other volumes in the series, is a true historical novel: The characters are not modern people placed in front of a historical wallpaper to act out 20th century drama. Dunnett does not attempt to make her characters familiar, strictly refuses to give them motivations that our contemporary psychologies could relate to. Instead, they are steeped in their period, in and of their time, and Dorothy Dunnett throughout maintains a respectful distance towards them, showing us her protagonist Lymond never other than from an outside perspective, and taking care to keep some residue of opacity even for those characters from whose point of view she describes events – we might be as close to them as we ever get to anyone in the series, but they still grow never quite familiar, never wholly transparent to us. This is what gives the novels their occasionally elliptic feel, as if we readers were being withheld essential pieces of information and need to piece things together by ourselves. We are indeed missing something here, because we are not Renaissance men and women, and the author never lets us forget that.
Having accomplished this much would be quite enough of a feat for any author who of course is herself not contemporary to the Renaissance, but Dorothy Dunnett does not stop there, and what makes her writing (apart from its immense learning that yet never weakens the stunning beauty of it) truly astonishing is that even as she keeps her characters at a distance from the readers, she still manages to make us care for them (yes, even for annoying Lymond), to weave a plot that, even as we struggle to follow all its intricacies, makes us excited and lets our hearts beat faster, to move us with the fate of characters that, even as we struggle to comprehend what drives their actions, touches us and moves us to laughter and tears. Only very few writers of historical novels manage to appeal to our modern sensitivities without compromising on their representation of the past, but Dorothy Dunnett does so in unparalleled splendour and her Lymond Chronicles are a must-read for anyone even marginally interested in historical fiction and what it can achieve.
Things do start somewhat slowly, but that is a welcome breather after the events that concluded Pawn in Frankincense and which are likely to have left the reader reeling and possibly somewhat numb with shock, even several months after reading that novel. But while there is a distinct shift in mood, plotwise events pick up almost right where the previous novel ended, with Philippa returning home. She is even more of a presence here than in the preceding instalment, her narrative weight almost equal to Lymond’s, and at least to my taste, considerably less annoying. Although it has to be said that for the first time in the series I found Lymond neither cringe- nor eyeroll-inducing through the course of a whole novel – I am not sure whether by this volume Dorothy Dunnett has matured as a writer, or whether Lymond has matured as a character but his usual melodramatic histrionics seem to be completely absent from The Ringed Castle. But maybe I am just getting used to him…
Lymond is trying to wipe the slate of his life clean, break with his past and start over, and to that purpose he is moving as far away from everything he knows – and that knows him – as possible and beginning a career as military advisor to Tsar Ivan of Russia (also known to later generations as Ivan the Terrible). But of course his past will not stay quiet and will not let him rest, embroiling not only him but also Phillipa who at the same time is starting to begin her own life at the court of Queen Mary of England (also known to later generations as Bloody Mary). The story relentlessly gathers momentum as events unfold, and what began slowly ends in an action-packed, fast-moving finale that, if not quite as heart-wrenching as the ending of Pawn in Frankincense, ends on an almost tragic note that does not bode well at all for the next, concluding volume of the Lymond Chronicles.
The Ringed Castle, like the other volumes in the series, is a true historical novel: The characters are not modern people placed in front of a historical wallpaper to act out 20th century drama. Dunnett does not attempt to make her characters familiar, strictly refuses to give them motivations that our contemporary psychologies could relate to. Instead, they are steeped in their period, in and of their time, and Dorothy Dunnett throughout maintains a respectful distance towards them, showing us her protagonist Lymond never other than from an outside perspective, and taking care to keep some residue of opacity even for those characters from whose point of view she describes events – we might be as close to them as we ever get to anyone in the series, but they still grow never quite familiar, never wholly transparent to us. This is what gives the novels their occasionally elliptic feel, as if we readers were being withheld essential pieces of information and need to piece things together by ourselves. We are indeed missing something here, because we are not Renaissance men and women, and the author never lets us forget that.
Having accomplished this much would be quite enough of a feat for any author who of course is herself not contemporary to the Renaissance, but Dorothy Dunnett does not stop there, and what makes her writing (apart from its immense learning that yet never weakens the stunning beauty of it) truly astonishing is that even as she keeps her characters at a distance from the readers, she still manages to make us care for them (yes, even for annoying Lymond), to weave a plot that, even as we struggle to follow all its intricacies, makes us excited and lets our hearts beat faster, to move us with the fate of characters that, even as we struggle to comprehend what drives their actions, touches us and moves us to laughter and tears. Only very few writers of historical novels manage to appeal to our modern sensitivities without compromising on their representation of the past, but Dorothy Dunnett does so in unparalleled splendour and her Lymond Chronicles are a must-read for anyone even marginally interested in historical fiction and what it can achieve.
June 17, 2019
It took me a little while to settle into this 5th volume of the Lymond Chronicles, after the story arc that had done most to drive the last two volumes had come to a devastating conclusion. I knew that there was a story behind that story that must play out, that the big questions that underpin this whole sequence of novels had to be answered and that those two things were in all probability linked; but I needed time to adjust to such a dramatic shift, and to new directions that were intriguing but didn’t move that story forward with the same momentum that I had come to expect.
Lymond had travelled to Russia in the company of Kiaya Khátún, sometimes known as Güzel, mistress of the Harem of Dragut Rais. They took up residence in Moscow where he set about creating and training a new military force to serve the Tsar. How this came about was far from clear. I saw more than enough reasons for him: he knew that he had the ability to create a fighting force in a country that had no army to speak of; that doing that could establish something lasting of his own, with no ties to his troubled past; and that staying away from his homeland was probably the best thing to do in the light of the prophecy that him. I was less sure of her: establishing a residence and a presence in a new country, however strategically places, was surely not enough.
I have learned though, from the books that brought me to this place, that everything happens for a reason and that it usually takes times for those reasons to become clear, and so I stored that question away with others and continued to read.
It didn’t take long for me to be captivated by the story that played out in Russia.
The intrigue, and the balancing of a fictional story was real history, was as fine as anything in this series. The descriptions, the evocation of the world that Lymond entered, was as glorious as anything that had come before. And – in time – there would be enough to suggest that Lymond could not – would not – escape his past.
I loved that the world of this book was completely historical, and that every person and every thing in that world was completely and utterly of its time; so that reading really is looking through a window into the past without ever thinking that there is distance, that there is a frame …. The use of perspective is part of this with Lymond always seen through the eyes of others who have knowledge of him but not complete understanding; so that even as knowledge is gained there is always a feeling that there is more to come. That was wonderfully effective is this book, with Lymond first seen through the eyes of the men he had summoned from St Mary’s, his elite mercenary company, to train and form a new force to serve the Tsar; and then, even more effectively, through the eyes of a real historical figure, an Englishman who had come to Russia, who was both a fascinating character in this own right and maybe the man Lymond could have been had his history been less troubled.
Back in England, Phillipa was trying to uncover and untangle that history. Her scenes were a lovely reminder of the unresolved story arc that began at the very start of the first book in this series and that was a little lacking in the Russian story; a new view of familiar history to balance the less familiar Russian history; and enjoyable for their own sake because Phillipa has grown into a remarkable young woman, and while it is clear that she has learned much it is equally clear that she has many more lessons still to be learned.
Lymond had no wish to set foot on the British Isles again, but when the Tsar wishes him to accompany his first ambassador to England, and to help the English merchants who want to form a trading company in Russia, he recognised that he must do just that. There was much drama, on the journey and at the destination; certain characters who had not been seen for some time reappeared; and there were signs that some questions might be answered as I expected, but the answers to the most important questions continued to tantalise.
This was the part of the book that I enjoyed the least; and, much as I want to know what happens next, I think I need to take a break from the richness, the intensity and the elusiveness of these books before I pick up the very last one.
The ending though was fascinating. Lymond set out on a course that his friends and allies believed was fundamentally flawed. They pulled against him, he resisted; and I couldn’t help thinking that there had been a time when they wouldn’t have dared and that he would have reacted far more harshly.
That told me he has matured over the course of five books, how much everything that that happened had affected him and the people around him, and how deeply involved I have become.
When reflected on the first book on the series my overriding thought was that it was was lovely to hear the words of someone so much cleverer than me, who was so articulate, who had a wonderfully rich tale to tell, talking at very great length; and that feeling has grown stronger as I have read more and more.
I don’t want this to be over, but I do want to be ready to pick up the next book ….
Lymond had travelled to Russia in the company of Kiaya Khátún, sometimes known as Güzel, mistress of the Harem of Dragut Rais. They took up residence in Moscow where he set about creating and training a new military force to serve the Tsar. How this came about was far from clear. I saw more than enough reasons for him: he knew that he had the ability to create a fighting force in a country that had no army to speak of; that doing that could establish something lasting of his own, with no ties to his troubled past; and that staying away from his homeland was probably the best thing to do in the light of the prophecy that him. I was less sure of her: establishing a residence and a presence in a new country, however strategically places, was surely not enough.
I have learned though, from the books that brought me to this place, that everything happens for a reason and that it usually takes times for those reasons to become clear, and so I stored that question away with others and continued to read.
It didn’t take long for me to be captivated by the story that played out in Russia.
The intrigue, and the balancing of a fictional story was real history, was as fine as anything in this series. The descriptions, the evocation of the world that Lymond entered, was as glorious as anything that had come before. And – in time – there would be enough to suggest that Lymond could not – would not – escape his past.
I loved that the world of this book was completely historical, and that every person and every thing in that world was completely and utterly of its time; so that reading really is looking through a window into the past without ever thinking that there is distance, that there is a frame …. The use of perspective is part of this with Lymond always seen through the eyes of others who have knowledge of him but not complete understanding; so that even as knowledge is gained there is always a feeling that there is more to come. That was wonderfully effective is this book, with Lymond first seen through the eyes of the men he had summoned from St Mary’s, his elite mercenary company, to train and form a new force to serve the Tsar; and then, even more effectively, through the eyes of a real historical figure, an Englishman who had come to Russia, who was both a fascinating character in this own right and maybe the man Lymond could have been had his history been less troubled.
Back in England, Phillipa was trying to uncover and untangle that history. Her scenes were a lovely reminder of the unresolved story arc that began at the very start of the first book in this series and that was a little lacking in the Russian story; a new view of familiar history to balance the less familiar Russian history; and enjoyable for their own sake because Phillipa has grown into a remarkable young woman, and while it is clear that she has learned much it is equally clear that she has many more lessons still to be learned.
Lymond had no wish to set foot on the British Isles again, but when the Tsar wishes him to accompany his first ambassador to England, and to help the English merchants who want to form a trading company in Russia, he recognised that he must do just that. There was much drama, on the journey and at the destination; certain characters who had not been seen for some time reappeared; and there were signs that some questions might be answered as I expected, but the answers to the most important questions continued to tantalise.
This was the part of the book that I enjoyed the least; and, much as I want to know what happens next, I think I need to take a break from the richness, the intensity and the elusiveness of these books before I pick up the very last one.
The ending though was fascinating. Lymond set out on a course that his friends and allies believed was fundamentally flawed. They pulled against him, he resisted; and I couldn’t help thinking that there had been a time when they wouldn’t have dared and that he would have reacted far more harshly.
That told me he has matured over the course of five books, how much everything that that happened had affected him and the people around him, and how deeply involved I have become.
When reflected on the first book on the series my overriding thought was that it was was lovely to hear the words of someone so much cleverer than me, who was so articulate, who had a wonderfully rich tale to tell, talking at very great length; and that feeling has grown stronger as I have read more and more.
I don’t want this to be over, but I do want to be ready to pick up the next book ….
October 8, 2016
I could just make this a three word review, you guys. Lymond in Russia. Got that? Lymond in Russia. LYMOND IN RUSSIA YOU GUYS okay that is five but maybe you get it.
But The Ringed Castle, being a Dorothy Dunnett novel and a volume of the Lymond Chronicles, of course has even more than that going on. And a lot of what is going on concerns Lymond only indirectly; it may be all about him, but the action, the intrigue, the driving force, mostly comes from the great and mighty Philippa nee Somerville, his child-bride-on-paper, whom he has sent along back to the British isles while he has moved on to Russia, there to train and equip Ivan the Terrible's army. As one does when one is a mercenary captain, sort-of-nobleman and stubborn Renaissance Man of whom no one is the boss.
Philippa has landed on her feet, back home in England, by which I mean landed a position in the court of Bloody Mary. She's a first-hand witness to that sad queen's phantom pregnancy, frustrating marriage, paranoia about her sister Elizabeth, and all the intrigues of court life ca. Mary Tudor's reign -- but that's not what interests Philippa. No. What interests Philippa is the strange case of Marthe, who traveled with Team Lymond last novel, caused lots of ruckus in her own right, then totally upset the spinet cart by revealing that actually, she's Lymond's sister. But she, ah, didn't grow up in Culter, did she? And she looks pretty much exactly like a female Lymond, so no one thinks she's just an illegitimate half-sister. Something funny was clearly going on in the Crawford family a generation ago. And Philippa is hell-bent on finding out. Go Philippa! The Renaissance Nancy Drew!
Meanwhile and far away, Lymond. Oh, Lymond. For all the magnificence and splendor in which he sets himself up in Russia (with a lot of help from Guzel, former bosswoman of the Sultan of Turkey's seraglio) and all the magnificent busy work he get up to trying to bring Russia kicking and screaming into at least the middle ages if not the Renaissance, Lymond is pretty much just sulking. He's got very good reason to sulk, to shut himself down, to withdraw -- the events at the close of Pawn in Frankincense would fell, emotionally, far greater heroes than he, if indeed there are any. But still, he's lost his sparkle, exercising in Russia a mere competence. Admittedly, his mere competence is still far more than most people could hope to strive for, but still. He needs a miracle. He needs Philippa.
But still. This is Lymond. So, even though he's down at the mouth and wounded and scarred and pissed off, he's still making things happen. Politics, social change, sex, action. Oh my goodness, action. Like a midnight hand-to-hand bout in an aviary-cum-orangerie at the top of Lymond's Kremlin palace. Like a moonlit, reindeer-powered sledge race above the Artic Circle brought to fast-paced ruin by the untimely release of Lymond's hunting eagle.* Which just happens to hunt deer.
You're not even coming close to imagining the brilliant chaos of that scene.
But Russia and all of it's crazed and gory glory is only part of the story, which is really and mostly about how Lymond almost gets sucked into the dynastic politics of, that's right, England. Ivan the Terrible decides to send him there to bully negotiate a shipment of weapons and men to teach Russia to make weapons. And Lymond is now the Tsar's man. So of he goes, to the England of Mary Tudor and her consort Phillip, poised to become Elizabethan England, maybe with the help of a little of that Lymond magic? Which no court in Europe can do without? Except of course, Lymond wants just to be left alone to be Lymond, divorce Phillipa (no!) and go back to Russia to play tinpot general and not be married to Guzel. Right?
Oh, things are never so simple where this guy is concerned. We know that, now, surely?
But we also know is that in Phillipa, Lymond has finally met his match.
*Yes, eagle. Lesser men train and hunt with falcons. Lymond has a golden eagle, eight-foot wingspan and all.
But The Ringed Castle, being a Dorothy Dunnett novel and a volume of the Lymond Chronicles, of course has even more than that going on. And a lot of what is going on concerns Lymond only indirectly; it may be all about him, but the action, the intrigue, the driving force, mostly comes from the great and mighty Philippa nee Somerville, his child-bride-on-paper, whom he has sent along back to the British isles while he has moved on to Russia, there to train and equip Ivan the Terrible's army. As one does when one is a mercenary captain, sort-of-nobleman and stubborn Renaissance Man of whom no one is the boss.
Philippa has landed on her feet, back home in England, by which I mean landed a position in the court of Bloody Mary. She's a first-hand witness to that sad queen's phantom pregnancy, frustrating marriage, paranoia about her sister Elizabeth, and all the intrigues of court life ca. Mary Tudor's reign -- but that's not what interests Philippa. No. What interests Philippa is the strange case of Marthe, who traveled with Team Lymond last novel, caused lots of ruckus in her own right, then totally upset the spinet cart by revealing that actually, she's Lymond's sister. But she, ah, didn't grow up in Culter, did she? And she looks pretty much exactly like a female Lymond, so no one thinks she's just an illegitimate half-sister. Something funny was clearly going on in the Crawford family a generation ago. And Philippa is hell-bent on finding out. Go Philippa! The Renaissance Nancy Drew!
Meanwhile and far away, Lymond. Oh, Lymond. For all the magnificence and splendor in which he sets himself up in Russia (with a lot of help from Guzel, former bosswoman of the Sultan of Turkey's seraglio) and all the magnificent busy work he get up to trying to bring Russia kicking and screaming into at least the middle ages if not the Renaissance, Lymond is pretty much just sulking. He's got very good reason to sulk, to shut himself down, to withdraw -- the events at the close of Pawn in Frankincense would fell, emotionally, far greater heroes than he, if indeed there are any. But still, he's lost his sparkle, exercising in Russia a mere competence. Admittedly, his mere competence is still far more than most people could hope to strive for, but still. He needs a miracle. He needs Philippa.
But still. This is Lymond. So, even though he's down at the mouth and wounded and scarred and pissed off, he's still making things happen. Politics, social change, sex, action. Oh my goodness, action. Like a midnight hand-to-hand bout in an aviary-cum-orangerie at the top of Lymond's Kremlin palace. Like a moonlit, reindeer-powered sledge race above the Artic Circle brought to fast-paced ruin by the untimely release of Lymond's hunting eagle.* Which just happens to hunt deer.
You're not even coming close to imagining the brilliant chaos of that scene.
But Russia and all of it's crazed and gory glory is only part of the story, which is really and mostly about how Lymond almost gets sucked into the dynastic politics of, that's right, England. Ivan the Terrible decides to send him there to bully negotiate a shipment of weapons and men to teach Russia to make weapons. And Lymond is now the Tsar's man. So of he goes, to the England of Mary Tudor and her consort Phillip, poised to become Elizabethan England, maybe with the help of a little of that Lymond magic? Which no court in Europe can do without? Except of course, Lymond wants just to be left alone to be Lymond, divorce Phillipa (no!) and go back to Russia to play tinpot general and not be married to Guzel. Right?
Oh, things are never so simple where this guy is concerned. We know that, now, surely?
But we also know is that in Phillipa, Lymond has finally met his match.
*Yes, eagle. Lesser men train and hunt with falcons. Lymond has a golden eagle, eight-foot wingspan and all.
September 24, 2024
The Ringed Castle was a bit hard to read, especially after the fast pace of the previous two books in the Lymond Chronicles. I found myself wondering where the story was going and what in the world Francis Crawford of Lymond was thinking. As always, Dorothy Dunnett makes you work for every word and no word of hers is ever wasted. The novel still gets five stars just for the sheer brilliance of her writing and the in-depth history lesson she gives us on Russia, Mary Tudor and English trade.
September 1, 2022
WARNING!! MILD SPOILERS AHEAD. I HAVE USED THE SPOILER TAGS, BUT LIKE EVERYTHING ON GOODREADS, THEY MIGHT WORK OR THEY MIGHT NOT
I had to give this four stars because of the brilliance of Dunnett's writing, the meticulousness of her resarch, the vividness of her characters, and the wonderful plot twists. Lymond and company take a trip to another exotic location, which Dunnett describes in great detail.
But I have to admit, I'm getting tired of this series, and tired of Lymond, as talented and brilliant as he is. Maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon, but these books are becoming annoying in some respects.
For one thing, Lymond really doesn't deserve the friends he has. Many people care about him, and he treats almost all of them badly. He's snarky and snotty to them; he's temperamental. He keeps his distance from his men (who care about him) in this book. This just proves my theory that people who treat people badly are often more popular than those who are nice.
Yes, I understand that he's been badly scarred by his experiences (like most of the rest of us--although I do admit that Lymond's been through much more extremely nasty stuff than most of us). Yes, I understand that he's basically decent and honorable underneath his snarky patina. But I'm getting weary of it.
I'm glad there's only one more book to the series, and I may take my time getting to the last book.
It's not just Lymond that's becoming irritating.
It's Dunnett's idiosyncratic word usage and spelling, which is all over the place.
It's the lack of decent reference material. I've already reviewed The Dorothy Dunnett Companion here: Review of The Dorothy Dunnett Companion"
The "Companion" volumes lack even a basic index for their sparse references. This website here supplies one, but there's an irritating video which plays constantly and means one has to constantly start from the top, instead of holding one's place: Index to Ringed Castle Companion Entries
Anyway, I did finish this but it took me nearly a month to get through it (a long time for me). This reflects my very mixed feelings about this book.
An additional annoyance was the audio reading. Although David Monteath is generally a good audio narrator, he makes lots of mistakes and really plays fast and lose with the text.
This is an interesting paper which postulates that Dunnett's characters are anachronistic modern people placed in a historical setting: Paper about Dunnett characters
I had to give this four stars because of the brilliance of Dunnett's writing, the meticulousness of her resarch, the vividness of her characters, and the wonderful plot twists. Lymond and company take a trip to another exotic location, which Dunnett describes in great detail.
But I have to admit, I'm getting tired of this series, and tired of Lymond, as talented and brilliant as he is. Maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon, but these books are becoming annoying in some respects.
For one thing, Lymond really doesn't deserve the friends he has. Many people care about him, and he treats almost all of them badly. He's snarky and snotty to them; he's temperamental. He keeps his distance from his men (who care about him) in this book. This just proves my theory that people who treat people badly are often more popular than those who are nice.
Yes, I understand that he's been badly scarred by his experiences (like most of the rest of us--although I do admit that Lymond's been through much more extremely nasty stuff than most of us). Yes, I understand that he's basically decent and honorable underneath his snarky patina. But I'm getting weary of it.
I'm glad there's only one more book to the series, and I may take my time getting to the last book.
It's not just Lymond that's becoming irritating.
It's Dunnett's idiosyncratic word usage and spelling, which is all over the place.
It's the lack of decent reference material. I've already reviewed The Dorothy Dunnett Companion here: Review of The Dorothy Dunnett Companion"
The "Companion" volumes lack even a basic index for their sparse references. This website here supplies one, but there's an irritating video which plays constantly and means one has to constantly start from the top, instead of holding one's place: Index to Ringed Castle Companion Entries
Anyway, I did finish this but it took me nearly a month to get through it (a long time for me). This reflects my very mixed feelings about this book.
An additional annoyance was the audio reading. Although David Monteath is generally a good audio narrator, he makes lots of mistakes and really plays fast and lose with the text.
This is an interesting paper which postulates that Dunnett's characters are anachronistic modern people placed in a historical setting: Paper about Dunnett characters
October 19, 2025
‘I lost three ships,’ Chancellor said. ‘And eighty- five souls.’ ‘I stopped counting,’ Lymond said, ‘after I had seen the first hundred or so of my soldiers dispatched to their earthly rest through me. You lead, therefore you kill.’
‘Your son will be John Dee’s next pupil. You cannot face marriage again?’ Richard Chancellor drew in a short breath, and let it carefully out, without stirring the candle. He said, ‘I have only met one girl to match Eleanor. And you are married to her.’
Lymond slid his hands off the table. On his shadowless face rested, openly, an astonishment so unexpected, so vivid that Chancellor himself was taken aback and said quickly, almost in anger, ‘I’m sorry. But she is a remarkable girl.’ ‘She is a remarkable girl,’ Lymond repeated. He looked startled still. ‘She must be Christopher’s age.’
I was trying to explain to a non-fiction reading loved one the other day why reading fiction was an enriching and important part of my life. Particularly when you find something so involved and complex and written so brilliantly and beautifully as the Lymond Chronicles. I tried to explain how it was like entering another world which doesn’t really fully go away even when you are not reading the words but going about your day to day business. Even when you are not actively contemplating the book, you go through your day knowing there is an alternate reality waiting for you when you choose to go back to it. You live safely through fear, tragedy, and grief. But also through triumph, wonder, joy, and love. People who don't read stories don't know about this, I guess. Not every reading experience does this for me. I’ve enjoyed and even loved other books without having this feeling of it being part of my life. For me, It’s mostly been series or at least connected books where there is world building involved. Like Harry Potter. And a sadly somewhat forgotten writer of historical and swashbuckling adventure and romance named Patricia Veryan.
The Ringed Castle, I was thrilled to discover, begins not with Lymond on the way to Russia from The Levant, as the previous book ended, but with Philippa coming home to her mother, Kate.
Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin….The most prosaic schoolgirl in England, Philippa Somerville arrived home from Stamboul in the summer….
Kate, nor Lady Culter, cannot reconcile the “The Queen of Sheba”-like stylish young woman with the formerly bedraggled Philippa,
“the undersized fifteen- year- old who had left her uncle’s home in London two winters ago, to plant herself willy nilly in the unsuitable company of Lady Culter’s younger son Francis… Francis Crawford of Lymond, the hard- living leader of mercenaries whose by- blow Kuzúm had been snatched and used in a game by his enemies.”
But it’s her all right. Not being sure what her reception would be, her face is “green with fright.” But after an exchange of quips with her Mom, she slides giggling into Kate’s waiting arms.
From there, Lady Dunnett alternates between Lymond’s adventures accumulating power while navigating the insanities of Russia and the terrifying court of Ivan the Terrible, and Philippa’s continuing maturation in the home of real historical figure Henry Sidney and his family and friends. Lymond is the hated and feared Voevoda Borshoia, The Supreme Commander of the Tsar’s army, and Philippa is a very popular lady-in-waiting in the court of another troubled ruler, Mary I.
As a highly qualified Turkish-trained concubine from the harem of Suleiman the Magnificent, Philippa Somerville settled into English court life as a kite among chickens, and as a kite among kites into the Spanish court of the new King-consort Philip.She has lots of suitors, except she’s married and her divorce from the Voevoda of all Russia is being held up. As much as I hated sporadically leaving Philippa and the English Court (which includes Mary’s dearest confidant and Lymond’s worst enemy, now that Gabriel is dead, Margaret Lennox. Also an important historical figure), I was always quickly immersed in Lymond's exploits in Russia. Dorothy Dunnett knows how to keep things interesting no matter what. The husband and wife (in name only) are re-united around a year later when Lymond is forced, through political machinations of his enemies, to leave Russia to accompany the English Muscovy Company back to England to promote trade between the two countries.
Now I, your Tsar, beg it of you. Sail to London, the home of this strange, married Queen, and speak to her in her own tongue, but with the heart of a Russian. Bring me what I want.’ There was no escape. No loophole; no answer, no argument; no excuse. ‘Then of course, Lord, I shall go,’ Lymond said.
With him goes Richard Chancellor another real historical figure much admired by DD. who has become Lymond’s true friend and match in intellect and spirit.
“The Ringed Castle” refers to Moscow and the Kremlin, but it is also a metaphor for Lymond. Since the horrific occurrences in Istanbul he has coped by shutting down all emotion and putting up a virtually impenetrable wall between himself, his comrades and his family. “He can make you want to knock him down, if he feels like it, by simply saying “good morning”. Those who still care for him fear for his humanity: He has become a machine. The alert reader sees that is not entirely true. Further isolating Francis is the knowledge that his parentage is not what he thought it was, and a prophecy that he thinks will doom his brother if he returns home. He wants nothing to do with his formerly beloved and formidable, now heartbroken and fragile, mother. And, as usual, someone is trying to kill him. It is in England, thanks largely to Philippa, that chinks start to appear in his armor. But he is determined to return to Russia where certain death surely awaits.
As always some of the plot elements border on the preposterous, despite the erudition of the writing. And Lymond is surely one of the most maddening heroes in popular fiction. If you don’t like flawed (really flawed), you might want to give this series a pass. But if you gird your loins and proceed, there is always Philippa, who starts to become a major player after the second book. And Archie. And Sybilla. And Richard. And Kate. And Adam. And Danny. Not to mention a growing number of late lamenteds, and not so lamented.
And despite the often grim happenings (don't get attached to any domesticated animals), there is humor. One of my favorite “running jokes” is Philippa’s and Lymond’s perception of each others ages. Lymond still thinks of her as a schoolgirl, and Philippa believes (and she is not alone) that Lymond is her mother’s age. They are only 10 years apart, and usually only the reader seems to realize it. Also banter, sophisticated wit, and comedy.
On to the last book in the series, Checkmate. I expect to be awestruck, amused, frustrated and saddened, but from what I gather, not disappointed.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
September 18, 2014
Dunnett is the master of mature characters who still have so much to learn. The clues are so subtle as to what is really going on in each character's head that you can, as the people around them do, totally misread their motives and emotions. Until...the plot twists and you realize their real concerns and desires. The development of Phillipa's character alone is worth the concentration these books require. And, you soon realize that you're going to read the whole series again, more leisurely now that you know the overall plot, so you can concentrate on the incredible subtleties.
November 4, 2019
Another masterpiece in a series full of them. A slight letdown from the pinnacle of the previous book, but this one had some of the best character interactions and development of the entire series. Amazing the risks Dunnett takes with her main character.
This series is not for everyone, because a major part of the fun is not knowing what is going on sometimes. History lovers will be willing to slog through some of the dense material.
This series is not for everyone, because a major part of the fun is not knowing what is going on sometimes. History lovers will be willing to slog through some of the dense material.
August 20, 2008
Book #5 in the Lymond Chronicles as Philippa matures and becomes a force to be reckoned with. "Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin." Now that's what I call an attention getting opening! The Ringed Castle begins book #5 in the series as Philippa returns home to England a very self assured young woman and Francis has hitched his wagon to the mysterious Guzel and heads to Russia to bring Tsar Ivan and his army out of the dark ages with the aid of Francis' highly trained mercenary corps.
As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.
As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.
As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.
As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.
November 15, 2014
Next to Jane Austen, Dunnett is my favorite author. At four stars this is my least liked volume of her two glorious historical sagas. The detail overcomes the story and the plotting is excessive. Still, astounding historical sensibility and Lymond driving the story on.
November 19, 2015
I was kind of disappointed in this one...not because it wasn't good, but because it's not as good as Dunnet has led me to expect out of her work. The scenery was fantastically drawn, as usual, and the plotting seemed tight.
I think it suffered from a lack of a major villain, but perhaps that's just coming down off the high of the brilliant evilness of Graham Malett in the middle entries on this series. The ending was odd and despite the clear attempt at an "AHA" moment to explain everything, this one fell a little flat and I was still confused about exactly what had transpired after it had all been theoretically explained to me.
It did excel in character development though -- Lymond was particularly well drawn in this installment, as choices he's made in previous entries continue to catch up with him. Either the blurb for this one or for the next one I think makes a comment about "increasingly successful professionally, increasingly isolated in his personal life" and that's an excellent sum-up. There are some good scenes with his temporary(?) wife Phillippa, and there are people as usual attempting to nefariously kill Lymond from the shadows, but it lacked the clean punch of earlier installments.
Maybe a re-read would help make some of these various points clearer, but the ending and abrupt solution to some of his political woes in England seemed a trifle too contrived for me -- worst outing in the series so far. Which, again, is not to say that it's a bad outing...but in such stellar company, this one does not compare favorably.
ETA (3/5/2013) : I've upgraded this from a 3 to a 5 -- I think I had wrong expectations of this the first time, and after two subsequent readthroughs I enjoyed it a lot more for an introspective character piece instead of shoehorning it into a Heroic Action Adventure.
I think it suffered from a lack of a major villain, but perhaps that's just coming down off the high of the brilliant evilness of Graham Malett in the middle entries on this series. The ending was odd and despite the clear attempt at an "AHA" moment to explain everything, this one fell a little flat and I was still confused about exactly what had transpired after it had all been theoretically explained to me.
It did excel in character development though -- Lymond was particularly well drawn in this installment, as choices he's made in previous entries continue to catch up with him. Either the blurb for this one or for the next one I think makes a comment about "increasingly successful professionally, increasingly isolated in his personal life" and that's an excellent sum-up. There are some good scenes with his temporary(?) wife Phillippa, and there are people as usual attempting to nefariously kill Lymond from the shadows, but it lacked the clean punch of earlier installments.
Maybe a re-read would help make some of these various points clearer, but the ending and abrupt solution to some of his political woes in England seemed a trifle too contrived for me -- worst outing in the series so far. Which, again, is not to say that it's a bad outing...but in such stellar company, this one does not compare favorably.
ETA (3/5/2013) : I've upgraded this from a 3 to a 5 -- I think I had wrong expectations of this the first time, and after two subsequent readthroughs I enjoyed it a lot more for an introspective character piece instead of shoehorning it into a Heroic Action Adventure.
February 21, 2017
5th book in the Lymond series so read the other 4 first. Try hard to avoid spoilers – they spoil everything, never google character names.... take care reading reviews.
The end of the previous book – Pawn in Frankincense – was pretty shattering, Lymond had to be kind of complicit in the murder of what may or may not have been his own child and then dextox cold turkey off opium. How do you get over that? Run off to Russia with the Ottoman empire's top courtesan apparently.
With the hindsight of history, helping Ivan the terrible form the regions most powerful army might not be the most socially responsible course of action, but to be fair Lymond's options are limited.
Gruzel and him are a pretty formidable team. They are both political shaggers as she points out in language more delicate than mine, before going on to list some of his more horrific conquests. But they don't let it wear them down, having a heated roof garden stocked with exotic birds with flutes tied to their wings would soften the blow. Gruzel makes me feel a little nauseous, every inch of her oiled and highly perfumed, she is just a little too sickly sweet and fake. Fortunately, there is also Philippa, glorious Philippa, quick of wit, firm of resolve and possessor of uncommon good sense, thousands of miles away in the English court she is cutting a swathe of her own.
We learn a lot about trading conditions for the English in Russia in the mid 16th century, what can be bought, for what price, and where, and what the political consequences might be, the author thinks it is important we should know this, either that or she wants us to suffer before we get to the good stuff.
And there is loads of good stuff, but I can't talk about it, because SPOILERS, and I don't do spoilers, so you will have to read the book.
The end of the previous book – Pawn in Frankincense – was pretty shattering, Lymond had to be kind of complicit in the murder of what may or may not have been his own child and then dextox cold turkey off opium. How do you get over that? Run off to Russia with the Ottoman empire's top courtesan apparently.
With the hindsight of history, helping Ivan the terrible form the regions most powerful army might not be the most socially responsible course of action, but to be fair Lymond's options are limited.
Gruzel and him are a pretty formidable team. They are both political shaggers as she points out in language more delicate than mine, before going on to list some of his more horrific conquests. But they don't let it wear them down, having a heated roof garden stocked with exotic birds with flutes tied to their wings would soften the blow. Gruzel makes me feel a little nauseous, every inch of her oiled and highly perfumed, she is just a little too sickly sweet and fake. Fortunately, there is also Philippa, glorious Philippa, quick of wit, firm of resolve and possessor of uncommon good sense, thousands of miles away in the English court she is cutting a swathe of her own.
We learn a lot about trading conditions for the English in Russia in the mid 16th century, what can be bought, for what price, and where, and what the political consequences might be, the author thinks it is important we should know this, either that or she wants us to suffer before we get to the good stuff.
And there is loads of good stuff, but I can't talk about it, because SPOILERS, and I don't do spoilers, so you will have to read the book.
April 12, 2011
"The Ringed Castle", 5th of the Lymond Chronicles, is set in Muscovy, Russia. Here in the cold, frozen, ice covered landscape, Lymond becomes Voevoda Bolshoia, supreme commander to the half-mad Tsar, Ivan Vasilievich. Using his brilliance to create a Russian army machine, he is also trying to become one. In his burning desire to rid himself of all that has brought him pain, joy, sorrow and deep emotion, he is set to use all his gifts and talents to do anything necessary to become ruler and create his own destiny. However, being forced to go to England he has to face his last test, the mystery of his heritage and encounter those who can wound him because they want to destroy him or those who want to save him from himself.
Dorothy Dunnnett's writing is excellent in her vast ability of making landscape come alive. Her historical knowledge has depth and her ability to create characters, not without their human frailties, are real and believable. She leads the reader through amazing twisting plots, diverse episodes and through a beautiful Russia. Dorothy Dunnett brings you into another world which I will revisit time and time again.
Dorothy Dunnnett's writing is excellent in her vast ability of making landscape come alive. Her historical knowledge has depth and her ability to create characters, not without their human frailties, are real and believable. She leads the reader through amazing twisting plots, diverse episodes and through a beautiful Russia. Dorothy Dunnett brings you into another world which I will revisit time and time again.
May 27, 2016
Russia. Ivan the Terrible needs Western expertise to help him to defeat the remaining Tartars, particularly in the Crimea. Enter Lymond and a few select officers from his mercenary group of St Mary, funded by Guzel, the former harem mistress from Turkey.
Despite difficulties and danger from the boyars, an unpredictable Cossack leader and the increasingly unstable Tsar, Lymond's leadership and extraordinary skills see him swiftly rise to the highest position in the Tsar's army. Whether he can keep his life once he's there is another matter. Someone has been sent to kill him. But whether that someone is one of his own officers or a member of a British trading force led by the maritime navigator Richard Chancellor (one of the most delightful characters in this series) is a mystery that takes a long time to resolve.
In the meantime, Philippa Somerville becomes a member of Queen Mary's court in England. The style, education and vivacity that she learned or discovered in herself in Turkey attract a number of suitable (and not so suitable) suitors. If she could only obtain a divorce from that unfortunate marriage of convenience that she entered into, her future would be assured. In her spare time, Philippa sets out to unravel the history of Lymond's complicated family arrangements. Rumours of conspiracies, infidelity and bastardy abound, but who is telling the truth and who has twisted the tale for their own ends remains to be seen.
When I first read this book as a teenager (more haircuts ago than I will publicly admit to) I found it hard going in comparison with the rest of the series and liked it considerably less. Philippa is unreservedly wonderful. However, Lymond seems so unreachable, alien, cold and unsympathetic. For much of the book, he completely distances the reader in a way that, even at his worst moments in previous books, he has never managed to do before. Also, the level of detail weighs heavily on the story at times rather than supporting it. Reading it now, though, I was much more charitable. I can see what I missed the first time around - it is no less a tragedy than Pawn in Frankincense. But where the latter involved very overt displays of emotion and high drama, the tragedy in this book comes from the subtext - the fact that it, like its hero, the book holds its emotions and its storyline ruthlessly and relentlessly in check, suppressing joy and humanity as it does so.
I swear that Margaret Lennox could be the blueprint for Cersei Lannister. Except she's worse.
Despite difficulties and danger from the boyars, an unpredictable Cossack leader and the increasingly unstable Tsar, Lymond's leadership and extraordinary skills see him swiftly rise to the highest position in the Tsar's army. Whether he can keep his life once he's there is another matter. Someone has been sent to kill him. But whether that someone is one of his own officers or a member of a British trading force led by the maritime navigator Richard Chancellor (one of the most delightful characters in this series) is a mystery that takes a long time to resolve.
In the meantime, Philippa Somerville becomes a member of Queen Mary's court in England. The style, education and vivacity that she learned or discovered in herself in Turkey attract a number of suitable (and not so suitable) suitors. If she could only obtain a divorce from that unfortunate marriage of convenience that she entered into, her future would be assured. In her spare time, Philippa sets out to unravel the history of Lymond's complicated family arrangements. Rumours of conspiracies, infidelity and bastardy abound, but who is telling the truth and who has twisted the tale for their own ends remains to be seen.
When I first read this book as a teenager (more haircuts ago than I will publicly admit to) I found it hard going in comparison with the rest of the series and liked it considerably less. Philippa is unreservedly wonderful. However, Lymond seems so unreachable, alien, cold and unsympathetic. For much of the book, he completely distances the reader in a way that, even at his worst moments in previous books, he has never managed to do before. Also, the level of detail weighs heavily on the story at times rather than supporting it. Reading it now, though, I was much more charitable. I can see what I missed the first time around - it is no less a tragedy than Pawn in Frankincense. But where the latter involved very overt displays of emotion and high drama, the tragedy in this book comes from the subtext - the fact that it, like its hero, the book holds its emotions and its storyline ruthlessly and relentlessly in check, suppressing joy and humanity as it does so.
I swear that Margaret Lennox could be the blueprint for Cersei Lannister. Except she's worse.
January 22, 2022
This 5th in the Lymond Chronicles takes our hero, Francis Crawford of Lymond, from Queen Mary’s Catholic England to the Russia of Ivan the Terrible, a rather erratic and cruel leader. In Russia, Lymond proves his worth as he forges a new army for the Tsar and becomes the general above all.
The winter scenes in Russia with its vast white wilderness are stunning. Lymond acquires an eagle that tests his strength and he plays a dangerous game of chess with the Tsar. His desire is to civilize Russia but he knows they need a strong defense first. Honing their skills, his army conquers the Tartars. Meanwhile, England and her rulers have not forgotten him and would use Phillipa, his bride of convenience, for their own purposes.
One has to love Phillipa. She is smart, witty, courageous and inventive—the perfect wife for Lymond. Not that he can see it, of course. Forced to come to England on a mission for the Tsar to acquire weapons for the army, Lymond becomes involved in the plots surrounding the English throne. And he comes up against his bride’s inner beauty and the fact men in Queen Mary’s court desire her above others. But Phillipa us still Lymond’s wife. European politics will delay their annulment.
I have to say that I liked Lymond less in this of the 5 stories I have read thus far. He was more cruel, more indifferent to his family, his young son, his men and to Phillipa. But we shall see.
The writing is brilliant and engaging even if Dunnett did lose me in a few places. Lots of names to remember and parts in other languages not translated. But the adventures never stop.
Another wonderful installment in the Lymond Chronicles:
The Game of Kings
Queens’ Play
The Disorderly Knights
Pawn in Frankincense
The Ringed Castle
Checkmate
The winter scenes in Russia with its vast white wilderness are stunning. Lymond acquires an eagle that tests his strength and he plays a dangerous game of chess with the Tsar. His desire is to civilize Russia but he knows they need a strong defense first. Honing their skills, his army conquers the Tartars. Meanwhile, England and her rulers have not forgotten him and would use Phillipa, his bride of convenience, for their own purposes.
One has to love Phillipa. She is smart, witty, courageous and inventive—the perfect wife for Lymond. Not that he can see it, of course. Forced to come to England on a mission for the Tsar to acquire weapons for the army, Lymond becomes involved in the plots surrounding the English throne. And he comes up against his bride’s inner beauty and the fact men in Queen Mary’s court desire her above others. But Phillipa us still Lymond’s wife. European politics will delay their annulment.
I have to say that I liked Lymond less in this of the 5 stories I have read thus far. He was more cruel, more indifferent to his family, his young son, his men and to Phillipa. But we shall see.
The writing is brilliant and engaging even if Dunnett did lose me in a few places. Lots of names to remember and parts in other languages not translated. But the adventures never stop.
Another wonderful installment in the Lymond Chronicles:
The Game of Kings
Queens’ Play
The Disorderly Knights
Pawn in Frankincense
The Ringed Castle
Checkmate
January 17, 2016
The Lymond Chronicles books are quite possibly my all-time favorite books, or at least as an adult. There are six thoroughly-researched novels in the series, and each outdoes its predecessor in weaving historic details, compelling characters, and gripping plot twists.
The story follow Francis Crawford of Lymond, a minor Scottish nobleman, through adventures that take him from his native land to England, France, Malta, Greece, North Africa, Russia, and finally back home to Scotland. Along the way, he tangles with epic figures, both real and fictitious while confronting the darker side of both his own and his family's history.
One warning: the first two books of the series are a bit slow in comparison to the remaining four, but it is definitely worth the time to get through them. I also recommend getting a copy of Elspeth Morrison's The Dorothy Dunnett Companion, which annotates the myriad historic and literary references that are woven throughout the books.
The story follow Francis Crawford of Lymond, a minor Scottish nobleman, through adventures that take him from his native land to England, France, Malta, Greece, North Africa, Russia, and finally back home to Scotland. Along the way, he tangles with epic figures, both real and fictitious while confronting the darker side of both his own and his family's history.
One warning: the first two books of the series are a bit slow in comparison to the remaining four, but it is definitely worth the time to get through them. I also recommend getting a copy of Elspeth Morrison's The Dorothy Dunnett Companion, which annotates the myriad historic and literary references that are woven throughout the books.
May 6, 2018
May 2018
Huh, it's been ten years since I first finished the book. No wonder the details were all hazy. I could almost swear that I couldn't remember half of the things in this reread happening before. I have a new appreciation for Diccon Chancellor this time around, and Danny has definitely grown on me.
Philippa is still the best. ♥
March 2008
I was glad to be back in England, that's for sure. Russia dragged a bit. And Lymond needs someone to hit him upside his head to knock some sense into him. Oh wait. That did happen. More than once. The man is mad, really.
Oh Philippa. ♥
Huh, it's been ten years since I first finished the book. No wonder the details were all hazy. I could almost swear that I couldn't remember half of the things in this reread happening before. I have a new appreciation for Diccon Chancellor this time around, and Danny has definitely grown on me.
Philippa is still the best. ♥
March 2008
I was glad to be back in England, that's for sure. Russia dragged a bit. And Lymond needs someone to hit him upside his head to knock some sense into him. Oh wait. That did happen. More than once. The man is mad, really.
Oh Philippa. ♥
March 26, 2009
While still enjoyable, this was probably my least favorite of the Lymond Chronicles that I've read to date. I rather felt like I was slogging through it just so that I would know all of the plot developments before I move on to the next one.
January 30, 2011
Number 5 in the Lymond Chronicles. Please read the previous four before you start RC. Please.
April 17, 2015
Up until this one, I felt like each book in the Lymond series got better. This is the first one that I thought was a step back. I just kept losing interest, and it wasn't until her usual heart-pounding-one-twist-after-another final pages (damn, this woman can write a climax!) that it really measured up to the others.
Maybe it's that the Russia angle didn't interest me as much as the previous settings (Scotland, France, Malta, Turkey). It has its moments but is on the whole rather boring.
It's strengths are classic Dunnett - characters and relationships. In that vein, a few particular highlights, first and foremost Phillipa; compelling as a child, we watched her come of age in the Turkish seraglio, and now here she is a full blown woman who can match - and even best - Lymond at his own games, not to mention the wiley women of the English Royal Court (Queen Elizabeth even makes an appearance, which is awesome.) Richard Chancellor is a new and ingenious construction: solid and noble and intrepid. A rare person who can teach Lymond something he doesn't already know (in this case, sailing and navigation), which is saying quite a lot. Lymond's men of St Mary's, new (Danny Hislop, Ludo D'Harcourt) and old (Blacklock, Hoddim, Guthrie, Plummer) continue to enrich the pages. And then there's Lymond himself, an onion with endless layers, who continues to grow and evolve and, even, strengthen.
Relationships: the relationship between Lymond and Guzel is fascinating and beautiful. Their partnership is brilliant - they are the ultimate power couple. Lymond's relationship with his family is a depth worth sounding over and over again, and though the members thereof take up very little space on the page, both Richard and Sybilla make very powerful appearances at key moments. Brilliantly orchestrated.
Maybe it's that the Russia angle didn't interest me as much as the previous settings (Scotland, France, Malta, Turkey). It has its moments but is on the whole rather boring.
It's strengths are classic Dunnett - characters and relationships. In that vein, a few particular highlights, first and foremost Phillipa; compelling as a child, we watched her come of age in the Turkish seraglio, and now here she is a full blown woman who can match - and even best - Lymond at his own games, not to mention the wiley women of the English Royal Court (Queen Elizabeth even makes an appearance, which is awesome.) Richard Chancellor is a new and ingenious construction: solid and noble and intrepid. A rare person who can teach Lymond something he doesn't already know (in this case, sailing and navigation), which is saying quite a lot. Lymond's men of St Mary's, new (Danny Hislop, Ludo D'Harcourt) and old (Blacklock, Hoddim, Guthrie, Plummer) continue to enrich the pages. And then there's Lymond himself, an onion with endless layers, who continues to grow and evolve and, even, strengthen.
Relationships: the relationship between Lymond and Guzel is fascinating and beautiful. Their partnership is brilliant - they are the ultimate power couple. Lymond's relationship with his family is a depth worth sounding over and over again, and though the members thereof take up very little space on the page, both Richard and Sybilla make very powerful appearances at key moments. Brilliantly orchestrated.
October 5, 2013
After following Lymond as he overcomes limiting social orders, international intrigue, a hero as perfect an archetype as he, and his own weaknesses, the reader is presented with Lymond in a battle with himself.
The book follows Lymond on a journey to Russia, where he seeks greatness through the abnegation of his own humanity. Humanity being inseparable, it slowly claims him back, drawing him from Russia back to Scotland but also drawing him from the most dizzying of impersonal heights (as the supreme commander of Russia's fledgling national army) through guarded friendships and tragedy all the way into levity, music and love.
Deeply gratifying without providing fan service, rich with history and description, The Ringed Castle might very well be the pinnacle of the series.
The series as a whole proves more and more intricate with the first and second book providing an arc wherein Lymond is at odds with society--first Scotland, then France.
The second and third books trace the relationship between Lymond and the de Guise family, while the third and fourth detail an epic, sprawling battle between Lymond and an incredible nemesis. The fourth book depicts Lymond losing his humanity while the fifth shows him recovering it. To avoid spoilers I won't narrate what I believe the arc between the fifth and sixth books are, but I am sure it will prove to be rewarding and tense.
I will certainly return to the series in the future, and especially this installment.
The book follows Lymond on a journey to Russia, where he seeks greatness through the abnegation of his own humanity. Humanity being inseparable, it slowly claims him back, drawing him from Russia back to Scotland but also drawing him from the most dizzying of impersonal heights (as the supreme commander of Russia's fledgling national army) through guarded friendships and tragedy all the way into levity, music and love.
Deeply gratifying without providing fan service, rich with history and description, The Ringed Castle might very well be the pinnacle of the series.
The series as a whole proves more and more intricate with the first and second book providing an arc wherein Lymond is at odds with society--first Scotland, then France.
The second and third books trace the relationship between Lymond and the de Guise family, while the third and fourth detail an epic, sprawling battle between Lymond and an incredible nemesis. The fourth book depicts Lymond losing his humanity while the fifth shows him recovering it. To avoid spoilers I won't narrate what I believe the arc between the fifth and sixth books are, but I am sure it will prove to be rewarding and tense.
I will certainly return to the series in the future, and especially this installment.
July 1, 2017
After the devastating consequences of Pawn in Frankincense Dunnett seems to give the reader a reprieve. The penultimate book in the Lymond Chronicles moves at a markedly slower pace to begin. Still plenty of danger, yet Lymond has changed into his most aloof and is icy in the extreme. Is this to his benefit or detriment now he is a big fish in a small pond? Is he coldly calculating and seemingly indiffent to others but his Tsar during his military leadership? Is he irrevocably damaged, lacking emotion, his humanity stripped? Of course, this is why we keep turning the page. The Scot lives a spectacularly eventful life in Moscow under Ivan the Terrible, and in England under a bloody monarch, Mary. Young Elizabeth makes a few appearances and I'm looking forward to how she figures in Lymond's future in the last book.
Lots of hardship and some brilliant comic scenes too. Austen Gray and Lymond's 'duel' is almost slapstick and Danny Hislop's vivacious mouth had me grinning. Much needed comic relief to give us some restful pitstops from such brutality and harshness. And, Philippa... what can I say? She has matured, lives centre stage in Bloody Mary's court and is resourceful in unexpected ways... and a character I totally adore.
February 6, 2018
These books have taken over my life. They are frustrating, sometimes incomprehensible, but totally engrossing. I have learned so much about life in 16th century Russia from this last book in the series. I would love to talk about these books with someone who has read them, but I don't think there are many who have any more. I very seldom read only one book at a time, but with these, I don't want to read anything else.
One more to go.
One more to go.
May 9, 2019
5 stars for the hope for Lymond.
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