Game of Kings [Hardcover]

Dorothy Dunnett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1961

The "Lymond Chronicles" - a series of six novels exploring the intricacies of 16th-century history through the exploits of the soldier Francis Crawford of Lymond.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Praised for her historical fiction by critics and devoted fans alike, author Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles took the romance world by storm some 30 years ago, firmly fixing Dunnett's reputation as a master of the historical romance. The Game of Kings, the first story in The Lymond Chronicles, sets the stage for what will be a sweeping saga filled with passion, courage, and the endless fight for freedom. The setting is 1547, in Edinborough, Scotland. Francis Crawford of Lymond returns to the country despite the charge of treason hanging over his head. Set on redeeming his reputation, He leads a company of outlaws against England as he fights for the country he loves so dearly. Dangerous, quick-witted, and utterly irresistible, Lymond is pure pleasure to watch as he traverses 16th-century Scotland in search of freedom. The Game of Kings is a must-have for the historical romance connoisseur. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Scientific American

Dunnett is a name to conjure with. Her work exemplifies the best the genre can offer. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Putnam Pub Group (T) (June 1961)
• ISBN-10: 9997406338
• ISBN-13: 978-9997406330
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,397,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

104 of 108 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Game of Kings, April 10, 2000

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soba525 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) (Paperback)

Wildly Thrilling, Fully Satisfying! My sister reticently recommended this series knowing that while I enjoy reading, as a full-time working mother of an active toddler I don't necessarily have the time or inclination to tackle too difficult a read. Needless to say, I was so engrossed with The Game of Kings I was up until dawn on many a night eagerly pursing the clever, twisting, endlessly engrossing exploits of Francis Crawford of Lymond, Dunnett's astoundingly human yet otherworldly heroic antihero. The plot lines, like the characters, are intricate, involving and compelling. Each book can be read on many levels: pure action adventure, expertly executed historical fiction, stimulating intellectual gamesmanship, academic and literary, morality play with a twist, and more. Dunnett toys with her readers like Lymond toys with his antagonists and allies alike -- and that's half the fun of it! These are excellent books. You will be challenged, you will be entertained, you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patience will be rewarded, December 1, 1999

By 

Kay L. Robart - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) (Paperback)

I picked up the first of this series because a note at my favorite bookstore said, "These are the best books in the world." I read Game of Kings and did not think it was the best book I'd ever read but was willing to try another one. By the end of the second book I couldn't put them down.

But they are not easy to read. Game of Kings, although the only stand-alone of the series, is particularly difficult because of the quotes in antique foreign languages. I didn't try to decipher them, and by the second book they all but disappear.

All I can say to those readers who found the series difficult to read is that reading it is worth your patience. If you like authentic historical fiction, exciting action, and compelling characters, plough on ahead! Lymond as a character is not easy to understand, but rest assured that most of your questions will be answered by the end of the series.

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slow Starter, but Well Worth the Effort, July 18, 2002

By 

Glen Engel Cox (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1) (Paperback)

I hesitated before reading this book, the first in a set of six collectively called "The Lymond Chronicles." I'm already three deep in Patrick O'Brian's historical series, so I wondered if I would be tempting my history filter to overload by starting another so soon? Not to worry, because the two time periods and areas are quite unlike each other, and there seems little chance that I will mix the two in my memory. Comparing the two to each other might prove useful, though.

Dunnett has only one protagonist, instead of O'Brian's two, and he is a figure whom is quite larger than life. When we meet Lymond at the beginning of this novel, he is a confirmed rogue, wanted by his native Scotland as a traitor and *persona non grata* as well with the British. He survives as a Robin Hood, with a band of sixty-odd men, taking advantage of the interminable conflict between England and Scotland to feed and supply his men. He seems to revel in antagonizing his older brother, possibly with a purpose (trying to claim his inheritance a la Esau?). An excellent swordsman, a fierce and loyal leader, and a polyglot--there seems to be nothing that his quick wit and rapier-like mind cannot do.

Well, there is one thing, and that is to explain himself. Much of the plot of The Game of Kings concerns Lymond's search for the Englishman who can restore his reputation in England, who can provide him an alibi that will show his kindred that he is not a traitor. Yet his pride will not allow him to explain (or try to explain) just how he expects this to be achieve to anyone--family or friends. Which is a pity, because several characters here would react quite differently if Lymond would only speak his mind. Speak he often does, in several languages (a passing knowledge of Latin and French helps when reading some of the trickier passages), but these are often quips, not information.

Like the best rogues of old, you cannot help but like the fellow. He has his own code of conduct and, especially compared to the obsessive maniac his older brother becomes, a style that recalls the best of Sean Connery (another Scot, don't you know) in his portrayal of James Bond. There's a comparison that sits a little truer--Lymond is the 16th century Bond.

This is adventure stuff of the finest degree. There are shooting contests, secret raids, impersonations, captures, intrigues, and a long, glorious duel between brothers. Yes, there is history here, too; I understand a little more about the makeup of Scotland and its past politics than I did before. Dunnett's details are not in the rigging, as O'Brian's are, though. She has a much larger picture in mind, and if she throws in an Errol Flynn to keep you amused while getting to it, so what?

I more than enjoyed this, and I will most likely continue the series at a later date.