The Ringed Castle (Lymond Chronicles, 5) [Hardcover]

Dorothy Dunnett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1983

The fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, "The Ringed Castle" follows Lymond to Muscovy, where he becomes advisor and general to the half-mad tsar. Yet the dangers of barbaric Russia are nothing beside those of England, where Lymond's oldest enemies are conspiring against him. 2 maps.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

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. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Dorothy Dunnett was born in 1923 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Her time at Gillespie's High School for Girls overlapped with that of the novelist Muriel Spark. From 1940-1955, she worked for the Civil Service as a press officer. In 1946, she married Alastair Dunnett, later editor of The Scotsman.

Dunnett started writing in the late 1950s. Her first novel, The Game of Kings, was published in the United States in 1961, and in the United Kingdom the year after. She published 22 books in total, including the six-part Lymond Chronicles and the eight-part Niccolo Series, and co-authored another volume with her husband. Also an accomplished professional portrait painter, Dunnett exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions and had portraits commissioned by a number of prominent public figures in Scotland.

She also led a busy life in public service, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Library of Scotland, a Trustee of the Scottish National War Memorial, and Director of the Edinburgh Book Festival. She served on numerous cultural committees, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1992 she was awarded the Office of the British Empire for services to literature. She died on November 9, 2001, at the age of 78. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Buccaneer Books (June 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0899663222
• ISBN-13: 978-0899663227
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,659,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philippa is a great character!, June 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ringed Castle: Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles (Paperback)

Most reviews of the Lymond series focus on Francis Crawford of Lymond, the enigmatic, often-tortured central character around whom all the other characters revolve. This isn't surprising because he is the central player on the stage. But my favorite character is Philippa, not just because she is genuinely good, but because whenever she enters a scene, it simply begins to sparkle.

Dorothy Dunnett obviously feels a great love for Philpipa because she gives her the best lines and gave her a marvelous sense of humor. She is a wonderful character, both funny and wise. But her greatest attribute is her strong moral character, her desire to do the right thing. In the prior novel, her desire to save Lymond's son caused to her to risk everything--not everyone would become a member of a harem in an effort to save a life. In Ringed Castle, her desire to reconcile Lymond with his family causes her to place herself at great risk.

With regard to Ringed Castle, I didn't find it as consistently compelling as Pawn in Frankincense, but it is still a wonderful book, particularly the haunting and tragic voyage back to England and the last 100 pages at the English court.

I have a tinge of sadness in the realization that I have only one more installment to see how it all ends, to see if Philippa can ultimately tame Lymond.

Luckily, this series is so strong on many levels I can look forward to many productive and enjoyable re-readings.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has the best scene in the whole series..., July 6, 1999

By 

Edward T. Powell (Fairfax, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ringed Castle: Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles (Paperback)

In Novemeber 1997 in Orinda CA, on a book tour for her latest Niccolo book, I had the pleasure to hear Dorothy Dunnett read aloud the "Revels" scene (essentially the last part of Part Three, Chapter 9 from The Ringed Castle) which is my favorite scene in the entire series. She is truly a remarkable woman, still hearty at 75, with a wit and intelligence rarely scene in real life. She told us she reads numerous (sometimes hundreds!) of history books before writing each novel to make sure that nothing in the novels contradicts anything from known history. She has created in the Lymond Chronicles the best historical fiction I have ever read, and the most compelling fiction of any genre I have ever read. When she does her book tour for the final Niccolo book in 2000, be sure to go see her--it may be your last chance to see one of the most remarkable women authors of the twentieth century.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good vs Evil - But Which is Which?, May 3, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Ringed Castle (Hardcover)

I first read this book 30 years ago & it was intriguing enough that I spent 10 years collecting the rest of The Lymond Chronicles books. Difficult to read at first, perserverance pays off. The Lymond series are not books that can be skimmed. Dunnett's style is to drop hints throughout her books that lead to later plot twists. Characters cannot be taken at face value but are developed throughout the books; her villains quite often are smiling & charming on the surface. Historically accurate, the period during which these books are set was in constant political turmoil. I remember being frustrated with "The Game of Kings" (Book 1 in the series) because I couldn't keep up with the many political alliances. The Lymond Chronicles is my favorite historical series & I've read all the books a number of times. Francis Lymond is the most intense, intriguing, engaging character I've met