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lauriestein's review
5.0
the historical detail - the clever dialogue - the myriad references - the tragic romantic hero - the angst - so wonderful.
ETA: reread September 2010
ETA: reread September 2010
cimorene1558's review
5.0
There's historical fiction, and then there's Dorothy Dunnett, who's head and shoulders above anyone else's historical fiction. Lymond is possibly my favourite fictional character ever, and these are quite definitely among my favourite books ever.
tonyriver's review
4.0
Well. I’m new to this author. This story is richly written with complex and interesting characters, some infuriating. The web is complex and really not understood till the end is nigh. The language requires concentration both because there is lots of the local argot, and untranslated quotations, but especially because it is so eventful and well written.
I recommend a break between reads, but I will return to this author for whatever the next episode holds for this cast of characters.
I recommend a break between reads, but I will return to this author for whatever the next episode holds for this cast of characters.
brandypainter's review
2.0
I wanted to love this book but it and I just didn't click. It seemed like the perfect book for me when I heard about it. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and I love books with a good anti-hero. My very first research paper I wrote for high school I wrote on Mary Queen of Scots and I took a class on the Tudors and Stuarts one semester in college. This book seemed tailor made for me but I just could not get into it..
The historical setting of the book is marvelously written and the characters are interesting for the most part, when you can understand them. I was frustrated by all of the Spanish, French and Latin scattered through the book. It hampered my enjoyment of Lymond's personality because I could not understand half of what he was saying. The plot started off slow and consisted, at first, of nothing but caper after caper showcasing Lymond's brilliance. By the end of the book I was thoroughly annoyed with the man and could have cared less whether or not he was successful in his ultimate goal. He was almost a little too clever, jaded and cynical for my taste.
Because I wanted to like these books so much I started reading the second in the series when I finished this one and I had to stop. I just couldn't take it anymore. I will try to come back to them eventually but for now Lymond and I are saying adieu.
The historical setting of the book is marvelously written and the characters are interesting for the most part, when you can understand them. I was frustrated by all of the Spanish, French and Latin scattered through the book. It hampered my enjoyment of Lymond's personality because I could not understand half of what he was saying. The plot started off slow and consisted, at first, of nothing but caper after caper showcasing Lymond's brilliance. By the end of the book I was thoroughly annoyed with the man and could have cared less whether or not he was successful in his ultimate goal. He was almost a little too clever, jaded and cynical for my taste.
Because I wanted to like these books so much I started reading the second in the series when I finished this one and I had to stop. I just couldn't take it anymore. I will try to come back to them eventually but for now Lymond and I are saying adieu.
kathrinpassig's review against another edition
3.0
Ich hatte mehrere Rezensionen hier gesehen, in denen es hieß, es sei stilistisch grauenvoll überornamentiert, lohne sich aber trotzdem sehr. Ich habe sowieso nichts dagegen, wenn Autorinnen den Thesaurus von A bis Z durcharbeiten, ich mag lange und seltene Wörter. Die Beschreibungen des Lebens im 16. Jahrhundert waren vielleicht ein bisschen undetailliert (ich habe mich oft gefragt, warum so wenig gefroren wird etc.), aber auch das kann man so machen, und insgesamt habe ich mich relativ gut betreut gefühlt trotz der vielen Personen und der Verwicklungen um schottische, englische und französische Königshäuser. Aber der Held, der Held. Mit 14 wäre ich wahrscheinlich begeistert gewesen, denn Lymond kann einfach alles, ist polyglott, sieht super aus, erträgt alle Schikanen mit übermenschlicher Selbstbeherrschung, allenfalls wird er ein bisschen blass dabei, aber ich bin nicht mehr 14 und oh fuck off. Ich glaube, mich stört dabei vor allem, dass die Welt des Buchs und wahrscheinlich auch der Autorin eine ist, in der solche Helden verehrt werden, jede Konversation ein Dominanzspektakel ist und dieser Kampf vor allem durch das Aufeinanderstapeln von literarischen Zitaten geführt wird.
zebac's review
5.0
First read this book in 1987. It has lost none of its vigour, none of its freshness and urgency. A slow-burn start leads to one of the most exciting finishes, with cliffhanger after cliffhanger, bravura set pieces and wonderful evocations of time, place and people. This is my fifth read, and I'm looking forward to the next five books in the sequence. Brilliant.
fantasyfunk's review
4.0
I've heard a lot about the Lymond Chronicles ("if you like historical fiction, you must read them!", etc. etc.) so I finally took the bait and got a copy of the first one. It took me a long time to get into this book. I even ended up setting it aside for a month or two, but I'm really glad I picked it up again and finished it.
I think the writing style holds this book back from being a 5 star for me, since the story and the characters are a delight. Lymond is multi-lingual but I definitely am not. A lot of his jokes are in Spanish, French, or Latin, and I feel like I missed out on a part of his character, some of the interactions between characters, and just a chance to laugh. I would have loved translations at the bottom since I wasn't going to stop reading to run to Google Translate every time. =(
I really loved the cast of characters. Lymond really evolved through the story for me and there were a few shocks and development with the other characters to really make the story feel 3D. If this is ever to be a movie, they need to cast Dame Maggie Smith as Sybilla Crawford. =D
If you decide to pick this up and have troubles getting into it, please preserver to the end! The pay off is Ah-mazing. It's not so much a twist I didn't see coming, but just the way the story (and all the characters) finally come together is simply masterful. I couldn't put the last third of the book down.
I think the writing style holds this book back from being a 5 star for me, since the story and the characters are a delight. Lymond is multi-lingual but I definitely am not. A lot of his jokes are in Spanish, French, or Latin, and I feel like I missed out on a part of his character, some of the interactions between characters, and just a chance to laugh. I would have loved translations at the bottom since I wasn't going to stop reading to run to Google Translate every time. =(
I really loved the cast of characters. Lymond really evolved through the story for me and there were a few shocks and development with the other characters to really make the story feel 3D. If this is ever to be a movie, they need to cast Dame Maggie Smith as Sybilla Crawford. =D
If you decide to pick this up and have troubles getting into it, please preserver to the end! The pay off is Ah-mazing. It's not so much a twist I didn't see coming, but just the way the story (and all the characters) finally come together is simply masterful. I couldn't put the last third of the book down.
bethorne's review
4.0
Normally it doesn't take me over a year to read a book, but this one did. Not beside it wasn't amazing; it was. Just dense and not what I wanted to be reading when I was reading it. Lymond is reminiscent of some of my favorite heroes, although it's probably more accurate that they are reminiscent of him.
bookherd's review
5.0
One of my all time favorite novels. I recently reread it and remembered why I like it so much. It's set in 1547. The hero, Francis Crawford, is a fascinating pain in the neck--a disgraced younger son, wanted in Scotland for treason and murder, he seems to be bent on antagonizing his upright older brother and living a debauched life with his band of mercenaries. We see Crawford as others see him, only from the outside, with incomplete information and filtered through preconceptions, so that his actions and behavior look appalling. As the story progresses, we, along with the other characters in the book, start to see that there is more to Crawford's story than we initially thought.
Learning Francis Crawford's story is one of the pleasures of this book. Another pleasure is the wit and humor with which the story is told. You do have to read between the lines to appreciate some of the humor, though. For example, it took me a long time to get that when one of the mercenaries complains that his elbow has been making war on his stomach, he means that he's been drinking too much. Also, for those who love historical fiction, Francis Crawford's story is woven into the story of Scotland's struggle to keep England from seizing the child Queen Mary Stuart and marrying her to the young prince (and then King) Edward Tudor of England.
Another aspect of this book that I love is that characters quote and reference renaissance poetry in French and English, and quote Latin to each other. You don't need to read French and Latin to understand and enjoy this book, but it adds a layer of authenticity to the story that it references literature of the period and a layer of strangeness to Francis Crawford's character that he quotes poetry as he irritates and mystifies everyone around him.
I've had people tell me that they found this book hard to get into. Stick with it--the beginning is disorienting, because you're not sure what's going on. It's OK--the people in the story THINK they know what is going on, but they're mistaken. Give it time to clear itself up. When it does finally clear up, you will be moved and delighted.
Learning Francis Crawford's story is one of the pleasures of this book. Another pleasure is the wit and humor with which the story is told. You do have to read between the lines to appreciate some of the humor, though. For example, it took me a long time to get that when one of the mercenaries complains that his elbow has been making war on his stomach, he means that he's been drinking too much. Also, for those who love historical fiction, Francis Crawford's story is woven into the story of Scotland's struggle to keep England from seizing the child Queen Mary Stuart and marrying her to the young prince (and then King) Edward Tudor of England.
Another aspect of this book that I love is that characters quote and reference renaissance poetry in French and English, and quote Latin to each other. You don't need to read French and Latin to understand and enjoy this book, but it adds a layer of authenticity to the story that it references literature of the period and a layer of strangeness to Francis Crawford's character that he quotes poetry as he irritates and mystifies everyone around him.
I've had people tell me that they found this book hard to get into. Stick with it--the beginning is disorienting, because you're not sure what's going on. It's OK--the people in the story THINK they know what is going on, but they're mistaken. Give it time to clear itself up. When it does finally clear up, you will be moved and delighted.
hopesquirreled's review
5.0
Writing 5-star book reviews is hard, because I want to do the book justice. I want desperately to discuss its merits convincingly and coherently—and the closer you are to a book, the harder it is to slow down and analyze its internal machinery. That is why I had to take a few weeks before sitting down to write this review. Because I think The Game of Kings has displaced The Hitchhiker’s Guide as my “favorite book”. Of all time. Prepare yourself for a monster review.
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