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5.0 out of 5 stars
Book # 2 in the Lymond Chronicles and all is not what it appears, Feb 3 2008
It is two years since the close of The Game of Kings and someone is planning the murder of young Mary Queen of Scots, and Mary of Guise summons Francis Crawford of Lymond to France to stop the murderous plot. Francis comes in disguise as a member of the entourage of a Prince of Ireland, and the game is on. Thady Boy Ballagh nee' Lymond charms the decadent French court with his wit, sarcasm and music as Dunnett slowly unpeels the layers of her tale with plot twists and surprise turns around every corner. No one is what they appears to be at first glance, even Francis. Is Thady Boy really a drunken sot or is someone trying to poison him? Someone is trying to kill O'LiamRoe but is it because they think he is Lymond in disguise? Does the young Archer Robin Stewart who befriends Thady Boy have another motive than friendship?
While the book is slow at times, this story unfolds amidst the decadence of the French Court, it's hard drinking, partying courtiers, scheming noblemen, a race and treasure hunt atop the roofs and steeples of Paris (brilliant!!) and ending in a nail biting finish as the plot to murder Mary comes full circle and Francis' efforts to save Mary include some members of the King's menagerie -- a couple of elephants, a roaring lion and even the chimpanzees get in the act.
Throughout, 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. This is a complicated tale, and one that a reader has to pay close attention to, if you let your mind wander you may have to back track occasionally as I did. However, if you enjoy a complicated, action packed, surprise around every corner type of novel ala Dumas, you will probably find this series to be right up your alley. Five stars and now on to book #3 The Disorderly Knights.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning.....enough said., Aug 24 2001
Once you start with the Lymond series, you will either find it too difficult to follow and will put it down, never to pick it up again, or.... you will sink into the most intricately drawn picture of a fictitous character ever attempted. Once in, you'll never want to leave. You will be shocked by many things Lymond does, but you will find that you will understand in the end. You will also never meet greater evil than in this series - and I can't even give you the name of the character, since that would spoil the moment. Rarely do I sit up straight and experience a sharp intake in breath while reading a description of an event - you will do so every 20 pages or so. Don't be fooled into thinking the Niccolo series will satisfy the longing for more of this series that you will experience - but you have 6 books to keep you happy for a while. Please - try the Lymond series, if hooked, you'll be glad you did.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Lymond as Secret Agent, Mar 19 2001
By A Customer
I've now been drawn completely into the Byzantine world inhabited by Francis Lymond. While I found Queen's Play to be bit less compelling than The Game of Kings, it's like saying one priceless gem is a bit less sparkling than another. In this book, Lymond has rehabilitated his reputation in Scotland (at least to the point that his brother is no longer trying to kill him). Now Mary of Guise, the mother of the child queen Mary Queen of Scots, has asked him to go undercover in France to protect Mary from those who will try to end her life and thus change the political landscape in Europe. The problem is that there are far too many who might be advantaged by her death. Lymond thus appears in the guise of Irishman accompanying an Irish prince. Needless to say, a million different things happen. Lymond's actions and motivations are, as usual, a bit unclear at times, but he's always focused on his task. So, we have fox hunts in which a cheetah plays a prominent role, the ultimate nighttime scavenger hunt on the rooftops of a French city, duels, near poisonings, and lots of drinking and singing in the French court. Lymond is surrounded by marvelously drawn characters. Dunnett has the ability, like Dickens, to get you so focused on the complexity of her characters that often the plot becomes secondary. You just want to get to know some of the most interesting characters in historical fiction. This is a great series.
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