Gemini: The Eighth Book of The House of Niccolo

A slightly longer version of this review was originally published in The Times Literary Supplement (No. 5080 August 11 2000). Dorothy Dunnett was so pleased with it that she took the reviewer to dinner at her club, The Caledonian in Belgravia, London, not long before she died. This is the final novel in Lady Dunnett's eight-volume The House of Niccolò series, the "prequel" to her six-volume The Lymond Chronicles (1961-1975). The House of Niccolò series begins in 1459, with Niccolò, an eighteen-year-old dye-yard apprentice in Bruges. The period covered saw the beginning of a north-westerly migration of wealth from the Mediterranean, first to Bruges and Antwerp, and after, under the oppression of the Hapsburgs, on to Amsterdam and London. An unprecedented explosion of wealth from trade allowed a unique, and short-lived, social mobility between the merchants and the aristocracy, giving rise to the merchant-princes. The Renaissance was gaining momentum, accelerated by an exodus of scholars to the West, following the fall of Constantinople six years earlier. Seven novels later, Niccolò is a formidable figure, a master of trade and politics, who - among other adventures - was at the fall of Trebizond, visited the schools of Timbuktu before its destruction in 1468, dabbled in the Cypriot succession and fought with Charles the Bold at the Battle of Nancy. Against this vast historical and geographical backdrop, a family history unfolds. Niccolò was rejected as illegitimate by his mother's husband, the beautiful and vicious Simon de St Pol, and when he tries to prove his legitimacy he is met with force, both physical and financial, from Simon and Simon's father, the formidable Jordan de Riberac. Niccolò works his way up from the lowly position they have forced on him, using a range of talents deriving from his superhuman abilities with mathematics.Niccolò is soon in a position to exact revenge, and it is this which earns him the mistrust of his friends, especially when he attacks his family by bankrupting their homeland, Scotland. This is symptomatic of his one great flaw; Niccolò lacks malice, but he has no conscience when lost in the workings of his plans. "I'd begun to notice I'd gone too far... [but] it was beautiful. Wheels are beautiful." Scotland is also the winning-stroke in his eight year conflict with his wife. She tries to prove herself his equal but ends by accepting that no one is. When Gemini begins they are reunited, and Niccolò returns to Scotland for reparation and to neutralise the threat from his family. Another difficulty is that Simon is blindly bringing up Niccolò's son, Henry, as his own. The physical resemblance between Simon and Niccolò's son could prove Niccolò's origins, but he reckons the damage of the revelation would be too great. The author has no such qualms, and in Gemini, Dunnett mercilessly ties up loose ends. No more can be said without giving away the plot, for this is truly the last volume of a series. It can be read

I am stunned after completing this eighth book in the Niccolo series, but I'm also very, very sad. I have now finished all fourteen books in Ms. Dunnett's saga and it saddens me to know that there is no new installment where I can lose myself in this quite remarkable family. In this book we finally get a lot of answers as to why Niccolo acted as he did in all the previous books. We see who is real enemy has been over the years and it is a surprise to all of his friends even though Niccolo has known all along. He has tried to minimize the damage and tried to control this serpent in his midst, but finds that it can't be done and it comes to a sad, sad conclusion. Niccolo faces great losses in this book, but he comes out a stronger man for them. Ms. Dunnett is truly a master storyteller and I recommend that everyone read her series the way she suggests. She suggests that you read the six Lymond chronicles in the right order and then these eight in the Niccolo series, and then go back and re-read the Lymond chronicles. All will be much clearer and her prose is so complex that a first reading of all the books is not nearly enough to get all the complexities and double-dealings that occur as standard fare. I am exhilerated after completing the series, but as I mentioned, very sad. I don't think I'll find an author or a series to compare. I would give the entire series of fourteen books ten stars if I could.

Imagine my delight when I discovered an 8th book to the series. I had thought the 7th book was the end.I loved this book. Having the setting in one place, Scotland, allowed the author to paint a wonderful picture of life in the 15th century there, built a fascinating plot (foreshadowing Francis Crawford's later exploits), and tie up loose ends. Niccolo is a fully mature character in this book, and he is more likeable.I recommend this series to all my friends. These books are intelligent and satisfying. Dunnett's talent shines though the complicated plots and the lovely, beautifully complex language. I can't wait for the Dorothy Dunnett Companion to be published in the US this July. Those looking for a quick, glib read won't like this series, or any of Dunnett's books.

Gemini, the final book in Dorothy Dunnett's Niccolo series, is a satisfying conclusion to this series and a good link to her earlier series of novels about Francis Crawford.Gemini is not always light reading. There is a considerable amount of fifteenth century history contained in it and a very large number of characters, most of whom are historical.But the story is exciting, sometimes very funny, and always deeply moving. Her principal characters are complex creations. History and fiction are so well blended that it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Dunnett deserves to be much better known in the United States. Her books should be best sellers. Dunnett's work is superior to much of the so-called serious fiction of today.

"Gemini" is the long-awaited finale to Dorothy Dunnett's blockbuster series, The House of Niccolo. Nicholas de Fleury - banker, world traveler, former owner of a small private army - returns to Scotland to make reparations for the economic damage he did in the course of his revenge on the St. Pol family. With a wrench, he leaves his wife, Gelis, and son, Jordan, behind in Bruges in safety because he fears that Jordan St. Pol, his presumed grandfather, and David de Salmeton, an adversary in trade, may take revenge on him through attacks on his family. Nicholas returns to Scotland as the agent of his wife, Gelis, but finds himself working to shore up an unstable Stuart monarchy, threatened from without by England and from within by cadet members of the royal family. As with all Dunnett books, "Gemini" is packed with marvelous set pieces, lush descriptions, lucid explications of the politics of the day, heart-wrenching deaths, and moments of joyous triumph. Questions raised in earlier books are answered - mostly - we readers need a few things left to argue about, don't we?Judith Wilt has provided an excellent introduction that synopsizes the seven earlier books ably, but reading them in order is still preferable.