Pawn in Frankincense: Book Four in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles

Having read the first four Lymond books, I find this one to be my favorite, much as I loved "A Game of Kings" and "Disorderly Knights." It has been years since a book, especially such a dense and difficult book, has kept me awake until the small hours of the morning reading. Once I got through the first 100 pages, there was no stopping me; I finished it in a week. I grew much more attached to Phillipa, a character I hadn't particularly liked before, and to Jerott Blyth and, of course, to Lymond. Lymond's cunning and wit and daring amaze me; he's just so...good. And in this book, some of the human side of Lymond was revealed, which gave him even more depth as a character. Dunnett's amazing plot twists and turns and never fails to surprise me; I was literally unable to sit still for most of the second half. When I read the chess scene at the end, I could hardly contain myself (and I was in public, too). There is certainly nothing easy about Dunnett's series; I had to plow through the first 100 pages of "A Game of Kings" and most of "Queensplay," but after having read "Pawn in Frankincense," I couldn't be more glad that I kept going. Every character has his or her own nuances that are kept up and developed wonderfully; no one is ordinary in any way. I've grown very fond of the ones who have been around for a couple of books. I recommend the Lymond Chronicles to any lover of history or Europe, or just anyone who appreciates a good book. The history is flawless and the story is one of the best since Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings."

By far the most baroque episode of Dorothy Dunnett's outrageously baroque romantic adventure series, this book depicts the final conflict between Lymond and Gabriel, now a renegade in the service of Islam - but only insofar as Islam can serve his own ambitions. Can Francis survive his encounter with the golden god and save all the innocents sucked into the morass of political and personal intrigue? Mrs Dunnett is far too clever to make it a foregone conclusion; but with her usual skill, she gives every other character his or her due. The whole structure of the tale is cleverly entwined in the political and social life of Europe and the Near East at the time, giving us at one sitting a heartwrenching, dramatic romance and a very palatable history lesson. Tragedy and betrayal strike at the most unexpected moments, and relationships develop in directions I, for one, didn't anticipate. The book would be worth reading just for Lymond and Malett, but it offers much more. And it couldn't be filmed, because the actors who could step into these two pairs of shoes simply don't exist.

Well, this is the fourth book by Dunnett that I've read (the three earlier books in the Lymond series being the others). Quite simply, Dunnett gets better with each book! Her style continually reminds me of Dumas. History, adventure, great characters - all mix together to form a gripping story. I couldn't put it down last night as I finished it. Most impressive to me is the way she is "realistic" (within, of course, the fictional world she created). By that, I mean that her characters, good and evil, make tough choices. Good sometimes doesn't triumph completely, bad people sometimes come out on top, and loyal friends sometimes pay the price for our heros adventures. This is no fairy tale. A few times, I was actually shocked by the story as it progressed (especially at the end of this book). All in all, a great read if you like historical/fictional mixes. I especially enjoyed being introduced to a world I knew nothing about (ancient Turkey and its empire).

A friend lent me her much loved copies of "The Disorderly Knights" and then "Queen's Play" and I've been hooked on this series ever since. It has a richness of prose and depth of character that set it apart from the average hero story. It also has an intriguing plot line and an interesting view of Renaissance politics. All six books fit smoothly together with a tasteful use of foreshadowing. "Pawn in Frankincense" is my favorite book of the series. The secondary characters are developed to a level unsurpassed in any of Dunnett's other books. The locations feel realistic and the emotional draw of this book is incredible. I would recommend starting at the beginning (with A Game of Kings) instead of in the middle and out of order, as I did. While each book is self-contained, there are enough references to previous incidents to make following the series order worthwhile. This is the series I always recommend when a meet someone who TRULY loves to read. I can't say enough good things about it.

To date, I have worn out three sets of the Francis Crawford series. This is the first volume I read years ago - out of order - and it remains my favorite. Dunnett presents her characters and their historical settings in such immaculate and realistic detail that when I put the book down, I am tempted to go over to J.C. Penney's and order a new set of chausses - until I remember that this is the 1990's and not the 1540's. In Pawn, the prosaic 14 year old Philippa Somerville finally comes into her own, proving to be as daunting and as bloody-minded as Francis himself. She sets out in search of not one but two kidnapped infants, through the Middle East and internecine warfare among the Knights Templar. Francis is forced to trail her across the Mediterranean, while avoiding the demands of his erstwhile employers, the Scots and French; dodging the machinations of his English enemies; and avoiding capture by Suleiman the Magnificent AND the Knights. Philippa and one of her charges wind up in a harem, where she acquires a formidable knowledge of Persian love-poetry, but attempts to turn her into a sleek Persian courtesan fail miserably - a process Dunnett imbues with great humor. The humor is a necessary antidote to the terror she creates in a chess game denouement the likes of which Deep Blue can only hope to avoid forever. The six books in this series (how I wish there were 60!) remain the most re-read books in my library. The Lymond Chronicles are not an easy read, but you will be moved and affected by them in a way that no Danielle Steele or Dominick Dunne can ever achieve. Getting acquainted with Francis, Philippa, Sybilla, Kate, Jerott and Archie Abernethy - and the men of St. Mary's - is well worth part of your summer