The Game of Kings is the first in a 6-book series known as the Lymond Chronicles. As it says right on the cover, Washington Post Book World calls Dorothy Dunnett “the finest living writer of historical fiction” – and I have to agree.

This book was my first introduction to Dorothy Dunnett, and now I am hooked. Upon finishing this book, I immediately went out and bought (and read) the next 5 books in the series. I am currently reading King Hereafter and have asked for The House of Niccolo series for Christmas. So, as you can see, I have become a major fan.

That much said, and now that you know where my bias is, let’s get into the review.

The Game of Kings is 534 pages in length and the type is a bit small and tight, so this book is not for the timid reader. Add to that that this story takes place in 1547 Scotland, and the reader has to deal with all sorts of names, and accents – well, it is not an “easy” read.

One thing that I had to force myself to contend with, was getting used to the accents. Dunnett writes a strong Scottish brogue for her characters that would be speaking in such. And, as the series progresses, there are English accents, French accents, and others…. yes, the main character, Francis Crawford, travels quite a bit as the series progresses. And, I will also warn you that the various/varied/many titles that the characters have can be a bit confusing to the uninitiated. But, I assure you, you WILL get caught up in the story and you will begin to hear the voices of the characters in your head – and you will understand every word – and you will love what they have to say.

Like any great historical fiction, this book is peopled with numerous historical figures – including Mary of Guise and Mary Queen of Scots – and many historically-accurate fictional characters. Actually, I defy you to identify which characters are real and which ones are made up.

I won’t give away any of the story line, but suffice it to say… even though he is a “rascal”, you will fall in love with Francis Crawford and the adventures that make up his life.




Recommended: Yes