A lifetime of Lymond

I first read the Lymond Chronicles aged 15, of course I missed a lot of the nuances, but I fell in love with Francis Crawford. Here I am at 68 still reading them and still in love with him. Enough said.

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A dip into Anglo Scots history.

this took me quite a while to get into it.. However I am glad I stuck with it. As the threads come together it is gripping. it fleshes out this period in history.
I don't play chess, if you do it may enhance the story. Even though I don't. I am going to listen to the next two books

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Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

A masterpiece. Intellectual, artistic and poetic, Wonder and sheer joy for heart, mind and soul. I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

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Better than a good read (no spoilers)

I've read this set of books many, many times over the last thirty years. I've enjoyed the rush every time. But this audio book has been the best. I've been lost in the narrative, sitting on the shoulders of the Master, and none of the quick wit, or the subtle nuance is lost. In fact I think I've gained more insight into the machinations of Lymond's mind! I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
The narrator needs a special mention: it's not an easy book. Certainly, there are quotations aplenty, in many tongues, for which I applaud him; there are many characters to inter-distinguish; but more than that, I found got lost in his voice until only the story remained. That is the sign of a lasting audiobook. Thank you.

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23 people found this helpful

You either “Get” Lymond or you don’t

Brilliant book. Best I’ve ever read.
Probably the best Historical Fiction there is. Ignore the poor reviews - some people just don’t “get” Lymond. Which is such a shame. He’s brilliant, shining, talented, loyal and flawed.
Persevere - he’s worth it.
The audible was good but I found it a little difficult at times to distinguish who was actually speaking.

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Don't give up on this

I found the first few hours of this book incomprehensible. Everyone seemed to have at least three different names, all used at random. The plot was complex and hard to follow, and the main character speaks almost entirely in quotations, (in a variety of languages) and makes constant reference to mythologies and characters from tales I had never heard of.

I was completely at sea and had no idea who anyone was or what the hell was going on. It was only because this series was recommended by someone whose opinion I respect that I continued to plough on.

And I'm so glad I did. Slowly I began to work out who was who and then, almost without realising it, I found I was starting to care about some of characters. Some of the scenes were amusing, others tense, and that central character ... still hard to understand but growing in complexity and interest. And by the end I was listening at every possible opportunity.

And as soon as I finished I downloaded the next one.

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4 people found this helpful

A Really Good Book

It took me a while to settle into who the characters were and where they came from, but once I had sorted this in my head a great story unfolded to me. I loved this book, which I only bought because it was " a daily deal" and did really not expect to like it very much. I am now hooked on this series and have put the remaining books in my wish list, along with all the other books by this author.
The narration is perfect.

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3 people found this helpful

My mother's most-loved books....now I understand.

I only found out posthumously that this series was my mum's favourite. How I wish I'd known so we could have discussed the glorious Francis Crawford (such an audacious hero), the wonderful language and intricate storylines. How much of my life I wasted reading tudor rubbish before coming to Dorothy Dunnett's magnificent prose. Significantly here, the narration is so beautifully judged that it only augments. I commend it to you....

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1 person found this helpful

Don't Give Up - It's more than worth it....

Don't give up on this book - admittedly it is hard to follow initially, so many characters and so many quotes and historical references (often in different languages) but it is more than worth it in the end.

After the first couple of chapters - which I had to re-listen to, I found that I picked up the rhythm of the story and then I was totally hooked. I found all of the characters so well fleshed out and believable that I quickly became so invested in the story of Francis Lymond (a complicated and flawed hero) and his family, friends and foes and the plot line set against the back drop of the reign of the young 'Mary Queen of Scots" and the machinations of the English and others to overthrow her, that it was hard to stop listening to this book.

A special mention must be made of the narrator (always so important in audio books) David Monteath - who is completely excellent. You can easily distinguish all of the many and varied characters (no easy task) and he is the only male narrator that I have ever listened to that narrates the women in the story (of whom there are also many and very interesting strong characters) so brilliantly. He doesn't try to feminise his voice but he brings some, hard to define, element when he is narrating the women, that is so spot on, it is a delight to listen to.

Indeed, he brings such a great nuance and insight into the way each character speaks that I think he actually makes you more aware than you would be of their emotions and motivations - as Dorothy writes each character in a subtle way that does not immediately show their motivations but when you are listening to the dialogue narrated by David - it brings an extra depth.

Overall - I completely loved The Game of Kings - one of the best books I have read in a long time for plot, characters and the sheer art of brilliantly written story telling and I had to immediately download the next book.

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5 people found this helpful

I Love Dorothy Dunnett

I have read all the Dorothy Dunnett books so was concerned that an Audible version might not live up to expectations. I was not sure to start with but the more I listened the more I was drawn into the story again. Brilliant narration and I am looking forward to listening to book 2 Queens Play.

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13 people found this helpful