In this first book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond, traitor, murderer, nobleman, returns to Scotland to redeem his reputation and save his home.It is 1547 and Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of … who stands accused of treason. He is Francis Crawford of Lymond, a scapegrace nobleman of crooked felicities and murderous talents, posessed of a scholar’s erudition and a tongue as wicked as a rapier. In The Game of Kings, this extraordinary antihero returns to the country that has outlawed him to redeem his reputations even at the risk of his life.
more
Loved it and the rest in the series. Will reread soon
I’ve been reading fiction for 75 of my 81 years and this series is my favorite. Mrs. Dunnett was a history professor and possessed the ability to make the characters and their times come to life. Anyone who enjoys historical novels will love this one.
Dorothy Dunnett is a superb writer, an intelligent writer, who creates intriguing story lines and characters. The book is slow to get into and it sometimes helps to Google who was doing what to get a clearer idea of what she is talking about. That said, the characters are compelling and the dialogue is brilliant. Francis Crawford of Lymond is a …
One of my all-time favorite books. My most recent read was on Kindle and they’ve added poems at the start of the chapters and have eliminated the long list of characters. The poems are in archaic Scots and since I’m archaic but not Scots I had trouble reading them, however that didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. Definitely worth …
One of the best series I have ever read.
This book and the series are maybe my favorite books ever. And I’m not young and have read a lot of books. Dorothy Dunnett has a cult following. The Lymond Chronicles are often called the greatest books you’ve never heard of. For about one hundred pages The Game of Kings is difficult I won’t lie, but just keep going it’s so worth it. Plus there …
I’ve read this series and her other one 2-3 – maybe even 4 – times. They are the best historical novels I have ever read and are wonderful stories even without the history.
Dorothy Dunnett is my favorite author. The richness and importance of her descriptions really transport you to the period she is writing about.
If you love history, you will love her books. If you love intrigue and narrow escapes, you will love her books. Her fictional characters are captivating and she really brings the historical …
Wonderful language and historical detail. Great story that sets up the rest of the Lymond Chronicles.
This is a classic for a reason.
Unrelenting and pretentious dialogue drags this book down. Lacks character development and plot is so vague it was difficult to discern any point to this book.
Loved it – see my response to another reviewer! Nearly a decade ago (can it be that long!?) a friend gave me a paperback her sister had passed along & I was hooked! It’s too bad that Dorothy has gone on to her reward (I can imagine she’s delighting the angels), as how many more tales could she have given us? As it is, these 2 marvelous series …