Francis Crawford of Lymond The six volumes follow the life and career of the charismatic Francis Crawford of Lymond, the younger son of the Crawfords of Culter, members of the
landed aristocracy of the Scottish Lowlands. Brought up according to the Renaissance ideal of an educated
autodidact, he is a
polyglot, knowledgeable in literature, philosophy, mathematics and the sciences, a practitioner of all the martial arts, a spell-binding musician, a talented thespian, and a master strategist with a genius for imaginative tactics. An intensely private man with a public persona, Lymond is a non-conformist who is suspicious of political and religious causes. He is driven by his demanding personal code of behaviour and responsibility, regardless of society's expectations or rules. Though a cosmopolitan military leader, diplomat and spy, he has an abiding feeling for his home country of
Scotland. Despite his reluctance to relinquish his cherished independence and align himself permanently with any nation's ruler, Lymond's professional reputation increasingly makes him a sought-after ally, or a foe to be avoided, by many of the crowned heads of Europe. Still, only for goals he believes in strongly will he deploy his glittering and commanding persona, quicksilver mind, talent for dissembling what he thinks or feels, and rapier tongue; and once he dedicates himself to a goal, his will is implacable. In his personal life, Lymond has an unusual ability to inspire intense loyalty and even love in those who are attracted to him. But the Crawford family's history begins to produce more and more tensions, and these conflicts are exacerbated by the family's shared weaknesses: immense pride and a stubborn refusal to explain the reasons for their actions. As a whole, the
Lymond Chronicles tell how an arrogant, brilliant, but troubled individualist, though increasingly successful professionally, becomes alienated and isolated as a result of battles with forces he can't control, as well as with himself; and how he ultimately becomes reconciled with his country, his family and friends, and himself.
History in the Lymond Chronicles Dunnett paints on a large historical canvas, with details based on meticulous research in hundreds of primary and secondary sources. In addition to their original characters, the novels feature a large number of historical figures, often in important roles. The historical setting is the incessant jockeying for power through treaties, alliances of convenience, political marriages, wars, and even piracy, among the English
Tudors, the
Holy Roman Empire of the
Habsburgs, the French
Valois, the Ottoman Empire of
Suleiman the Magnificent, and their respective secular and religious allies, including the
Stewarts of Scotland, the
Knights of St. John, the
corsairs of North Africa, and
Tsar Ivan the Terrible of Russia. Each of the six books has several locations with the exception of the first,
The Game of Kings, which takes place almost exclusively in the Scottish Lowlands and the borders with England. The novels examine the politics and culture of each court and its nobility as monarchies centralized their power; the intensifying controversies over the
Reformation; implications of the
Age of Discovery for political and economic power and knowledge; and the blurred boundaries between faith and reason in religion,
esoterica such as
alchemy and
astrology, and science. In addition, the large number of women in positions of political power during this period (as rulers in their own name, as regents, as strong wives or mistresses of kings, or as heirs to thrones) affords an exploration of women's roles.
Structure The six books, collectively, form a single story, told in chronological order though the first two books can be read as self-contained novels. The endings of the third and fifth novels do not resolve their stories but lead directly to the story taken up in their respective sequels.
Relationship to other works by Dunnett Dunnett viewed these works as part of a larger fourteen-volume work, with
The House of Niccolò series forming the other part. The other books, written afterwards, tell of Lymond's ancestors in the previous century and allude to events in the
Lymond Chronicles. Dunnett recommended readers begin with the
Lymond Chronicles and then read
The House of Niccolò. As with the
Lymond Chronicles,
The House of Niccolò features a number of historical figures as important characters. Both the historical and fictional characters are taken from a wider variety of occupations and social classes than in the
Lymond Chronicles. There are significant differences in narrative approach and writing style between the series, reflecting the different journey taken by the central character in each. ==
The Game of Kings (1961) ==