Pawn in Frankincense by Dorothy Dunnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Holy smokin' story!  I nearly had a heart attack several times and if I hadn't been at work, I would've sobbed my eyeballs out.

And of course, now I can't stop, so planned November reads??? Bye-bye!  This series is absolutely wonderful. 

Why are people surprised that Lymond loves?  Of course he does -- so intensely he just can't show it.

I can't say anything at all without it being a spoiler...Lymond takes a gift to Sultan Suleiman in Istanbul from the King of France chasing his bastard son before the baby is murdered by the totally evil Graham Mallett. As always we see him through everyone's eyes but his.  New characters and old, ever fascinating and richly drawn.  Incredible detail of the riches and cruelties of the Islamic countries of that time.  The looting of Hagia Sophia, the maze of the Seraglio where the harem is kept, the polishing of Phillippa - his old friend's daughter from previous books.  All of it fine, beautiful, terrifying, and achingly sad.



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The Disorderly Knights by Dorothy Dunnett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Oh my god!  What a book!  There's only one problem!  Now I've gotta read Pawn in Frankincense!  And I'm already dreading it all being over!



Dunnett spins a wonderful, intricate, suspenseful plot.  Sometimes she makes me laugh, sometimes she makes me look up words, but always she entertains me.  What rewards a little work can bring.  :)



This series has made me fall in love with the characters over time.  The depth of character building is phenomenal.  The plotting is sine qua non.  The world building is impeccable.  What else can I say?  Just read them.  It's worth it. 



The The Dorothy Dunnett Companion is very helpful to those of us who can't just identify quotes and French off the top of our heads.



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