Lymond's adventures continue in this volume, in which Lymond travels to the Russia of Ivan the Terrible. I enjoyed reading about Lymond going toe-to-toe with the notorious tsar, but I found the development of Philippa's story and relationship with Lymond to be the most interesting part of this book. I'm not certain how I want these storylines to play out, but I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series. ( )

Lymond Chronicles 5

The Lymond Chronicles 5 ( )

This takes place in the mid 1550s. After the events of Pawn in Frankincense, Francis Crawford of Lymond is determinedly avoiding feelings, family and friendships. He heads to Russia to train an army for the Tsar, Ivan Vasilievich. Back home Philippa Somerville investigates Crawford secrets, searching for a key to reconcile Lymond to his family, and is offered a position at the Tudor court of Queen Mary.

The first half of this book contains things which interested interested me -- a few scenes which interested me a lot -- but also sections which had me wondering “Oh Dororthy, WHY couldn’t you turn your masterful prose to describing things I’d care about more?” Then halfway something clicked. I had a better sense of the shape of the plot and the politics; I could see why some of those earlier sections had been important; I’d discovered I cared about characters like the explorer Diccon Chancellor. I was captivated.

Much of what happens after that is not smooth sailing, both literally and metaphorically, and Lymond dramatically fails to avoid painful things like family and feelings, but that’s compelling, and also satisfying -- not because I want Lymond to be hurt but because his mission of turning into a human icicle wasn’t healthy.

Dunnett has a way of dropping lines like ”And what,” said Robert Best, irritably sleepy, “on earth has chess got to do with [Lymond being sick]?” and assuming that her reader will appreciate the full impact without further explanation.

And I was gleeful to see a more mature, more educated Philippa in action. Such as when, having failed to stop a fight with her words, she intervenes in an unexpected fashion.

Like the jaws of a crocodile, two capable feminine hands closed on Austin Grey’s arms over the elbow, rendering him for the moment totally helpless. And a capable feminine voice, directed past Austin Grey’s ear to his opponent, said baldly, “Hit him.”
Lymond, already balanced on the upswing to hurl himself forward, dropped his arm and said, with dawning reproof, “I was going to.”
“I know,” said Philippa. “And it’ll take half an hour and end with an audience. Hit him.”
Under her hands, Austin Grey suddenly struggled.
“Hit him!” said Philippa sharply. “It’s the only way he can stop now, with honour.”
Which was not only perceptive, but practical.

I’m so glad I wasn’t deterred by the devastating ending to Pawn in Frankincense! ( )

The fifth volume of the Lymond Chronicles opens in Russia, where Kiaya Khátún (now usually called Güzel) and Lymond take up residence in Moscow. I still don’t quite understand the balance of power between these two and I wonder what Güzel’s own ambitions in Russia are – is it as simple as exercising authority through powerful men? Somehow I doubt it. For Lymond himself, Russia is an intellectual problem and a distraction from the events of Pawn in Frankincense. His first challenge is a military one: Russia has no army to speak of, and so Lymond recalls the men of St Mary’s, his elite mercenary company, to train and form the backbone of a new force to serve the Tsar. But there is more about Russia that appeals to Lymond: he is fascinated by its sense of possibility. Haunted by the Dame de Doubtance’s prophecy in Pawn in Frankincense, in which she says that his father’s two sons will never meet again, Lymond has sworn not to return to Scotland in an effort to spare Richard Crawford from any harm. Russia seems a plausible alternative. It’s a young nation, ready to be moulded by a man who has the intelligence and ambition to do so, and Lymond believes himself to be that man. So, when he goes back to London to accompany the Tsar’s first ambassador to England, and to help the English merchants who want to form a trading company in Russia, Lymond also seeks out men who can help him transform his Tsar’s country into an exemplary Renaissance state...

For the full review, please see my blog:
https://theidlewoman.net/2012/07/21/the-ringed-castle-dorothy-dunnett/ ( )