books by Dorothy Dunnett (hereafter scorpions companion)

books by Dorothy Dunnett

books:

1 review

Penguin Books Ltd, 2003

Lymond: a journey in love poetry and ballads
How glad I am that I bought this book when it was first published in 2003. This book is almost essential as reference material for those of us who seek to have ready and easier access to the poems behind Lymond's quotes. It is also a lovely memento of the wit and erudition of Lady Dunnett herself. If you are a Dunnett fan, and you have an opportunity to acquire a copy of this book, do so. ...

The Spring of the Ram

7 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Buccaneer Books, 1992

Get Me on the Next Flight to Trabzond......
That was my reaction after reading this superb sequel to Niccolo Rising. Dunnett's blend of intricate plotting and historical depth is amazing. Here she concentrates on the little known period immediately after the conquest of Constantinople, when the Byzantine empire struggled to survive in a corner of the Black Sea. Their allies are possible more dangerous than their enemies, making a ...

The Ringed Castle

11 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Arrow Books Ltd, 1991

Philippa is a great character!
Most reviews of the Lymond series focus on Francis Crawford of Lymond, the enigmatic, often-tortured central character around whom all the other characters revolve. This isn't surprising because he is the central player on the stage. But my favorite character is Philippa, not just because she is genuinely good, but because whenever she enters a scene, it simply begins to sparkle. Dorothy ...

The Disorderly Knights

16 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Vintage, 1997

best series ever written
I envy you if you are just about to read this book because there are 6 in this series and I have read them all! By this book I felt that I knew Francis Crawford (the hero) intimately. I worship him for being the kind of person we all secretly want to be: incredibly smart, strong mentally and physically, kind (although not apparently so), poetic, musical...basically your Renaissance ideal, yet ...

King Hereafter

36 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Vintage, 1998

Thorfinn, my hero
I believe this to be Dorothy Dunnett's finest work. Whether Macbeth and Thorfinn are one person or two people, Dunnett's novel invites us on a turbulent journey through history. In one substantial saga, we have an enduring struggle and a magnificent love story against a well-presented canvas of people, times and places. Dunnett has painted a perfectly plausible picture. And in doing so, ...

Dolly and the Cookie Bird

1 review
Dorothy Dunnett

Vintage, 1982

Fast-Paced Thriller!
This is a very fast-paced thriller like the others in the Dolly series. Johnson is here in all his glory, and this time the Bird is a real smart cookie - one who likes to cook believe it or not. This book has everything - sex, stolen jewels, spys, murder and lots of action. Sarah is the bird in this story, and she's a really likeable dame. Her mother and dead father provide the quirkiness. ...

Checkmate

34 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Putnam, 1975

'It is not one thing you seek, but two..'
This is the sixth and final novel in Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. Like each of the novels in the series, the action is fast, absorbing and beautifully written. Lymond himself is dealing with the issues of nations and of monarchs while at the same time grappling with family secrets and finding that his own limits of endurance are being reached. Set against the backdrop of the marriage ...

Race of Scorpions

8 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Vintage, 1999

my review
On this, the third chapter in the Niccolo series, we fin Nicholas has been "kidnapped" by the 'presumptuous' King of Cyprus who is actually trying to recover his kingdom from his sister. Nicholas is able to help the king and at the same time obtain franchises in his dye works and sugar fields. He meets with Katelina, the mother of his only child, only to lose her once more after they reconcile. ...

Game of Kings

117 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Not Avail, 1984

The first of a wonderful historical series
I have just finished the last of the six - Checkmate. I was gripped from the first - Game of Kings. The writing is stunning, the plots complex and very exciting and the hero, Francis Crawford, is mesmerising. I highly recommend all six to anyone who is fond of historical fiction. The stories are all set in amongst genuine characters and events over a period of 10 years in the middle of the 16th C ...

Checkmate (Lymond Chronicles)

1 review
Dorothy Dunnett

Penguin Books Ltd, 1999

Conclusion to a series which is quite brilliant, but not for everyone
This is the sixth and last book in a series which you will either love or hate. The story of Francis Crawford of Lymond is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is 1) The Game of Kings 2) Queen's Play 3) The Disorderly Knights 4) Pawn in Frankincense 5) The Ringed Castle 6) Checkmate This concluding story brings all ...

Dolly & the Nanny Bird

2 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Knopf, 1982

Phantastic!
Clever entertainment, well researched and impeccably executed. Why aren't there more books like this one!?

The Unicorn Hunt

7 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Michael Joseph, 1993

`Henry had often considered killing his grandfather..'
In this book, set between October 1468 and February 1471, our hero Sir Nicholas De Fleury appears to have designs on the kingdom of Scotland under the reign of King James III. Friends, foes and business rivals alike have different plans for Nicholas. As does his wife Gelis: the one enemy he cannot face directly. Nicholas is as brilliant and dangerous as ever, but no longer as joyous. Driven ...

Niccolo Rising

30 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Random House Value Publishing, 1988

Wonderful Dunnett
Having read and adored all of the Lymond books and fallen in love with Francis Crawford I was expecting the Niccolo books to be a bit of a let down. On the contrary this first in the series is completely and awe inspiringly wonderful. Set in 15th C Bruges and all over Europe eventually, it tells the story of Claes/Nicholas/Niccolo and his progression from lowly dyers apprentice to respected ...

Pawn in Frankincense

25 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Arrow Books, 1992

Lymond Series No 4: DO NOT READ THIS ONE FIRST
This is the fourth book in a series which you will either love or hate. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES READ IT BEFORE YOU HAVE READ THE FIRST THREE. The saga of Francis Crawford of Lymond is one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is 1) The Game of Kings 2) Queen's Play 3) The Disorderly Knights 4) Pawn in Frankincense 5) The ...

The House Of Niccolo: To Lie With Lions

11 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Michael Joseph, 1995

nicholas lives
This is an amazing series. At times I think the history is the best part of it - you must stop to check up on Trebizond, or Cyprus, try to untangle what Brugges is, figure out the connection between James III of Scotland and the later Jameses - the 15th century springs to life in Dunnett's hands. And besides the history, Dunnett creates incredible characters, with Nicholas at the center, ...

Scales of Gold

12 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Michael Joseph, 1991

`Nicholas, you cannot go back..'
This is the fourth volume in the eight part House of Niccolo series. The House of Niccolo is definitely a series best read in order: the history, the intricate plotting and the characters develop throughout the series and the connections between the books can only be appreciated if read in sequence. In this volume (covering 1464 to 1468), Nicholas returns to Venice from Cyprus and is met by a ...

The Dorothy Dunnett Companion

7 reviews
Elspeth Morrison

Michael Joseph Ltd, 1994

'A cornucopia of things informative, funny and beautiful..'
I was fortunate to buy a copy of the Michael Joseph hardcover version of the Companion when it was first released in 1994, and have used it extensively. The first Companion was published before the last books in the House of Niccolo and so it only covers the Lymond Chronicles and the first five books of the House of Niccolo. While written as a comprehensive guide to Lymond and Niccolo, the ...

Gemini

18 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Alfred A. Knopf, 2000

Connected by blood (from the Times Literary Supplement)
A slightly longer version of this review was originally published in The Times Literary Supplement (No. 5080 August 11 2000). Dorothy Dunnett was so pleased with it that she took the reviewer to dinner at her club, The Caledonian in Belgravia, London, not long before she died. This is the final novel in Lady Dunnett's eight-volume The House of Niccolò series, the "prequel" to her six-volume The ...

CAPRICE AND RONDO (HOUSE OF NICCOLO)

9 reviews
DOROTHY DUNNETT

MICHAEL JOSEPH LTD, 1998

Rich and complex
Caprice was everything I expected from Dorothy Dunnet, and I expect a lot. Great atmosphere, great story. But warning, don't start with this book. Read others in the series first. Like all the Niccolo and Lymond books, Caprice is beautifully researched and difficult to follow in the beginning pages. There are dozens of characters, most witty, and they often read each other's minds. Even minor ...

Queen's Play

21 reviews
Dorothy Dunnett

Arrow Books Ltd, 1991

Lymond series No 2: brilliant but not for everyone
This is the second book in a series which you will either love or hate. It is also one of those multi-book series which must if at all possible be read in the right order, which is 1) The Game of Kings 2) Queen's Play 3) The Disorderly Knights 4) Pawn in Frankincense 5) The Ringed Castle 6) Checkmate The Queen of the title is Mary Queen of Scots, a child ruler at the time of the ...