Queen's Play

It looks like I need to do a bit of catching up with my book reviews! And it seems as though historicalfiction.org is down at the moment! OH NO! I'm not quite sure what to do with myself without checking it every few minutes just to make sure!

The name "Dorothy Dunnett" is synonymous with literary historical fiction. And while this was only my second dip into her work, I already greatly appreciate her craft. Queen's Play is the second in the Lymond Chronicles, and takes the legendary Francis Crawford to France to the court of Henri II, were there is reason to believe that the life of the little Queen, Mary Queen of Scots, is in danger. Lymond is a complex character, and is so much like a James Bond of the 16thC, that I have to wonder if he could play some of the well known James Bond theme song on his lute! He is a master of intrigue, with all the tools to inch his way out of the diciest situations, with his great gifts of disguise, the art of reading people, and a bit of an action man to boot.
Dunnett brings in another worthy figure, the O'LiamRoe, Prince of Barrow, Lord of the Slieve Bloom (I hope I have that right), who is a great addition to the story, with his links to Ireland, and his visit to the court of France, causes a bit of a giggle.
I am looking forward to continuing with the Lymond Chronicles, and getting onto the House of Niccolo too!