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The Ringed Castle: Book Five in the legendary Lymond Chronicles (The Lymond Chronicles 5) Kindle Edition
Fifth in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, The Ringed Castle leaps from Mary Tudor's England to the barbaric Russia of Ivan the Terrible. Francis Crawford of Lymond moves to Muscovy, where he becomes advisor and general to the half-mad tsar. Yet even as Lymond tries to civilize a court that is still frozen in the attitudes of the Middle Ages, forces in England conspire to enlist this infinitely useful man in their own schemes.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherVintage
- Publication dateAugust 11, 2010
- File size10513 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
—The Boston Globe
“[Dunnett’s] hero. . .is as polished and perceptive as Lord Peter Wimsey and as resourceful as James Bond.”
—The New York Times Book Review
“Vivid, engaging, densely plotted. . . . Dunnett is a master of suspense and misdirection.”
—The New York Times
“A masterpiece of historical fiction.”
—The Washington Post
“[Lymond] is arguably the perfect romantic hero.”
—The Guardian
“Dorothy Dunnett is one of the greatest talespinners since Dumas . . . breathlessly exciting.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Dunnett is a name to conjure with. Her work exemplifies the best the genre can offer.”
—Christian Science Monitor
“Ingenious and exceptional . . . its effect brilliant, its pace swift and colorful and its multi-linear plot spirited and absorbing.”
—Boston Herald
“Dunnett evokes the sixteenth century with an amazing richness of allusion and scholarship, while keeping a firm control on an intricately twisting narrative. She has another more unusual quality . . . an ability to check her imagination with irony, to mix high romance with wit.”
—Sunday Times (London)
“A very stylish blend of high romance and high camp. Her hero, the enigmatic Lymond, [is] Byron crossed with Lawrence of Arabia. . . . He moves in an aura of intrigue, hidden menace and sheer physical daring.”
—Times Literary Supplement (London)
“With shrewd psychological insight and a rare gift of narrative and descriptive power, Dorothy Dunnett reveals the color, wit, lushness . . . and turbulent intensity of one of Europe’s greatest eras.”
—Raleigh News and Observer
From the Back Cover
Fifth in the legendary "Lymond Chronicles, The Ringed Castle leaps from Mary Tudor's England to the barbaric Russia of Ivan the Terrible. Francis Crawford of Lymond moves to Muscovy, where he becomes advisor and general to the half-mad tsar. Yet even as Lymond tries to civilize a court that is still frozen in the attitudes of the Middle Ages, forces in England conspire to enlist this infinitely useful man in their own schemes.
About the Author
Dunnett started writing in the late 1950s. Her first novel, The Game of Kings, was published in the United States in 1961, and in the United Kingdom the year after. She published 22 books in total, including the six-part Lymond Chronicles and the eight-part Niccolo Series, and co-authored another volume with her husband. Also an accomplished professional portrait painter, Dunnett exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions and had portraits commissioned by a number of prominent public figures in Scotland.
She also led a busy life in public service, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Library of Scotland, a Trustee of the Scottish National War Memorial, and Director of the Edinburgh Book Festival. She served on numerous cultural committees, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 1992 she was awarded the Office of the British Empire for services to literature. She died on November 9, 2001, at the age of 78.
Product details
- ASIN : B003XT60HC
- Publisher : Vintage; Reprint edition (August 11, 2010)
- Publication date : August 11, 2010
- Language : English
- File size : 10513 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 638 pages
- Page numbers source ISBN : 0445084952
- Best Sellers Rank: #544,144 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #591 in Historical Scottish Fiction
- #2,416 in Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction
- #3,954 in Saga Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
DOROTHY DUNNETT was born in Dunfermline, Scotland. She is the author of the Francis Crawford of Lymond novels; the House of Niccolò novels; seven mysteries; King Hereafter, an epic novel about Macbeth; and the text of The Scottish Highlands, a book of photographs by David Paterson, on which she collaborated with her husband, Sir Alastair Dunnett. In 1992 she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature. Lady Dunnett died in 2001.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable to read. They praise the story as superb historical fiction that unfolds in a rich setting. The book is well-researched and the author's writing style is described as musical. Readers appreciate the character development over time, with Francis Crawford being described as a fascinating hero.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book and find it engaging. They love the series, describing it as captivating and fun to read. The whole six-book series is considered one of the best historical fiction series written.
"...characters and enough plots, subplots and tangents to make re-reading an absolute pleasure. These books aren't for the faint of heart reader...." Read more
"...While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary..." Read more
"...been years since I read this book, but I can still recall the enjoyment of whirlwind and calm and unexpected humour and the curiosity of how it will..." Read more
"...Impeccably researched, yet gripping and intoxicating, her novels drive you to think deeply and pay attention carefully, while unfolding for you the..." Read more
Customers praise the story quality. They find it engaging, with an intriguing plot and depth of vocabulary. The book brings history to life with swashbuckling action that is well-suited to the events depicted. The scenes come to life and the denouement is thrilling.
"...researched, brilliantly written, with amazing characters and enough plots, subplots and tangents to make re-reading an absolute pleasure...." Read more
"...book, but I can still recall the enjoyment of whirlwind and calm and unexpected humour and the curiosity of how it will all turn out...." Read more
"...to think deeply and pay attention carefully, while unfolding for you the richness of another time...." Read more
"...Oy. Somehow it all works out to an amazing, thrilling denouement...." Read more
Customers find the book well-researched and written. They appreciate the author's blending of fact and fiction, as well as the extensive vocabulary, references to other works, and learning experience. Readers say it's an important book that expands their imagination and teaches them new things.
"...Nothing will ever replace them for me - they're meticulously researched, brilliantly written, with amazing characters and enough plots, subplots and..." Read more
"Dunnett is the absolute master of the historical novel. Impeccably researched, yet gripping and intoxicating, her novels drive you to think deeply..." Read more
"...Densely researched, meticulously written, and a great deal of good reading fun. Liz7bee..." Read more
"...she keeps the viewer on the outside of her characters and prefers description and an exquisite handling of languages...." Read more
Customers find the writing style easy to read and musical. They say it's well-researched, can be read on its own, and that every word has importance.
"...ever replace them for me - they're meticulously researched, brilliantly written, with amazing characters and enough plots, subplots and tangents to..." Read more
"...Every word she writes has importance; nothing is throw-away! Read slowly and pay attention to smallest details - it all has meaning." Read more
"...Densely researched, meticulously written, and a great deal of good reading fun. Liz7bee..." Read more
"...Beautiful writing and plenty of exciting action...." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development in the book. They find the characters amazing and develop over time. The hero Francis Crawford is described as suave and debonair. Lymond's character continues to evolve, making her one of their top 10 literary heroines.
"...me - they're meticulously researched, brilliantly written, with amazing characters and enough plots, subplots and tangents to make re-reading an..." Read more
"...As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th..." Read more
"...Characters develop, although that is not one of Dunnett's strengths, she keeps the viewer on the outside of her characters and prefers description..." Read more
"...read Dorothy DUnnett's books but this one stood out due to the mix of characters and the times and places we visit...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2019Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are my desert island books, no questions asked. Nothing will ever replace them for me - they're meticulously researched, brilliantly written, with amazing characters and enough plots, subplots and tangents to make re-reading an absolute pleasure. These books aren't for the faint of heart reader. Dunnett doesn't talk down to you, she expects you to keep up, and sometimes it's hard, because she gallops on so swiftly, but the chase is SO worth it.
I always think book 5 is my least favorite (the Russian court got a little wearing), but then I re-read it and realize that no, it's not wearing, it's just emotionally exhausting. And this book has some of my favorite character interactions of the entire series.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2008"Not to every young girl is it given to enter the harem of the Sultan of Turkey and return to her homeland a virgin." Now that's what I call an attention getting opening! The Ringed Castle begins book #5 in the series as Philippa returns home to England a very self assured young woman and Francis has hitched his wagon to the mysterious Guzel and heads to Russia to bring Tsar Ivan and his army out of the dark ages with the aid of Francis' highly trained mercenary corps.
As Francis treads the treacherous waters of the Russian court and political intrigues, there is a traitor amongst his troop who has been hired to kill him. At the same time, Philippa is called to court to serve as lady in waiting to Mary Tudor and the delightfully evil Countess Margaret Lennox continues her intrigues against Francis and Philippa. Eventually Francis is ordered by the Tsar to leave Russia, and after a harrowing sail through the dangerous waters of the northern seas Francis comes to London as part of Russia's trade embassy. There he is reunited with his wife, Philippa, who has stumbled across a long hidden mystery regarding Francis' paternity.
As with the first four books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I didn't find it as fast paced as the previous four, particularly the time spent in Russia, although necessary to set up the rest of the story. What I very much enjoyed was the maturation of Philippa and she has become the perfect foil for Lymond, she matched word for word in all their verbal battles and was the highlight of the book. I am dying to read the last book in the series, Checkmate: Sixth in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles and anxiously await the answers to just who fathered Francis Crawford of Lymond. Five stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2018i always felt Lady Dunnett could have included bishops in her chess game. Too late now. The ongoing saga of Francis Crawford of Lymond's search for his own personal identity, wandering over a great deal of Europe and the near East and a young Russia has finally come back to the scene of his masquerade at the court of France, mostly against his will. There are still unexplained gaps and we are left wondering. Lymond himself has still not recovered from drug and other physical problems and it takes a great deal for him to maintain equilibrium. I must admit it has been years since I read this book, but I can still recall the enjoyment of whirlwind and calm and unexpected humour and the curiosity of how it will all turn out. Like all Dorothy Dunnett's novels there are layers over layers and we are sometime left thoroughly lost, but definitely pursuing. So complex. You can read her works over and over and ever find more "So that's it" moments.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2020I really struggled while reading this book because Dorothy Dunnett writes at a much higher reading level than I'm accustomed to, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend using a foreign language translator app and the dictionary on your Kindle in order to get the most out of this book!
- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2020Dunnett is the absolute master of the historical novel. Impeccably researched, yet gripping and intoxicating, her novels drive you to think deeply and pay attention carefully, while unfolding for you the richness of another time. I have read this series, the Lymond Chronicles, her other linked series, The House of Niccolo, and her stand-alone masterwork about Macbeth, King Hereafter, countless times over the years, but each time I return, I am felled by the certainty that nothing else has ever - could ever - come close to the rewards of meeting the glorious wit, humanity, and genius of this author’s mind.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2023Love all of Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond chronicles books. She is a wonderful author but not for those who are looking for an easy read. Every word she writes has importance; nothing is throw-away! Read slowly and pay attention to smallest details - it all has meaning.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2013Dorothy Dunnett can twist a tale designed to keep you up at night, in the morning, afternoon, and nighttime too...and The Ringed Castle is no different. Having made himself unwelcome in relatively civilized Western Europe, Lymond heads to Russia to organize and train Ivan the Terrible's soldiers. In the meantime, his casually picked-up wife get attached to the household of Queen Mary Tudor, amid Spanish and English testosterone. Oy. Somehow it all works out to an amazing, thrilling denouement.
Densely researched, meticulously written, and a great deal of good reading fun.
Liz7bee
P.S. you can read any of Dorothy's books out of order, but I can guarantee that you will end up reading them IN order once you get started!
Top reviews from other countries
- CornwallgurlReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2022
5.0 out of 5 stars The Ringed Castle (Lymond Book 5) To Russia and Beyond
I love a saga – there I’ve said it. It started off when I was quite young with the Whiteoaks Saga (Mazo de la Roche – anyone out there remember those?) Some of them were in my parents’ house, and I wrestled with the library to read more in the right order – and failed. This was the nemesis of the saga in pre-Kindle days! Progressing on to Hugh Walpole’s Herries Chronicles (all volumes luckily in the house), I remember a persistent inter-generational dream sequence, but not much else. Onwards to Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga – again the first few books were in order in the house. I’ve only recently caught up with the rest of the offering, and rather wish I hadn’t, so much did they deteriorate as they went on. Then the wonderful Cazalet Chronicles, by Elizabeth Jane Howard (very much based on her lifestory) which I really enjoyed, and which almost uniquely, retained their quality to very nearly the end. The Niccolo series I shall now probably have to restart and finish this time, which finally segues effortlessly into The Lymond Chronicles. Yes, I started off ecstatic, went to merely keen, faded to rather lukewarm and then refound my mojo with these lengthy, complex historical novels. The problem is how long a gap you can afford to leave between reading them - they are so complex, that leave it too long and you will won’t remember the details from when the last one left off! I did have a pretty clear memory of everything and everybody, which was just as well, as this Kindle edition didn’t have a list of characters to help.
So, it was after a decent interval that I tackled Lymond’s next mission – to the Court of Ivan the Terrible. As ever, he leaves a trail of destruction and dead bodies in his wake; at the end of the last book he was riding off into the sunset with yet another badly chosen woman – albeit beautiful, ambitious, power hungry and so forth. I really was looking forward to starting it, having read a large number of books since finishing Pawn in Frankincense, and having now got into my stride with Dorothy Dunnett’s eclectic vocabulary and use of specialist words and untranslated foreign languages. At least the Russian wasn’t in Cyrillic script! You really have to pay attention all the time with these complex books; some of the hints (I was about to say “clues”, as that’s what they are really, are so subtle you could miss them.) Some, I think, are deliberately misleading, or at least open to different interpretations. So, Phillipa finally arrives home, is diverted to Midculter and reunited with her mother (and mother-in-law). There have been subtle hints that Kate is in love with Lymond herself and her expressed thought on learning of Phillipa and Lymond’s marriage that “she was a widow – with a married daughter” might serve to add strength to this – or not. Phillipa of course has been transformed from the ugliest of ugly ducklings to the most beautiful, graceful, educated and soignée of swans. Sybilla takes her education further in hand, and translated to the rigours of the Court of Queen Mary Tudor, she continues to study, learn more languages and be transcendent in grace and popularity, with men swooning at her feet with regularity. Slight snag of course - despite much protestation, she is still married. At various points in the book, Lymond enjoys making snide remarks about what she learned in the Seraglio maybe coming as a surprise to any future husband. Lymond has disappeared no one knows where, and with the usual extremely complex plot twists, re-emergence of old villains and appearance of new ones, he is finally found to be in Russia, in company with some of his band and the questionable Guzel.
We are shown how Lymond’s character has changed from the joyous, brilliant, mischievous outlaw and leader of the first books, to a much harder and less likeable and possibly more power-hungry version. His brush with opium addiction and the horrible outcome of the chess game and the death of a child has clearly had a terrible effect on him, which he strives with all his might to conceal. Wise Phillipa is one of the few to detect his (literally) blinding headaches and the guilt he feels. This book starts to pursue the mystery of his birth, connection to Marthe and other things that clearly impinge on his mental well-being. He tells Phillipa he has had to force himself to play chess again and make music in order to face down his demons. Clearly, in modern parlance, he is a very troubled and damaged person; he expresses this by frequently lashing out at or driving away those who care most for him.
The breathtaking and sensuous descriptions of the Seraglio are translated to the barbaric splendour of the Court of Ivan the Terrible. You can sense the enjoyment Dorothy Dunnett had doing this. I won’t go into detail, except for the fact that for some rather unspecified reason (post opium weakness, recognition of her desire for power) he has not actually slept with Guzel. Their eventual consummation was, I’m afraid a bit of a contender for the literary bad sex award – without being particularly graphic, just cringe-inducing. It also emphasises an uncomfortable tendency displayed by Lymond towards sexual violence. Lymond’s success at forming an army for Ivan IV and his high-handedness towards his lieutenants and difficulties with Russian courtiers and soldiers are covered at length, but somehow he doesn’t see Ivan’s betrayal coming. Naturally he proves superlative at yet another new skill – this time Russian sled driving. An interesting thread in the book (as I’d just read a very long and worthy history of Franklin and all related Northern expeditions) was the appearance of Chancellor and Willoughby. Naturally, Dunnett’s historical research was impeccable, and I enjoyed this section – the endless detail of the Muscovy Company’s trading and dealing, rather less so. Lymond seems to be approaching an equal friendship with the estimable Chancellor when the Tsar insists on sending him back to England to negotiate for arms; you just know he's going to be in Chancellor’s doomed ship and be one of the few survivors. (This has become rather repetitive).
Of course, the moment critique in this book (blink and you’d miss it) is the moment when Lymond, briefly restored to some gaiety with romps in the Revels stores with Phillipa, has the lightbulb (yes, I know, anachronism, it was described I think as an anvil moment!) that Phillipa is “the one”. There wouldn’t be another book and a half if he were to behave in a normal way. You know, realise that the plain young girl he married for the sake of her reputation is now a beautiful, well-educated woman who is every bit his equal, decide that all has turned out for the best, and set about winning her love. Naturally, being Lymond, he decides to fight it with every fibre of his being and continue to insist on divorce. For reasons I could never entirely fathom. Yes, being married to him certainly brings risks, his background is still in question, he wants to go back to Russia; it is implied, but is clearly never the case, that he is in love with Guzel, but really, the cynic in me just thinks we have all got to suffer an awful lot more (and a lot more people are going to end up dead) before, hopefully, they will finally get together. Talking of ending up dead, I didn’t guess the traitor within this time – we were being very heavily pointed towards Danny Hislop and the rather weird reintroduction of previous books’ plot themes (the culprit was D’Harcourt, the Knight Joleta had had an affair with – he hated Lymond on account of her death, etc) felt rather heavy handed.
And what of the child Philippa trailed half way across the world to rescue? He appears to fade from the narrative, and Phillipa’s life, although we are told that Kate is bringing him up and that the Crawfords love and accept him. There are various subtle hints that Graham Reid Mallett has succeeded in leaving eternal doubt as to which child was whose. We are led to believe that in fact Lymond knew he had killed his own son and that the child being reared is the incestuous offspring of Mallett and Joleta, his sister. He vows this to one enemy, but denies it to Phillipa. We are left with uncertainty.
The ending is another set piece of unlikely confusion, which requires a certain amount of suspension of disbelief (again) and similarly to the previous book ends on almost a cliff-hanger.
- Lee GilmourReviewed in Canada on June 30, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Very satisfied
Received it quickly and was very satisfied with the book - thank you!
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Susanne HReviewed in Germany on August 31, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars Spannend!
bis zur letzten Sekunde! Man kann nicht mehr aufhören! Vor Dorothy Dünnet müssen sich eigentlich alle anderen Autoren historischer Romane verstecken. Oder zumindest bei ihr lernen!
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Fourth time reading it and it only gets better
- LizziefishReviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars I would give it a hundred if I could
I read this series back in the 70's (library books) , then again in the late 90's (paperbacks) and now I'm retired and reading it all again on my Kindle. I can't believe how many twists and turns I had forgotten. Wonderful, wonderful story with an historical basis so very plausible. I love the characters, the descriptions of everything, the woven story - magical and majestic. You need to start at the beginning with The Game of Kings though - not this one.