Thursday, June 16, 2016

Book 32: Queens' Play by Dorothy Dunnett

This is the second book in the Lymond Chronicles and is part of the "Read my favorite books!" exchange I'm doing with Harriet. It is very much a second book in a series, as it transitions from establishing who these characters are and why should we care about them into the longer arc of the series. And apparently if you're Dunnett and writing a book like this, that means a whole lot of SHENANIGANS. Shenanigans involving shipwrecks and men in disguise and elephants and rooftop chases and a cheetah in a hare hunt and also a nefarious plot to kill little Mary, Queen of Scots (one of the many titular queens). It is bonkers and even during the first half when the reader already knows there is a would-be royal assassin out there, in many ways the book still feels much lighter than Game of Kings. And then suddenly, at the end of part two, everything gets SUPER REAL.

Structurally and thematically the book reminded me a lot of Henry IV, with Francis Crawford as the book's Prince Hal. But while Prince Hal has a very clear role to play as the King's heir that he is consciously rejecting, the choices Francis makes are inspired by a lack of clarity. Due to the birth of his nephew, he is no longer his brother's heir, and what he does next with his life is up in the air. So he attempts to ignore and deny that he's extraordinary, and handles situations via subterfuge rather than publicly acknowledging how remarkable he is. Part of this is out of necessity, given how complicated both the French Court and the relationships between and among France, Ireland, Scotland and England are, but part of it is because Francis wants to be able to treat it all like a game. At the end of Henry IV, Prince Hal has thrown off his disguise in order to step into his position of power, but Francis has it ripped away, as he realizes (and is lovingly but forcefully told) that he needs to grow up, and take ownership of his life, and the influence he has on others. It's a gut punch, but one that is necessary for him.

I don't think Queens' Play is as good a single volume read as Game of Kings is, but the distance Francis travels over the course of the book is hugely important, and is clearly setting up the rest of the series. Plus some of the set pieces in this book are truly astonishing, and there are many moments of sheer perfection. And the ending makes me incredibly excited to see how Francis takes on the mantle he has finally picked up.

Grade: A

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