Rating: 
Summary: Utterly engrossing
Review: After all the other reviews there isn't much more one can say. I too found these novels to be brilliantly written - Dunnett is a master story teller - the attention to detail and the complextiy of the characters and the story line and the political intrigue of the time period is amazing - so compelling and engaging - the effect is similar to being taken to another world via a darkened movie theater with a big screen. I read most of Checkmate straight though over a 10+ hour period - I barely moved from the sofa. So absorbed had I become when I finished - it was as if real life was the fiction and my life was there in 16th century France and Scotland, the characters my friends and family - I walked around in a daze before I returned to reality - heartbroken that there was no more. But I look forward to re-reading the series and - perhaps with pangs of regret - moving on to new experiences with House of Niccolo.
Rating:
Summary: A Tremendous Achievement
Review: CHECKMATE, which is the last installment of the Lymond saga, focuses on the powerful theme of love. In this novel, Lymond's relationship with Philippa is further explored. He continues to keep her at arms length--afraid that if she gets too close he would ruin her life completely. Yet, as the novel progresses, their relationship evidently turns into a deeply passionate and unforgettable love story. But that's only the main highlight. After everything that has happened--since THE GAME OF KINGS to THE RINGED CASTLE--Lymond is now forced to confront the demons of his past. Out of all the six novels, this is the most psychologically driven.
I believe that Lymond IS the ultimate hero. Never before have I experienced a character so rich in content, so complex, and so intriguing as he. In fact, the characters in all the six novels are very well developed. Once hooked on this series, you can't help but find yourself emotionally drawn to the leading characters.
Overall, Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles is just an extraordinary piece of work. The superior quality of this six-volume series is unsurpassed. They are intelligently written; the characters are exquisitely drawn; and the lavish descriptions and complexities of the novels all make for very challenging and rewarding reads.
Rating:
Summary: The most exhilarating, intoxicating conclusion ever written!
Review: I first read The Lymond Chronicles over ten years ago. I have re-read this series several times since. Checkmate is the most exhilarating, intoxicating conclusion to a historical series ever written! Dorothy Dunnett ingeniously intertwines fictional characters and events with actual historical figures and happenings. The main character, Francis Crawford of Lymond and Sevigny is, to my mind, the most amazing fictional character ever created. He is brilliant, neurotic, scholarly, cruel, willful, witty...I could go on indefinetly. Throughout the series, Lymond is surrounded by intriguing characters, both real and fictional, and travels all over the world in search of his future, but afraid of his past, and the truth of who he really is. He returns to the battlefields of 16th century France in the sixth and final installment of the Lymond Chronicles. He must lead an army against England while friends and family "assist" him, against his will, in his search for the truth.Do yourself a favor: read Checkmate only after you've read Game of Kings, Queen's Play, Disorderly Knights, Pawn in Frankincense, and Ringed Castle first, in that order. You won't ever regret it.
Rating:
Summary: The Best of The Best
Review: I love every book in this series. Dorothy Dunnett picked a wonderful time in history, when incredible people (a mixed bag of good and evil) ruled in major countries. She created an incredible hero with larger than life virtues and flaws, and sent him to one or more of those countries in each of her books. And she gave him a tortured mind regarding his paternity. All the strands of his life come together in "Checkmate." Lymond comes back to France very much against his will, to help fight a war in which every battle gives him a migraine so severe he is prostrated. Or is it something else which gives him the migraines? Meanwhile, Phillipa, my very favorite character, is trying her best to gather the information that will save him from himself. These two have been married by circumstances, but in fact have been twined together since her childhood. As they struggle to see if they can make a real marriage, I cry every time I reread the book. While I love all the books, this one is my favorite, very closely followed by "Pawn in Frankinsence." Now that I've read them all so many times, I don't need to read them in order. In fact, this one has its back broken!
Rating:
Summary: I got caught up all over again!
Review: I loved all six of the books upon first reading despite the fact that by Checkmate, the last of them, I found Lymond's behavior & the resolution of the "mystery" a bit specious. Upon a careful re-reading, however, I have realized that any failings here were my own - - not Ms. Dunnett's. Reading lazily, I never REALLY understood Lymond the first time around (like virtually everyone in Lymond's life) despite the hints that Ms. Dunnett offered. Perhaps that is what she intended: that like the characters in her novels, we too will be deceived unless we pay very close attention and ask ourselves questions.
In any event, Ms. Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles will enchant anyone who loves historical fiction. Monarchs, courtiers, spies, assassins, soldiers, courtesans, very evil villains, and, of course, the quintessential romantic hero, Lymond, are engaged in all manner of hair-raising (and heart-breaking) adventures, intrigues, wars and romances.
Rating:
Summary: Agony and Ecstasy
Review: I thought I would die of agony and ecstasy finishing Checkmate, but what an ending! Now that I've finished, maybe I can catch up on two weeks of too little sleep. All the praises of those who wrote about this conclusion to an epic story are well deserved. I felt like an addict while reading this book. The words "couldn't put it down" were never more true. And now I can't stop making up stories in my head about what happens next. And the thought of starting all over again from The Game of Kings does cross my mind. It's true that Ms. Dunnett does use very poetic language compared to the way we write today. She uses words I can't even find in Webster's, but some of her phrases are beautiful and well worth the effort. I also can't help trying to read the old French, Spanish, Italian, German and Latin poems, songs and phrases liberally sprinkled throughout. It makes the reading go slowly, but oh so much more interestingly. Don't be afraid if you are not a polyglot, only English is required! If you enjoyed The Game of Kings, you must read all 6. This finale will not disappoint you.
Rating:
Summary: I got caught up all over again!
Review: I walked into my local library recently and there were two unabridged audio books: Disorderly Knights and Pawn in Frankincense. I picked them up and I'm now at the end of the paperback of Ringed Castle AGAIN. I first discovered the Lymond Chronicles in the early 70s - picked up Queens Play at random in my (then) local library. I quickly found Game of Kings and read my way to Checkmate, which fortunately was published just as I reached it. I came to Amazon to see what audio versions are available and to my horror, it looks like Checkmate isn't out yet! My library is slowly acquiring the cassette sets so I hope I lay my hands on it soon.
Suffice it to say that everyone else here (except for the poor beknighted person who doesnt 'get' it) has expressed my enthusiasm for Lady Dunnett's work excellently. These are by far the best historical novels ever written, bar none. I have been listening to the tapes and decended on one of my two sets of paperbacks to keep going thru Ringed Castle and Checkmate.
I highly recommend you get the two 'companion' books too, very helpful, even after years of re-reading. I seem to come back to the series in 10 year cycles.
Checkmate has, besides the powerful story of lost love, found love and new love, one of the most amusing scenes in fiction: the rout of the Hotel de Ville. I laughed until I cried, and then later, I really cried!
DD has an astounding ability to convey the sounds, smells and feel of so many intiguing historical places and then lead us around the known Renaissance world with fascinating characters so that we have a great picture of how 'small' and yet how vast the society of the 1500s was.
I have to also recommend the Niccolo series - even if I was very disappointed to learn it is set BEFORE Lymond! Now there are alot of good DD sites on the net, with many answers to plot questions and interesting discussions of the work. I must admit to chuckling over the reviewer here who is relcutant to keep reading the new series - I admit that I have it all in hardcover and havent brought myself to finishing the series-I recall vividly how devastated I was at the end of Lymond's story. But now, with renewed vigor, I'm going to re-read all the way to DD's conclusion - the books are inter-related and I just have to see how. Dive in, you can make it, it's the best reading experience I've EVER had.
Rating:
Summary: Peerless
Review: Keep in mind, no matter how good I tell you this book is, it's better. You'll lose sleep, miss your stop, forget family and friends and then need to tell them all about it. It's why you read fiction. Or at least why I do: to become lost in story, among fictional characters and situations that for the duration of the turning pages are more real than reality, a dream you finally leave richer and wiser -- and better understanding your own world -- then when you first entered. Price of admission to this one is steep -- the five previous Lymond Chronicles are excellent novels all, but tally a dense 2500 pages. What isn't clear until this sixth is how much those serve merely as set-up for its breathtaking conclusion. The emotional distance of the past two volumes is gone, revealed as an authorial ploy to finally bring us closer to Dunnett's peerlessly charismatic and mysterious characters. Here, the swashbuckling and history take a backseat to one of the most compelling gothic love stories in literature. Everything from the previous books pays off spectacularly, leading to a final hundred pages without comparison in suspense, heartbreak, and genuine thrills. Taken as a whole, the six Lymond Chronicles form a wonderously intricate, moving mosaic, steeped in historical storytelling traditions yet completely unique, a complex, shimmering gift to anyone who loves to read.
Rating:
Summary: I've never read their equal
Review: Let me preface my review by saying I am an avid reader and have read everything from physics texts to children's books and in all of my journeys I have never found anything equal to the genius of these novels. This last of the series, Checkmate, is the most painful to read, for in it all loose ends are at last tied and all farewells must be said. It is just as satisfying as the previous 5 novels and Dunnet's rendition of the history of the religious battle over the souls of England and France in the 16th century is both riveting and fascinating. Dunnett's skill in story-telling is unparalelled. Her characters are rich and engaging and their world is one in which nothing is as it seems, and where history finally seems real. Lymond is a hero of epic proportions; ambiguous, complex and never disappointing. His trademark wit is always refreshing as is his astounding intellect. These are characters who become part of one's daily thoughts and one is guaranteed to miss them when their story has ended. I reluctantly turned the last page of this book while bravely fighting away tears and plan on reading the series again quite soon because I, like others, often missed the nuances of Dunnett's spectacular plots and dense dialogue in order to move on. I really cannot say enough about these books. When one reaches the end of the journeys of Lymond, one can't help but feel as if one has lived through them oneself, from the Highlands of Scotland to the frozen and snowy grounds of Russia. By the last chapter, I couldn't help but feel that I had earned the right to call Lymond by his Christian name, Francis, as only those closest to him are permitted. The Lymond of Crawford series reiterates and reminds me of the reasons we write and read literature: to excite, to escape, to feel truly human and to revel in the glory of being so. If you have dismissed these books early on, do yourself a favor and try again. The trip is well worth the fare. And to Dorothy Dunnett let me say Thank You for showing me what a masterpiece consists of and for giving those of us who feel that perhaps we might have been born a couple of centuries too late the chance to see what might have been.
Rating:
Summary: Checkmate
Review: These are absolutely wonderful books -- erudite, witty, beautifully written, magnificently characterized and wonderfully plotted.
They, and perhaps particularly this last installment, aren't going to be for everyone. Readers who dislike sentiment and who get bored with long expository passages won't find this is their favorite book. Even I, who love melodrama, found myself tempted at some points during CHECKMATE to shake the characters violently and yell, "Get over it!"
But it's gorgeous stuff nonetheless. Dunnett's whole six-book series is the story of one outstanding character, only rarely told from his point of view, and aided by a vivid supporting cast. She spares him few agonies (even if at times one feels he overreacts just a tad) and gives him great beauty and great talents. Writing in impeccable omniscient point of view, she captures the 1500's beautifully with only a tiny hint of an anachronism here and there. I recommend these books to readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction with considerable action as well as considerable emotion.
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