To Lie with Lions
To Lie with Lions by Dorothy Dunnett is not a book for the fainthearted. You need muscles to lift 626 pages and that’s not including the map of Europe and the Levant in 1471, plus the map of the British Isles (before they were Britain) and the map of Iceland. Oh yes, and the seven pages listing all the characters, most of whom are real historical figures.
The lions of the title are Charles of Burgundy, Louis of France, James III of Scotland and the Zacco, king of Cyprus. Spinning his web between them is the fictitious main character, Nicholas de Fleury.
Plus ça change, et plus c'est la même chose. Seems appropriate to quote in French as the author does, (also Latin and Icelandic). Nicholas is a scheming banker and one smart operator. We also have the threat of war and volcanic eruptions!
I wish now I'd read the other five books that tell the story of Nicholas before this one. The research is mind-boggling. You really feel you are in the period without having it rammed down your throat and it ranges from the silk-clad festivals of Venice to the harsh realities of a polar bear hunt in Iceland. There is a memorable description of an early form of football played (violently) by torchlight on the ramparts of Edinburgh Castle.
The characters become real people even though some of them visit infrequently and the plot is intricate, sprawling for months across several countries. Niccolo, and his child, are threatened constantly.
So if your taste is for an epic that challenges the reader and you want a story that will keep you guessing to the end, you will enjoy this, though I recommend you start with the first book in the series.
Don't pick it up if you want a light read!
(2 votes)
Reviewed by weejeanie
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Maybe I shouldn't vote since
Maybe I shouldn't vote since I haven't read this particular work by Dunnett but I have read her "Lymond" series. She wrote that just as intricately, complicated and compellingly as it seems this volume is. Can't wait to read all of this series.
See reviews by Gambit
Thanks Jane - I really
Thanks Jane - I really enjoyed reading this - I only wish I could bring history to life like the author.
See reviews by weejeanie
Great review! You've captured
Great review! You've captured the essence of these books, I think - down to the French quote! Apparently Dorothy Dunnett used to do her research, outline the scenes meticulously, write them - and then change very little after that, which I find amazing considering the complexities of the plots and characters. But maybe you need a brain like that in order to be able to write books like these!
See reviews by JaneF