Checkmate

The hardest part of any great story is finishing it right, especially for the one that has its true devotees undeterred by having been put through the wringer for a few thousand pages.<br /><blockquote> <i>“What remains, four years afterwards, are the haunted rooms of the departed: of a young, vigorous man with red hair and an old man left in his blood in a bothy; of a henchman dragged from his horse with an arrow in him, and another, darker of skin, dead of fighting in a Greek courtyard. Of a man returning from perilous seas to drown, seeking his son, near his homeland; of a girl dying blind behind yellow silk curtains, and another burning at night in an African pavilion. And a child, a son … an only son … playing with shells at the feet of the father who shortly would kill it.”</i> </blockquote><br />These 6 doorstoppers created a fascinating, engrossing story, even if we started off on the wrong foot <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4047211036" rel="nofollow noopener">with me almost hurling it at a wall before the first 100 pages were over</a>. Yeah, shows how little I know. But after my initial disdain of that infamous, <b> <i>“Drama entered, mincing like a cat”</i> </b> I got swept away by the politics and secrets and intrigues, by all the red herrings and impossible clues, and all those allusions that made me wish I had been more deeply educated in the classics. Even the flowery language stopped grating on me, and Dunnett herself toned it down a few dozen notches.<br /><blockquote> <i> “A great many inferior people, Mr Crawford, have helped you over the years in your well-publicized career of adversity, but you mustn’t be surprised if the circle begins to diminish. To go by what happened this evening, the man who has finally emerged from it all isn’t worth helping.”</i> </blockquote><br />So after a mad dash through 10 years and a tour of the world - Scotland, England, France, Malta, Algiers, Turkey and even Russia - and at least one terrible sacrifice we arrived at the grand finale. <br /><br />And unfortunately got bogged down in a bit too much melodrama at times. A bit too much of a historical romance flavor over historical adventure.<br /><br />Since, as we have been warned back in book 1, <b> <i>“Drama entered, mincing like a cat”</i> </b>. <br /><br />Francis Crawford and Philippa Somerville, you were supposed to be a perfectly refreshing match. What you weren’t supposed to be was pages and pages of silly drama that screamed of deliberate authorial intent to make characters do what she wanted them to do, even if it didn’t fit their development as established by now. Because both of them — but Francis especially — deserved to be put in a long time-out and think deeply about why they’ve done and why acting ridiculously for drama sake should not be encouraged.<br /><br />But silly or not, I still love Philippa, although I prefer her practicality and deadpan wit from before she, like everyone else but Austin Grey, got terminally charmed by our dear Francis.<br /><blockquote> <i>“It doesn’t do my self-esteem much good though, does it?’<br />‘Your self-esteem has had a lifetime of steady attention,’ said Philippa abstractedly.”<br />————<br /><br />“Philippa allowed polite regret to inform every muscle. ‘Whatever day it occurs,’ she said, ‘I feel I have a previous engagement.’<br />————<br /><br />“Only, where is the little bitch?’<br />He never did hear the answer, for Philippa stabbed him from behind with her husband’s poniard. She dragged it out as he fell and stabbed him again, gritting her teeth, in the area delineated in white paint by the black eunuch who instructed the princes’ class in the seraglio.”</i> </blockquote><br />But melodrama aside, this was quite interesting. Not in the least because Lymond in this book is not the master holding the strings but often almost a puppet, with more or less successful results. Kings and cardinals, mothers and wives, sisters and dead astrologers — the list of those wanting to steer and control him goes on and on. <b>And meanwhile, the secrets of Francis’ parentage come to life — and yeah, the Culters/Crawfords were basically living a telenovela.</b><br /><blockquote> <i> “My son took many years to learn the simple truth. You cannot love any one person adequately until you have made friends with the rest of the human race also. Adult love demands qualities which cannot be learned living in a vacuum of resentment.” </i> </blockquote><br />The continuing theme of this story is sacrifice, and we have it here in spades. Some poignant, some pointless, and some accidental. <b>But Lymond’s road to peace — if there’s such for him in the end, beyond a few happy final pages — is littered with those sacrificial pawns, and all of them left scars on his soul</b>. And a broken soul needs to find a way to heal if it wants to keep its humanity.<br /><br />And a bit of politics here as well, the Calvinists versus the Catholics, the change in English monarchy behind the scenes, the formation of Mary Queen of Scots into a religious zealot. All those were delicious crumbs that I would gave loved to spend more time on, and less on the personal relationship drama of Francis and Philippa — but alas, the personal here outweighs the political. And the adventure, too — although that chapter with Francis and Philippa’s mad escape in Lyon (before she went all weak-kneed and googly-eyed) was probably the most fun in this whole series. Rooftop chase in book 2, you’ve been owned.<br /><br /><b>And in those scenes where melodrama, mincing like a cat, fades in the background, we get Dunnett’s trademark insights into humanity, and they are as sharp as ever.</b><br /><blockquote> <i>“I am saying that the salvation of each man’s soul lies within himself, and is not a matter which concerns even his brother.’<br />‘So,’ said Mary, ‘you would condemn the human race to hell, for want of enlightenment?’<br />‘Why not?’ said Francis Crawford. ‘It has nothing to fear, surely, from hell.”</i> </blockquote><br />—————<br /><br />So yeah, it’s hard to finish the series on the note that satisfies the fans, and I think this may be one of the weaker entries in this sprawling saga. But it’s the last, and it tied up the loose ends and completes character arcs (even if not always in the way I’d prefer), and it’s quite impossible for me to view it on its own, independent of the preceding thousands of pages and dozens of heartbreaks.<br /><br />And so I’ll give it <b>4 stars</b>, for the old sakes, for Philippa of the Lyon chase, for Kate, for Marthe (my reading buddy’s favorite character), for Adam Blacklock, for politics snd humanistic insights, and for Francis hopefully - even if almost improbably - getting what he wants and needs.<br /><blockquote> <i> “We have reached the open sea, with some charts; and the firmament.” </i> </blockquote><br />Farewell, you crazy 16th century denizens. I’ll miss you. Smooth sailing to you all.<br />————<br /><br /><i>Buddy read with Nastya. Did we *really* make a 500+ posts thread on this???</i><br /><br />——————<br />Also posted on <a href="https://nataliyabookblog.wordpress.com/2022/07/11/checkmate-by-dorothy-dunnett/" rel="nofollow noopener">my blog</a>.

Is it logical to feel this sad about the “happy ending” of a book? The very phrase sounds like a contradiction in itself, as happy endings are supposed to make you happy, and the sensitive ones might shed some tears, too, but essentially ‘tis supposed to make you feel satisfied, elated about the conclusion. And yet . . . <br /><br /><u>Narrator</u>: <i>And yet, she does feel a wee pang of sadness in the year of the Lord 2023 when the long road comes to an end and there's no happy ending to her saga with the story of Lymond. This book and the first are the ones she's had more issues with the most, so the ending, albeit unhappy, does come with a much-needed closure. It has, in the end, been a good journey regardless.</i>

<i> A heady experience, for an only child accustomed to single-thread happiness, and not to the moment of creation that occurs when the warp is interlocked with the weft. When the singer is matched with the sounding-board; the dream with the poet. When the sun and the fountain first meet one another.<br />Side by side they were evading, she and Francis Crawford, a pack of men who intended to kill them. </i><br /><br />About time we got to the romance part of this 'historical romance' series. Adventures and battles and journeys to distant lands we had aplenty. But the hero's heart remained throughout uncommitted. A more accurate description would be that his heart was the best kept secret of Lymond's life. Understandably so, seeing as most of the people he cared deeply about had been removed from the board of these deadly chess games with human pawns we have witnessed in five sprawling volumes. <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="8f9a1d5f-6cbf-4986-8cd5-f1799120e875" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="8f9a1d5f-6cbf-4986-8cd5-f1799120e875"> "Diccon and Salablanca, Tosh and Christian Stewart; Oonagh; Will Scott and his father; Turkey Mat and Tom Erskine; the dog Luadhas; the child Khaireddin ... What shall I say to your son when I meet him? Don't be surprised: your sire loved me also?" is a bittersweet reminder of the characters I have come to care so much about, and who are missing from the final roll call </label>. The last book also uses the chess terminology to describe the endgame, the finish line :<br /><br /><b> I am tired of journeys. It is time I arrived somewhere. </b> confesses Lymond at last, his frantic energy and mental control having reach their limits and passed beyond into territories of such anguish and self doubt no human being should experience. Dunnett has been merciless with her main character, foiling one ambitious plan after another, removing everybody he trusted from his entourage, practically blackmailing Lymond into acting like a puppet (a pawn at last) in a game of kings. The plot here has two major threads:<br /><br />I - the war between France and the Papacy on one side versus England and Spain on the other. Lymond is forced to take command of the French troops, which he does brilliantly, on the promise he would receive an annulment to his fake marriage and be allowed to disappear into the Russian steppe. He wants out of the game, badly, but everyone else is keen in keeping him busy at what he does best - strategic mayhem. He is thoroughly disillusioned with war and power plays:<br /><br /><i> I began, as you did, by defending my country. Then, disinherited, I had to follow the only profession I knew. There are only two roads to power: the Church, and the army; and there are villains in both. It is a moot point which does the most harm. </i><br /><br />II - the quest to uncover the secret of Lymond's birth, an investigation that he both dreads and wants to be rid off, a mystery whose key is to be found in a little townhouse in Paris. Philippa Somerville is often the prime engine of this particular search, but the more she gets involved in Lymond's life, the more she is danger of sharing in his pain and in his apparent curse of hurting the people he loves the most.<br /><br />For readers already familiar with the previous five books, the identity of Lymond's intended partner is no surprise. She has been built up strongly in the last three books, to bring her to a level of competence and erudition that could stand up to the famous talents of her beau. But don't expect a conventional love story, it would go against everything Dunnett has been forging here. Her chess pieces will be mauled, and burned and blown to pieces, literally and emotionally, just as they have been in each of the previous books. A happy ending seems as far fetched for the lover's prospects as a trip outside the Solar System. The passage I have started my review with is an isolated incident of merriment and passion and riotous adventure in a novel that turns out much darker and more painful than even the Constantinople debacle in <b> Pawn in Frankincense </b> the high mark of the series for me.<br /><br />I can't say more without spoiling the final resolutions. Suffice to say it was SPECTACULAR, a fitting ending to a series that has captured my imagination and held me in thrall for most of the second half of 2013. I actually finished the book two and a half months ago, but I kept putting off writing down a review, both out of despair at trying to capture the whole canvas in a couple of paragraphs, and out of a reluctance to say goodbye to the characters and to the world of Renaissance Europe. The best epitaph I could come up with is another quote from the book describing Francis Crawford of Lymond, the heroic figure around whom everything else revolves:<br /><br /><b> No one, once they met him, could remain the same. </b><br /><br />[edit] some spelling errors

<blockquote><br />“I don’t like to see things done badly on either. At the moment, I am tired of journeys. It is time I arrived somewhere.”</blockquote><br /><br />The journey is finally over. All mysteries are unveiled, games played and ghosts are still there.<br /><br />How do you even start to review this amazing series? These books are so rich in characters and themes, from nationalism, religion, humanism, sexual abuse, sacrifices (or there’s so so much of it all over the series), honor. Pick anything and we can discuss for hours. <br /><br />And of course the characters, I never ever loved so many complex fleshed out fictional people in my life. <br />Lymond, Jerott, Adam, Christian, Erskines, Kate.<br /><br /> Oonagh…<br /><br /><i>“Stay down.” Surely, from her Celtic breeding, she could transmit to him this silent anguish? “Stay down. And I shall let go this little cord, and share your rest in the sea.”</i><br /><br />(Damn, I get teary-eyed just thinking about Oonagh…)<br /><br />And, of course, Marthe. <br /><br />I know, this a grand finale and finally a romance story. But for me this book is so much a Marthe’s story in addition to this grand romance story at the forefront. Her arc in it is incredible. She starts the book very bitter and angry, trapped in a dysfunctional marriage of her own making. She has a chip on her shoulder, anger management problems, jealousy and animosity towards her brother, the victim of childhood neglect and sexual abuse. <br /><br />And she goes from wanting her brother for her family and for him to get what’s rightfully his to her last scene where she is content and finally lets go of her anger. And that’s her great tragedy, and her great unintended sacrifice for her brother. When she was finally content with herself and might have been happy finally. <i>Rancourless</i> That's what I choose to believe anyway. <br /><br />(There’s obviously one notable omission in the character list. I liked how Dunnett wrote her in other books, unfortunately in this one she was a generator of the pointless drama and maker of really unnecessary mistakes but that’s in her character, I must admit. But on the bright side, I really disliked her on the first read and in this one I dislike her a little less. Who knows, perhaps one day on n-th re-read I will stop disliking her all together. But this is not that day. I dreaded to see that a chapter was from her point of view in the last half of the book. Or dumb Austin's)<br /><br />Also this is the first book in the series that can be called a historical romance but here's where my struggle starts. How can you enjoy historical romance where you dislike the romance itself, its structure, characterization and unbelievable levels of melodrama? I guess you can, if you have a residual sympathy from the previous 5 books and some engaging subplots because I still love this book. So at this point these characters feel like friends to me, that’s how. I’m talking, obviously, about residual sympathy for Francis, because he’s such a complex layered and unique hero in literature. (<i>“In Francis, there was so much that was admirable; and the flaws were so great. Yet one forgot them.”</i>) Phillipa’s character that had a weaker characterization and who become a sobbing suffering mess in this one just didn’t have a chance. <br /><br />But any Dunnett's decision regarding plot or character development that I’m not a fan of never will eclipse my love for this series. And I can only rate this book as part of the whole series since it is a finale even though on this re-read I think it's the weakest one (for me the series peaked with incredible Pawn in Frankincense). <br /><br />But this is the best series I’ve ever read. And such a treat, maybe even more on the second read. I mean, I've read this series twice already and in one year. Oops.<br /><br /><br />Beware of spoilers in the comments

10 stars<br /><br /><i>I shall harness thee a chariot<br />of lapis-lazuli and gold<br />Come into our dwelling, in the<br />perfume of the cedars.</i><br /><br />This fragment of poetry is laced through the chapters of this book, and for me, it evokes the emotions of longing and and finally, fulfillment to be found in the Lymond Chronicles.<br /><br />Masterfully woven, filled with tension, hope, despair, grief, violence and love; <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/112074.Checkmate__The_Lymond_Chronicles___6_" title="Checkmate (The Lymond Chronicles, #6) by Dorothy Dunnett" rel="noopener">Checkmate</a> brings the saga of Francis Crawford of Culter, Comte de Sevigny to a close. Alas, any story following this is bound to be a disappointment, with a few notable exceptions. Dunnett is without question a master of historical fiction. She challenges us with her French and literary quotations, her olde English, to join the journeys and adventures of the remarkable Lymond. I promise you, if you accept the challenge, and wade into the depths of 16th century Europe with Lymond, his brother Richard, his mother Sybilla, his fellow armsmen, his women, and finally his love - you will not be disappointed. I join the ranks of people who say, 'Oh, I love these books,' and sigh with poignant regret that they are now read.<br /><br />I will be rereading them, that is without doubt. From racing through to find out what happens, to stopping to savor the beauty and terror along the way, I find myself even now returning to parts of the book to reread, to recall bits lost and to re-savor the wealth.

When I reached the end of this book, the sixth and final volume of the Lymond Chronicles, I was emotionally drained and somewhat bereft, I had a head full of thoughts but little idea of what to say. I’m not sure that I have much more idea now, but I am going to start writing and see what happens.<br /><br />I was lost not just because I had reached the end of a series of books, but because the world of that series of books was so vividly realised and the drama that was playing out in that world was so captivating that I have no choice by the be pulled right in; and because the depth and detail was such that I knew I hadn’t seen and understood everything. I will go back one day; I have known that for a long time, and my return became more and more certain.<br /><br />This sixth book opens not long after the fifth book closed.<br /><br />Lymond is in France, having been propelled their not by his own wish but by the wishes of friends who knew that the course he planned himself – a return to Russia – would inevitably lead to the destruction of his life. He was still set on that course, but the French were well aware of his talents and his value to them, and so a choice was set before him.<br /><br />He could stay for one year in the service of France, after which he would be granted that annulment of his ‘marriage of convenience’ that he had been seeking for some time; and if he chose to reject that offer, the French would see that the annulment would never be granted.<br /><br />He chose to stay.<br /><br />This opening led into a glorious cavalcade of dramatic scenes; from a spooky and unsettling spell in the chamber of the Dame de Doubtance; to the unveiling of a character in disguise that I was so happy to see again; to a chase that echoed another in ‘Queens’ Play’ and that told me how far the characters had come and their relationships had evolved ….<br /><br />I could go on, but I don’t want to say to much to anyone who is still on their journey through this series of books or to anyone who is contemplating starting that journey.<br /><br />The time and place for this final act was perfectly chosen, and worked so well for those individual scenes and for the story as a whole. The court was preparing for the marriage of their Dauphin to Mary Queen of Scots – who had appeared as an infant in the very first book if this series – and the military was fending off the English, who were understandably concerned about the strengthening alliance between their neighbours to the south and to the north.<br /><br />There are still two main strands to this story; two continuing quests:<br /><br />Phillipa Somerville was still working to uncover and untangle the history of the Crawford family, in the belief that truth and honesty were always the best thing. The evidence that she uncovered seemed contradictory, a rational explanation seemed elusive, and she would be led to a very dark place that might destroy and would certainly damage her….<br /><br />Meanwhile, Francis Crawford, continued to try to loosen the ties that bound him to others, to find his own place in the world, and was quite prepared – and quite willing – to die in the attempt rather than compromise. He found though that he had to do everything that he could for the people who loved and had served him, and that maybe there might be a way that he could do the right thing without having to break those ties ….<br /><br />The evolution of these two complex and engaging characters over the course of six books – her from a child into a capable and accomplished young woman; and him on a journey far to difficult to neatly summarise – has been an utter delight.<br /><br />Every significant character left alive was dawn into this final story. I found that I gained new understanding of some of them, that I wished to have seen rather more of certain others, and that there were one or two who were compromised just a little to allow the story to play out as it had to.<br /><br />I want to say about this last book the same thing that I said about the first – I was captivated, I had to keep turning the pages, and it was lovely to be able to listen to someone so much cleverer than me, who was so articulate, who had so much to say about a subject that she loved, talking at very great length …<br /><br />Her quality of writing; her world building; her depth of characterisation; her story telling; I found so much to love.<br /><br />My favourite moments in this book were the most wonderful declaration and the realisation that I had been held in suspense to the very last page, suspecting but not really knowing how this grandest of stories would end.<br /><br />I would love to know what happened next, I would love to read that stories that must have been happening before and after and to one side of the stories in these six books; but all I can do is go back and read then again, because I am quite sure that there are things that I have missed, I know that there are things I don’t quite understand, and I am certain that there is more to be revealed on a second reading.<br /><br />Even if there wasn’t, I would want to step back into this world and live though this glorious telling of the life and times of Francis Crawford of Lymond and Sevigny again .

There is, I think, a line in one of Jane Austen's pieces of juvenilia which reads something like:<br /><br /> <i>It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself—we fainted alternately upon a sofa.</i><br /><br />Yeah, that about sums it up.

WOW! I would give this 6 stars if I could! There are no words to adequately give praise to this final book in the Lymond Chronicles.<br /><br />Unwillingly brought to France by well-meaning friends, Lymond reluctantly accepts a commission in the armies of King Henri II, while struggling with an array of challenges and complications in his personal life. As passions flare and personalities clash, the mysteries of Lymond’s character and origins become clear, forcing him to deal with his own tarnished past and ambiguous nature.<br /><br />I have to agree with the Washington Post which claimed that Dorothy Dunnett is "the finest living writer of historical fiction." She is now my favorite author and this book (and it predecessors) as my favorite novel(s) and blows all other books I've read out of the water. I feel sorry for the book that I'll be reading next because nothing will be as rich and rewarding as what I've just experienced.<br /><br />I'm buying the companion book so that I can reread all six books and hopefully understand all the references and languages that were so equivocal to my uneducated mind.<br /><br />Favorite lines:<br />"You might, without my crediting it, fall deeply in love and forever, with some warped hunchback whelped in the gutter. I should equally stop you from taking him." P.353<br /><br />"Do I appear," she inquired, "crazed with lust?" <br />His eyes flicked wide open, Lymond considered her. Then he bent his head, and she could not tell if he was smiling. "Very seldom," he said.<br />"Or artless? Or addled? Or excitable?" She was getting angrier. "Is that why you keep recoiling as if I was a line of armed calvary?"<br />He was not smiling. He looked up slowly and met her gaze, his own level. He said, "I beg your pardon. I didn't know I was giving quite such an insufferable impression." P. 81<br /><br /><br /><br />

It's been exactly a week since I finished this book and I still don't know what to say about it besides something incoherent while flapping my hands about and sobbing. THESE BOOKS, MY GOD. <br /><br />So instead I'll just plot summarize a bit: This book finds Lymond back in France after the events of book five. He wants to get back to Russia but instead agrees to stay in France for a year to help their campaign against the newly united Spanish and English. <br /><br />Thankfully, we're reunited with almost everyone I love right away. Adam Blacklock, you are maybe the only reasonable person in these books! Danny! Archie! Jerrott! (It was oddly comforting to yell at Jerrott again. I missed your stupidity Jerrott!) Marthe! Crawfords! And obviously Phillipa, one of the coolest heroines ever. <br /><br />In this last book Phillipa continues delving into the mystery of Lymond's birth until the whole thing unravels and blows up in their faces. Lymond himself is basically held together with gum and duct tape in this book. It gets more than a bit depressing. <br /><br />As with all the books, there are a number of TERRIBLE THINGS that happen. The first section of Part Five might be the most oppressively terrible and tough to get through of all the books. Something started in the hall of revels scene in the last book continues in this book and leads to some of the best and worst scenes of the book.<br /><br />Overall, I was pleased with how the book (and the series) wrapped up. I cried quiet a bit, but I was expecting that. Throughout the course of these books I managed to get so attached to all of the character, who felt like real people, with moments of brilliance and glaring flaws. I'll miss the Crawfords and Phillipa and everyone. I'll miss Francis Crawford of Lymond, who has become possibly my favorite fictional character. I wish there were more books to the series but I'm looking forward to rereading the first two, as I feel my enjoyment will be much greater when I know what's happening more than 20% of the time. Everyone should read these books!<br /><br /><br /><br />

Early in this book, Lymond is cornered in the streets of Lyon by various people intent on murdering him. With his companion Philippa Somerville he embarks on a high-speed chase through the streets and over the rooftops, involving extreme physical danger, courage, agility and a healthy measure of quick-witted verbal assaults on his attackers.<br /><br />It's a throwback to a similar episode in "Queens' Play", but it's also a fair metaphor for the whole Lymond series. As a reader, I spent much of my time feeling rather like Philippa - pitchforked into situations of which I had no experience; forced to keep up by finding a mental toughness and agility I didn't know I possessed.<br /><br />This is the epitome of great historical fiction. Dunnett doesn't stop to explain anything; she makes few concessions to a modern readership's sensibilities; but she invites us into the sparkling, complex, contradictory world of the mid-sixteenth century, and shows us exactly what made that world tick. And in the process, she shows us a lot about what we too are capable of achieving.<br /><br />I tend to read this book when I need to walk taller, when I need to achieve the impossible.<br /><br />(This is a summary review; I will write a more detailed one when I have finished my next reading.)