Historical Fiction

Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle

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By Georgette Heyer

“Do you mean that I am redoubtable? Oh, you are quite mistaken!” “Am I? Then let us say intrepid!” She sighed. “I wish I were! The case is that I am a wretched coward.” “Your father gives you quite another character.” “I don’t fear fences.” “What, then?” “People – some people! To – to be slain by unkindness.” He looked at her with a slight frown…

Sylvester, or The Wicked Uncle has always been right on up there with my favorite Heyers. I think it’s because of the unusual heroine and the complex hero. Most of her heroines have charm to spare and are, if not extremely beautiful, at least attractive with some outstanding feature or another. Phoebe is a drab little “sparrow” who is only at home and comfortable in a stable. She has been bullied and dominated her whole life by a rigid and cold stepmother whose mission in life seems to be to beat every spark of Phoebe’s own unconventional personality out of her and into a model of perfect but insipid behavior. As for our hero, although a large percentage of Heyer heroes are formidable and proud, very few, like Sylvester, have to undergo growth and change in order to find their happy endings. Of course as in all romances, Heyer included, one or both individuals must change towards each other, but not their actual mentalities. In this novel, although Phoebe comes into her own to a certain extent, It is Sylvester’s journey to self awareness that is the significant one.

The Duke of Salford has decided it is time for him to do his duty, get married, and perpetuate the House of Rayne. He has prepared a list of five candidates for the honor of his hand each more well born, well behaved, charming, and beautiful than the next. It makes no difference to him, so he takes his list to his beloved mother to see if she has any input as to which of the fortunate ladies to favor with a proposal of marriage. His wise and gentle mother’s suspicions are confirmed: Although always open, loving, and warm with her, (and his 6 year old nephew and current heir, Edmund) to all others he has closed himself off from any emotional attachment. He is considerate and well-mannered to his servants and his peers and is popular with all. But his exemplary behavior to others is not out of any empathy or warm feeling but because it is what is due to his proud family name and station. He says and does the right things always, but beneath this surface he is cold and aloof. Encouraged by his mother and godmother, on a whim he decides to meet one other candidate for the position of the Duchess of Rayne: Phoebe, the daughter of his mother’s long-deceased best friend and his godmother’s granddaughter. He is not impressed. And neither is Phoebe. To add to her discomfort, she has secretly written a novel which is about to be published and she has based the villain of the bloodthirsty gothic tale on Sylvester. She had met him at a ball once and she noticed his distinctive satanic-looking eyebrows and was hurt by his haughtiness and boredom with her. Of course Sylvester doesn’t remember her at all. Due to a misunderstanding, she has been told that he has travelled to her family’s country home with the intent of actually proposing marriage to her and she better accept him, or else. Horrified and panic-stricken by the prospect, she decides to run away to her grandmother in London (yes, that same one) escorted by her loyal friend Tom. Sylvester is considerably peeved, as well as incredulous, that such a plain and vapid chit of a girl would hold the idea of a proposal of marriage from him in such abhorrence that she would flee from home in a snowstorm. He leaves as well, and inevitably the 3 fugitives meet in a small inn and are marooned together for several days. As they get to know each other, Phoebe learns that Sylvester is actually a pretty good guy beneath the arrogant facade, and Sylvester learns that out from under her stepmother’s thumb, Phoebe is a clever, funny, and forthright original. She is mortified and guilt- stricken that she has made Sylvester her villain in a novel that will potentially hold him up to ridicule and suspicion. And Sylvester is embarrassed to realize that Phoebe’s initial poor opinion of him may be justified.

Adventures, escapades, and misunderstandings ensue. Despite its romp of a plot, there is a serious undertone to this book. Sylvester’s aloofness is self protection and is due to a terrible tragedy in his past. Before he is shaken off his high horse by Phoebe (and the down to earth Tom) he is on his way to a loveless marriage and, except for his care for his invalid mother and his little nephew, an emotionless half-life. The emotional abuse Phoebe has had to endure her whole life is the source of her hypersensitivity and fearfulness in society. Other than her writing, her future is bleak and lonely.

The book contains Heyer’s usual humor and comedy and the light tone is there. But although some of her comic set pieces involving Edmund’s flighty, shallow, and selfish mother and her silly fop of a husband are amusing, there is a potentially a very sad side to even them. When the couple actually kidnap Edmund from the guardianship of his Wicked Uncle (inspired by the plot of Phoebe’s unexpectedly successful novel) Edmund’s life is actually in danger due to their inattention and thoughtlessness, and he is exposed to the cruelty of neglect. Luckily for him, it is Phoebe and Tom to the rescue. And luckily for Sylvester and Phoebe, it is Sylvester’s lovely mother (and Phoebe’s eventual kindred spirit) who will save the day for them. The Duchess of Rayne’s cleverly engineered and tender reconciliation of the two soulmates continually at odds is one of my favorite endings in all of Georgette Heyer’s works.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Disorderly Knights (#3 of The Lymond Chronicles)

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By Dorothy Dunnett

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A hunter went killing sparrows one cold day, and his eyes gave forth tears as he went. Said one bird to another, “Behold, this man weeps.” Said the other, “Turn thine eyes from his tears. Watch his hands.”

–Dragut Rais–

I am currently not quite a third of the way through the 4th book in the series as I write this review of its predecessor, The Disorderly Knights. Instead of continuing to struggle to do justice to it, I am just going to keep it short. There is a lot of this review left on the cutting room floor. First of all, what they say is true. For a first time reader, Dunnett’s writing does get easier and easier to understand though no less complex in plot and character. There were less sentences that I had to try to decode and wring the meaning out of. Everything flows so much better: Less like she’s looking to punish readers with her scholarship and more like she herself is caught up in the story and having a wonderful time just telling it. Even though divided into 3 parts, it is really a tale of two countries: first Malta and then Scotland. It’s also a study of two extraordinary men engaged in a high stakes struggle of wills and cunning. And I guess to a lesser extent, for me, it was a comparison of the disparate nature of two teenage girls. And it is also a tale of two armies. And two religions.
There is tragedy and yes, there is comedy. Spanning two continents, Lymond goes through many tribulations in trying to expose and take down a powerful villain as evil as evil can be. A villain whom the world, even the good and the wise, believe to be a saint. Meanwhile, not even a handful, his family included, have total faith and trust in Francis Crawford. Not that he always deserves it. There are shocks in this book. And Terror and Horror. And then there is Philippa Somerville, who is quickly becoming my favorite fictional female character of all time. And Nicolas de Nicolay one of my favorite real historical figures that figure in this book.

Some things that happen still don’t bear a lot of scrutiny as to what one man can accomplish or bear. She really puts Lymond through the wringer. Some scenarios beggar belief and draw one up short, and some you just have to go with, revel in, and just keep reading. One such of the latter is a flashback to an event that takes place after The Game of Kings, and before the second book, Queen’s Play, begins. It could have just been a fun, cheer worthy example of Lymond’s military acumen, however implausible, meant to show Lymond’s trickiness and out of the box thinking. But I feel like it’s fair game to scrutinize because Dunnett makes it so important. Briefly, it relates how Lymond routs a small army of attacking English soldiers by fooling them into thinking, in the fog and distance, that Lymond’s small number of 20 Clansmen actually number a force approaching 1000 troops. He does this by slapping shining metal helmets on 800 sheep and driving them forward into the valley where the soldiers are set to advance. It is brought up in the series time and again (even in the 4th book I am currently reading) as an example of why Lymond’s services as a military leader are so much in demand. Unfortunately for my peace of mind, I got all caught up in where he got the 800 helmets. Were they friendly helmets or enemy helmets? Where were the helmetless soldiers? Did he store them up one by one in preparation for a scenario just like this, or did he steal them in one fell swoop and where did he store them? I’m sure Dunnett knows the answers, but didn’t choose to share. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much but it is a favorite set piece in the series. People have gotten tattoos of sheep and helmets and coffee mugs are available on line for £16.50.

Anyway, it’s all part of the experience, I guess. Dunnett is so brilliant one fears to question, but it’s part of the fun. These books are absolutely spellbinding. This one ends on a cliffhanger. I fear for the fates of many characters. I was so glad I could get right to the next one and didn’t have to wait. How did her readers bear it back in the day?

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Dear Mrs. Bird

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By AJ Pearce

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Despite a slow start, this turned out to be a charming and delightful novel very similar in style and substance to D.E. Stevenson. I expected something of the sort, set in England during the Nazi blitzkrieg of London, but I didn’t expect that long swaths could almost be mistaken for her writing. The characters could have stepped right out of one of Stevenson’s wartime novels (except they mostly are not set in London). Our two young heroines are kind, pretty, spunky, bursting with moral fiber, and determined to do their bit in the war. And the young men are their equivalent. If they are not in the military, they prove their bravery by contributing in some way to the war effort. There is at least one thoroughly obnoxious character to challenge them, a daunting parental figure/mentor and a wise protective one. Sad and bad things happen but the overall tone is light and comfortable and sprinkled with gentle humor.

Emmy and her life-long friend Bunty are living in London during the blitz. Fired up by the idea of being a lady war correspondent, when Emmy sees an employment advertisement in the London Evening Chronicle, she applies for the position, and she gets it! To her dismay she soon finds out that she is nothing more than a junior typist for Henrietta Bird, the “Acting Editress” and advice columnist for Women’s Friend magazine. Worse, one of her duties is to read the letters to Mrs. Bird and cut up the letters that request help regarding anything “unpleasant” according to her very rigid lights.

Topics That Will Not Be Published Or Responded To By Mrs. Bird
(NB: list is not exclusive and will be added to when required)
Marital relations
Premarital relations
Extramarital relations
Physical relations
Sexual relations in general (all issues, mentions, suggestion, or results of)
Illegal activities
Political activities and opinions
Religious activities and opinions (excl. queries regarding church groups and services)
The War (excl. queries regarding rationing, voluntary services, clubs, and practicalities)

Words and Phrases That Will Not Be Published Or Responded To By Mrs. Bird For further references see Girlhood To Wife: Practical Advice By A Doctor (1921)
A–C
Affair
Amorous
Ardent
Bed
Bedroom
Bed jacket
Berlin
. . . The list went on for pages.
In other words, the Women’s Friend problem page only wants to be friends with women who have no actual problems or dilemmas. And in the England of 1941, those women are few and far between. And the magazine’s subscriptions and advertising revenue show it.

But as Emmy reads the comparatively few letters that she and Kathleen, her co-worker, receive, her heart is rung by the sometimes desperate cries for help with real world difficulties exacerbated by wartime. Finally, she starts to respond to the most heart-wrenching on the sly if they include a stamped self-addressed envelope. Emboldened by her success (and the fact that she doesn’t get caught) she even starts to sneak a few letters into the magazine (Since Mrs. Bird never reads it.) Meanwhile she tackles her own challenges with her volunteer work as a phone operator for the Auxiliary Fire Service and her personal life, along with her friend Bunty, who is engaged to be married to their childhood friend, William.

Needless to say, “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” for our heroine on more than one front, and all Hell breaks loose all over the place for poor Emmy who tries her best to Keep Calm and Carry On in the face of several disasters.

*A few spoilers you would probably guess anyway*

It wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me. There were things that didn’t seem right. Emmy was too wishy-washy about trying to help the women who were desperate for advice and support. Of course she should try to help them! Not to do so would have been practically unpatriotic! And her supposedly super-plucky friend Bunty is horrified and scared at the very idea when Emmy feels her out on her dilemma. This didn’t track either. I was kind of shocked at her attitude. In one incident, Emmy lays into Bill for endangering his life and the lives of his crew to rescue a little girl’s doll that was buried in the rubble following a bombing. While on the surface this was kind and brave of Bunty’s fiancé, it was also very dangerous and foolish. She is wracked with guilt for scolding him and the incident has far-reaching consequences. It was frustrating because I thought she was absolutely right and she had nothing to apologize for. I had problems with Bunty and her actions v. what we are told about her character. Lastly, it turns out that the one mistake that Emmy made in writing back to the desperate women was signing Henrietta’s Bird’s name to the letters. That was really dumb, dumb, dumb. She didn’t have to sign them at all.

Naturally, Emmy triumphs in the end. Thankfully, her response to the final letter of the book is very courageous. Her nemesis, Henrietta Bird, one of the most obnoxious and “unpleasant” women I have fictionally experienced in recent years, is summarily disposed of. But unfortunately with more of a whimper than the bang I was hoping for. Still, If you liked the final courtroom scene in Miracle on 34th Street, you will get similar vibes with the dramatic showdown in this book. I’ll probably read one more in this series of four books and then see how it goes. But, like with D.E. Stevenson, I have to take a break and wait for the right mood to hit me.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The King’s Messenger

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by Susanna Kearsley

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“Happy endings are of little comfort,” Logan told me, very sure, “to characters who die afore the tale is done.”

I wasn’t crazy about this one. It was very romance-forward for a Susanna Kearsley novel which I was happy about at first. But it seemed much lighter than the other books by her I’ve read. To be fair, that perception might be influenced by the book I read right before this one. She picked a good bit of history to provide the foundation for her novel, but ultimately the history part, which was confined and personal as opposed to overarching and epic, was depressing to think about. Since many of the characters were based on real historical figures, it limited her on what she could do with them. The fiction part was a bit plodding and I was not emotionally engaged in the predictable romance. That’s true of most of her books, but usually there’s enough “other stuff” to make up for it. Kearsley almost always includes a supernatural element which has always been well integrated into the story. In fact, it has been the key factor and those books as written would not exist without it. There was a supernatural element in this one but it could have been left out and would have changed nothing to plot or character. In this one, one of our main characters has second sight and gets random brief visions of the future, which are mostly always deceiving. Also he sees dead people. Neither of these “gifts” have any major influence on anything that happens. They’re just kind of tacked on seemingly to make Andrew more interesting, or just because it’s Susanna Kearsley’s “thing” to have a paranormal element to her novels.

It is set in 1613 shortly after the sudden and suspicious death of Henry, King James I of England’s promising teenage son and heir to the throne. Rumors are starting to spread that he was poisoned and suspicion is starting to fall on King James, his own father. King James was a nasty piece of work and was jealous of his talented, intelligent, and principled son. In order to quell the rumors, he sends for David Moray a.k.a. Murray (real person), Henry’s trusted courtier and companion with the intention of pinning Henry’s murder on him. Andrew Logan, our hero, is the King’s Messenger sent to Scotland to arrest and bring David Moray to London for the inquiry and trial. Because there will be a trial: David Moray is being framed by the King himself. With him on the journey goes a Scrivener who is assigned to write down everything that David says and does with hopes of gathering actual evidence against him, and his daughter Phoebe who insists on coming with to watch over her father who is in poor health. Phoebe and Andrew’s families have been neighbors for a long time, but due to a misunderstanding and some lies told to her, Phoebe has always disliked Andrew. On the journey to London, there are some not very thrilling adventures, and we get to know the characters in depth. As Andrew proves his worth time and again, Phoebe’s dislike turns to love. David Moray is a wise and good man, and still suffering the lingering pain of Henry’s death whom he loved like a son. Of course we care what happens to him but the fact that Wikipedia (and other sources-Ha ha-not really) tells us that David Moray was never brought to trial and lived a long and productive life for years after the events in this book kinda put a kibosh on any suspense regarding his fate. However, “the how” was neatly and cleverly done. Can Andrew remain loyal and dutiful to King James but not be a party to turning over an innocent man to certain death?

There are some interesting little nuggets in this book. For one, We meet and learn about real person Esther Inglis, who, despite her gender, was a well respected calligrapher of the day. Susanna Kearsley does her research, so I found all of the real historical details regarding the royal personages, King’s Messengers, scriveners, etc. pretty fascinating. Speaking of research, Kearsley is a firm believer in the theory that Prince Henry was poisoned, and poisoned at the instigation of his father the King. This flies in the face of most historians’ long held view that he died of Typhus. She makes a strong case, and I believe her. But it is so depressing to think what a great English King Henry would have made as opposed to his brother Charles I whose beliefs sparked the English Civil War and led to his execution. It was very neat how Kearsley used an incident that really happened to fashion Queen Anna’s revenge on her husband for her son’s death. Spoiler Alert! My second book in a row that a dog dies. I hope this is not a trend.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Queen’s Play (# 2 ofThe Lymond Chronicles)

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By Dorothy Dunnett

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Lymond’s behaviour, as always, went to the limits of polite usage and then hurtled off into space.

**Spoilers**

It is 2 years after the events of the Game of Kings, the 1st of the Lymond Chronicles. Francis Crawford of Lymond has returned to the bosom of his family. His reputation throughout Europe has not only been restored but his talents are held in such high esteem that he is called upon by Mary of Guise, the Dowager Queen of Scotland to come to France with her to protect her daughter, the 7 year old “High and Mighty” Mary, Queen of Scots from rumored danger of assassination.

Notoriously, at some time, every faction in the kingdom had tried to buy Lymond’s services. Nor was the bidding restricted to Scotland, or to statesmen, or to men. Europe, whenever he wished, could provide him— and probably did— with either a workshop or a playground.

He agrees to do so, but on his own terms, making clear that his loyalty is not to the powerful and ambitious Queen Mother, but to Scotland. He will not be her beholden acolyte and in turn, she will not, can not, intercede if he gets into trouble. And thus we are off to the decadent and dissolute French Court of Henry II of France, which Lymond will infiltrate in order to stay close to the threatened little Queen and to discover who is behind the assassination attempts. For indeed, we learn the child’s life is in grave danger. As his disguise he creates a character so eccentric and unlikely that no one will suspect his true identity but will allow him to use the talents and skills that Francis Crawford of Lymond is well known to have mastered. As the fat, perpetually drunk, and slovenly attendant to an unimportant-by-choice Irish Chieftain, he seduces the court:

Each in its nest of gauze and gilt thread, of tissue and taffeta, swathed in silver and satin, in velvet and white fur sugared with diamonds, each face painted, each brow plucked, hair hidden by sparkling hair of raw silk, the well- born of France sat in waxlight and flowers like half a hundred candied sweets in a basket. Last at the last table, soggy gristle next the sugar plums, sat Thady Boy Ballagh.

At levée and reception, at ball and after sport, during meals and after supper parties, Thady was expected as a matter of course. His playing had become as fashionable as a drug. He made music in public and in private for them all: …and already they thought nothing and less than nothing of how he looked. Then, that goal reached, he hardened his long fingers in their entrails of icing and sugar and started to twist.

The plot is complex as are the many characters who people this book. As in G of K, Dunnett expertly fills in the blanks of history with her fictional story ostensibly going on behind the scenes. For example, The main villain was a real person with significant connections to powerful people, but little is known about his actual life or what he may or may not have been up to. Those about whom much is known stay authentic to what history knows about their characters and actions. How Dunnett weaves her fiction around what is factual is nothing less than amazing. Rather than go through the plot and try to touch on all the fascinating characters, both real and imagined, I’ll just mention two characters that stood out for me.

The first is the “wholly spoiled, wholly self-centred, ruthless, neurotic, worldly- wise” character of the French Court itself. It was fascinating and unpredictable. In one of the attempts on Queen Mary’s life, her beloved pet rabbit, Susannah, is stolen and let loose amongst the other prey to be sport to the hunting Cheetahs. As predicted, the little girl escapes her minders and rushes to rescue her pet. In the resulting maelstrom of confusion, panic, and violence, A brave and noble Irish wolfhound, (as well as poor little Susannah) meet heartbreaking ends. The French court, once the little queen is off stage and safe, cheers the Cheetah. They care for nothing but the thrills and excitement provided by bloodlust.
Yet, taken individually, many are funny and insightful. Thankfully, because no group of people can perpetually be that dissolute and depraved (can they?), they prove to be capable of change, much to my surprise. Later in the story, a race down from a tower results in the death of many horses and men. Thady boy is framed and blamed for the tragedy and he escapes from the court he once dominated with his talents, wit, and pursuit of pleasure.

“What had been vulgarly clever, in the light of bare exhumation looked bleakly coarse; what had been vivid looked vulgar; what had been witty looked common; what had been forthright looked outrageous.
A sense of acute spiritual discomfort hung over the flower of France, the aftermath of its brilliant flare of indulgence. If Thady Boy had come back— a Thady Boy even absolved from the treachery imputed to him— they would have had him beaten from the room by their valets.”

The other character that I became fascinated with was Phelim O’LiamRoe, who, as Thady Boy’s supposed master, provides him with his cover. At first he was kind of a silly non-entity. Intelligent, humorous, cheerful, but having no ambition or purpose to his life at all. He was kind of a bore.

In terms of followers, O’LiamRoe was one of the mightiest chieftains in English-occupied Ireland, except that it had never yet occurred to him to lead them anywhere.

But he starts to change at the death of his noble Luadhus, his dog who threw himself between the deadly cheetah and the little queen. He starts to think and question his life. Meanwhile, he falls deeper in love with a beautiful and fiery Irish revolutionary who holds him in contempt until he proves his mettle with an act of bravery. He convinces her to give him the name of the man who can prove the guilt of the powerful mastermind of the assassination attempts. He will save Mary and also save Lymond from execution.
But first they must part.

Her hands lay cold in his. Searching her empty face he said, ‘We shall meet?’ ‘At the fall of night, on the far side of the north wind,’ she said.’ ‘Love me.’ ‘All my days,’ said Phelim O’LiamRoe, Prince of Barrow, dropping into the tongue of his land. ‘Dear stranger, dear mate of my soul: all my days.’ And walking quiet and blind, he let slip her two hands and left.

To the rescue!:

Dark in the misty June morning, Châteaubriant was still. Dim through the painted shutters, the hoof beats of a single horse burst, applauding the cobbles, and were gone.

Before the book ends O’LiamRoe will not only be instrumental in saving Francis from death, but in setting his life on a different more mature and thoughtful path. Thanks partially to him, Francis will become the great leader of men he was destined to be.

Dorothy Dunnett is a wonderful writer. Her prose is beautiful, evocative, and clever. But still, I had my problems with some of the details of the book as much as I admired and enjoyed it.

It seemed pretty impossible that Lymond’s disguise as Thady Boy held up so long and with so many. Keeping his blond roots covered under black dye, his pale skin constantly having to be stained, his slender nimble body disguised under thick padding, all the while bedding God knows how many men and women in the French Court? With a fake stomach? And what about Lymond’s slender delicate fingers which are referred to regularly? That doesn’t track with Thady’s fat pudgy body.

The recuperative powers of two of the characters who were on death’s door one minute and engaging in physical heroics the next reminded me of a Roadrunner cartoon.

Too much knowledge is withheld from the reader and too much important action happens off stage. I found this to be true of Game of Kings as well. When did Lymond figure out who the master villain was and how? Once it is finally revealed to the reader, he claims he already knew who it was. Then why was it so important to send O’LiamRoe to the Tower of London to get his name from his hitman, Robin Stewart? Lymond was released from prison just in time to save the queen. It seemed very easily done without much justification. Some obscure sculptor knew a guy who knew a guy who said so? The bad guy might be guilty, so Lymond must be freed-and immediately? How did they get let in to see the Constable again with Robin Stewart’s undelivered letter? One minute we leave him locked up, and the next he’s free and racing to save the little Queen from being blown to kingdom come with her retinue.

Some things do not bear too much looking into and no doubt a careful reread would set me straight. . But sometimes, even in great books, you just have to roll with it, and revel in the brilliance, not the WTFuckery. Everyone says Dunnett historical research and authenticity is unimpeachable. Sometimes I found some of the fiction parts a little far-fetched. But maybe that’s OK. As Lymond says in Game of Kings,

“Versatility is one of the few human traits which are universally intolerable. You may be good at Greek and good at painting and be popular. You may be good at Greek and good at sport, and be wildly popular. But try all three and you’re a mountebank. Nothing arouses suspicion quicker than genuine, all-round proficiency.”

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Game of Kings (#1 of The Lymond Chronicles)

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By Dorothy Dunnett

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To the men exposed to his rule Lymond never appeared ill: he was never tired; he was never worried, or pained, or disappointed, or passionately angry. If he rested, he did so alone; if he slept, he took good care to sleep apart. “—I sometimes doubt if he’s human,” said Will, speaking his thought aloud. “It’s probably all done with wheels.

This series first came to my attention probably over 30 years ago. I bought the beautiful Vintage Paperback editions around 25 years ago when a local book seller was having a sale. And there they sat. Looking very pretty and impressive, giving my library a certain intellectual credibility. The series would tap me on the shoulder every so often, but I never seriously considered starting them until recently. I read a recent review from one of my Goodreads friends https://www.goodreads.com/review/show… and I thought “people are still reading these?” Then I read some more reviews, and then I read a few scholarly type blog posts and essays. I started to get excited, but very very intimidated at the prospect of reading the first one, The Game of Kings. But then I thought, “Becky if you’re going to read these before you lose your faculties, you better get a move on. You can do hard things!” So I did.

And it was daunting. It is a deep dive into 16th century history, arts, culture, warfare, and politics that our formidable author assumes you are already familiar with. She also assumes you are fluent in multiple languages. There are no translations or footnotes-those are in a whole separate 400 page book. And a lot of the actual English isn’t that comprehensible either. Here’s an example:

“Johnnie Bullo! Man, I wish you’d take to wearing clappers on your breeches; you’re desperate sore on the arteries. And that last damned powder you gave me would have done Jimmie of Fynnart a twelve- month and pointed up the whole of Linlithgow if you laid it on with a trowel. Will ye bring to mind it’s my inner workings you’re repairing, not the Toll Brig o’ Dumfries.”

The book is peopled with real historical figures both obscure and famous. And Lymond of Crawford, our main character, mostly talks in poetry, double entendres, quotations from sources no modern reader has any business even hearing of, let alone being passing familiar with.
“ I wish to God,” said Gideon with mild exasperation, “that you’d talk–just once– in prose like other people.”
If Gideon Somerville was not a favorite character before, he certainly was one after that comment to our hero. I almost gave up several times. But I did some more research, trying to take good care to avoid spoilers (though didn’t always succeed), and found out that virtually everyone felt the same way I did at the beginning. But to a man and woman, I was assured that it would get easier and I would be rewarded.
I quote from a blog entry called “The Game of Kings in 15 minutes”. https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/… Highly recommend if you’ve already read the novel

RANDOM SCOTTISH PEOPLE: Lymond is back.
READERS: And we’ll have to wait hundreds of pages to find out why.
LYMOND: *is incomprehensible*
PIG: *is drunk*
READERS WHO ARE NEW TO THE SERIES: wtf?
READERS WHO HAVE READ THE WHOLE SERIES: You’ll learn.

Two things in particular helped me. One, someone wrote that The Game of Kings could be read as a stand alone (I have commitment issues with series books and tv shows) and I discovered a wonderful website improbably named “Now You Have Dunnett” https://nowyouhavedunnett.blogspot.co… for which I am eternally grateful. It took me through each chapter and scene almost paragraph by paragraph, translating the more important foreign language quotes, explaining the context when it was important, giving historical background, and pointing out little things that I might have missed that would become important later on. I would read a chapter, sometimes two and then go back to the website on those chapters to check for understanding. Eventually, I could go for longer and longer periods with confidence before having to check back to make sure I understood what was going on. At about the 25% mark, I not only started to comprehend without help (forgetting the foreign language quotes and esoterica which I just skipped over) but started to see the appeal and actually enjoy what I was reading. I started to get The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Count of Monte Cristo, and unabridged Les Miserables vibes. The first two being youthful favorites re-read many times, and the last reminding me of the feeling of pride and accomplishment as I waded through it without skipping.

So what about the actual book, you may ask? Enough already about your personal relationship with it! Well, as I said, the first sentence of the book is “Lymond is Back”. Back Where? From Where? The setting is Scotland in 1547, a time of war with England and great unrest politically, religiously, and every other way. King Henry the VIII has just died and the English powers that be want his young son Edward, (A.K.A. The Prince of The Prince and The Pauper) to be betrothed to Mary, the 5-year-old Scottish Queen. Loyal Scots do not want that.

We first meet our hero robbing and pillaging a friend of the family’s castle, to insure ultimate chaos, introducing the victim’s pet pig to the joys of adult beverages. Then he moves to his own family’s castle where, drunk, he breaks in with his gang of mercenaries, flirts with his new sister-in-law, robs his mother’s guests, threatens their lives, exchanges barbs with the mother he hasn’t seen for over 5 years, and stabs her best friend. He finishes off his busy day by locking them inside the castle and setting it on fire. Lymond is indeed living down to his reputation as obnoxious, amoral, ruthless, and other synonyms too numerous to list including brilliant and funny. He is a notorious proven traitor to Scotland and an outlaw also wanted for a crime so horrible and shocking that I won’t say what it is. And if possible, the English hate him almost as much as the Scots. But all is not what it seems. No, indeed. Because Lymond is back to *spoiler alert* prove his innocence, restore his reputation as a loyal Scotsman, serve his country, and protect his family. Not an auspicious start, Lymond.

And that is the most detailed I am going to get about the plot. Because if I went on, it would take me a long long time and I wouldn’t know where to stop. There are whole books written about this novel alone, only the first book in the series, as well as on the whole series. But we have many adventures and meet many people both very very good, very very bad, and very in between. Also very clever, wise, and cunning, and very and very obnoxiously thick-headed (I’m looking at you, Richard.) There is espionage, betrayal, revenge, romance, secrets, alchemy, reconciliation, tragedy, comedy, a duel considered one of the best ever written for the page, and a courtroom trial/very welcome info dump to rule them all.

This was Dorothy Dunnett’s first novel. As she says in the forward, she grew in wisdom as she wrote. And I think she meant that she saw the need to make the subsequent books a little more accessible to the other  99% of the population of potential readers. Either that, or a wise editor firmly took her in hand. From all accounts the best are yet to come, so now that I have conquered, that is, managed to survive, this first in the series…Onward

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Regency Buck

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By Georgette Heyer

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As familiar as I was with this story, listening to it being read (Audible-Jasmine Blackborow),as always, gave me a fresh outlook and enjoyment. The narrator was excellent, and I must credit her with making the ever-irate Judith a little less irritating and childish-seeming and Worth’s highhandedness understandable. This was the first Regency Romance by the mother of the genre. So this is the book, folks. The origin of it all. The urtext if you will. And as such, a more archetypal example there could not be. Judith is the quintessential strong, fiery, and headstrong type heroine. Worth is the all-knowing all powerful hero, a Corinthian, no mere Dandy, who excels at everything he does. Heyer mixed and matched all kinds of other personalities in her books of course, but this has sure been a popular combination of hers and her followers through the years.

The story unfolds around the country-raised and very rich Miss Judith Taverner and her eager but dumb brother Perry coming to London for the season after the death of their father. Due to a massive error on his part (like father like son in the brain department), they are under the guardianship of the 5th Earl of Worth, not his deceased father, the 4th Earl. Judith must have taken after her mother. To make a long story short, Worth gets on the independent-minded Judith’s bad side from the start with his arrogant dismissive ways, and they are at loggerheads throughout the novel. It is, in fact, an enemies to lovers trope, and a good one. Julian Audley, 5th Earl of Worth is not one of the more popular Heyer heroes. Some find him too overbearing, cold, and dictatorial. His behavior at their second meeting manhandling the prickly Judith into his phaeton (for her own good) and purposely provoking her by giving her a little kiss hasn’t won him any points among enlightened readers on the lookout for sexual harassment either. But I’ve always been a fan. His deft parryings of poor Judith’s every effort to get the better of him are very humorous. I did sympathize with and even admired her persistent efforts to exert her independence but for an intelligent girl she was not very wise when it came to her guardian. “Mad as a wet hen” is a phrase that comes to mind. She was forever letting her emotions and temper get the better of her brain while always trying to maintain her dignity. Worth’s overbearing maneuvers were often only to save her from cutting off her nose to spite her face while purposely provoking her for his own amusement. He just couldn’t help it.

As the Taverners are immersed in all manner of sport, culture, fashion, entertainments, and ways of the elite of society (AKA “The Ton”) in her introduction to London, so is the reader. The plot provides Georgette Heyer the perfect framework to display all of her meticulous research into the Regency period. The book could be used as a primer for aspiring writers of regency romances. Various real historical figures of the time are woven into the narrative including the Duke of Clarence (who proposes marriage), Gentleman Jackson the boxer, The Prince Regent (who makes a pass at her), and particularly Beau Brummel, who is a great friend of Worth and who becomes a wise advisor to Judith. We are treated to many actual quotes from the great Brummel woven into his conversations with Judith. Some readers count all of the factoids, long descriptions, historical details against the book. And I probably skimmed through a lot of it myself in previous readings. But listening to it all seemed different. I couldn’t just skip ahead and I liked it all. It is so obvious that GH took such delight in sharing all she had learned, and worked hard to include all of her little nuggets as seamlessly as possible. After writing historical romances set in other periods for 14 years prior to this first Regency, she finally found her niche, and it seemed to me like she was having a ball with the writing of it.

On top of the slow burn romance and Judith’s adventures amongst The Ton, we have a mystery! Someone is trying to kill Perry. It’s really not much of a mystery. Readers reading the book at the time might have been a little misled, but those who have read other Heyers or almost any other regency or gothic romance written in the years following this one will not be fooled. We 100% know who Judith will end up with from their first meeting so we know he is not the murderer. There is only one other person with a motive, and though he fools Judith, as savvy readers, we see right through him.

After our two combatants/lovers declare their true feelings, we are treated to a long happy conversation in which they have a lot of fun dissecting their relationship. We get a lot along the lines of “What did you think when I…? And when you did this, I just…! How could you have…? I thought I had lost you when…! Oh that day at…! This is very unusual for Georgette, and I absolutely loved it. Usually it’s declarations, clinch, and “The End.”

Georgette would continue to refine her style as the years went by, but this one, although it doesn’t have some of the subtle or hilarious characterizations of some of her later works, should not be missed. It is the foundation of a genre.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Grand Sophy

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by Georgette Heyer

“You are shameless!” he said angrily.
“Nonsense! You only say so because I drove your horses,” she answered. “Never mind! I will engage not to do so again.”
“I’ll take care of that!” he retorted. “Let me tell you, my dear Cousin, that I should be better pleased if you would refrain from meddling in the affairs of my family!”
“Now, that,” said Sophy, “I am very glad to know, because if ever I should desire to please you I shall know just how to set about it. I daresay I shan’t, but one likes to be prepared for any event, however unlikely.”

There are few strong Georgette Heyer heroines that match Sophy for their spirit and agency, but none that have her combination of sangfroid, confidence, and levelheadedness. Serena? Too hot-tempered. Deb? Too impulsive. Judith? Too bullheaded. Babs? Too tempestuous. Yes, they are all formidable. But Sophy is a “fixer.” She will stop at nothing to prevent people from going down their chosen path if she knows it will only lead to misery. To the point that she will take out her ladylike pistol and shoot someone for their own good. Luckily. she is always right or she would be intolerable.

“Resolution is all that is needed!” she said. “One should never shrink from the performance of unpleasant tasks to obtain a laudable object, after all!”

Plus she is wise, kind, brave, charming, and witty. Is she my favorite heroine? Surprisingly, No. That would be Arabella. I listened to this book on audible and my enjoyment and admiration for the book was increased by the narrator who got my attention by imbuing the energetic Sophie with a languid tone that gave her a new dimension.

Most of Heyer’s male characters are the kind of heroes that the reader feels are so “Master of the Universe” that every other character seems like they are dancing to their tune. Sophie is the only female character that I think matches her male heroes in that kind of power and leadership. When Lady Ombersley welcomes “little cousin” Sophy into her home for the season, Sophy discovers a lively and charming family of nine, three of whose members have seemingly put themselves on paths to an unhappy future. Her new temporary family discovers that Sophy’s father’s description of her as “a good little thing…not an ounce of vice in her” doesn’t even begin to describe the force of nature that is Sophia Stanton-Lacy. It isn’t long before Sophy discerns what ails them. Cecilia, the eldest daughter, has turned her back on the perfect man and has fallen head over heels for a dreamy (in looks and spirit) poet who will never amount to anything and never be able to support a wife. The second oldest son, Hubert, has gotten himself into trouble with a moneylender and is afraid to tell the de facto head of the household about it, his older brother Charles. And Charles, under the strain of rescuing the family from his father’s gambling debts, has, longing for respite, gotten himself engaged to a very proper and sensible woman of good family but who, under her facade of kindly helpfulness, is a cold and spiteful prig. Charles, against his better nature, but encouraged by his fiance, has kept too tight a rein on his family in an effort to repress the careless and irresponsible behavior that has nearly driven them into disaster. He’s become a bit of a tyrant, and as a result, His mother and the 2 oldest of his 6 siblings have become fearful or hostile towards him.

Sophy has her work cut out for her and sets about putting everything to rights. It takes her the whole book, but by the end, Cecelia is disentangled from her poet and engaged to the right man, and Hubert’s troubles have been uncovered and the moneylender has been dispatched at the point of Sophie’s gun. Charles himself, trapped by propriety to remain engaged to a woman whose unpleasantness, thanks to Sophy, he has finally come to discover, has been rid of her without scandal. And thoroughly in love with Sophie. And vice versa. I assume. But it’s hard to tell. The book concludes with Charles hauling Sophy away in his curricle and Sophy protesting, “Charles! You cannot love me”, and Charles kissing her and “savagely” responding “I don’t: I dislike you excessively!” And that is my one quibble with this book. I wish there had been more romantic interaction between the two. It seemed obligatory only that the two ended up together. Even for Heyer, the “happily ever after”, though a given, left a lot to the imagination.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Forgotten Garden

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by Kate Morton

**Spoilers**

Why did I read this book? Because of all of the great reviews. Because it sounded really good. Because I wanted to try something by this highly touted author. Because the cover was really pretty and the title intriguing (although the picture on my copy had nothing to do with the garden in the story.) Because I wanted to read something a little different and it had been quite a long time that I had read any multi-generational or otherwise sweeping family dramas. It was a genre that I used to enjoy a lot. And because it became available in a timely manner from my library waiting list. After reading about a quarter of the book and realizing that I didn’t particularly like or care about 2 of the 3 main characters, why did I keep reading? No idea. I guess the “big mysteries” kept me going, hoping for a shocking twist, a mind-blowing reveal, and satisfying justice for the evil doers and just reward for the good people.

The two main characters that left me cold were Nell and her granddaughter, Cassandra. Most of Nell’s story takes place in 1975 when she is in her mid-sixties. We learn that she was a delightful child and a lovely young woman whose life took a turn when her beloved father told her she was adopted. He had found her abandoned on the dock where he was port-master in Brisbane Australia, when she was only 4. When no one claimed her, he raised her as his own with his nice but sickly wife and his other children. She is so devastated by this news that her life is forever blighted. Or rather, she chooses to turn her back on her loving family emotionally, dump her adored fiance, and turn into a dried-up old stick, a terrible mother, and full of self-hatred. She has vague memories of being loved and cherished before ending up abandoned on a ship, and of the woman who took her there whom she only remembers as “The Authoress”.

When the old bat dies she leaves a cottage in Cornwall England to her granddaughter Cassandra, whom she raised, along with a fairy tale book. Nell had gone to England in 1975 right before Cassandra had come to live with her and had been on the verge of discovering her origins. She had to go home to Brisbane and was not able to return because her daughter left her granddaughter almost literally on her doorstep for her to raise. After her grandmother dies in 2005, Cassandra decides to go to Cornwall and continue Nell’s quest for the truth. The cottage is on the grounds of a great estate by the sea that Nell had learned her bio parents were heirs to. Cassandra is a lonely young widow whose husband and child were killed 10 years ago in a tragic accident. She is a good sort, but grew to be as dull and boring as she could be. It was not engaging to spend probably about 75% of the book with one unpleasant senior citizen and one almost middle-aged woman without a lick of spirit or humor.

The other main character is Eliza. She is the daughter of Georgiana, the daughter of the owners of Blackhurst, the great estate that Nell’s little cottage is on. Georgiana eloped with a sailor and fled her home from an evil so great that she chose to raise her daughter in a London tenement rather than return home when her husband was killed. Her daughter is a brave, intelligent, creative, and spirited girl who loves to tell stories. Her, I liked. Orphaned, she is tracked down and “rescued” from abject poverty in London to go and live with her mother’s family at Blackhurst. Although she is no longer destitute, her family is menacing and hateful. Nevertheless, she makes friends with Rose, the spoiled daughter of the house, and they are devoted to each other. We learn that Eliza grows up to be “The Authoress” that Nell remembers from her toddlerhood.

Although Nell thinks she has uncovered the mystery of her mother and father, she is still in the dark as to why The Authoress abandoned her on a ship bound for Australia. Of course, the reader suspects, since this is a mystery, that all may not be as it appears. The reader would be right. I had guessed pretty early on what the mystery of Nell’s parentage was, although there was a red herring that threw me off for a minute. We don’t learn until the end why Eliza abandoned Rose on the ship. But when we do, it throws her whole story in the toilet. Or let’s say that it flushed the toilet that her story had already been thrown into. The one truly positive and admirable character of all three main protagonists had already been damaged in my eyes by both her decisions and her slavish and unaccountable devotion to Rose. I felt sorry for Rose, sometimes, but I was very put off by her. She was not a good person. I will say that the antagonists and the evil characters, though cartoonish, were successfully crafted. Rose was very complex.

The theme of this book is not to embroil yourself in the past but to move forward through challenges and the bad things and look forward toward the future.
“You make a life out of what you have, not what you’re missing.”
Nell ruined her life, and made her loved ones victims as well, by letting her knowledge of her abandonment rule her life. What made it worse was the knowledge that so many good people had sacrificed so much because of her. It was a waste. But in her 60s she forsook her search for her past to raise her granddaughter, Cassandra. She finally became a successful worthwhile person because of that. In taking up the search where Nell left off, in Cornwall, Cassandra leaves her grief over her dead husband and child behind and finds friends, a purpose, and a new love. The cautionary tale is provided by Eliza who leaves her child and her future dreams on a ship bound for Australia to revisit her childhood hovel and retrieve a “legacy” hidden there by her long-dead mother. The consequence of that little detour was a severe punishment indeed. So two main characters with whom spending time was tedious, and a tragic and disappointing ending for the good one. I held out hope for this book to the end, and a great ending could have saved it. But it was not to be.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Friday’s Child

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By Georgette Heyer

“Thought the world of you, did Kitten. Wouldn’t hear a word against you; wouldn’t even admit you can’t drive well enough for the F.H.C. That shows you! Always seemed to me she only thought of pleasing you. If she took a fancy to do something she shouldn’t, only had to tell her you wouldn’t like it, and she’d abandon it on the instant. Used to put me in mind of that rhyme, or whatever it was, I learned when I was a youngster. Something about loving and giving: that was Kitten!”

I have read this comic masterpiece many times and I have always enjoyed it. And I have listened to the almost 25-year-old reading by Eve Matheson. Again, very enjoyable. But this new version read by Owen Findley was just too too funny. His interpretations of all the characters were “bang up to the mark.” Hilarious, thoughtful, and touching. My only quibble was that he spoke too quickly but that was easily remedied by turning the speed down to 85%.

I always kind of wondered why Georgette considered this her best work as almost all of them are pretty brilliant, but after listening to this one again, I can’t argue. It’s famous for being her funniest book, but it had never struck me as particularly romantic. But at the end, when Sherry and Kitten are finally reunited….Well. It was as romantic and tender a scene as she ever wrote made even more so by Owen Findley’s subtle and sensitive reading.

Young Lord Sheringham, “Sherry”, has to get married right away because he’s overextended due to gambling debts and is properly “in the basket.” He is very wealthy but won’t come into his inheritance until he is 25 or married, whichever comes first. When his childhood friend, now a great beauty, refuses his offer he vows to marry the first girl he sees. That would be Hero Wantage whom he happens upon sitting on the side of the road. She is another childhood friend, but more of a tag-along or mascot being 5 or so years younger. An orphan, she has run away from the family who took her in. Their generosity has come to an end and they have given her an ultimatum of either becoming a governess or marrying the very dull and sober curate. Clearly in need of rescuing, she is the perfect candidate! It is a Win-Win! Sherry had always been carelessly fond of her and she has always worshiped the ground he walks on. He takes the sweet and naive girl to London and the fun begins. Sherry doesn’t see any reason why he should alter his bachelor lifestyle for a marriage of convenience. And Hero, whom he calls “Kitten” is the last person who would make demands or criticize him in any way. In her eyes, he can do no wrong, much to the bemusement of his loyal best friends simple-minded Ferdy Fakenham, the more knowing Gil Ringwood, and the Byronic George Wrotham, who have a more clear-eyed view of their friend Sherry.

As he is driven to distraction rescuing Kitten from one scrape after another, Sherry grows from a spoiled irresponsible young man about town to embrace his adulthood and responsibilities. He realizes that most of the trouble she gets into is because she is following his example! His crew of friends provide more than their fair share of the humor as they come to embrace Kitten as one of the gang and often take a dim view of Sherry’s affectionate but cavalier treatment of her. But when Kitten runs away (long story) Sherry realizes how much he loves and values her. It all culminates in a comic farce at a posting inn involving an elopement, an abduction, and a punch in the nose. It’s a perfect ending.

Rating: 5 out of 5.