𓆩♱𓆪 A 𓆩♱𓆪

Retired from Sad, New Career in The Lymond Chronicles

[lotstradamus]

Marlon James: By the Book - The New York Times

[glowpart2]

Did you guys know that this isn’t your grave and you can get out of this hole? I just found out

[less3nthedamage]

I finished The Lymond Chronicles today. I started on the journey in 2020, after reading that Lymond had been one of C.S. Pacat's inspirations for Laurent in Captive Prince. At the time, the books were above my reading level, even though I'd been a voracious reader all my life. I enjoyed the first two books, though I struggled through them, and then decided to put the series down for another time. Then late last year, I picked up the third book. I felt I was a far stronger reader. From there until the end of Pawn in Frankincese, everything was a blur, I read it so fast. After the heaviness of the ending, I had to take another break. So two weeks ago, I decided to pick the books back up and again I devoured the last two.

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I am inmensely relieved about the ending and have little to complain about. I wondered how Dunnett would manage to wrap up so many ideas and somehow she wrapped up most. I'm incredibly happy about where the characters end up, namely Lymond and Philippa, my favorites (separately and together!)

But I still have so much to think about and to say about these characters!

I'm still thinking about Marthe and her true intentions. About Lymond's strange dynamic with the Tsar. About what Kuzúm will grow up thinking about his parents. And I so wish we had gotten a final conversation between Lymond and Kate.

Another big thing for me is the sexual and gender fluidity we see in Lymond, which some readers (particularly older ones) seem to understate, but which was such a big driver in my decision to pick up and stick to the books. The bonds with his men are undeniable but I find myself wondering if he ever truly desires other men, or just recognizes his beauty as a weapon to be wielded against any gender. In any case, he hardly ever seems to have sex for pleasure, which in and of itself is rather interesting, given his reputation. So much to unpack. I think I will write extensively about several of these things.

[laurentsmadrecklessgambit]

This sounds a lot like my journey through these books. I started reading them because they inspired Pacat. It took me years to read Lymond too - I started GoK in 2017/8, and it took me a couple of years to get through Checkmate. Once I got deeper into the series it got easier, both because Dunnett's writing gets more readable and because I got comfortable with not understanding everything. Also, I found the Outlander Book Club on Tapatalk to be quite possibly the best resource for reading Dunnett!

Take some time to digest Lymond and then start Niccòlo! I'm on Lions now.

These books have taken almost a DECADE of my life, and I cannot explain to anyone why I carried on with them when I found them so difficult at first. But, these books are truly unparalleled. Dunnett understands people like no author I've read before or since, and her scenery writing is also a standout.

And she wrote them without Google maps. It boggles the mind!

[less3nthedamage]

Really interesting about the Outlander Book Club on Tapatalk, just read a bit about this going through the Lymond tags on Tumblr, so cool that author is a Dunnett fan and that her readers were introduced to her work.

I've been soooo on the fence about starting Niccolò since Lymond's archetype (and his fluidity in particular) were a huge motivator for me in sticking with the story. Do you find Niccolò compelling as a character? I've seen mixed opinions.

[zombiecowboy65]

Reading damen’s pov is like: it’s so over. We are so back. It’s so over. We’re so back. It’s so over. We’re so unbelievably back. Laurent is so smart. Laurent is so pretty. It’s so over. Laurent is a demon incapable of human emotion. We are SO back

[quelmdn]

Auguste' little squire

(Happy Smaurent content)

[fancysmudges]

Dear Auguste, tell me that there's light (at the end of all this starless night)

[spending-life-pretending]

pawn in frankincense truly is a book that has everything: chess, gay pining, internalized homophobia, secret identical sibling, the opposite of a white savior, rooftop chase, betrayal, chess, there-was-only-one-bed trope, pirate raids, brutal child murder, indiana jones treasure hunt d-plot, switched at birth, elaborate disguises, aladdin opening scene, giraffe dissection, concubine training, fortuneteller, secret passageways, drunken plane thief airshow stunt, lawrence of arabia, and chess.

[oldshrewsburyian]

It was a miracle, and it partook of the first property of miracles. It should never have been performed.

Checkmate, Dorothy Dunnett

[theconceptsofastan]

My favorite scene, my favorite fictional brothers

[theconceptsofastan]

I love how offended he is at the thought that the courtly men were not lusting after him too

[less3nthedamage]

I finished The Lymond Chronicles today. I started on the journey in 2020, after reading that Lymond had been one of C.S. Pacat's inspirations for Laurent in Captive Prince. At the time, the books were above my reading level, even though I'd been a voracious reader all my life. I enjoyed the first two books, though I struggled through them, and then decided to put the series down for another time. Then late last year, I picked up the third book. I felt I was a far stronger reader. From there until the end of Pawn in Frankincese, everything was a blur, I read it so fast. After the heaviness of the ending, I had to take another break. So two weeks ago, I decided to pick the books back up and again I devoured the last two.

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I am inmensely relieved about the ending and have little to complain about. I wondered how Dunnett would manage to wrap up so many ideas and somehow she wrapped up most. I'm incredibly happy about where the characters end up, namely Lymond and Philippa, my favorites (separately and together!)

But I still have so much to think about and to say about these characters!

I'm still thinking about Marthe and her true intentions. About Lymond's strange dynamic with the Tsar. About what Kuzúm will grow up thinking about his parents. And I so wish we had gotten a final conversation between Lymond and Kate.

Another big thing for me is the sexual and gender fluidity we see in Lymond, which some readers (particularly older ones) seem to understate, but which was such a big driver in my decision to pick up and stick to the books. The bonds with his men are undeniable but I find myself wondering if he ever truly desires other men, or just recognizes his beauty as a weapon to be wielded against any gender. In any case, he hardly ever seems to have sex for pleasure, which in and of itself is rather interesting, given his reputation. So much to unpack. I think I will write extensively about several of these things.

[j-august]

"I sometimes wonder," said Francis Crawford, "if I only exist to be sacrificed to."

Dorothy Dunnett, Checkmate

[mblematic]

HBO stop adapting game of thrones prequels start adapting lymond chronicles challenge

[leojurand]

happy the disorderly knights part two: the eight-pointed cross francis/jerott to those who celebrate

[less3nthedamage]

Halfway through reading The Lymond Chronicles because C.S. Pacat cited Lymond as an inspiration to craft Laurent, I realized Laurent/Damen are really not unlike Lymond/Jerott fanfiction and spiritually I understand that a lot because halfway through the series I too was gripped by a desire to write gay fanfiction for them

[linovadraws]

Making this made me realize that Jerott's thought process is definitely like "no it would be crazy if Lymond were down to kiss dudes and I wasn't his first choice", which is actually so funny.

Anyway, let's all see if I can manage to finish all eight pages of this, a task I have started and stopped three times in the last five years.

[cassandrva]

and sure there are other babygirls but are they being hunted by every crown in europe for mass homicide and high treason while also being described as having "eyes like a kitten's"?