Pawn in Frankincense: Book Four in the Legendary Lymond Chronicles

By Dorothy Dunnett

In this fourth book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Francis Crawford of Lymond desperately searches the Ottoman empire for his kidnapped child. 

Somewhere within the bejeweled labyrinth of the Ottoman empire, a child is hidden. Now his father, Francis Crawford of Lymond, soldier of fortune and the exiled heir of Scottish nobility, is searching for him while ostensibly engaged on a mission to the Turkish Sultan. At stake is the political order of three continents, for Lymond's child is a pawn in a cutthroat game whose gambits include treason, enslavement, and murder. In that game's final move, which is played inside the harem of the Topkapi palace, Lymond will come face to face with his most implacable enemy and the dreadful ambiguities of his own nature.

With a Foreword by the author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307762368

Reviews for Pawn in Frankincense

[beyondedenrock · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

May I consider this fourth of the six books that make up Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles to be the beginning of the second of two acts?I ask because the last book finished on a cliffhanger, and because I see parallels between this book and the very first book in the sequence.They are both stories of quests, but his time the field of play is much wider and the stakes are much, much higher.The narrative moves across Europe and North Africa; beginning with a remarkable scene in Switzerland where much is not as it seems, and then on to France, Algiers, Djerba, and finally the grand and great city Constantinople, where scenes played out that left me emotionally drained,utterly lost for words and desperate to know what would happen next.The journey through this series of book is for the faint-hearted; but for those prepared to commit time, heart and intellect, they are richly, richly rewarding.The quest in the first book was to find justice and the right place in the world; while the quest in this book is to find an infant, hidden away far from the place he should know as home, and in the power of a ruthless, devious and very clever enemy.I’m trying not to say too much for anyone further back in the series or contemplating reading in the future, but I really can’t write about this book without referring to particular names and situations.The ostensible reason for Lymond’s journey is to deliver a gift from the King of France to the Sultan in Constntinople; but the deeper reason is to rescue the child – complicated by the fact that there are two children, one his and one his enemy’s, and that he has no way to tell them apart – and to destroy that enemy.The travelling party includes Philippa Somerville, who is set on looking after the child; Archie Abernathy; Jerrott Blyth, from the company formed at St, Mary’s; the maker of the spinet and the young woman who is his apprentice. Along the way the party will fracture, shining a different light on to familiar characters and illuminating new ones.I knew that many readers love Philippa Somerville, and in this book I thought that she came into her own as a principled and strong-willed young woman, and I found that I loved her too. Jerrott Blyth became a complex character with a life and a story of his own, moving forward from the shadows in the last book. I came to love Archie Abernathy, and I wished I could spend more time with him and learn more of his back-story. I can’t help feeling there are volumes and volumes of history and biography that I would so loved to read that Dorothy Dunnett distilled to create her books.There are some exceptional women in this series of books, and the young woman apprentice is as exceptional as any of them. I can’t say that I liked her, but I was intrigued by her and it was clear that she was significant for the thread that has been running throughout this series of books: the mystery surrounding the Crawford family and the possibility that a greater power than the enemy being sought is weaving an elaborate plot around Lymond.I found a great deal to think about, I found a wealth of wonderful plot twists, some of which I saw coming but many of which I did not. I was pleased with some of the things I spotted, but I suspect that I am being cleverly managed by the author. When I read the first book in this series I wrote that 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, and that still holds true.The evocation of places, of events, of cultures, continues to be vivid, deep and complex,The thing that made this book distinctive for me was the use of perspective – most of the story is told from the perspective of Philippa Somerville or Jerrott Blyth. That illuminated their characters, and it also held Lymond at a distance so that much of his character remains in shadow.I could see that he had matured since the earlier books, that he took responsibility for his companions in a way that he hadn’t often before, and he had no ready answer when he was asked if the object of his quest justified the price that he and others were paying. The price that he paid was highest of all, and the choice that he was forced to make in the grand set- piece of this book – a live game of chess – was utterly devastating.The story went on a little too long for me after that, but I understood that there had to be a return journey, that pieces had to be put on place for the next book.The consequences of what Lymond went through in this book – and of what he and others learned – have still to play out.One side of the story seems to have played out in this book, but another side – the deeper story, I think, is coming to the fore.As is another exceptional woman.I’m not sure that I’m ready to be so close to the end of all of this, but I have to press on with the next book ….

[jkdavies · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This, I think, is the most breathless of all the books in this series. After the night at St Giles, Gabriel has disappeared, and Lymond in the guise of a French Ambassador starts to scour the Mediterranean for his child. Gabriel has left surprises and clues and traps all around the shore towns and cities, while he strives to become the Grand Master on Malta. We are introduced to Marthe, a woman who looks to be the twin of Lymond, and as the team breaks up and chases different clues, it becomes evident that there are two children being chased.
Philippa Somerville enters the seraglio at Topkapi to care for one of the boys; ostensibly beyond the reach of Gabriel as a Christian lord, but his treachery against the Knights of St John lands him a position of power in Suleiman's court.
The finale, a chess game is nail biting and brutally brilliant.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've been slowly making my way through the Lymond Chronicles for years now. This series feels a bit dated now, but I appreciate its exploration of 16th-century Europe. Most of this novel takes place in Constantinople and surrounding areas, a setting that is underexplored in historical fiction for this era. Francis Crawford of Lymond remains as interesting a character as ever and I liked how Philippa developed as a character. Chess references abound in this series and this book culminates in a live chess match between Lymond and one of his deadly foes, a match that made me wonder if it was the inspiration for a not dissimilar scene in the first Harry Potter book.

[herenya_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this in February and have been procrastinating from reviewing it because this was a lot to process and I wanted to say more than “Well, that was devastating!”In the aftermath of revelations made at the end of The Disorderly Knights, Francis Crawford of Lymond embarks on a journey through the Mediterranean. Officially he is an emissary of France, delivering a gift to the Sultan of Turkey; unofficially, Lymond has people he is desperate to find.This is more sombre, more stressful and less surprising than its predecessors, because, after The Disorderly Knights, one has a clearer sense of Lymond’s goals and of what he is up against, and because there are children to worry about. And it is, at times, utterly devastating. … oh, this is such a difficult book to discuss without spoilers! There’s a hauntingly unforgettable scene and I am impressed by how it fits this story, and moreover that it didn’t make me want to throw the book across the room and shout “DUNNETT, CLEARLY YOU CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH FICTIONAL CHARACTERS EVER AGAIN! OR CHESS!” I think it’s because it doesn’t feel like Dunnett is just trying to traumatise her characters and her readers because she can mwahahaha, or like she’s just following through on things already set in motion. She’s using this moment to reveal things of significant importance. And, while things end badly, it’s not as bad as I feared. As if Dunnett knows she can throw a devastating punch but chooses to employ that move sparingly. Anyway, this is also brilliant and captivating. And still surprising. And I would have liked this a lot less if Philippa Somerville, now in her mid teens, hadn’t had such a large part. She’s delightfully determined and resourceful -- by force of logic [...] and the doggedness of a flower-pecker attacking a strangling fig -- and acquits herself admirably in the face of difficulties. She’s certainly not immune from things not going to plan, but I am very glad that she survives certain situations unscathed. I think if I reread this, I would have a better understanding of Marthe; I ended up liking her more than I expected to.I’m sure I will be signing up for further devastating developments, er I mean, the sequel, eventually. “ [...] As I have said before, and am now saying for the last time, I cannot tell you with what awe my family and friends, not to mention yours, would receive the idea that I should ship a twelve-year-old girl along the Barbary coast --” “Fifteen-year-old,” said Philippa, furiously, for the third time.“Or a fifty-year-old: what’s the difference?” said Lymond. “The coast's a jungle of Moors, Turks, Jews, renegades from all over Europe, sitting in palaces built from the sale of Christian slaves. There are twenty thousand men, women and children in the bagnios of Algiers alone. I am not going to make it twenty thousand and one because your mother didn't allow you to keep rabbits, or whatever is at the root of your unshakable fixation."“I had weasels instead,” said Philippa shortly.“Good God,” said Lymond, looking at her. “That explains a lot. [...]”

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When we last left Francis Crawford of Lymond in The Disorderly Knights the year was 1552 and Francis had just uncovered and defeated a spy within the ranks of the Knights of St. John of Malta, Graham "Gabriel" Malett. Francis also had fathered a son, Khaireddin. It's this son, hidden away somewhere within the Ottoman empire, that presents Lymond with his next challenge. For Khaireddin is being held as a political pawn in a very dangerous game. While Francis had defeated his enemy Graham, he also had to reluctantly let him go to ensure the safety of his missing son.Some of Dunnett's best characters return for the plot of Pawn but it's the addition of Marthe that is intriguing. Marthe, a girl much like Francis in attitude and appearance adds sex appeal and a feisty fire to the plot. You later find out later she is his sister. Duh. Could have seen that coming. Another character I liked seeing return is Phillipa. She turns out to be a little spitfire herself.Of course there are the intricate twists and turns you have come to expect from a Dunnett book. The chase across seas and deserts is pretty intense and as always, Dunnett does a fabulous job describing the people and places.

[lauralkeet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pawn in Frankincense is the fourth book in the six-volume Lymond Chronicles, set in mid-16th century Scotland and Europe. Francis Lymond is a mercenary, serving first the Scots and then the French. I nearly gave up on the series after the third book, in which Lymond joined an order of knights on Malta, and engaged in overly complicated battles culminating in a showdown with his nemesis, Graham Reid Mallet aka Gabriel. But I had the fourth book on my Kindle and, after a year-long hiatus I thought why not try again. I’m glad I did.In Pawn in Frankincense, Lymond seeks vengeance against Gabriel even as he knows Gabriel has laid a series of traps for him. Chief among these traps is the search for Lymond’s illegitimate son, now about two years old. Gabriel has decreed the boy will die if Gabriel is killed. The action takes Lymond and his allies all over the Mediterranean, from Algiers to Constantinople, and ultimately into the palace of Suleiman the Magnificant, ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Lymond and Gabriel are well matched in their intellect and ability to deceive the other, and when new characters are introduced it’s often unclear whose side they are on. The reader quickly learns to suspect everyone, even characters who have been with Lymond in previous books. The showdown between Lymond and Gabriel culminates in a game of “live chess,” with devastating consequences that were quite upsetting to read. In the denouement, Lymond dispenses with a few more enemies and disloyal followers and sets his friends and allies up for safety. In addition to its solid storyline, Pawn in Frankincense further developed some of the characters surrounding Lymond, particularly the ex-knight Jerrott, young Philippa Somerville, and a somewhat mysterious young woman named Marthe, who I am sure will figure more prominently in the remaining two books. And now, of course, I’m hooked again.

[leslie398 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This fourth in the Lymond series takes us to northern Africa & Turkey at the height of the Ottomon empire, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. I think the main reason I don't give this 5 stars is that I find the battle between Lymond and Gabriel using the children as pawns so emotionally difficult.

[vallloyd · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Okay you've made it this far now the chase is on. Again I will say nothing about the plot just that this time most of the action is in Constantinople and the journey to it. Sometimes this book seems to drag but it is purposeful because this book is about a seemingly impossible pursuit. Frustration abounds. On a reread everything is colored by the climatic scene and its aftermath, so the dragged out search is now a colorful puzzle. As I've said before do not peek at the end, one you will not understand it and two the ending is so powerful it deserves the build up.Aside from the action, this book is a character study of some of the players that come to the fore in the final two books. Pawn is the pivotal book in the series.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I loved the first of the Lymond Chronicles (Game of Kings) and tgerefore read the rest, even though they got ptrogressively grimmer. This one is very grim and I really dislike the parts where a woman is skinned and stuff and where a young child get strangled.

[misfit_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful: Book #4 in the Lymond Chronicles and a definite WOW book, February 21, 2008 Pawn in Frankincense opens up shortly after the end of The Disorderly Knights, as Jerrott and Philippa track down Lymond on his search to find Francis' child, stolen by renegade Knight Graham Reed Malett and hidden somewhere in the heart of the Ottoman Empire. Francis uses his position as an emissary of France delivering gifts to Suleiman the Magnificent as an entrée into the mysterious world of the east as he and his companions continue their desperate search for Lymond's son. However, the deliciously evil Graham's schemes lead them on from one false lead to another, as the web is spun to bring Francis and troops further into Graham's evil web. Nothing and no one is as they seem, and the author throws many red herrings and surprises into her tale and eventually we discover that there are two blond, blue eyed children being sought. One child is Francis', who is father of the other? Although separated, Lymond and his followers all end up in Constantinople, as Graham's plots come to fruition and Lymond, Jerrott, Archie and the mysterious Marthe with the striking resemblance to Lymond begin the fight of their lives in a real life chess game with deadly consequences for any who are "captured", and Francis battles to maintain his wits against the deadly addiction Graham's schemes have unknowingly afflicted him with. As with the first three books in the series, Francis Crawford is a fascinating hero, and is as suave, debonair, flawed and fascinating as only a 16th Century version of James Bond could be. This book is filled with non-stop action and suspense and ends with quite a big surprise of a cliffhanger which will send the reader reaching for the next book in the series, The Ringed Castle (Lymond Chronicles, 5). A solid five stars and my favorite so far in the series

[mendoza_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Any novel by Dunnett must be savored - I can never just plow thru it no matter how badly I want to move the story along. And then, at the end, I want to go back a reread it.THe chess game at the end was a masterpiece of writing. I found this novel to be the most demanding so far - both physically and emotionally. I was really depressed at the end I had been so fully pulled into the story.

[darla_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just. Could. Not. Put. It. Down. Lump in my throat the whole time, edge of my seat. This one's a lot more personal than the previous books, with Lymond trying to rescue his son from Gabriel. Could Gabriel be any more evil? I don't think so. And O. M. G. I can't believe she DID that!! (If you've read the book, you'll instantly know what I mean. If you haven't, there's no way I'm going to spoil it.) Loved Philippa. Seriously intrigued by Marthe. *whew* Exhausting book.