Checkmate cover art

Checkmate

The Lymond Chronicles, Book 6

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Checkmate

By: Dorothy Dunnett
Narrated by: David Monteath
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audio edition of Checkmate by Dorothy Dunnett, read by David Monteath.

It is 1557 and legendary Scottish warrior Francis Crawford of Lymond is once more in France. There he is leading an army to rout the hated English from Calais.

Yet while Lymond seeks victory on the battlefield he is haunted by his troubled past - chiefly the truth about his origins and his marriage (in name only) to young Englishwoman Philippa Somerville.

As the French offer him a way out of his marriage and his wife appears in France on a mission of her own, the final moves are made in a great game that has been playing out over an extraordinary decade of war, love and struggle - bringing the Lymond Chronicles to a spellbinding close.

©1999 Dorothy Dunnett (P)2018 Penguin Audio Action & Adventure Historical Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Romance Thriller & Suspense World Literature Marriage Fiction Suspense War Highlander

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The Lymond chronicles, as a whole, are a treat. A fascinating host of characters, a marvellous and very flawed hero, a beautiful love story and , most especially, a rollicking, twisting, heart in your mouth gallop through 16th c Europe, written by someone who clearly had an extraordinary mind and a huge breadth of scholarship (and lost no opportunity to display both)

But the interminable French quotations, which really grated by the last book, leave me suspicious that Dorothy Dunnett must have been a rather pretentious and a very snobby woman.
Pity that.

A good old fashioned yarn

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Last book in the series finished! What will i do without Lymond and Phillipa. My all time favourite series by far. Dorothy Dunnetts name has to be put up there with the best, a master storyteller who weaves a complex and brilliant story with great characters. Its not an easy read, but its so so worth it. Just let it flow over you and it will capture your imagination and not let go.

One of the greats, a masterpiece

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I have now read all the Lymond books and they are without a doubt some of the best historical novels I have ever come across. Superb writing and so well read by David Monteath. A joy from start to finish.

Fantastic Series

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Game of Thrones meets gothic romance and heroic saga and so much more. Made me laugh, cry, fume and chew my nails. what more can you ask of a series of novels? Epic listen!

Lymond series

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The final book will not disappoint you, all the story lines come together and this is what makes the whole series a really good listen.
There are more French passages in this book than all the others and this I did find very annoying. I do wonder why authors do these foreign language passages in a book. It is pointless. It does not enhance the story in any shape or form, so why not just print theses so called "important" passages in the language the book is being read/ listened too in.

A Fitting Ending.

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In no single particular has this series disappointed. I'm quite sure that after only a short interval I will listen to it again. Mr. Monteith is superb.

An audible feast

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This is the best historical fiction series I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to, although to restrict it to a single genre does it a gross disservice. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to discover this series, but I’ve been savouring each book as I’ve gone through them, and my first thought on finishing this one was ‘I can’t wait to start them again!’

Brilliantly written, wonderfully narrated, timeless novels for fans of good literature and brilliant storytelling. Cannot recommend highly enough.

I can’t believe it’s finally over!

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A nail biting ending to a wonderful tale, beautifully told. I have read the Lymond Chronicles twice in the last two years but listening to it was still a revelation.

checkmate

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It spoils you really and has done my entire life. Alas, we cannot all be so lucky. But I am privileged to read again, for the multiple time, this work of genius by the dazzling Mrs Dunnett. I’ll tell you what else it spoils you for…substandard writing. You are warned. But if you’ve got this far in the Lymond chronicles, you know all this.

Oh for a love like that!

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The last book in the series known as the Lymond Chronicles, Checkmate is the conclusion to the most absorbing story ever written. It has everything one could ask for - kings, queens, war, romance, family loyalties, bitter rivals and intrigue. Set against the backdrop of the shifting sands of 16th century Europe. Once you reach the last page, I will bet my last Rolo , that you will pick up the first book and just start again from the beginning!

We have reached the open sea....

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