Pawn in Frankincense
Dorothy Dunnett
699 pages
published in 1969

The fourth novel in the Lymond saga and a direct sequel to The Disorderly Knights. At the end of that novel the villain of the story managed to get away after telling Lymond his son would be killed if he was. The child is now the pawn in the gme between Lymond and his enemy, the bait with which he will lure Lymond to his death, after first being humiliated for the damage he did.

Lymond's quest for his son brings him back to the Mediterranean, to the Ottoman Empire, leading along the North African coast into the heart of the Empire, Istanboul. As I've come to expect from Dunnett, the secenery and history of the region is described pretty well, both in small telling details as in the broad lines of history and politics hiding behind the plot. It all feels real and once again it seems as if she has done her homework.

As has also become familiar by now, we once again only get to experience Lymond's character from the outside, through the eyes of his friends and compaignons, who may be mistaken over his motives or history. Slowly some more insight in his history and mentality is gotten,but for the most part he is still hidden from us.

I often have the feeling in this series that the writer isn't playing fair, is hiding things from the reader, but this time the feeling is less strong then in the previous three novels. These are still not easy novels to get through, at times being a real slough. I was more glad to have read it then to be reading it in this particular instance, which also has something to do with the dark atmosphere of the novel.

The parts I liked best in this book are the ones featuring Philipia of Somerville, who was introduced in the previous book and took it in her head to track Lymond down and help him find his son. Needlesly to say that he doesn't approve of her help, but she doesn't let herself be send home, instead traveling into the Sultan of Turkey's harem...