Queens' Play

In Game of Kings, Francis Crawford was a mysterious character who turned out not to be what he seemed. In this book, which involves undercover work and diplomacy (heavy duty acting, in other words), we have more information about what he's up to and why, but we don't know how to put it together to understand his character. We see Crawford as a spy, a soldier, a roustabout, a charismatic leader, a talented musician who has been forced by circumstances to make music secondary to his career as a mercenary–but we don't know what he will ultimately make of himself. Francis Crawford seems to be unclear about this too, and while he is on a reluctantly accepted undercover mission, other characters constantly exert pressure to try to make him serve their own interests. The main interest of this story is seeing how Crawford resists that pressure while making some movement toward discovering his own purpose.

Well, the other interest is Dorothy Dunnett's robust picture of court and city life in the middle of the 16th century, with all of its political action and intrigue. This story takes place among courtiers, menagerie keepers, soldiers, spies, artisans running illegal printing presses and visitors from Ireland looking for help to throw the English out of their country.

The plot is more sensational than Game of Kings, and the emotional tone verges on melodrama at times (and I don't mean this as a negative thing). While Game of Kings can stand on its own, this book is clearly part of a series. Some issues (and characters) are introduced that seem incidental in this story but become central farther along in the series.