King Hereafter

Dunnett is, hands down, my favorite writer of historical fiction and one of the best fiction writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Her two series, "The Lymond Chronicles" and "The House of Niccolò," are enormous in scope and remarkable achievements as interesting, powerful, enjoyable historical fiction. The research behind Dunnett's writing is immense. Her grasp of the intricate...more

Dunnett is, hands down, my favorite writer of historical fiction and one of the best fiction writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Her two series, "The Lymond Chronicles" and "The House of Niccolò," are enormous in scope and remarkable achievements as interesting, powerful, enjoyable historical fiction. The research behind Dunnett's writing is immense. Her grasp of the intricate political climates of the Renaissance (in the above series) or 11th century Europe (as in "King") as well as the respective dauntingly complicated royal/noble lineages are incredibly detailed and informative. Dunnett's also a pro with dialogue and creating wonderfully deep, complex characters. Her protagonists are strong males with almost demigodlike abilities. Her women tend to be strong as well; subtler, more intelligent. Dunnett is one of a handful of writers who keep me turning to the dictionary to look up a word I've never heard before. Her writing contains scores of references - literary, cultural, arcane technology, a bit of poetry or a centuries-old bawdy ballad - to the point that another author created a reader to go along with the Niccolo series as a reference. "King Hereafter" is the story of the real Macbeth. It is long and dense and a perfect marriage between scholarship and art. Dunnett tells the story of young Thorfinn (Christian name of Macbeth), heir to part of the Orkney Islands (Scotland), who grows into an ambitious and charismatic leader and fights to gain control of an empire. It is a truly wonderful novel, an intense, involved (and involving) read, and I highly recommend it.   hide