The Spring of the Ram by Dorothy Dunnett- Book review

This is my second reading of  second book in Dorothy Dunnett’s historical fiction series House of Niccolo- The Spring of Ram and  yes, I missed loads the first time round. Here is my review.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: Book 2 of the House of Niccolo series.

Source :My Own

In 1461, Nicholas is in Florence. Backed by none other than Cosimo de’ Medici, he will sail the Black Sea to Trebizond, last outpost of Byzantium, and the last jewel missing from the crown of the Ottoman Empire. But trouble lies ahead. Nicholas’s stepdaughter — at the tender age of thirteen — has eloped with his rival in trade: a Machiavellian Genoese who races ahead of Nicholas, sowing disaster at every port. And time is of the essence: Trebizond may fall to the Turks at any moment.

Review

The Spring of the Ram picks up after the end of Niccolo rising( review here) in 1461 where we learn that Nicholas believes himself to be the son of Simon St Pol- the cause of their enmity. His friends and allies are wary of Nicholas’s clever manipulations and have him on a short leash but are equally happy to follow through on his plans to make the Charetty company rich. But of course, his path is full of obstacles and people he has to conquer to fulfil his plan. Nicholas sets sail to Trebizond to trade but Doria, a rival merchant elopes with Catherine-Nicholas’s 13-year-old step-daughter sabotaging Nicholas’s plans at every opportunity.

Niccolo Rising by Dorothy Dunnett , Book one of the House of Niccolo– Book Review

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to reread the House of Niccolo series of books. Claes didn’t fascinate me much as Lymond but I have to admit I have completely changed my mind the second time around.

Genre :Historical Fiction

Source: I bought the ebook

We meet Claes ,in 15^th Century Bruge,, an eighteen-year-old dyer’s apprentice and follow his transformation to Nicholas vander Poele a twenty-year-old merchant and how he touches the lives of the friends, lovers and enemies ( but not always in a positive sense) along the way.

Book Review

Like so many other readers, I fell in love with Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles, so after I finished Checkmate, I needed to fill the void with another epic story full of twists and turns. I hoped Niccolo rising would fill the gap but while I did enjoy the House of Niccolo it just didn’t seem to hold the same hold as Lymond. But I decided to give this series another read.